The push to the finish

Hi everyone,

The end of the semester is near, but the work is never finished. I will be working until the very last day before I fly home to California. I have been working off fewer hours of sleep and more frequent power naps throughout the week. Essentially I have a paper to write and finish every two or three days. To power through all of these papers, I have picked up a small habit of getting Starbuck's tea latte as my motivation/caffeine. I don't drink coffee or energy drinks so this tea latte is as close to caffeine as I will get.

I still make time throughout the day for small breaks to keep my mind sane. Though I will say I cannot wait for winter break to just sleep in everyday. I find myself surfing the web and shopping for X-mas gifts every so often to distract myself from the work I have to do. I think always looking ahead and staying in good spirits will go a long way in staying healthy throughout the stressful finals times.

The higher education division is hosting an end of the semester celebration this week and I am very excited to go to that and hang out with all of my lovely cohort members before we go our separate ways for winter break. Several of my cohort members will be done early next week and will be going home before I finish my classes. It has been a stressful time for all of us and so I haven't exactly hung out with too many people these past two weeks. Hopefully this upcoming higher education celebration will be a good time to catch up with friends outside of the classroom for a bit.

I cannot believe that I am 50% done with my Masters. Although it's only been a semester, I feel like I have been here for over a year. I have learned so much in  this one semester than I would have ever hoped. People say that one year programs are short, but the immersive experience that the program offers you makes up for any extra time you would have spent otherwise. I am just soaking up all the knowledge and making the most of my experiences here, because I know this will definitely be an important chapter in my life.

WINTER BREAK BLOGGING

**So this may be my last blog before winter break! I want to wish everyone happy holidays and happy new year! I will try to blog a few times during the winter break and let you all know what I am up to. If I do not get to the blogging, I will definitely recap everything when I get back! Thanks!!**

These boots are made for walking in the winter wonderland!

Over the past couple of days we have had over 6 inches of snow. FUN TIMES!! It is a very exciting time for me because it's been a LONG time since I've seen snow. The only times I see snow in California is when I go up to the mountains with family or friends to snowboard. But SNOW in an urban setting? First time for me!  I woke up very happy and eager to walk outside to experience the snow underneath my shoes and the cold crisp air in the morning. I had my monster jacket ready (refer to my previous post to see a pic of it!) and was ready for the cold! I loved the weather and I can't wait to see more snow in the near future!

The view outside of my window!

That's a lot of snow!

My first pair of boots ever also came in a few days ago (perfect timing) and now I will be wearing this everyday. It is so comfortable. I have never imagined myself as a person who would wear boots. You are talking to a guy who has been wearing slip on skate shoes (something like Vans) and boat shoes (something like Sperrys) pretty much since middle school. I am learning about all these new winter attires such as the "right" beanie to buy, the "right" scarves to get, the "right" jacket to wear, and ultimately the "right" shoes for the weather. Let's just say...I can get used to this!!

This is my new pair of boots

I am a person who usually wears something like this

Sibling Thanksgiving - delayed edition

So this Thanksgiving I was not able to fly back home (the airplane tix was ridiculously expensive) so my sister and I decided to have our own sibling Thanksgiving together. My sister is currently studying Animal Science at Cornell University so she essentially hopped in a carpool and drove down to Philadelphia to stay with me for a few days. It's been years since she visited Philadelphia so it was nice to be the tour guide again and take her to the usual tourist attractions like Independence Hall and Liberty Bell. We also stopped by China town and had some delicious noddle soup (because we were craving some authentic Chinese food).

On the day of Thanksgiving we cooked together after our mini adventures into town during the day. We made kale and mushroom, stir fry orange chicken, and baked sweet potatoes. It wasn't a typical or traditional Thanksgiving dinner but it was still a full meal made from whatever we could find in my refrigerator.

Since we are both approaching finals week, we then had a study session together in the library the day after Thanksgiving. (haha, we are a nerdy family)  We also skyped with our mom during Thanksgiving night and chatted with her about our adjustment to the East coast and everything. Overall it was nice to see family during the holidays and get some time to relax and not think about schoolwork (even though we did for a little bit). And now I have two weeks before I fly home for the holidays so it's time for the final push!

