Final Goodbyes - To be continued???

I want to take this time to thank everyone who has visited this blog in the past. I hope the readers got a good sense of the inner mind of a graduate student as I went through an entire school year of intensive higher education courses along with twenty hours of graduate assistantship! It has been a wonderful ride and a great pleasure to blog every week (it was almost therapeutic for me at the same time!).

It is amazing to look back each year and see the growth, not just academically but also socially and culturally. As I continue my career in higher education, I hope to look back every year and feel that I had learned something profound and impactful. I want to continue to develop my cultural competency so I am able to connect with everyone in some shape or form. It's a lofty goal, but I want each year to have some sort of growth and development, even when I am a seasoned higher education professional! The desire to learn and grow as a person and as a professional will hopefully push me to strive for new experiences each year. This may be my last admissions blog post, but it is definitely not the end of my journey in higher education!!!


Stay tuned for August/September when the new GAs of admissions and financial aid start the new cycle of blogs! It's been a great privilege and pleasure to blog for you all. Have a fantastic rest of spring and summer!

Sincerely,
Wesley
M.S.Ed. '14

UPenn Could've Would've Should've list

Another list! This is the last one, I promise. I was reflecting on this past year and wanted to write about the could've, should've, would've things to do at Penn GSE. This is just a short list of some of the things that I unfortunately missed out the chance to participate, either a class or activity. Hopefully this can inform the future cohort of Higher Education to think about spending some time to do!

1. Football game
     I think it's a tradition to go to a college football game, no matter how good they are. I unfortunately did not seize the chances to go to a game (I did go to a Penn basketball game). Looking back, that would have been a wonderful time to get to know my friends in the cohort even better. I did not realize that Spring semester would create such a drift among some of the people I hung out with during fall. So I wished that I had more chances to hang out with my cool cohort members in the fall.

2. Certain classes (Finance, Athletics, etc)
    For various reasons, this year's cohort did not get as many classes to choose from compared to this upcoming year. Regardless, there were definitely some classes that through the word of mouth this year was a enlightening experience. I wished I had shopped around the classes some more and taken a few other classes that would've been extremely helpful in my growth as a higher education professional. Needless to say though, all of the classes that I have taken this year have been awesome, but if I had the chance to take even more classes, I would do so in a heartbeat. (audit, anyone?)

3. Monthly Cohort Outings
     I am pretty close with my cohort and I have done several fun things with everyone at some point, but I felt that we missed out on a monthly cohort outing. I think it depends year by year if there is someone to take on the task of becoming the "social chair" so to speak and plan the weekly or monthly events for the cohort. We sporadically planned weekly happy hours but there was never anything consistent. I wished that there were more times to hang out with this awesome cohort!

UPenn Bucket List - Museum edition

Hi everyone! So last time I revealed my bucket list for the nearby restaurants and places that I would like to try before I graduate. This time I will talk a little bit about all the museums around UPenn. I love museums and science centers as a kid growing now and even more so today! The exhibits are becoming more and more hands on and it's refreshing to learn or re-learn those materials. Some of my friends would always ask me whether or not I mind the children running around science centers and museums. Honestly, I feel like a kid every time I step into one of those museums so I appreciate the enthusiasm and the active learning that takes place.

Over the past year or so I have gone to several science centers and museums, but I know there are still a few that I have not gone to yet. Hopefully (and this might be a long shot by now) I will have a chance to visit some of these before I leave!

1. Penn Museum
     Crazy! It is literally right there (10 min walk or so) and I believe it's free for Penn students! I just never found the time to visit. We did host the PhD and EdD weekend in the Egyptian exhibit and that was the extent of my visit. I hope to visit this museum soon!

2. Museum of Art
     I have to admit that I only ran up the steps (like Rocky) and did not actually go inside the museum. My friends were on a schedule and we did not have enough time to dedicate at least half of a day to the museum. Art museum is lower on my priorities when it comes to museums and science centers but I would still like to go and experience it before I leave.

3. Mutter Museum
     I don't know too much about this museum, but from those who have went, they have given me very good reviews. The focus of the museum is on medical history so it does have lots of skeletons and potentially bone-chilling exhibits.

