Everyone keeps asking me "How's school going, Michelle?" The short answer is, "It's going well!" And it really is. I'm enjoying being back in school, and moving forward in my career goals. Although the only time I've not been moving forward was working at Walmart, or the time I spent at the Mass College of Pharmacy (I suppose that could be spun to represent a valuable experience in administration).
School and I agree with each other. I feel quite at home at UConn, and feel confident in my abilities, only intimidated by one of my office mates who is definitely smarter than I am.
(As Dad reminded me, I'm not the elite here as I was at Worcester State.)
I am taking three classes. No, that's not part time. It's more than full time. Full time for Grad students would be two classes, and at least one teaching assistantship. Being a humble master's student, I don't qualify for the TA-ship, therefore I need to take a third class to keep my registration at full time levels. So far I've been able to handle it, but we'll see once I really get into the papers I need to get a move on for two of those three.
The first class is "Fifty-one, Oh-one", the introductory class that every incoming grad student needs to take, a community building experience as much as an exposure to historiography. And it's nice. There are more people who have similar (conservative) viewpoints to mine than I originally would have thought, and among those who fall on the other side of the spectrum, they are all nice, and more than a few people who are fun to be around. In this class I got my first paper back. It was a B+. If I was at WSC, I would be worried. But it doesn't faze me here. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or if I'm getting lazy.
The second class is "Intro to Public History", a mixed grad/undergrad class. That mixture is unusual, and I'm not sure that I would call myself a "fan". But the professor is awesome (my advisor), and the topics practical and engaging to someone who is looking forward to a career in public history (either writing or museum work). I've discovered my favorite public history article. "Everyman His Own Historian" by Carl Becker, published in the American Historical Review in 1932. Yes, it's over seventy years old, but what Becker expresses is absolutely relevant in history today. The other three grad students in the class are interesting people, but one of them is in my cohort of first year grad students, and he's also one of the likeminded people, so it's nice to have him say the things I'm thinking in clearer words than I can usually articulate.
The third class is the most difficult one. Difficult because not only is it out of my time period, but also out of my place, and out of my familiarity with methodology. "Topics in Italian History", the Italian Renaissance. Tough stuff. There are three of us Early Americans in this class. "Why did you take this?" one of the Renaissance scholars asked us collectively. We just shrugged. The professor is a little crass, and some of the subject matter we're reading is things I would never have picked up off the bookshelf, but now I know. Half this class, however, is just showing up, with the other half a Bibliographic essay. I have to get moving on the bibliographic essay, and make it a good one if it's that much of my grade. Yikes. This is where I feel the pressure growing at the base of my neck. No, it's not just strain from sitting here with my laptop on my lap, writing with my wrists resting on the computer.
So, let's talk about something different.
I find that my weeks are very carefully planned out. If I lose a day, I might be able to make it up elsewhere, with cramming at night, and so forth. Not the ideal way to do it, but it's tough to have three classes, and work 16 hours between Fridays and Saturdays each week. Sunday is the best day of the week, because then I can go to church: worship God, be refreshed spiritually and emotionally, and socialize with my church family. They are definitely the heart of my week.
So, with all that carefully planned schedule, I haven't had the chance to get a lot of writing done. Also, I haven't been able to sew a lot, although I finished Aunt Linda's Renn Faire dress in time for the Faire last weekend. However, I find that piano-playing is a great way to destress. Even five minutes, playing out of "The Last Week", or Krysten's "Celtic Woman: A New Journey" songbook is therapeutic.
Alright, that's about all the brain I have left. Have a great night, everyone!
Comments (1)
It is great to hear about what you are doing. I can live a bit vicariously through you that way. ;) It sounds like you are enjoying school, and I am glad. :)