If you are near the Chicago or New York area...

We are planning to have Holiday Reception/Meet the Dean events in both Chicago and NYC.  It will be a great opportunity to meet leaders from GSE, find out more about our degrees and programs, network, and enjoy some delicious food. You can register/RSVP for these events by visiting our events page: 

http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/events#off_campus

Here are the details for each event: 

Chicago
Tuesday, December 10th, 6-8PM
Gleacher Center at the University of Chicago
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Room 420 (South Lounge)

New York City
Thursday, December 12th, 6-8PM
Grand Hyatt New York
Park Avenue at Grand Central
Uris Room

My first 76ers game!

Hi everyone

I just want to recap a little bit on what I did over Thanksgiving weekend. Besides hanging out with my sister (you can read about our adventures in another blog post soon), I went to my first 76ers basketball game! I love basketball, especially the NBA, so it was really nice to find some friends to go with me. The graduate students center actually sells discounted tickets to Penn students. I got my ticket for $5!!! The seat wasn't the best, but for $5 I am not complaining!

Getting to the Wells Fargo Center was also another adventure in itself. My cohort members and I had to take one trolley line to 15th street, then transfer and go south on a different subway line to get to the AT&T station. It was pretty cool to see all three major sports stadium located right next to each other (football, baseball, basketball/hockey).

When we got inside I felt an immediate sense of joy as I glanced around at everything, from the concession stands to the fancy suites. It was all very exciting! We also saw a deal for ONE DOLLAR HOT DOGS. As graduate students, we just could not pass up that deal. So as we sat down and watched the game, we naturally got 11 hot dogs (to split among the four of us who went). It was glorious. After the game we all walked down to court side to take pictures! I will post more when I find them but here is one of them!

we walked to near court side after the game to take pictures!

New York!

This past weekend I traveled to New York to meet up with some my friends at Columbia University. It was my first time taking the Megabus from Philadelphia to New York so it was definitely be an adventure.

Now let's recap the trip!

beautiful skyline picture from central park!

First day
Megabus experience was actually not too bad. I found it rather quickly at the 30th street station and found a seat immediately (It does help to come early to get in line). As soon as the bus departed I just fell asleep! I guess the cold weather outside and the warm interior of the bus made it really comfortable. I woke up to find the bus stuck in New York Friday afternoon rush hour (TERRIBLE). The bus crawled slowly until it finally reached the destination where it dropped us off. I then took the Metro subway all the way to the hotel. Let's just say, New York rush hour time in the subway is NOT FUN...But I arrived safely and met all of my friends for dinner that night. Apparently my friends from California LOVES Shake Shack so that was where we went for dinner!

After dinner we just walked around to the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and stopped by a mac and cheese place near NYU called S'Mac (which was delicious by the way).

The sampler with 8 different kinds of mac and cheese!

Second Day
The busy day began again as we ventured out to Ellen's Stardust Diner. If you haven't heard of this place, YOU HAVE TO GO AT LEAST ONCE. It is a diner where the waitstaff are all borderline Broadway stars with amazing singing voices. So during your lunch or dinner you will get to hear them sing in the restaurant, and maybe it will be your specific waitstaff who is the superstar! Absolutely one of the best places I have ever been in my whole life.

Not too far from Times Square!

After the diner we walked around Central Park and explored Highline park as well. I don't want to bore you all with all the details of the trip but my personal must do thing at New York besides all the usual attractions is the Stardust Diner! Your won't regret it!

Campus Visits

In about two weeks we will no longer help set up campus visits until after winter break (January 13th). Therefore I would like to take this time to reflect on my experiences with campus visits and describe some benefits of coming to visit the campus.

When I was applying for schools, I never thought of visiting the schools until AFTER I got accepted. Looking back now I realized that if I had visited each grad school individually before applying, I would have been more informed in my choices of grad school. Don't get me wrong, I am very lucky and satisfied to have landed at  Penn GSE, but I felt that I did not give a few grad schools their fair chance to represent themselves. The interviews and visits after acceptance will be hectic and all over the place, so going to a few places before the application is due can also help alleviate some of that pressure.

