Wednesday, February 4, 2015

What is my Life About?

To answer that question...

I have no freaking idea.

When I decided to go back to school in 2013, I'll be honest and say I was doing it purely because of the societal pressure to have a college degree; my family sure put the screws to me when it comes to having a degree that they even know I have little to no intention of using (I was hoping to apply for that "well educated house wife" position I heard might be opening after Ethan graduates from law school).

Something has changed, though. First of all, this is the first semester at UND that I've actually enjoyed. My first semester was terrible and last semester wasn't much better. I didn't take any classes for just my enjoyment last semester, and that was a huge mistake.

However, I ended up LOVING my Interpersonal Communication class, particularly because of the teacher. Dr. Kalbfleisch was so interesting and she actually ended up offering me an undergraduate teaching assistant position for this semester that I eagerly agreed to....I'll get back to that in a minute.

I'm really enjoying almost all of my classes, with the exception of two. I had to take another math & science credit. Although I really enjoyed the two math classes I took at Northland, I think that had a lot to do with the teachers that I had there. They were excellent and the tutor at the math lab was super helpful and I think that had a lot to do with my enjoyment and good grades. I didn't want to take a class that I wouldn't do well in, so I instead elected to take Astronomy. I literally couldn't care less about it, but it was a two credit class and a coworker had taken it and said it was pretty easy and it fit into my schedule. The teacher is really nice (he did use the word "irregardless," though), but it's so boring....ugh. But, I have to do it so I will. Which is the same philosophy that I apply to my Media Writing class. I should enjoy that class, but it's awful. Maybe I should have had a different teacher? I don't know, but that class is required for Communications majors, so I didn't have a choice.

On a brighter note, my other classes are SUPER interesting. Surprisingly, one of my most favorite classes is my history class. It's "World Civilization," and the professor lectures in an interesting and funny way; which is good, because a history class at 9 am on a Monday morning sounds like a recipe for a nap. But nope, I am sitting with full focus forward.

I'm taking Intro to Linguistics, which is so interesting and basically heaven for a grammar nerd like myself. The teacher is really nice, and I'm legitimately interested in what we're being taught. It's a lot more difficult that I was expecting it to be, but I like it enough to try really, really hard to understand it.

For fun, I decided to take hip hop and Zumba classes. Zumba hasn't started yet, but I've already done it before at Choice Fitness where my coworker also teaches. But hip hop...people, I have two dance styles-"drunken jellyfish having a seizure," and "'ho at the bar." I'm also the only not skinny person in the class. Despite all of that, I'm still one of the more coordinated people in the class which is shocking. But it's so much fun! I love to dance and I don't get embarrassed easily, so I all of the above doesn't bother me.

But getting back to that TA position; I really like working with Dr. Kalbfleisch. I'm taking a different class with her in addition to the class I'm the UTA for. I've enjoyed her classes so much that I am actually considering going to graduate school. Although my GPA isn't where it should be for graduate school, I think I would do really well. I know I could get excellent letters of recommendation from Dr. Kalbfleisch, Dave Kiefel, the head of the Communications department who also happens to be an old friend of my mom, and I'm sure my general manager at Perkins would also write me one. I think if I write a stellar letter of application along with the recommendations, I think I would get in. Ideally, I would like to study under Dr. Kalbfleisch; that's honestly a major reason I want to go to graduate school is to work with her more; in my application, I do get to suggest a professor to work under. I'd also really like to get a TA position.

I haven't told anyone besides my husband and best friends that I'm even considering graduate school. Very few people read this blog, certainly not my family. I don't think I will even tell them until I get in. If I heartbreakingly don't, then they never need to know.

Maybe I'm not just in it for my piece of paper. Or maybe I just want to make people call me Master Sonterre. Ha!

4 comments:

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  2. I love all of this! Also, what profs do you have for linguistics & media writing. And if you're interested in an MA, I would look into the application process now, so you can get some of it prepped, and take your GRE over the summer perhaps? Just a thought, do happy to hear you are well & enjoying classes friend!

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    1. I have Jessica Zerr for linguistics and Richard Shafer for media writing.

      I am already looking at what I need to apply. What is a GRE?

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