4. Barnes Foundation
     Similar to the Penn Museum, I had the opportunity to go in there briefly when we hosted the GSE centennial celebration. However I was helping mostly with registration and did not have time to walk around the exhibits. The place is beautiful and I would compare this place to LACMA from back home. I hope to find some time as well to visit this place again!

UPenn Bucket list - Food edition

So I have about three weeks left in the program and I realized...there are so many restaurants and places that I have not yet tried! So I will describe a short list of restaurants near Penn GSE that I have to try before the semester is over. There are only a few weekends left in the semester but thankfully some of these places are super close!

Must try list
1. Doc Magrogan's
     This place is super close (on sansom st.) I heard from my friends that they have a really good happy hour late at night. And I love seafood! Can't believe I haven't tried this place yet (maybe it's the frugal grad student in me)

2. Pod
     Also really close (less than a min walk from where I live) famous for their expensive but delicious sushi. I will have to try it one day just for kicks and experience. maybe for happy hour as well?

3. Pattaya
     There are a few Thai restaurants around UPenn but I have heard great things about this particular one. I love the Pad See Ew back home so it will be a nice way to compare the quality!

4. Reading Terminal Market (because they have so many places to eat there)
     I have been there a few times already but there are just so many places to eat there! I have tried the most popular ones I hope (Dinic's roast beef, Beiler's donuts, Dutch breakfast place, etc). But I still need to try more places there, preferably on a weekday so it is not as busy.

5. Gigi's and Big R food truck
     Another good food truck recommended by someone. The Caribbean food I heard is AMAZING so I am excited to try them! I heard it is a bit on the salty side but jerk chicken and sides sounds good to me!

6. Food trucks on Market street
     This is a bit of a walk for me (like 5-10 mins) but there are a lot of wonderful food trucks there, especially during lunch time. I remember fall semester when I walked around and saw several interesting ones, but never really got around to trying them. Must try them soon!

The transition period

So I officially have a little more over a month before graduation. This week is the calm before the storm (next week I will have 3 presentations followed by a few big papers the week after). The job search is still going, but luckily I have received some responses, both good and bad (but hey, at least they are responding now). These next few weeks will truly test my resolve and will because there is not enough energy in my body to manage classes, social life, job search, and graduate assistantship.

SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. 

Recently it has been classes because we are getting to the stages of preparing for our final papers and presentations (therefore less readings). But now that those are due soon, something else must give. The balance between those four aspects of grad school has definitely been a challenge. Since my post graduation schedule has been planned already to visit my sister's graduation, I want to make sure of every single free moment is spent with my wonderful cohort members. But hanging out with my cohort members means giving up precious time to write papers or search for more jobs. I have been tip toeing this line very carefully over the past several weeks and now comes the hardest balancing act of all, surviving the month before graduation.



An exciting time nonetheless, but things are about to get real. 

Spring is here!

Yay it is finally getting warmer! It's practically t-shirt and shorts weather now! Looking back at the winter season we had in Philly, I definitely have to say that it was a wonderful and fun learning experience. I had totally expected the snow and cold to stop around late February and BOY WAS I WRONG! We still had flurries and light snow all the way through late March. But now that it is close to mid April, the snow has been replaced by a weekly occurrence of rain...It  is just amazing to think about the drought that California went through recently and the amount of moisture the East Coast gets on a regular basis. BLOWS MY MIND.

So this week's forecast is in the 50's and 60's, which is UNHEARD of in the past few months. I see students walking outside with spring dresses, t-shirts and shorts! These are the days that I wish I can just go outside and play football or Frisbee and just enjoy the day with my cohort. Too bad this nice weather comes right in time for my final papers and projects so instead of frolicking outside, we are stuck indoors writing papers and creating presentations. I am looking forward to the week leading up to graduation when I will not have any classes or graduate assistantships. I am planning with a few of my friends in the cohort to have field days and hang out times with everyone before we go out separate ways. Hopefully I will get a chance to plan some more events leading up to that week, maybe even smaller food outings or happy hours. In any case, here is to the sunny weather in Philadelphia!

Me Time

Another tip for incoming students!

In the midst of all this craziness (last few weeks of classes, papers, job search, social life), it is still important to get some time to reflect and process everything. I've come to realize that as graduation approaches, I need more time to process everything and make sure that I am intentional with everything that I do. There is no time for wasted hours and weekends!

