My computer is being a little wonky right now, but hopefully I can go ahead and get some updates out there.
So...first of all...COMPS ARE OVER!!! EEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!! I am so unbelievably happy and relieved about this. I knew they weren't anything to stress over, but at the same time, you can't really not stress, can you? It is an exam that basically determines whether or not you get a Master's degree (although we have folks who have to go "defend" their answers, I suppose), and it's trying to show how much I've learned over the past almost 2 years? It's kind of funny though - in the long run, it's not really about how you do in your classes...it's more about how well you study. The way our exam works you pick five out of ten short answer questions, one question drawn from each of our core classes and the core classes in our tracks, and then you do a case study analysis. I actually ended up answering questions from two classes that I never even took, just because I happened to really know the material that the questions were covering. Strange.
The actual test taking part...it was a little exasperating. I just felt like I had so much knowledge accumulated, and trying to organize it all and get it out there was tiring. But afterwards...well, it was so worth it. I don't want to go into too much detail since I'm supposed to be staying "anonymous", but I will say that my program has lots of great comps traditions, and they were amazing to revel in as a second-year. I felt so surrounded by love and support from my campus family; it was really cool. And of course there was plenty of celebrating to be had...
Overall, I think I did fine. It will be anywhere from a week to a month before we know how we did, but I'm not too nervous about the whole thing. I do want to give a HUGE shout-out to my amazing group - S., E., L., A., and N....you made the whole thing so much better. I couldn't have asked for a better group, and I love all of you so much. Now we just need to transform our comps study time to job application time and we can continue keeping each other on track ;)
So that was the exciting part of life since my last post. I also want to talk about a less than exciting part, which is having a pretty major effect on me right now.
As those of you who have been reading for a while know, I was in a serious relationship with someone that I care very deeply about. We had some rocky times for a while but were trying to work through them, but in the end I ended up breaking things off. It was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made, but I won't bore you with the details. It's just really difficult to leave someone you love, but I had to do what I felt was best for both of us in the long run. Right now I'm feeling really sad and down about everything though - unfortunately feelings don't exactly align with rationality. I'm lucky to have an amazing support system, but it doesn't make it any easier.
Okay, enough with the being sappy and sad. Sorry if it bleeds through in my posts for a while. It's a big adjustment.
So, the job search. Right. I should get back on that since comps are finished, right? Well, here's the plan for now. This week I want to get organized, which includes cleaning up my list of positions to apply for, collecting all of the copies of my resume in one place and cleaning it up, setting up a g-drive to hold all my files, collecting job descriptions, and planning a schedule for applying. Comps studying on a schedule was very helpful, so maybe if I physically block out times on my calendar for working on applications that will be a better way to manage my time. So that's this week.
I'm thinking about going back home for the weekend. It's a pretty long drive for a weekend, but I want to get out of town, and it would be really nice to see my family and home friends right now. Getting out of town would probably be good for me, and I don't know when the next time I might get to go would be. Besides, if I lay around in my pjs for a day and cuddle with my dog while my mom makes me burritos, life is okay, right?
And then...we get moving on LAC. Other than job search, I'd also like to hit the gym and get back into eating healthier, which I was doing at the beginning of the year. Andddd I should probably actually do my readings for classes and start working on projects for my classes this semester, like a responsible adult.
For now, I'll leave with this...
The consequences of our actions are so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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