another year...wiser?

This summer marks some pretty big milestones in my life...

1. I just celebrated my 30th birthday. Everyone kept telling me, "Wow, you're turning the big three-o". And I thought...well...what really is so big about it? I guess I don't notice it (or think about it a lot) because I'm still in school . I feel like I'm back in college--except it's quite a bit harder (by leaps and bounds!). hahaha. And of course, almost always, the next question was, "When will you have a baby?" Sigh...

2. It's my last year to handle the SUROP group. I've been working with the undergraduate research program for the past 3 summers and it has been fun. Challenging and demanding...but fun. I've learned a lot along the way and I love working with, and getting to know the students. I think I could add "shrink, crisis manager, event planner, referee, problem solver, peace maker" to my job description for the resume:) I'm also the summer Mom, on call, 24/7. Just yesterday, one of my students sent me the sweetest email. Short, but it totally made my day: "Hi Amelia--Just wanted to say thanks for all you do. Your hard work is appreciated. You're amazing:)" What a great birthday gift—even if she didn’t know it.

3. Come August, I end my contract as the GRA for the Graduate School. Just thinking of how much I have to turn over to the next person is overwhelming! I'm in the process of creating a position manual so the next GRAs won't feel as lost as I was. hahahaha. Over the last two years, I have learned so much about the behind-the-scenes of higher education. I have seen, heared, and experienced first hand the policy making, discussions, politics, power plays, and other fundamental activities needed to run the MS and PhD programs--particularly at a land-grant institution. I think that one of the lessons I appreciate learning the most is the art of diplomacy. Because I was working with different people from a wide array of disciplines (with varying levels of social skills!), diplomacy was key to keeping my sanity. I'm also going to miss the people I see everyday at the office. Their support and camaraderie is truly a blessing.

4. I finally start teaching this fall. Not only does this mean that I finally get to do what I love doing...it also means I get my tuition paid for! wooohooo! That's only secondary, though, since I really wanted to get this position so I can have teaching experience here. I am excited, and also a bit anxious. After all, this is my first teaching experience with American students and it's in a format I am not familiar with. Although the class will be online, I think I will enjoy it. There are some pieces of equipment and tech tools that I am excited to learn about. Personally though, I think that in the end, I would still choose in-class instruction over online classes.

5. I take my preliminary exams this August. That in itself is enough to make me queasy! That's 6 written exams of 4 hours each. Then they give me at least a 10-day sanity break before I face a firing squad (a.k.a. the oral exam where I face a panel of faculty members shooting rapid fire questions at me). Hopefully, by the end of August and as fall rolls around, I will no longer be "just" a PhD student...but rather, a PhD candidate..A.B.D (all but dissertation). My prof says it's just a right of passage that every PhD person has gone through. Yeah, okay, but it's still nerve-wracking as heck! Sigh...such is life.

Before I forget though, I would like to say thank you to JOHN for a wonderful birthday. My turn to say "Thank you for all you do (to keep me happy...to keep me sane...and to keep me in line. hahahahaha) i love you!