This Master's Student's Life

Hi again! I have been an utter failure at updating my blog. In my defense, though, it was Christmastime, which is always busy, plus I was finishing my first semester of grad school. Please forgive me.

Updates...As alluded to above, I successfully made it through my first semester of grad school, not too worse for the wear (three A's and one A-). Ceeelll-lebrate good times, come on! Then came Christmas, as it always does, in spite of the Grinch's efforts to keep it in check. I got to spend some good time with family and friends, though not enough. Even though I was home for a little over two weeks, it was still too short. I enjoyed it, though--playing games with my family, watching movies, going places, just spending time together. I got back on Sunday, and school started two days ago. This semester will be just as hard as the last, if not harder...I have to finish two papers with professors, one of which I will be presenting at the PSA Conference in Seattle in March, plus I have to get going on my thesis. Not to mention taking 10 credits again. My classes are Linear Regression Analysis (doesn't that just sound so fun? I can already tell that will be a struggle), Ethnographic Research Techniques (interesting, but very time-consuming), Race and Ethnicity (a very interesting class), and of course, Pro-Sem (the seminar where we learn how to be academic professionals and what you can do with an MS in Sociology). The papers I'm working on with professors are the same one from last semester -- one on anger within the family, and the other on child health outcomes in single-parent families. Now I get to figure out exactly what I'm doing for my thesis...I don't want to share too much about that until I get going on it, because right now, I only have a very meager idea on what I'm doing.

Yep, that's it! School pretty much defines my life right now, which is kind of sad when I recall the fact that I am halfway through my 19th consecutive year of being a full-time student (17th if I don't count preschool or kindergarten). Yikes. I think a good solid 20 years oughta do the trick, don't you? I plan to finish my Master's in April 2012, then it's off to...somewhere. I have no idea where, but I will be moving on from where I am now.

I will probably update this more often now...I have a tentative goal to write every day (or as often as I can...), so whether or not I post a blog will depend on the subject matter of what I write. Any ideas of topics for me to write about?