In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve neglected my blog. And for good reason too. I hit the period of final exams for my first semester of graduate school. These last few weeks have been some of the most intense that I’ve experienced.
And to risk sounding cheesy, I believe I’ve learned a number of things. These are both about the specific program I’m in and about myself.
1. I’ve re-affirmed why I’m in graduate school. I want to get my master’s degree so I can one day be in a management position in the PR and communications industry. As fun as school is, I’m on a professional track and will end classes when I graduate.
2. I have to get things done early (when I can). My stress tends to accumulate over time. I’m much happier when I complete assignments earlier. It’s difficult and sometimes impossible, but I prefer to complete tasks early.
3. I need to relax a bit more. I’ve been so tense the first semester because I’m still getting settled in the program. Next semester I’d really like to get out more and go to cultural events in the school and community. I want to be more engaged with what’s going on around me.
4. I have to budget more effectively. At times, my checking account has dwindled to a dangerously low level. I need to prioritize my spending so I can have more financial cushion.
5. I’m still not a statistician. I like to pretend that I can do in-depth research, but I don’t have the skills (at least not yet) to run real analyses. I’ll be in a stats class next semester, so hopefully I can improve my skills a little more.
There are plenty more lessons, but these five stand out the most. Even though school has been crazy, I’ve still managed to work on a few creative projects, like a short book and a feature length script. It’s challenging without a doubt, but grad school hasn’t gotten the best of me yet.
Molly Kate Communicates 