Several of my cohort members did visit the campuses both before submission of the application AND after acceptance. I think that is the best way to truly gauge at your interest and understand what you really want out of that particular program. Higher Education is very different in many schools, some with one year degrees and some with two year degrees. Having visited each school and understanding why some schools have one or two year programs can be an important factor in your decision making.

We all talk about "fit" but really the phrase just means which university suits you as an individual. It could be from anything as small as food options around campus to bigger reasons like professor's research. Whatever it may be, once you have decided what a complete grad school experience should be like for you, that's when you can seek out the campus visits and figure out the your "fit" with the school.

Happy application season everyone and good luck!

Sleep debt

It is real, and I firmly believe in sleep debt. This is a concept I learned while at UCLA. It is a popular social psychology phenomenon where a person feels the fatigue from cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep. Short term sleep debt can lead to foggy brain, worsened vision, and trouble remembering things. Long term sleep debt is even worse and can lead to obesity and heart disease.

In case you all are shocked by this, let me cite some advice from the Scientific American magazine!

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Scientific American

The good news is that, like all debt, sleep debt can be repaid - thought it won't happen in one extended snooze marathon. The best way to repay sleep debt is to tack on an extra hour or two a night. For those who have months of sleep debt, it is better to take it easy for the next couple of months and slowly rework the sleeping pattern to normal.

The the recovery sleep, both the hours slept and the intensity of sleep are important. Some of your most refreshing sleep is during your deep sleep (REM stage).

As you erase sleep debt, you will come to find out about your specific sleeping patterns that works for you. Sleep researchers believe that genes determine our individual sleeping patterns. So, you can "train" yourself to be a short sleeper and survive with only a few hours of sleep.


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This past week has been tough with two papers on the same day, group projects, and graduate assistantship. Now that I am done, I will slowly repay my sleep debt over the next few days and over the weekend. After that, it's right back to work! :D

One of my favorite cartoon, Pon and Zi

Public Service Announcement

Hi All,

Here is something important that the admissions and financial aid office wants to tell everyone!

REMINDER!

The deadline to apply for all Ph.D. programs for Fall 2014 enrollment is SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013!

This means ALL materials must be received by the admissions office by that date.

All applications received by that date are guaranteed a faculty review of all materials.

If you have not yet taken the GRE, you must do so no later than NOVEMBER 22, 2013 or your test scores will not make it to us in time.

We always recommend that you submit your application and materials earlier rather than waiting until the absolute last day!

Any questions? Please email admissions@gse.upenn.edu or give us a call at (215)898-6415.

The calm before the storm...

Hello everyone,

I figure I would check in before the crazy stressful times hit again. Next week I have two BIG papers due and I am slowly getting a head start this week. I have figured out a small trend this semester. I usually have big papers due every other week, so my hard work during the off weeks would have a huge impact on whether or not I will be stressed the following week. HOWEVER, it is easier said than done. I have found myself relaxing a bit more during the off weeks and ending up stressing over the exact same things a week later. Since we did not get a formal break (fall break), this on-week/off-week system has been going on for almost 11 weeks. I came from a undergraduate institution (UCLA) that had quarters instead of semesters and so my mind began to d r i f t off during the 9th week mark. It has definitely been a challenge trying to convince myself that I still have 6+ weeks of school left.

I didn't think it would be a big deal, but having gone through 4 years of quarter system, a semester seems like eternity. I don't have a solid plan yet to deal with this yet, but my first step is definitely getting myself out of my room and into libraries and graduate student center. I have also tried to space out my break times throughout the day so I have time to relax and not panic all at once.

Next week will be stressful...here's to hoping that I am studious enough this week!

This may not, obviously, be applicable to everyone. But it is something interesting to think about -- the transition from a quarter system to a semester system.

Preparing for winter - California version

It is getting cold! For those of you who just started reading my blogs, I grew up in California pretty much all of my life and I have never been through a full "east coast" winter.

It was really exciting for me to start planning for the cold weather. My cohort members were really nice in guiding me on what I need to get before winter officially hits. I learned so much just from listening to the suggestions (what do you mean my beanie from California is not warm enough?) (What is long johns?) (scarves??) It was the perfect time for everyone to poke fun at this California kid, but hey, I took it as a sign of love. My cohort members truly care for me and want me to be prepared.

