First Semester... Completed

I am happy to announce that although I thought it would never happen I survived my first semester. Thus I have a few lessons to share...

1. Pray that when you start a PhD program... that you have a supportive and friendly cohort. (I have been BLESSED with the best cohort and I would not be nearly as sane as I am if it was not for them!)

2. Remember B's get degrees. Although I am a MAJOR over achiever there is a point when you have to accept that you may get a B and this does not mean you should end your life.

3. Find comedy in stressful situations. Our group as found that this makes things seem a lot more bearable. All I will say is M.K.F, Lard Factor , and Suck it up Buttercup! (I understand that unless you are in my cohort these mean nothing but for those of you who may read this and know what they mean... I am sure you are rolling on the floor)

Without having second years to look up to it is hard to say if next term will be any better or worse then this past one but for me I know it will be rough. I have more research to do and three VERY demanding professors. One of which I am convinced will hate any research question I come up with. But I will do my best and will keep my focus on getting what I need to get done, done.

Oh Wait! One more lesson... When you get a break (ie Winter break) RELAX and play fun games, hang out with the friends whom don't see you all the time, and take LOTS of time for you! Trust me, YOU WILL NEED IT!

And we have one month down!

Well... given that I have not written a single word since classes have begun I find is a bit silly to say that PhD school has taken over my life. However there it is.

Although I am enjoying the challenge and the discussions (well most of the discussions) this past month has been exhausting. The reading, writing, and expectations have reached exponential levels.

However on a positive note (yep I do have one or two of those : )) is that my new cohort of PhD students ROCKS!!! We all get along and we are 100% there for each other. We talk, share e-mails, offer encouragement via facebook, and try to keep each other sane. This is a welcomed new environment for me! Many of the members MA cohort were needless to say were un-supportive. At times it seemed that we were in competition with each other. But we didn't need to be, and I never understood some of the issues that occured. Yet in light of everything I did leave with a few good friends and I am greatfull for them. I am also greatfull for all of my new friends. I really do LOVE my new friends.

As for new advice or insites on PhD School... I can strongly say that PhD school is NOT for the weak of heart. At this point I really think that at least the first semester it is again all about showing you that you know NOTHING and that the professors are out to kick your butt.

Well back to writing. That is all you do in grad school. Read, write, and grade! Oh MY!!!

Get Involved!

Today I had an amazing opportunity to get involved!!!

But before I explain I want to say that everyone should find a cause and get active. There is something that happens to you when you get your hands dirty, face sweaty, and smile seen. Your heart opens and you get to see the world in a whole new way.

So today my hubby and I served over 200 people at a soup kitchen. And although this was not the first time for me I had forgotten how great it feels. So many of the people that came thought that line just needed someone to treat them like they were not an outcast. These are the people that had you seen them on the street you would look away, tighten your grip on your purse or simply avoid, but they are people. The only difference is that many of the just made some really bad choices. Others are ill and need help that others refuse to give. I guess my lesson heard tonight is that we all need to remember 3 things.

1. Remember to be thankful for all our opportunities and blessings. You never know what may happen in your future, so count each and every blessing.
2. Remember to SHARE those blessings. I don't have a lot of money and sometimes I feel like have I have even less time, but it is REALLY important to get out there are help your community. Find something ANYTHING and get active. IF you love animals volunteer at a local humane society, if you like people.. go to a soup kitchen, don't like people.. well other shelters need help stocking and organizing the donated items. It doesn't matter WHAT you do, but you need to DO something.
3. It doesn't matter HOW or WHAT you do. Just find something that matches your skills and passions and get active. I am a communication scholar so I use my ability to give the silent words but I also have a big heart and I love to share my compassion with others. We all need a smile and we all have an unlimited supply of them so why not share them with the world around us.

I am going to spending a great deal more of my time during my PhD working on AIDS activism and other forms of activism but I want to encourage everyone to get out there in this world of ours and really help in anyway you can. Even offering a smile to people you don't know on the street can help.

If you need ideas... let me know... I would love to help.

T minus one month....

This time next month I will have just gotten home from my first PhD class. I have one more book to order and then it all begins. In preparation I have been doing lots of reading everyday and writing a few pages everyday.

I have finished the Masters Thesis and now I am beginning two research projects and already have two maybe three in the window looking at me as a possible researcher. I met with a professor who may end up being my adviser and she was pretty excited about my ideas for my program of study. YAY!!! I have a few ideas for the research and the classes I will take but I will remain fluid.

I will have a great deal of work to do and I know I can do it. I just have to keep the faith and keep my head looking toward that graduation cap!

