Since I have gotten myself pretty far behind, due to a barrage of term-papers and assignments that I have fought through over the past 4 weeks, I have decided to skip in time a bit, up to week 12 I believe. The four weeks in-between were mostly comprised of me honing my weakly work schedule. It is so interesting to look back at how overburdened I felt ding the weekly assignments, ONLY, during the first half of semester one of this thing we call a masters program. But now, it is a walk in the park. I don't have a care in the world on weeks that I only have to read ~400 pages of content and around from 7-10 pages of informed discussion/reflection content. Yeah, that is a per-week estimate, for anyone who might be interested in this program at some point. By the way, I would still fully recommend it. It is worth it. Ooh, and a rundown of some grades that I received during the time skip that I am about to embark you upon. For my Comparative Politics Midterm I got a 93. For Conflict Management's midterm I got a 87.5. Although this is not the "A" I had hoped for, I am still pleased, as I have seen this as by far the most demanding course of this semester.
I also must share this link to an eye-opening documentary that covers the global water shortage crisis that is emerging. It looks at it from many views, including environmental, political, and as a means to assert structural violence on the poor. You need to watch this. I guarantee you will learn a thing or many. The bad thing is that it is not free. You must order it or find it at a library (cough it is on thepiratebay.org cough), but it is well worth the price. You can find it here:
http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Week 7
Getting late on posts. I am hitting crunch time in the semester.
Looking back at week 7, one of the most interesting things happened during the weekend as a few of us met to study for our Comparative Politics midterm, which was a few days away. The studying was typical and I left feeling a bit more prepared for the task ahead. However, the discussion before we launched into the material was excellent. Since we are primarily online, we do not have the opportunity to discuss the way in which classes are going, how well we seem to be preforming, or what concerns we have. So, we actually spent the first half-hour of the meeting kinda debriefing from the past 6 weeks. It was such a load of to see the others were struggling with some of the same issues that I have been having (I know, my misery must come with company). Essentially, we all left with a boosted morale and a bit better a sense of comradery. Also, I found out that out of the group of 7 or so of us that I had the best score among us! Hazzaa!
Looking back at week 7, one of the most interesting things happened during the weekend as a few of us met to study for our Comparative Politics midterm, which was a few days away. The studying was typical and I left feeling a bit more prepared for the task ahead. However, the discussion before we launched into the material was excellent. Since we are primarily online, we do not have the opportunity to discuss the way in which classes are going, how well we seem to be preforming, or what concerns we have. So, we actually spent the first half-hour of the meeting kinda debriefing from the past 6 weeks. It was such a load of to see the others were struggling with some of the same issues that I have been having (I know, my misery must come with company). Essentially, we all left with a boosted morale and a bit better a sense of comradery. Also, I found out that out of the group of 7 or so of us that I had the best score among us! Hazzaa!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Week 6
Most of my unique efforts this week were centered around my test in International Relations & Governance. This was test posed a big hypothetical concern for me, and I am sure for everyone else within the program. First, this test will be our introduction to the testing style of this professor, Dr. Collins, which is good reason for any serious student to be concerned. In retrospect, he did an excellent job setting expectations for it. He told us it would have several "answer by phrase" questions, a few short answer (a paragraph) questions, and two essay questions. The test was given during a 25 hour window, in which we would have exactly 2 hours from pressing "begin exam" to complete all questions. This was spot on. Still, my awareness was exacerbated by the fact that this would be the first test of this program, period. What was I to expect from a masters level test. I knew that my expectations for readings and amount of material were low, and the amount of time that I dedicate to each class is large. Would my knowledge be challenged in a way previously not fathomed by me?
To prepare, I first studied all of my notes from power-point, which essentially are provided to us as on outline of key and secondary concepts by our teacher. This went over well, as I eluded to last entry, because the content of this course fits into a tight knit diagram. After this point, I looked over my notes that I took on assigned readings. Where these were unavailable, I supplemented by skimming the writings, trying to fit in whether each was more liberalist or realist, and if the scope of the writings were on the individual, state, or international level of analysis. After finishing studying, I let my mind wonder for a couple of hours. And then it was time. The two hours flew by, as I was fully involved in what I was doing. I knew all of the answers, at worst after a few moments of contemplating. So how did I do?
Like I mentioned, two of the responses were essay style, each worth 30 points (out of 100 possible points). I like essay format tests because you can prove your intimate knowledge of the material. At the same time, this could translate into a detriment, as you may write about one small but crucial facet of the question, while the professor wishes for a more broad explanation. The inverse can apply as well, where you write about the topic in general, when your prof would really prefer a more direct application. You can never really tell until it is too late. Regardless, I was happy with how the first test went, from the moment I hit submit. When asked by friends/family how I did, my response was, "I definitely did not do bad. In did good, it is now a question of how good."