I invested in my first heavy duty winter coat (water proof, wind proof, everything proof). I only knew one brand, North Face, because several of my friends back home actually love that brand. Through cohort recommendations I learned about different brands such as Marmot, Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), etc. There is a secret part of me that loves to shop so learning about these brands was definitely a fun experience. I ultimately decided on a EMS jacket (because I am on a grad student budget and these jackets are REALLY REALLY expensive). I have to say though, I am excited to start wearing that beast of a jacket.

EMS 3-in-1 jacket! It's a beast!

Anyway, I can say with confidence that I am ready for this winter. I got my gloves, earmuffs, winter jacket, long sleeves to layer, and everything. The last thing I am waiting for is a pair of boots that is coming in the mail soon. That is another thing that I have never owned prior to coming to UPenn, BOOTS!

Needless to say, I am quite excited for winter! Let's see if this enthusiasm will last :)

Reflecting on the past 10 weeks

I saw my other colleagues have done some reflection on this semester so I have decided to recap everything that has happened this semester and do a little reflecting myself :D

We have passed the halfway point and are now in the midst of grad school! No more honeymoon period! As you all can see, we have already experienced several moments of high stress (struggle bus), but we have all persevered.

That is probably my theme for the first half of this semester, transition and perseverance. 

The first few weeks into the school year was transition transition transition. Not only was I meeting new friends left and right (and even more later down the road), I also had to prepare myself mentally for class and the endless readings. The unspoken  was also getting my apartment ready so it's LIVABLE. That meant grocery shopping and getting everything ready so I can actually cook and survive in my apartment. Knowing that I cannot live off ramen and eating out everyday, I made a conscious effort to try to cook a few times each week. One of my cohort members, Thammika, introduced me to the CSA vegetable shares and so that got me eating some sort of veggies each week (because keeping fit and healthy was also something that is on the back of everyone's mind). Grad School 15? That definitely exists!!! It may seem like a whirlwind of things to get used to, but it was also a fun and exciting times. If I had to go back in time, I would NOT change my approach at all. I genuinely enjoyed everything that has transpired, from the friends I have met to the classes I have taken. I think coming in with an open mind and an open heart definitely contributed to my perseverance to continue working hard and learning new things everyday.  

Perseverance...after those few weeks of transition have passed, it is time to get into the thick of things and start grinding it out! Like I mentioned in my previous blogs, there will be difficult times when 3 papers will be due and sleep will be a rare commodity. There will also be times when you have to choose between social events and staying home to write the next big paper. It all comes down to time management. I have talked to some of my cohort members and revisited the ideas of WHY we came to Penn GSE in the first place and what our motivations and aspirations are. I am glad to have those conversations again because it reaffirms all the hard work I have done so far and it encourages me to continue soaking up all of the knowledge and experience here at Penn.

It's a one year program and time will fly by; how you utilize your time here will define your experience here at Penn GSE. My advice?

Come excited with an open mind/heart and a purpose. 

Higher Education Potluck

I love to cook, so what better way to express this than a potluck event!

We had a potluck  at Jen's house (shout out to her!) this past Saturday evening. The event was wonderful and it was nice seeing everyone out of the academic context and just relax. Over 20 of the higher education cohort came out to the event! We had a good time just chatting about everything and enjoying each other's company. Our program manager, Ross, even came by to say hello! I hope we can do this  once every 6 weeks or so.

Everyone brought wonderful yummy dishes and we even had a mini competition between the desserts.
Whose dish was the best? You be the judge :D yummy yummy!

**Unfortunately I did not get a picture of everyone's dishes.**

Thammika and I made this! Pastrami and collard greens

Pumpkin shortbread dessert - Joanna

Flan - Carolina

Baked ziti - Amanda!

Roasted butternut squash with beets cream sauce - Me and Thammika!

Enchiladas! - Karla

Mac n  Cheese! - Shawn

House salad - Samantha

MOST of the meals on the table

It was definitely a good stress reliever! But now this week will be tough again with papers and presentations. A quick charge and then we are off to more work!