I have recently located few other blogs about PhD programs and I plan to keep an eye on them and maybe we can all bond together and create a support group! I am excited, a little scared, and a whole lot ready to get going!

We shall see how this all works... together!

A whole new view...

This past week I have been a counselor at a Christian camp for junior and high school kids. And honestly that trip could not have come at a better time. As you know I have been finishing my Thesis and two days before I left for camp I had my defense, which I pasted with beautiful colors!

But then I left for camp. One week without my computer (for which I am admittedly addicted to), no cell phone (well I had it but I pretty much kept it off, minus the few times I called home to tell my hubby I missed him and loved him tons), and No television, and no homework. I was not only technology stripped, but I was also placed in charge of 10 junior high girls. Now I do not want this to sound like "oh look at me I went a week without technology and I was in charge of a bunch of kids, because that is not my point. My point it that for the first time in a while I was COMPLETELY out of my element. But I walked by faith. And I learned a number of vital lessons.

First I learned that I really like the real me. My girls brought out a side of me that I have not seen in a while! I was reminded of what it is like to be a child. I laughed, sang, danced, and played without a fear in the world. I was able to really look at the world around me and take the time to appreciate all of gods thumb prints. My girls reminded me that sometimes we all need to just let go.

Second, I learned who I want to be. I have always been career focused but not I want to work on the rest of me. I have a career path and it is pretty set. Four more years of grad school, numerous research projects as well as countless hours of reading and writing papers. However, there is WAY more to me then just school. I also want to be a person that people want to be around. I want to be a leader and role model to those around me. I want to be the person that God had intended me to be.

While we were at camp the entire group looked at Matthew 5 1-10 otherwise known as the beatitudes! And I learned many of the characteristics that I want to exhibit. I know I have lots of work to do, but I also know that I was that person this past week. I felt love and I loved. For once I really loved who I was. And more importantly, I was able to be there for my kids when they needed me. I was told through noted that they each gave me that in many more ways then I could not I was able to help them through some tough stuff. These messages will be cherished forever and I know that I will look at them often.

Bot most importantly, I was given a great deal of clarity in the area of who I am and whom I need to become. I want my actions to reflect my faith and I want to continue to be the person I was at camp. I want to continue to learn as much as I can but I also want to be able and be comfortable sharing my faith.

I pray I never EVER forget this week. And when life begins to pile up on me like I know it will I just pray that I can reflect back to this week and remember that all I need to do is turn my eyes to the sky and ask for help!

And all God's children said... Amen!

How to Survive Grad School pt. 2

One of the most important lessons I have learned while working on the Masters and that I continue to learn while beginning the PhD, is that it is vital for you to find a place to work. If you are funded (therefore a teaching assistant) and lucky, your department will have a nice office for you. I seem to have been both for the past two years however last year was better then the first. For my first year I shared an office with about 12 other people. And while I did not always get a lot of the work done, I did make a number of friends (which will be a lesson all in it's self!) For my second year I was asked to teach a different course which moved me away from the large group and into an office for three people. Needless to say I got LOTS of work done and have now been a bit spoiled to have a nice quiet place to work when I could not do so at home. Yet this privilege is coming to an end and I have been told I am moving back to the large office which I will share with the eight other PhD TAs in my department. This is not bad I will be able to bond with them and we will all have our own spaces. Which may not going to be the case for the MAs next year.

Now you need to understand I live in a one bedroom apartment with my wonderful, but TV addicted, husband and to very needy cats. The cats LOVE to play with pens, lay on my books, and demand attention whenever I am on a deadline. The hubby loves to watch various sports as well as all of the discussion shows about sports. Now don't get me wrong I do like sports, I am not upset that he watches them, however I have to plan my day VERY carefully because I have learned that I can not do certain types of work with back ground noise. For me I need complete quite for reading, soft music for writing, and anything for grading. Yet when you have LOTS and LOTS of reading (often hundreds of pages a week) you need to know where you can go.

That is where the hunt begins. Traditionally, there are tons of coffee shops and places on campus to go and work. The library will more then likely be the best place. However... I live 30 min. from campus and on the days that I do not HAVE to be one campus, I try and save the gas. But I still need a place to work. AHH! Unfortunately, a large number of coffee houses around me also allow smoking inside, which is GROSS!!! However, last night I met up with a girl friend and have now found a great little place that is quite, smoke free, and offers comfy places to sit! I can not WAIT to go there and work.

The key is to find a place away from home, yet close to the house, they should have good prices on snacks and drinks, a variety of tables and seating, and really should have FREE wi fi. My new little hide out had all of this and more. The food choices are great and the prices seem reasonable. They have booths, little tables, larger tables, and couches and chairs.