I got a 93 :)
To prepare, I first studied all of my notes from power-point, which essentially are provided to us as on outline of key and secondary concepts by our teacher. This went over well, as I eluded to last entry, because the content of this course fits into a tight knit diagram. After this point, I looked over my notes that I took on assigned readings. Where these were unavailable, I supplemented by skimming the writings, trying to fit in whether each was more liberalist or realist, and if the scope of the writings were on the individual, state, or international level of analysis. After finishing studying, I let my mind wonder for a couple of hours. And then it was time. The two hours flew by, as I was fully involved in what I was doing. I knew all of the answers, at worst after a few moments of contemplating. So how did I do?
Like I mentioned, two of the responses were essay style, each worth 30 points (out of 100 possible points). I like essay format tests because you can prove your intimate knowledge of the material. At the same time, this could translate into a detriment, as you may write about one small but crucial facet of the question, while the professor wishes for a more broad explanation. The inverse can apply as well, where you write about the topic in general, when your prof would really prefer a more direct application. You can never really tell until it is too late. Regardless, I was happy with how the first test went, from the moment I hit submit. When asked by friends/family how I did, my response was, "I definitely did not do bad. In did good, it is now a question of how good."
I got a 93 :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 5
Hmm, I managed to fall behind again. Oops. I do not kid when I say that this program has a lot involved with it.
So, I will try and be brief. The crux of this week for me was being the discussion leader alongside David. Our studies in Conflict Management this week involved human needs theory and structural violence. Human needs is what it sounds like. Picture Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Except, in the realm of poly sci, we see people aggressively trying to entertain all of their needs at once. Maslow might be rolling in his grave. This was a neat throwback topic for me, considering my psych undergrad. More recently (during week 7) I have been listening to an CD lecture while in the car that reminded me of the power of self-actualization. I am in charge of my self. I will graduate with a 4.0. Haha. Anywho, violence covered structural, cultural, and direct violence. I spent a lot of time thinking about how hate is perpetuated by way of cultural violence during this week. It wasn't really related to IPM at all. I just found myself thinking about how we treat immigrants in our country, whether legal or not. This focuses most on Latin American immigrants. It isn't like our subtle little hatreds (and yes, we all have them and participate in cultural violence) are limited to the US. This is worldwide, it always has been, and it always will be. So, I made a bit of a pact with myself to try and put myself in the shoes of Latin Americans. I will think about the cold early mornings, outside of home depot, or a large gas station. All that they want to do is work, and work hard at that. Yes, it is challenging right now, and you could argue that they are taking jobs from rightful US citizens in this time of economic straights. If you want to work that badly, get your ass out there with them, learn a trade. They aren't above it, they are human, you are too, thus, you are not above it. Dang, I went on a rant. One with no clear point either. It is late.
So, I thought that it was really engaging to read my co-students postings, think about their position, and offer some direction for their future explorations. This is what I liked most. While it was time consuming, I felt it time well spent. However, it was this week that I noticed that the instructor can be a little too blunt. Confrontational maybe. I am sure she is just trying to play devils advocate, but I have reconnoitered with some other students, and I am not alone in this sentiment. It feels like the professor may see us as, to borrow someone others words, stupid. My jury is still out on intentions, but I will make note of it here. It may have to wait for my post 1st semester debriefing to avoid conflict. After all, I have given all of my profs this website info. Shhhh. They might be spying on me right now.
At any rate, I got full credit for this exercise. I am very proud of this. Next week is my first exam, which I began studying for. It is in my international governance class, which I feel I have a very good grasp on. All of the information to date falls so nicely into theories and levels of analysis. Theories being: realist, liberalism, and the neo's of both, with a few sub groups in there as well. We look at all of these through 3 levels of analysis: individual (1st), state (2nd), and international (3rd). Look at that! I just studied with my blog! Too bad I have already taken the test and got my grade back in real time...
Till next week.