Throwback Thursday - Food edition!

Hey all,

Another update on my cooking experiences over the past month or so! Here are some of the better results. I  will say....I am definitely getting used to my small kitchen in the apartment.

Nothing too disastrous has happened (no smoke alarm or dropped food!) yet so fingers crossed as I explore more cooking in the future!

First time cooking steak! Pan seared with salt/pepper/onion powder rub

Full meal: sauteed carrots and potatoes, salad, and steak!

string bean + stir fry tomato and egg

What do you do on weekends?

Finally! The weekend came and went and I finally had some time to take a deep breath! I mentioned in my previous blog that last week was going to be hard, and boy was I right... The 3 papers definitely got to me at various times during the week and I struggled to keep everything in line. BUT that is all in the past and I am ready for the new week!

I took a few prospective students on tours recently and they all asked me a similar question: "Wesley, what do you do on weekends?"

Well, I'd say it depends on the workload for the upcoming week! Sometimes I will have 3 papers due and so I will most likely to holed up in my room trying to be productive. Sometimes when there are no assignments due, I like to explore the city and try new things! I really like our standing happy hour each Friday because it really gives me a chance to relax and chat with my cohort members (some of whom I may have ignored during the week cuz I was so busy, sorry!).

I have also started a trend of potlucks! We have a potluck coming up this weekend with several of my cohort members and I am excited to cook something. (Pics will be posted here!)

Speaking of cooking, weekends are also the time when I can actually get a bit fancier with my dishes instead of the usual quick and easy meals of sandwiches, rice, or dumplings. I cooked eggplant parmesan this past weekend so I will post some pics here for everyone to see! Again, I am relatively new at cooking so you will definitely see some successes and failures in the future (luckily this one was a success)

All the ingredients ready! (including that giant eggplant)

finished product!

finished product take 2

The grind is on...

Whew... This week is indeed hectic.

I have three papers due this week on top of the usual readings I have for each class. Many of my cohort members have mentioned the struggle bus; this week I am definitely on the struggle bus, maybe even driving it. I am looking forward to this Friday for my breather but this week definitely will be one of my hardest week thus far.

All aboard!!

There come a time when everyone will hit a wall in the middle of the semester. We did not get a fall break like the undergraduates and we have not had a holiday break to help us de-stress a bit. The readings and papers, however, are churning out like clockwork and we need to  This is when friends, family, and any other kind of support you have will come in handy. I will be exercising and sweating it out during some nights to relieve some of the stress I am feeling this week. I will also be reaching out to my support group if it gets any harder. I am glad I made quite a few friends already :)

There isn't much to post this week except for all the studying and paper writing that is going on, so I will post a cute picture that have cheered me up throughout the day :D (my doggy back in CA)

The grind of a graduate student is on...let's do this

Reading Terminal Market

This weekend was my roommate's birthday, so I decided to treat him out to lunch. We went to the Reading Terminal Market (since several of my cohort members recommended it) and walked around. The place is really nice (although a bit crowded at times - lunch rush hour) and there were a lot of food and nifty cool stuff to look at. We went straight to Beiler's donuts and got a half dozen of those (THEY ARE DELICIOUS). I would recommend going there first because some of the popular flavors tend to run out really quickly. Then we walked around and tried various food. We were stuffed with crepes and sandwiches and other breakfast food before we slowly walked outside to catch the subway home. It's definitely a nice place to stop by for lunch! And it's right next to Chinatown!

Beiler donuts...soooo good

BIG pumkin

Here's me next to it for reference

Dutch breakfast place....sooo goood as well!

Pancakes were fluffy and delicious!

Cooking

So I promised to post some of my cookings online and I have been terrible at keep track. Instead of scattering them all over my various blog posts I will just dedicate one to my cookings thus far!

**BE WARNED...I am still learning!!**

Indian Paneer sauce with bell peppers over rice

Chicken tacos with corn salsa

Fettuccine Alfredo with mushroom and spinach 

Indian Curry with Bok Choy

Sausages and Peppers (with a little bit of mushroom)

Pasta with garlic sauce and baby broccoli 

Washington DC Idealist Grad Fair

Hi everyone,

It's definitely been a hectic week, but I still want to check in and let you all know what went on this week! As usual, I had one paper due this week for one of my classes so I did not get to sleep that much this week (It's become a weekly trend of at least one paper due for a class).