I went this past weekend to dim sum in China Town. I haven't eaten dim sum in Philly before and the experience was actually really good! I love ordering in Chinese and showing my cohort members the food and culture that I grew up with. I only hope that I can get more of my cohort members to come with me next time so we can all share this cool experience!

The countdown is real and it is fast approaching!

Dedicated to the Higher Education Masters Cohort of 2014

You know that moment when it hits you and you know that graduation is only a few weeks away? I got that feeling when I picked up my regalia from the bookstore the other day. I tend to remember small details like when someone needs to pick up his/her regalia and so I went straight after NASPA to pick mine up. When I got home and opened it, that was when I realized...I am graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in a couple of months. WHOA...

As most of you all know, I am currently job searching and looking to move back to California to begin my career in a university or college setting. The old cliche of "time flies" really holds truth to this program. We are so immersed into this program in terms of classes, graduate assistantships, social events, and personal life that it is only now that I realized I have less than 6 weeks to hang out with this wonderful cohort. And I am not trying to be too sappy and sentimental, but meeting these folks have truly been life changing. I have met some of the smartest and most passionate people in this cohort. This cohort and I have persevered through the hard times and laughed through the fun times. We went out to happy hours, birthday parties, karaoke, pot luck, and so much more. Even now I have so many things I want to do with everyone but have so little time.

I feel that my cohort is set out to do great and wonderful things; some to eventually become PhDs and teach in a university and some like me will be working in higher education administration. One small goal I have before the school year is out is to collect everyone's business cards, because this is the start of a fantastic network of higher education scholars and practitioners.

Higher Education Preview Weekend

This marks the one year anniversary since I first stepped foot onto UPenn's campus last year. We are currently hosting the Higher Education Preview Weekend and I have personally met with a lot of the prospective students who are excited and interested in coming to Penn GSE next year! The process was very nostalgic, from the craziness of interview sign ups to the mock class taught by Marybeth, everything was triggering fond memories of when I was a prospective student. I remember how another prospective student at the time (now my fellow cohort member, Emily) had to convince me to attend the Sunday night dinner and meet people right from the beginning. The cohort was very supportive and friendly and the weekend was absolutely wonderful. I still remember Marybeth calling me out in class and talking to me about my choices of school and what my "fit" was at that time. To this day I would always recommend students to at least visit the campus before making any decisions, because just being on that campus can give you a feel for the environment and the "fit".

I am excited to meet more prospective students tomorrow. Hopefully they will commit to Penn and continue this legacy that is the Penn GSE Higher Education Program.

Patience is a virtue

So just an update on my job search process. It has been almost two months since I started actively looking for jobs. One recommendation I would give to anyone coming into this program is to get your resume and cover letter polished and ready to go during your first semester. Since I had that done, getting into job application mode was a lot smoother and I was able to apply to more positions right away.

Something that I had recently found out and was EXTREMELY helpful was the fact that universities and colleges go through a quiet period where despite their application closing and that they most likely will not reach out until a few months later. So during this time, I have really learned to be patient and to keep applying to more positions week by week. From what everyone has told me thus far, hopefully I will see a few responses and phone calls when it gets closer to May!

Spring Break and NASPA

Whew! I apologize for not posting for a while! Spring break happened and a whirlwind of things to catch up afterwards.

So to go off of what my good friend Karla has stated, spring break was wonderful. It was nice to go back to California (even if it was for a few days) and see some of my friends and hang out with family. The weather was great (ranging from mid 70's to 80's). I had forgotten the feeling of wearing shorts and tshirt outside and it felt great! I also had the chance to eat some good food near my hometown. My second half of the spring break was also dedicated to the NASPA conference. I did not go to the The Placement Exchange (TPE) like Karla did but I did attend the conference. I found it to be extremely helpful for those who are new to the field of student affairs.

I attended several sessions and they are all wonderful. I would definitely recommend looking over the events beforehand and choosing a few before going in. Once the conference starts, there are hundreds and hundreds of people walking about the convention center so it will be nice to have a direction of where you are going. Overall though, I found the networking aspect to be the most rewarding part of the conference. I attended two types of reception (Region 6 and API). Region 6 referred to the states specifically in that region (in this case 6 was CA, AZ, and HI) and API stood for Asian and Pacific Islanders. Going to those two receptions and making connections there were in my opinion the main reason why someone would want to come to the conference. It was a time to talk to fellow graduate students or new professionals in the field and gain knowledge about different schools and culture. Then at the end of the day we would exchange business cards and when a job posting comes up in that particular school, now I know at least one person in that university who may be able to connect me with someone else. That to me was Networking 101.

