Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
No rest for the weary...
Summer School at UNC started today. Didn't we just finish the spring semester? One of my colleagues asked how my summer was going. What summer?! It didn't even start, yet! I will be spending the next 10 weeks or so learning statistics from Professor Ware. He gets rave reviews from the second year J-School students, so I'm looking forward (is that the right way to talk about stats?) to learning from him. If the blog is sparse for the next couple of months, stats is my excuse.
Monday, May 16, 2005
No PhysEd in Grad School...
This is my last day to relax before starting stats in summer school at UNC tomorrow and my son also has the day off from Durham Academy so we were playing outside, enjoying a warm North Carolina morning. He was teaching me how to play lacrosse, becoming a bit exasperated with me as I had a hard time learning how to catch that little ball. I told him that I have not had time to learn lacrosse this year in grad school--"it's not like we get PE in grad school!" He looked back at me totally amazed and said, "You don't get PE time in grad school?!" I hope this doesn't ruin his future grad school plans.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
The school year is done...
I just turned in my final 35-page paper for the semester at UNC, which coincidentally was a paper on bloggers for my class on organizational communication. That project is what prompted this blog. One of the bloggers I met at the weekly Chapel Hill meet-up suggested that I post my paper in small bits, which I just might do.
This semester has flown by so quickly. I have learned so much about journalism, advertising, teaching, and research. It has been a blast. Too bad that I had to read this depressing commentary on the field of journalism. Rather than be so pessimistic, I would like to look at the landscape as one that is full of possibilities--one where all graduates can use their talents in many different ways. In my previous teaching at WFU, I have always encouraged my students to figure out what their talents are as well as what they enjoy the most and find a way to work where those two come together. That seems to be a much healthier way to look at the world. That is what I am trying to do with my life.
This semester has flown by so quickly. I have learned so much about journalism, advertising, teaching, and research. It has been a blast. Too bad that I had to read this depressing commentary on the field of journalism. Rather than be so pessimistic, I would like to look at the landscape as one that is full of possibilities--one where all graduates can use their talents in many different ways. In my previous teaching at WFU, I have always encouraged my students to figure out what their talents are as well as what they enjoy the most and find a way to work where those two come together. That seems to be a much healthier way to look at the world. That is what I am trying to do with my life.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
PhD-itis is spreading...
My little sister (okay, just by two years) is going to grad school! I am so excited for her. She has decided to go back to school to get her Ph.D. and has just been accepted to the University of Miami to study literacy in the School of Education. I am so proud of her for also taking the plunge late in life to go back to school and forge a new path. Maybe I can sign her up to help me blog about being an older student next year.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
One paper done, one to go...
I finished an exam and turned in one paper today. This has been the due date for the paper since the semester started--it was on the syllabus and I had it on my calendar. As I was putting the finishing touches on it Friday night, our professor sent an email saying he was extending the deadline due to requests he had received. I have to say that I was more than a little miffed. I sent my husband and kids to a movie without me Friday night so that I could finish this paper and get it in on time. I did not need the extra time, and in fact, I did not want the extra time. I have enjoyed writing that paper, but I have done all I can do with it. So, I turned it in today--was I on time or early? Now I can finish my final paper on blogging.