BUT I did do something different, I went to Washington DC on Tuesday and attended to Idealist Grad Fair with my co-worker, Janeen! It was my first time on an official off-campus graduate fair so I will go moment by moment! (and of course, pictures!)


The Train ride/walk there
So this is my first time taking the Amtrak to another city. I never had to take the Amtrak living in California (because driving to places was way easier). I was very surprised at the similarities to airports and airplanes! The inside of the train felt exactly like that of an airplane, except slightly bigger. I tried to work on my paper during the train ride but it was kind of bumpy along the way (still got a little bit done).

inside of DC union station...beautiful

walked by this sign while on my way to convention center

After I arrived, I was instantly amazed at the sheer size and beauty of DC Union Station. It feels like a mall in there! I didn't get the chance to walk around but I definitely was impressed with the entire place being so fancy! I got out of the building and walked 8 blocks to the convention while admiring the nearby apartment buildings and streets! Definitely a different feel from Philly. I am glad I am getting this experience to travel to other places than Philly.

The event (convention center)
The convention center is HUGE. It took me a good 5 minutes to walk to the end of the convention center to where the idealist grad fair was held. I helped Janeen set up and we were good to go! We had a LOT of prospective students come and speak to us. One student in particular commented that it was nice to speak to a current student (ME!) than all the admission counselors. I felt good after hearing that, knowing that I made a small difference in someone's life :D

some cool designs inside

birds eye view of the fair

Our GSE desk!

The run back to the train!
The event was from 5pm-8pm and we ended a bit late (around 8:15PM). After realizing that my train leaves at 8:45PM, I fast-walked straight to the train station. Whew...that was tiring, but I made it with 5 mins to spare! Overall it was a great trip, I got to see what an off-campus recruitment fair looks like and meet lots of prospective students. It was super fun experience, and now it's time to get back to work!

Prospective student web chat

Hi everyone,

Nothing too exciting happened this week, just the usual classes and graduate assistantship. We did host a web chat last night for the prospective students and it was really nice to see all the alumni and current students work together to answer prospective students' questions. We got food for our GA team (btw, Greek Lady has GOOD gyros), and built a base in the student lounge. As soon as the web chat began, we started typing super fast and answering students' questions left and right. Monica, our IEDP GA, got the most questions and was typing away the entire night. The session went really well; we had around 29 prospective students sign on to the web chat to ask questions. It is really interesting to think that this time last year I was in the same situation, trying to find out more information about schools and writing my personal statement. 

It's amazing how fast life moves on. You just gotta keep your head up and keep moving forward! Good luck to all those who are applying for grad school this year!

Gala and career center visit

Hi everyone!

The weekend was WONDERFUL. I had a chance to rest and just be a vegetable for a while, watching TV and going grocery shopping. I also had lots of fun at the Gradfest Gala last Friday. The theme was white sensation but they changed it last minute to include black (guess they realized how ridiculous wearing all white is). The venue was a bit small in my opinion but we made it work. It was really nice to relax and hang out with my cohort members for the night.

On Monday I went to the career center for the first time! It is never too early to get started on your job search! I brought my CV over to get looked at and to get some advice on career exploration. My counselor, John Tuton, was a super nice guy who went through everything I needed to know to get started. It was a different experience than my undergraduate career services because John ASKED me to come back and continue to work on job searching with him. I have never seen a counselor willingly invite the student back again for another appointment. That really meant something to me, and I have a feeling John and I will work something out and help me get the career that I want!


**ON THE SIDE NOTE**
Living in an apartment means cooking! I know how to cook a little bit, but I am still learning everyday and trying different things. I figure this is the perfect medium for me to showcase my cooking! Soooooo I will occasionally post a few pictures of my homemade food! It will be a random food journal for people to get some ideas for future apartment cooking!