Afterwards I have followed up on several of my contacts and kept in touch with everyone. I am excited to have met so many talented people and am certainly looking forward to getting to know more people in the future!

GUEST WRITER - Karla Silva

Hey everyone!

I am really excited to share a blog post with you all. A few quick details about myself: I am in the higher education cohort with Wesley, I came straight from undergrad (Northern Arizona University), born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, graduate associate in Sansom (upper classmen and graduate students), and my assistantship is with the Dana How Scholars Program (Collaboration between the Christian Association and the Upward Bound program).

Spring break was last week, and the second part of my spring break was spent in Baltimore, MD attending the NASPA conference! NASPA is the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. It is one big conference full of undergraduates, graduate students, administrators, faculty, and staff. There are a ton of different workshops you can attend, roundtable discussions, and receptions. Many of my cohort members did TPE (The Placement Exchange) which, as I have been told, is like speed dating only you are trying to find a job. I did not participate in TPE but many of my cohort members did and they had many interviews and have even received a few second round interviews.

This was my second time attending NASPA, I attended once before as a Junior, my experience this time was very different. Last time I came in trying to get to know more about the profession, and networking. This time, I came in with a purpose, to network, network, network, because lets be real, I need a job! Also, to gain some meaningful experiences, and attend workshops that would better me as a professional. My job search is extremely narrow as I am only looking in Fort Collins, CO and possibly Greeley, CO and Denver, CO. I made sure to be strategic about what receptions I was attending, making sure I went to Region 4 west and to any receptions that I knew administrators would attend, so for example, the Colorado State University reception. As long as these receptions state (open) in the program then you are welcomed to attend. If you know people that went to these schools or that are currently there, do not be afraid to ask them if they can introduce you to some people or even give you some information as to who they are and what they do at the school. Also, make sure to talk to as many people as you can and exchange your business cards with them, and also e-mail them a thank you as soon as you can. To keep all these people straight in my head, I always write where I met them on the back of the card, and anything that will remind me of who they were and maybe one or two things we talked about, this is a tip my mentor gave me and it has worked great for me. NASPA is also a great way to meet up with colleagues and friends who you haven’t seen in awhile. I was able to have lunch and chat with my mentor and other friends and colleagues from my undergraduate and past conferences while at NASPA.

Some Cohort Members

NASPA can be incredibly overwhelming but it can be very rewarding. Attending these types of conferences really enhances your network and professional development. NASPA 2014 really was a great experience, I was able to connect with many people, attend workshops, spend time with my cohort, and even explore the city of Baltimore.

Baltimore Inner Harbor

Spring break is around the corner!

I cannot believe it is almost spring break already. A part of me still thinks that I just started this program a couple of months ago! Spring break will mark the half way point to spring semester and essentially the 75% mark of our program. It's crazy to think that I am graduating in a couple of months!

Despite my surprise, this break cannot come at a better time. With all the classwork, assistantship, and job search, it will be nice to go back home and recharge for the final stretch. I find it difficult sometimes to focus solely on coursework when I know that new jobs are being posted every couple of days. Once I have started applying to places, I knew that I needed to keep the momentum going. Therefore I would check every now and then and see if there are any particular jobs that I am passionate about. I have also learned to widen my search a little bit to include student activities and student life. Not to be confused with residential life, but I realized that just focusing on academic advising and admissions may limit the number of job opportunities out there.

Nonetheless, the effort is there and the grind is on. The objective: secure a job before graduation!

Guest Writer - To be continued!

Hey everyone!

Just to MIX things up, I will be occasionally hosting a guest writer on my blog. The writers will be students in my higher education cohort talking about their particular graduate assistantships, their experiences here at Penn, and just about anything else they want! Look out for those in the near future! 

upcoming event for Penn GSE!

I haven't advertised the GSE events in a while! It's been so busy that I sort of focused on my personal and academic life for the past posts. BUT since I have some time now...let's talk about all of our upcoming events for the next few weeks!


