Life Academic

There's no other way to say it: I'm entirely swamped in my graduate studies. People had told me that it's nothing like the carefree days of undergraduate work; the days in which working 20 hours a week for one's alma mater and simply going to class the rest of the time was more than sufficient for survival. I believed those people then, but I know they're correct now.

I will say this. I do love the graduate world, however. While my tenure as an undergrad yields no complaints, it was inevitable, every day to come in contact with the dreaded "Man, if I can only get a C in this class" students. These people added to the comedic affect of college, but in no way contributed to the academic element of life. Things are entirely different in my grad program, as only 9 people were accepted into my emphasis to begin with, it's an intimate group of thoughtful, responsible people.

As far as the change in course curriculum, it has been difficult to adjust to the style of graduate seminars and classes. The model has always been a lecture. But it's not so in graduate classes, apparently. Now we're responsible for mastery of course material, and, in fact, will be called upon randomly in class to present the research assigned for the present class. No room for slackers here. Just my kind of environment--keeps me on my toes and no dippy comments to distract my respect for the institution's admission process.

I'm currently working on a number of papers regarding the epic and heated debates between phonics and whole language, the overdiagnosis of learning disabilities and much, much more. These topics are of great interest to me, but I in no way would want to impose them on this lovely readership unless solicited. So, if you're dying to know what your kids, or future kids, might learn (or not learn) in school, let me know. Otherwise, I'll keep the "shop talk" to a minimum.

Enjoy the dawning of the fall season.