Weingarten and two papers

This week has been total chaos. As per my TA's suggestion, I made an appointment with the Weingarten learning resource center to learn more about reading strategies. I knew I was going to get overwhelmed with the readings sooner or later so I decided to make a preemptive strike and make an appointment with a learning instructor. I talked with a learning instructor for about 30 minutes shooting back and forth our ideas of "reading" the right way. It was extremely helpful and relieved some of my stress immediately. The learning instructor gave me some invaluable advice to help me sort through my readings. It's is surprising to see how much impact the psychology of affirmation can do to one's mental health.

I had two papers due this week, each for a separate class. While I was writing and editing the papers, I realized that there is definitely a learning curve for ANYONE to pick up where they are and start writing these papers. It doe not matter if you are straight from undergraduate or from the workforce, these academic papers are a whole different monster. I am really glad that the professors are understanding of this fact and offer us the opportunity to redo our first paper after some feedback. This is extremely helpful for us to transition smoothly into the academic writing style again.

I finally turned in my last paper by Thursday morning and I am tired...It feels like a Friday but it is only Thursday morning. I have one more class tonight after work (from 4:30pm - 8:30pm) then I am home free to catch up on my sleep debt. zzzzzzzzz

We have another gradfest event this Friday, the Gala. Hopefully I will have enough energy for it.

Summer Pimm's Party

Hi everyone,

Just want to recap what I did this weekend. Besides ALL the readings and essay editing that I did (and I still have a lot more to do!), I attended the Pimm's Party with a few of my cohort members Saturday evening. Pimm's Party was one of the events hosted by GAPSA (graduate and professional student assembly) for all 12 graduate schools we have here at Penn. The attire required for that evening was formal attire so we all dressed up! The ladies all wore very nice dresses and I wore my full suit.

ON A SIDE NOTE, I haven't wore that full piece suit since college and the waist definitely felt a bit tighter...sad moment...

Back to the event, there were a lot of people at Wynn Commons, an outdoor quad area. We had a great time meeting other students from other graduate programs. I met one of my undergraduate friend who is now attending Penn Law school and a few more people from Wharton Business school. Overall the event was super fun, and it was nice to hang out with my cohort members. It's only been 3 weeks since we first met each other and yet I have this comfort level with everyone already. I am still getting phone numbers form people (because I am very slow at that) so we can hang out more later in the year.  I am also re-meeting (is this even a word?) some of my cohort members from when I first met them at the preview weekend back in March.

 I know that I will be stressed out and tired this year, but knowing that I have wonderful cohort members supporting me, I think I will be just fine.

First weekend of exploration

Hi everyone,

This is a quick turnaround since I forgot to publish my last post! (ooopsies) I want to talk about my adventures this past weekend when my girlfriend and her mom came to visit. We went to several Philadelphia hotspots and I would like to share with you all the experiences! (pics to come later!)


INDEPENDENCE HALL
We embarked on our adventure first to Independence Hall. I also took my parents to this place and I felt it was a very good introduction to the history of Philadelphia. We walked through the visitor's center to collect our tickets into the independence hall and walked around the perimeter. We visited liberty bell (SPOILER ALERT: it's smaller than you think!). and walked all the way to Betsy Ross's house (a bit of a walk, but worth it!). Independence hall always includes a tour and a speaker who explains the significance of the rooms inside. It is amazing to hear and feel the history inside the building where important documents were signed so long ago (Can you guess which document I am referring to?).

CHEESESTEAKS
After our walks and tour of independence hall, we decided to take a bus down to the two famous philly cheesesteak places, Pat's and Geno's. With high expectations, we got to the place hungry and eager to compare both places. The lines were a bit long (though it does move fast). My girlfriend and her mom went to Geno's while I went to the Pat's to get our hoagies. I must say...Pat's truly tries to make it as simple and streamlined as possible. They posted some tips when ordering and definitely helped me order my first philly cheesesteak (mushroom pepper cheeseteak wit provolone). After I got my cheesteak, I proceeded to walked across the street to Geno's only to find my girlfriend and her mom frustrated. Apparently Geno's service was a bit mean and the selection of cheeseteaks were also limited. After tasting both cheesesteaks, I could not declare an immediate winner. I would definitely have to revisit Pat's and Geno's a couple more times to get a true sense of whose cheesesteak reigns supreme. But for now....Pat's gets my vote :D

Whew, this is a long post...bear with me!

FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
On Sunday we went to the Franklin Institute, and let me tell you, it is a WONDERFUL PLACE. For those who want to satisfy their inner geeky child, Franklin institute is the perfect place for you. It has hands on experiments (I made paper!). to interesting exhibits like History of Spies. I loved the place and felt at home with all the kids when exploring the different gadgets and exhibits. I especially liked the sports science exhibit where they tested your jumping, throwing, and reaction times. The planetarium shows were cool too, though I usually fall asleep in those because they turn off the lights! (and the chairs are usually so comfy). Overall I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone with a curiosity for hands on science. Now I am determined to visit the other science centers!

LOTS of readings

Hi everyone! It's been a good two weeks since I have moved in to Philly, and the weather is absolutely beautiful. The cohort is super nice and I have met so many friends already. :D

Now time for the reality check. The honeymoon period is over, and the readings and assignments are due next week! Every class requires a lot of reading, and you definitely have to time manage in order to finish all the readings before class and have enough time to write papers and hang out with your cohort. I have made the teensy mistake of putting off readings for a class until the night before only to regret it while I was reading them until 1:30 AM in the morning. The readings are definitely manageable, and most topics are very interesting, but it does take a lot of time to truly digest the information. So take your time and read smart!

Everyone will tell you at the beginning to find a friend (or two) who you can talk to constantly. I definitely believe in that because I know when the classes get really stressful (and I can start to feel it already, slowly), I have someone who knows what I am going through and willing to talk to me.

Another advice I also have during this time (I know, so early in the school year!) is to visit the career center and discuss your plans for the future. As for me, I want to be a practitioner in the Higher Education so I will be looking for a job immediately after graduation. Therefore I need to orient myself with the newest updates regarding job prospects and other opportunities. Going to the career center earl will definitely help you realize your goal early on. If you are like some of my friends who are more interested in academia and research, then you definitely should be looking into talking to professors and joining their research team. Most professors here at Penn are always working on small projects and need research assistants.

First day of classes

So this is a pretty quick turnaround form my last post, but I wanted to comment on the first day of classes for those who are interested. 

For those who don't know, a Masters student here at Penn GSE has to take FIVE classes each semester. Yup, you heard it. Five classes. Add that on top of 20 hours a week of assistantship and you will definitely become great at time management :) 

A couple of my classes do not start meeting until next week (because we started classes on Wednesday). I did, however, attended three of my classes and get a feel for the syllabus and the professor. I have to say, though the readings may seem intimidating at first, the professors made the material super interesting. The classes are small (ranging from 20 to 40 students) and are taught in a discussion format instead of lectures. 

I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone a bit when i registered for some of the classes, knowing that participation and heavy reading is the norm. Being in a room full of intelligent students, I get nervous sometimes when participating. I do need to get over that fear and so I signed up for some classes that I know will force me out of that shell. Only time will tell whether I made the right decisions or not, but nevertheless i believe that i will come out as a better person. 

Until next time!

My first week at Penn (8/29/13)

Hi everyone!

This will be my first post since coming to UPenn. I should introduce myself really quick. My name is Wesley and I am a Masters student in the Higher Education program at UPenn Graduate School of Education (GSE). I am also working as a graduate assistant for the Graduate School of Education Admissions and Financial Aid Office.

I just moved to Philadelphia last week and I absolutely LOVE the city. The people here are very nice and the transition has been super smooth. I am from California so the humidity got to me at first, but after a few days I feel that I have gotten the hang of it.

I want to explain my blog title a little bit. I chose 'Keep Moving Forward" because it is one of my favorite quotes form one of my favorite person, Walt Disney. I am a HUGE Disney fan so you all will be hearing some Disney references here and there :D But the quote "keep moving forward" was used by Walt Disney to really inspire and motivate him through all of his fun times and his difficult times. It reminds me to keep looking towards the future and be optimistic of what's to come. I hope that as you follow this blog that you will also look towards the future and keep moving forward!

I promise I will try to post every week, if not every couple of days.