Yet finding the place is one thing knowing when to go and know you can work is another. Here you have a few choices. Go at various times and see when they are busy. OR you can open your mouth and ask. Since I am a communication scholar I chose the later. I simply asked that people working there when the busy and slower times are. This way I can plan ahead and know that I can go and work and not have to drive around until I find another place to work.

Now you may be saying, why don't you just tell your husband you are working and to turn off the TV. OR tell him to go into a different room. Well I could, but that is not really fair to him either and not to mention sometimes I work better when I am not home. I get distracted easily and being home means seeing all the other stuff that I need or want to work on. If I am away from it then I can focus on what I need to do.

So now go and find that cute little place (preferably a local privet owned one) in which you can work. I like the feeling of the little places and I love knowing that my money is going to help out a smaller business.

Happy reading!!

Oh! Just a side note.... You may want to make sure grab a pair or two of ear plugs. These can help if you do get a few people in your little coffee shop who are talking and catching up. It is a coffee shop remember and people are allowed to talk.

It's about to get real!

For the past three months I have had to balance two important thoughts. Finishing my Masters thesis and knowing that my next goal is just around the corner. In retrospect, I have enjoyed the past two years. But I have not forgotten the numerous weeks of stress, aggravation, and lack of sleep. However, I have kept my focus on my future and with the support of my amazing hubby I am now less then a week away from graduating with my Masters.

Now, the only thing between me and my dream career is four more years of intense work and dedication. In total I have 54 credits, 18 hours of comps, and one dissertation to complete. It will take hard work, perseverance, prayer, a little help from my friends, and more then likely a few (dozen) glasses of wine.

In the end I want to teach communication at the college level for the rest of my life. I love to research as well as teaching. Really teaching has been all I have ever wanted to do. But it was not until five years ago that I realized that teaching at the college level was where I wanted to be. Recently I have been able to teach not only as a TA for my department, but was requested to take the place of another professor at a small liberal arts college in town. After some thinking and a few talks with the hubby, I took the position. To be honest I think this new position helped me work even harder. I had to manage my time in a whole new way which kept me focused. And because of my success with the class I took over I have been offered two class this summer.

SO although I am still a few days away from OFFICIALLY being a PhD candidate I am ready and eager to begin the challenge. So... as I sit at my little MAC, I wonder what adventures I am about to experience. I am sure I will laugh, cry, scream, and smile. I know I can do it, and hopefully I will have this as a way to always remember what is was like to be a PhD candidate.

How to Survive Grad School pt. 1

Find a children's book series and buy all of the books in it. I have found that after reading, and reading, and reading; journal after journal after journal your brain (if anything like mine) will soo turn to mush.

At this point you have a few choices....

1. Cry ( Waste of time and energy)
2. Play Wii (Great escape, but you run the risk of getting sucked in... and then you fail)
3. Read something FUN ( Kids books take about no brain power and normally, depending on the book, only about ten minutes to read!)

My Personal favorite are the pigeon books. I have ALL of them and they are short, sassy, and so much fun. My husband even found the pigeon in a stuffed animal form. He (the pigeon not my husband) sits on my desk and stares at me while I finish my thesis. When I think I need a break I look at Pigeon and he just looks at me and seems to say... "What are you looking at me for, I am not going to write that silly paper!"

Mo Williams is the author of the pigeon books and they are all great. He also has other books that are great.

Another idea is to find a comic book or two. These are short and can give the escape you need but will not take long to read. I was never a comic girl before I met my hubby but now I have reached FULL Dork status by being smart, a video game nerd, and now a comic book lover. The other choice...Audio books! I don't have time to read the fun books so I have found that when I am in the car I can listen to the fun books. I also listen to them while I am grading (sometimes) and when ever I am entering data into SPSS. Audio books let you relax, escape, and give you the ability to do other things while listening to them.

So... What are you waiting for.... get going... try one of these ideas!

In the beginning....The acceptence letter!

Just a quick note to let you know that the faculty in the Department of
Communication have approved your admission into the PHD program.

The formal letter should follow in a week.

Congratulations, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

YAY!!!! Now I just have to do it!

I am too excited.... and a little scared! DO I have the energy to do this? Do I have a choice?

SO, yeah....

Here I am 27, married for a about a year and a half , about to finish my MA in COM (in fourteen days!) and then I begin my PhD!! Over the next four years I hope to document my joys, sorrows, achievements and failures (hopefully not to man failures) here.

I have never had a blog before so this will be an adventure for us all. ( Given that ANY one actually reads this.) SO here we are. More to come I am sure!