Web Chats!
Remember those? We are hosting them again soon! The first one coming up is on March 5th, 2014 from 9AM - 10AM. This semester's web chats will all have a focus to them. This first web chat's focus is international students! We are in the process of gathering student organizations and other resources to speak as well as current students and alumni.
RSVP HERE!

Here are the other web chats' focus and dates!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014
8:30PM - 9:30PM (ET)
This web chat will be geared towards students with families or those who are changing careers into higher education. We will have a variety of current students, alumni, and campus resources to talk about their adjustments involved when coming to GSE.
RSVP HERE!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014
8:00PM - 9:00PM (ET)
This web chat will be geared towards students identifying with the LGBT community and students of color. We will have current students and alumni from these communities as well as various resources available to discuss the campus climate at Penn and answer any of your questions.
RSVP HERE!

Friday, April 11, 2014
7:00PM - 8:00PM (ET)
This will be our final web chat of the semester. It will not be themed, but we will have a variety of individuals present to answer any of your remaining questions to help you prepare for life at Penn GSE.
RSVP HERE!

Comprehensive Exam

IT IS OVER! I have turned in my comprehensive exam for the Master's program yesterday and I felt something just being lifted from my shoulders. So to explain the comprehensive exam (or what we like to call it, Comps) without divulging too many secrets, here is how the exam works.

For the Higher Education Master's program, we all have to take Comps sometime in February. We do not have to write a thesis or build a portfolio, instead we get this exam. The exam is essentially a take home paper. We would get the topics Friday and turn in the paper no later than Monday afternoon. Some may argue about the benefits and usefulness of this exam, but I see it as a pressure test and a rite of passage. 

Everyone has a process to prepare for big papers or exams like this. I will share with you all a little bit about my process. Having gone through a full semester of classes and a month or so into the Spring semester, I felt prepared to answer the questions in a thoughtful manner. Comps preparation is definitely different for everyone, but I found myself taking some time to go for a short walk every time I needed a break. I took my time and went on multiple walks and exercised every morning to get my mind off of the prompt. I felt that by distancing myself from the exam every now and then was good so I didn't get sick and tired of the same question for the entire weekend. 

All I can say is...TRUST YOUR PROCESS. I made sure I wasn't too psyched out about the test and went through my usual process. Now all I can do is wait for the results and hope that I pass! 

EdD weekend

Hi everyone! This week has been hectic (like the past bazillion weeks as well). We just finished hosting the EdD weekend and are now focused on Master's applications and preview events. The applicants who came to the EdD weekend were fewer compared to the PhD weekend but other than that most of the format of the weekend was the same. Since we had done the exact same event two weeks prior, we felt less stressed planning the event and preparing for it.

Friday night at Davio's was great like always and the Saturday morning prep went smoothly. It was nice seeing the different current students who are pursuing various interests of their own. During Saturday morning we have a poster session and it was a great way for us to see what the current students are working on this year. The afternoon events and dinner also went smoothly and we had a lot of good feedback about the preparation we made for the students. I did not attend the Sunday morning events and decided to sleep in a little bit and get started on other papers I have for class.

Overall I had a great time. It was also one of the few times that all of the Admissions Graduate Assistants were able to meet together for dinner (dressed up as well). We took several pictures of our group (to be posted very soon!).

The flip side of these wonderful doctoral weekends is catching up on school work and your personal life. I am now in turbo mode trying to get everything done and prep for the Higher Education Comprehensive exam this week. Hopefully after this crazy whirlwind of a week is over, I will have time to catch my breath and rest. ALSO an interesting note, our spring break is in less than 3 weeks! I totally forgot about our early spring break this year. I guess private universities have the luxury to tailor the spring break to fit its specifics academic schedule. So I have that to look forward to soon!

Things to look forward to this semester

Some of my friends have asked me about my "personal timeline" of life. I have been doing a lot of reflection and I do in fact have a timeline for several big events in my life over the next few months! Here is what I have in mind!

But before we get into the deep stuff, I will post a couple pictures of some food that I recently made!

never had this kind of popcorn before! COOOL

Kimchi fried rice with egg, spinach, and pastrami

Looking ahead - few weeks

The comprehensive exam for Higher Education is coming up and I am starting to prepare for it (slowly but surely). The next few weeks will be dealing with Comps and classes on top of all the job search that I am doing. I believe I have mentioned this before, but the focus this semester has definitely changed and I have learned (or am currently learning) to juggle between a lot more things than Fall semester like classes, assistantship, Comps, jobs, social life (the list goes on...). Luckily I have several cohort members who are in the same boat and we are great at supporting one another through this final stretch!

