Week One

The first week of my final semester is over…finally. This has been an extraordinarily long week. A few people in my classes have shared that sentiment today. My longest days are Mondays and Fridays. I wake up at 8 and I’m not back in my room until 4. I have an hour break for lunch. My Tuesdays and Thursdays will be great catch up days as I only have one class at 3:30. And yes, I will definitely need that time…

I had anticipated a lot of work in my classes. This week alone I have already read a couple hundred pages. One of my teachers (she is still working on her dissertation and so is not a doctor and does not want to be called a professor) informed us that the reading is going to double. Joy. The interesting thing about that class, however, is the heart of the material. It is my non-western civilization that is required for my liberal arts requirement. My teacher has made it clear she values the concept of the liberal arts and expects us to write well, speak well, and generally communicate well with each other. We are studying more than the Middle East; we are studying people. I have forgotten how much I enjoy people and studying them (not in a creepy way). It will be hard, but refreshing.

My math class is the same structure as last semester. Because of this, I know what I need to do. I do not plan on slacking, but I know when my reading becomes more important where and how and I can prune the work in that class. My research seems more laid back. The professor from Penn State that guided my project  in the direction my adviser and I have taken it is visiting in March. We are hoping to have some work done and questions ready when he comes. I have organized all my notes from last semester and feel less pressured and more of a vision than I have had. We will just see where that goes.

My most interesting class and the one I care most about is right away in the mornings. Ironically, it is the only class I’m taking this semester that is not a requirement for me to graduate. Intro to Professional Writing has already been very enlightening for me. I am pretty sure I am the only not English major or minor in that class. I laughed this morning because my classmates were complaining about the amount of reading we’ve had already. I’ve relished in it. It has been both inspiring and interesting to me. I am very excited where this is going.

The most interesting thing about this class is the ideas it is giving me. I had thought this class was going to be getting into the field of writing and dealing with publishers and the like. I was mistaken as are many. Professional writing is actually a career choice. It is also known as technical writing and encompasses much more. It is very misunderstood and is actually considered to be a great career choice with many opportunities in today’s economy. There is a lot of room for growth and can appeal to almost anybody of any major. What a wonderful thing!

I was talking with my adviser about this today and he knows a person from grad school that he is going to try and hook me up with. Apparently, she is a technical writer for a math publication who has her PhD in a specific field of mathematics. Even if I branched out further, it seems like a very possible career choice for me. A lot more open than journalism or writing a book.

This has a been a very long week, but it has been insightful. I’m already working harder than ever before and have begun thinking about my future exponentially more (which has already been much of my time). I am officially out of work as of last night but I’m hoping that will change. I hope this semester continues to be insightful and fun. I will keep things updated…hopefully.