Thursday, February 9, 2012

Things you should know about Grad School

Here are some things you should know about grad school:

NUMBER 1
When I'm in grad school I have really cool fingernails because the only way to keep me sane during the hours and hours of reading is to break it up into 20 minute increments.  So, it goes like this: 
Read 20 minutes
Apply first coat of nail polish
Read 20 minutes
Apply next coat of nail polish
Read 20 minutes
Fall asleep and ruin wet fingernails 
Read 20 minutes
Remove ruined polish and start all over with coat #1
Etc.
Etc. 
Etc.

And that's how we get:
(Don't ask how to get such a shimmery steering wheel because I don't have the answer for that)
(I do, however, have the answer for how you can get such awful DRY hands such as these...move to the desert.  Easy.)

NUMBER 2
Sometimes it's ok to cry in grad school.  Almost the whole class was in tears after reading the "Where I'm From" poems on Tuesday night.  It was an incredible evening.  I am so grateful I could be apart of such an amazing learning experience such as that one.  It just reiterated to me how incredibly blessed my childhood was and how blessed my current life is.  

NUMBER 3
Sometimes you get your VERY FIRST PAPER of your grad school career back you get THIS grade:
Yes.  That is an A.  I nearly died.  Actually, I was in such shock that I just kept crying from the emotion of the Where I'm From poems.  
An A.
And a smiley face.
For me.
Miracles never cease.
Apparently all the words I've been making up for "academic writing" really paid off.
 (Something I didn't know, but learned from this paper, is that you can't use the same word twice in back-to-back sentences.  Every time I would write the same word in back-to-back sentences, she would mark it.  Who knew that was so taboo for academia?  Sheesh.)

3 comments:

  1. Ok, I am so happy you commented on my blog. I have been embarrassed to comment and confess my adoration of you two. I just think you are darling and am pleased as punch that you have a munchkin on the way. Congratulations! I also read your friends birth story. I didn't think much of it and clicked on it as I was falling asleep in bed. Soon, tears were streaming down my face. I could barely contain myself. So touching. Thank you for sharing. Lets be in touch!

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  2. It's not that using the same word is not allowed, it's that it (generally) feels too redundant, that there are many other adequate choices that provide variety and oftentimes better meaning to what you are trying to say. But please know that of course that is allowed. So is comma after a conjunction. English is slippery. It's all about writing for the intended audience, or professor...

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  3. Wow! You are in Grad School that is great! I loved Grad School! How have you been? I want to follow your blog! Miss ya.

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