We also ave a lot of preview events and web chats planned for the month of March so that will definitely be a very busy month for everyone!

Looking ahead - few months 
Obviously I hope to graduate! :)

Haha, but after that I really hope to secure a job so I can transition straight into work and go from there. I have been job hunting for the past few weeks now and have identified a few wonderful positions in California. New jobs are slowly appearing each week and I hope to apply to a lot of them. Now the hard part is applying and getting an interview!

Looking ahead - distant future
Who really knows? I love thinking about the distant future, but I try not o get too caught up in the dream. Dreams are only achieved when you do the hard work and the preparation beforehand. I have to admit that I am thinking about different aspects of my life that I have not thought of much before, but rather than psyching myself out, I choose to focus day by day and week by week. I think about what I can control and work hard to achieve my next goal. So what am I looking forward to? Lots of things! I just have to be patient.

PhD weekend

So this past weekend was the PhD weekend where we invited the final candidates over to visit campus and have a chat with the faculty. It was a great opportunity to see behind the scenes work with the admissions office and see the entire process of a PhD applicant.

It all started Friday night when the applicants arrived at the hotel and had a nice dinner at Davio's. The Admissions GAs (including myself) helped with the registration and the welcoming of the students.

Saturday was the BIG day. We started at 8am setting up the conference room for the poster session so that the applicants can walk around listening to PhD students and faculty talk about their current research and interests. After the poster session we all walked to GSE and had lunch. Shortly after lunch the applicants started the conversations with faculty one by one until essentially dinner time. During that process the Admissions GAs would be stationed at each floor and help the applicants get to each room within a timely manner and provide snacks and drinks when needed. After the conversations were over, the applicants were all led to the Penn Museum where we had a nice dinner next to the Egyptian Gallery. The whole venue was really nice and we worked hard to make sure everyone, especially the applicants, were happy.

The admissions staff at the Egyptian gallery!

first course - Caesar salad

second course- salmon with bok choy and rice cake

third course - chocolate gelato and apple pie

I did not attend Sunday morning events but it was a nice breakfast at Davio's followed by a trolley tour around the city f Philadelphia. Overall the events went really well and the applicants really enjoyed their time at Penn GSE.

And now we will listen to all of the feedback and prep for the EdD weekend in two weeks!

UCSF Formal

I apologize for my tardiness with my posts!

These past couple of weeks have been crazy and I have not gotten my life in order yet. I have gone back to San Francisco for a  formal (which I will talk about in a bit) and helped with the PhD event here at Penn GSE. Needless to say, there is a lot of things going in my life right now. Hopefully within the next few days or so I will be able to catch up and get into a rhythm once again.

So to recap on my life thus far...I flew back to San Francisco over the weekend to attend my girlfriend's winter formal. Each year the pharmacy school hosts a very elaborate and fancy event for the students, and unfortunately last year I was unable to attend. So this year I booked well in advanced so that I could attend the event. It was also very nice to see Nancy again and to spent a little bit of time with her. The schedule actually worked out pretty well since Penn GSE had just started (Though I do believe that this trip has pushed a couple of things in my schedule behind).

The venue was held at the Westin, which was a very nice hotel. They had desserts and a few photo booths for everyone inside and a small ballroom for dancing. I really liked the event because they played 1950's music at one point and it was really interesting to see how people reacted to that type of music.

Overall it was a great mini escape before my semester officially started. I know for the next few weeks I will be working on job apps, papers, and helping out in plenty of admissions events.

My next post will be talking about the PhD weekend that we just hosted recently!

Time waits for no one - job apps!

So despite the peaceful start to this semester, it is about to get really busy. As you all know, I am in a ONE YEAR Masters program, which means that I need to start finding a job NOW! Everyone has a different starting point and mine happened a while ago when I first visited the career counselor in the fall. I started with the basics of refreshing my resume and my cover letter. John, my career counselor, has been great in helping me edit my documents and recommending networking opportunities to attend.

