Finals Are Coming

Finals Are Coming

Well we’re down to our last few weeks of the semester already.  Black Friday ads are flooding the TV and Christmas music is in the air.  This also signifies that finals and final projects are right around the corner. 

Luckily I only have two research papers between my three classes.  I would most likely be dying right now if I had three big papers to write.  One I've made a lot of progress on, and the other one, ehhhh not so much.  Both of them are due during dead week (the week between Thanksgiving and finals), so while I’m munching down on some turkey and bread, I’ll be working on the pay differences between Walmart and Costco. 

On a happier note, Dr. Lambert and I were accepted to conferences in both Chicago and Portland (!).  Hopefully we’ll get to go to both of these conferences, we should find out soon.  But getting accepted was the first step. 

Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet here.  I helped Dr. Misis with research on fear and terrorism, (hint: people are still fearful).  I also have been helping Dr. Olberding with her research on Kennedy Heights and Pleasant Ridge working together.  I’m also slowly chipping away at the new newsletter that will come out next year.  Hopefully I can make a good one!

Thanks for stopping by!

I leave you with a meme you've probably seen a million times before, but I love it because I actually know where it comes from:

TGIFB

Well we’re halfway through the semester already apparently.  I have three midterms this semester, thankfully they’re all on separate weeks.  The two I’ve taken were already as hard as any midterms I’d had in undergrad.  You’ve really got to keep up with your reading in graduate school, as tempting it is to drop it for Netflix and Hulu bingeing. 

This past Monday and Tuesday we had “fall break,” two full days off from class and work (at NKU anyway).  What exciting things did I do over the break you ask?  Well it was my 22nd birthday (!) so I celebrated appropriately.  I hit the links at A.J. Jolly golf course and did surprisingly well for once.  Other than that I treated fall break like just that, a break. 

Some exciting stuff has been happening at work lately; I found out I could possibly become a published author, twice!  I definitely won’t be bragging about that on my résumé (I was a French major, accent marks are important).  One of the projects I’m working on may even lead to a conference or two.  Professor Lambert submitted one to a conference in Chicago, and we should find out around Halloween if we’re accepted or not.  So keep your fingers crossed!  I’ll definitely let y’all know how that goes in next month’s blog post. 

So tips from this month: 

·        Keep up with the reading; it’ll pay off for midterm time.

·        Study your butt off for midterms whether they’re open note or not, they’re no joke.

·        Enjoy the heck out of your fall break because you won’t be getting more time off until Thanksgiving.

First Impressions

Well today is my third week in the NKU MPA program (I assume you know what MPA stands for if you’re reading this blog). So far I haven't died from stress, lack of sleep, reading too much, etc.  I'll admit I was extremely nervous about starting graduate school because everyone makes it seem like you'll have no free time from being wrapped up in homework.  I may just be a few weeks in, but I feel confident that grad school will not 1) kill me and 2) make me a hermit. 

The second week an orientation was held for all us new students that really reassured me I was in the right program. There are a boat load of alumni in the area to provide connections for past, present, and future students, (because you can never network enough I’ve discovered), while the areas of concentration ensure you get a job in a field you enjoy.  My biggest sigh of relief came from the fact that there is no huge final thesis research paper that determines your fate.  Though there is a capstone for the final semester that can take the form of research, most students have done a project they may use in their future careers (grant writing, budgeting, sewage management...)  And trust me, I’m constantly reminded about this capstone project as there are years worth of them staring me down at my desk.

This leads me into why I am writing this blog post, I am the new graduate student assistant to the Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Organizational Leadership department (PSC, CJ, and OL for short).  I get my own desk (which I still need to add decoration to beside my Bengals’ calendar), my own coffee pot (which I won’t use), and my own pencil sharpener (which I will use, often)!  As the grad assistant I’m tasked with helping professors with their research.  The research thus far has been interesting, as in topics I wouldn't normally think to write about.   I’ve learned a ton about how much states tax their casinos (it is more than you think) and about how communities are banding together to combat economic downturns.  So far I'm really enjoying the job and am looking forward to where it'll take me.

Sorry for such a long post, but I had a lot of first impressions I wanted to get down (with some I’m saving for later).  I’ll try and update this once a month so you can see how classes and work are going, and how I’m coping with them (probably lots and lots of Mt. Dew).  Thanks for stopping by!