Best laid plans…

Well, I didn’t make it to the Grad School Fair. My son got sick that day and stayed home.
If anyone went, I’d love to hear from you!
I’ve started the process of getting my application processes organized. Yes, I’m a dork- I’ve created a spreadsheet. Two actually. One I’m using to compare PhD programs, and the [...]

The hardest semester…

Hello! I’m back!
Last time I wrote I was trying to narrow down a thesis topic. Now, six months and four classes later, I’m finally posting again!
This has been by far the hardest semester I’ve had. In order to finish in time, I had to take four classes. In hindsight, I think that was a mistake….I [...]

Could the family handle it?

I’m currently taking a Cross Cultural Communications class – and I’m loving it! I’ve been looking forward to this course for a long time – ever since I attended (and live blogged from) the Intercultural Managment Institute’s annual conference.  Dr. Gary Weaver, the Executive Director of IMI, teaches the course.
I’ll probably post quite a bit [...]

Thesis envy

This semester I have my thesis, or capstone project.
I’ve been looking forward to this since I enrolled in grad school almost 2 years ago. But now, I’m drawing a blank! I have no idea what I want to write about.
Well, I should clarify – I have no idea which, among many ideas, I want to [...]

The first day of my last semester

Today was the first day of classes for the spring semester – it will be my last, and hardest semester! My courseload is usually 3 courses per semester, including summer. But since one of my classes was canceled last summer, I’m having to take four this spring in order to finish in time.
The break between [...]

My Black Friday purchase

Last Friday morning I found myself standing outside of an Ohio Best Buy with my mother in law, waiting with a couple hundred other bargain hunters.
But, I have to admit, I wasn’t looking for gifts for family and friends. I was shopping for me! I got a new monitor for my computer.
I have a laptop, [...]

Of Lice and Men

This week has been a booger.
As the semester end nears, the papers and projects that are due increasingly overwhelming. I’ve actually done a decent job of staying on top of things. I’ve finished one group project WAY ahead of schedule (which feels great!) and I’ve started the other three that are all due within three [...]

Don’t hide your work on a shelf

This semester I am taking a course on children in international development. It has been an amazing overview of some of the particular development issues that hit children – child labor, trafficking, education in crisis, early marriage, HIV/AIDS to name a few.
The final project for the course is a case study and we were partnered [...]

Wikis work wonders!

I haven’t had a LOT of group work since I started this Master’s program – maybe 2 or 3. But when I have, its always been difficult to find meeting times.
I know everyone has crazy schedules, but as a mom you also have to juggle your kids’ schedules too. And since it take almost an [...]

Top 5 Tools for Gradmoms (#1)

The absolute best tool I’ve found so far is….. Notebook from Circus Ponies.
I should mention first that this is only available for Macs, so for those of you using PCs….maybe a Mac would be your #1 tool.
So, Notebook is an ‘information management” application. I use it mostly to take notes – both in class, and [...]