I am also taking a professional development class, which is focusing on helping us understand the jargon that comes with job applications and the nuances that we should look out for. Ross, our program manager, is teaching the class and it has been enlightening to hear different student's perspectives and insights on the job market and the interpretation of some job requirements and criteria.

I have started looking for jobs now, mainly in California. The search has been fruitful, but the key is determining if I am qualified for the position and if I will be successful in that position and setting. It's been a long process and I hope to send out my first few applications soon. My hope is to secure a position before I graduate so I can get started right away doing the things I love.

Having just started Spring semester, I know already that the next few months will be extremely different than fall semester. Now on top of the classes and the assistantships and the social life, I will add job search to the mix. I will be busy and overwhelmed until graduation, but the materials I am learning and the experiences of this graduate program has been extremely rewarding and self-enlightening.

Back from winter break! Part 2

It's been a hectic week! We had our first official snow days and so everything is a little bit backed up. So to continue from my previous post...


FRIENDS REUNION
These were the most rewarding times during winter break besides hanging out with family. Several of my friends are actually working now so meeting up with them regularly is difficult, especially now that I am at the east coast. So whenever I have a break my close friends and I would always try to plan something (basketball, lunch, anything). It was great catching up with all of them and see how everyone's doing. I think it's exciting every time when I find out about big news or past dramas when I reconnect with old friends. When you talk about the past, you never know what you will remember!

MOVIES!

One of my family traditions during the holidays is to watch movies. I watched Frozen, Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug, and Saving Mr. Banks. If you haven't noticed already, I am a big fan of Disney and will usually go for those Disney movies more often than not.

Frozen was absolutely spectacular and the music was amazing. I have been told by several friends that the songs have been stuck in their head for long periods of time because they were so catchy! The hobbit movie was epic, like all Lord of the Rings movie, though I always hate the 2nd movie out of the trilogy because I feel like the story starts at an awkward spot and never really ends properly (because they need the third movie to wrap everything up). Nevertheless the movie was great and I can't wait for the last movie to come out! I also went back to my hometown library just to check out the book and read it! Lastly, Saving Mr. Banks is a very heartfelt movie talking about the back story and the origins of the Mary Poppins show. The movie beautifully captures Mary Poppin's original author and her struggle to release the rights to Walt Disney for him to make a musical out of it.

I usually never watch this many movies in such a short period of time but this time both my mom and my sister wanted to see multiple movies so we seized the chance and went several times! 

Back from winter break! Part 1

Hi everyone!

I apologize for not blogging during winter break! It was just too comfortable hanging out with family and friends that time just flew right by. I got back to school a few days ago and have started working in my GA already. Classes start today and I am excited to see my cohort members again after this long break. But first, let me recap what happened over winter break!

My Birthday
I got back right on my birthday that weekend and started with day with my girlfriend at the movies. I wanted to watch Frozen really bad and I wasn't disappointed. The movie was great and it challenged the traditional views of the "one true love". It was great seeing Disney stray from the traditional viewpoints and embrace the modern approach on these values. Plus, the songs were awesome!

one of the best movies I've seen!

WEATHER
Everyone was talking about the weather difference between East Coast and West Coast over break due to the "polar vortex" news that came out. I have to admit, I did have a mini adjustment  getting used to the California heat again. It was so hot that my family and I enjoyed an 85 degree Christmas day! It was abnormally hot in California for a while before dropping down to around 60's or so. I do have to say though, because my house has all wooden floors, the early mornings were actually pretty cold!!

A little bit of sunshine for everyone!

FAMILY TIME
This winter break was spent mostly to hang out with family and my dog. My sister is applying to vet school so every now and then I would get updates from her regarding her acceptances or rejections. I am super proud of her and I know that she is going to do great things with animals in the near future! It was also great seeing my mom and my doggy again as well. It's been a while since my sister and I were home for a long period of time. You can see the excitement in Bummper's eyes when I first walked in that door. this little guy has been with the family close to 10 years now and he still looks like a puppy! Each morning he would sit right next to the dining table where the space heater is and wait for us to drop anything from breakfast. Then the rest of the day consisted of playing with him and walking the little guy to get some exercise. It wasn't much, but it was relaxing to just hang out with family and the dog for a while and recharge.

The mornings were cold so bummper would huddle next to the space heater

Part TWO coming soon! I got lots to say about my break!