So, I will try and be brief. The crux of this week for me was being the discussion leader alongside David. Our studies in Conflict Management this week involved human needs theory and structural violence. Human needs is what it sounds like. Picture Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Except, in the realm of poly sci, we see people aggressively trying to entertain all of their needs at once. Maslow might be rolling in his grave. This was a neat throwback topic for me, considering my psych undergrad. More recently (during week 7) I have been listening to an CD lecture while in the car that reminded me of the power of self-actualization. I am in charge of my self. I will graduate with a 4.0. Haha. Anywho, violence covered structural, cultural, and direct violence. I spent a lot of time thinking about how hate is perpetuated by way of cultural violence during this week. It wasn't really related to IPM at all. I just found myself thinking about how we treat immigrants in our country, whether legal or not. This focuses most on Latin American immigrants. It isn't like our subtle little hatreds (and yes, we all have them and participate in cultural violence) are limited to the US. This is worldwide, it always has been, and it always will be. So, I made a bit of a pact with myself to try and put myself in the shoes of Latin Americans. I will think about the cold early mornings, outside of home depot, or a large gas station. All that they want to do is work, and work hard at that. Yes, it is challenging right now, and you could argue that they are taking jobs from rightful US citizens in this time of economic straights. If you want to work that badly, get your ass out there with them, learn a trade. They aren't above it, they are human, you are too, thus, you are not above it. Dang, I went on a rant. One with no clear point either. It is late.
So, I thought that it was really engaging to read my co-students postings, think about their position, and offer some direction for their future explorations. This is what I liked most. While it was time consuming, I felt it time well spent. However, it was this week that I noticed that the instructor can be a little too blunt. Confrontational maybe. I am sure she is just trying to play devils advocate, but I have reconnoitered with some other students, and I am not alone in this sentiment. It feels like the professor may see us as, to borrow someone others words, stupid. My jury is still out on intentions, but I will make note of it here. It may have to wait for my post 1st semester debriefing to avoid conflict. After all, I have given all of my profs this website info. Shhhh. They might be spying on me right now.
At any rate, I got full credit for this exercise. I am very proud of this. Next week is my first exam, which I began studying for. It is in my international governance class, which I feel I have a very good grasp on. All of the information to date falls so nicely into theories and levels of analysis. Theories being: realist, liberalism, and the neo's of both, with a few sub groups in there as well. We look at all of these through 3 levels of analysis: individual (1st), state (2nd), and international (3rd). Look at that! I just studied with my blog! Too bad I have already taken the test and got my grade back in real time...
Till next week.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thwarted
So, I got some bad news yesterday. The MSIPM "Students" page will not feature a link to my blog. :( I wish I could make an angrier emoticon, but I cannot remember any off of the top of my head. Feel free to reply to this post with the angriest emote you know.
At any rate, one of my initial reasons for undertaking this side project, that is my blog, was to help in advertising myself for practicum/internship positions. I had figured that companies that decided to dedicate a position to our program may look through each students bio. They would see mine and say to themselves "Wow, that is different!". Then they would click the link and be like, "OMG, my life has just changed for the better!!!". But alas, I will have to resort to letting potential employers know during my interview or including on my resume.
There is, however, a silver lining that I have realized. I now no longer need to worry about any issues that I may encounter when being critical in this blog, as it is not in anyway affiliated with KSU. This is a good thing, especially because I am beginning to get very frustrated with a professor of mine...
At any rate, one of my initial reasons for undertaking this side project, that is my blog, was to help in advertising myself for practicum/internship positions. I had figured that companies that decided to dedicate a position to our program may look through each students bio. They would see mine and say to themselves "Wow, that is different!". Then they would click the link and be like, "OMG, my life has just changed for the better!!!". But alas, I will have to resort to letting potential employers know during my interview or including on my resume.
There is, however, a silver lining that I have realized. I now no longer need to worry about any issues that I may encounter when being critical in this blog, as it is not in anyway affiliated with KSU. This is a good thing, especially because I am beginning to get very frustrated with a professor of mine...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Pocrastination?
My girlfriend is working on her undergrad for education. She wants to teach. More specifically, she wants to teach history or science to middle-schoolers (subject subject to change). She was telling me about an article that she had read about learning habits, which I have beside me and will read in a few. Additionally, she mentioned that her teacher had asked the class about procrastination. Who was guilty of it and who was not. It turns out that studies have shown that procrastinators have a tendency towards perfection. They say that you put things off because you do not have the addequate time to get them done correctly in one sitting. Pretty neat, but that is not why I chose to write on the matter.
What has happened to me and the good old days of being a procrastinator? I used to view myself as the few, the proud, the procrastinator. I would claim that my best work came when I was stressed out and under sever time constraints. The validity of this is highly debatable and is probably false if put under a microscope. In fact, I had the troubling woe that I would go full-tilt in this program for about two weeks, but inevitably go back to my old ways. But I have not, can not, and will not. Nowadays, I never have to ask myself, "what in the world is my classmate talking about." I have already read it too! Wait a minute, am I turning into an adult here...
On a more serious note, I try not to let myself be proud of improvements that I have made too often However, this is a great sign. This realization may actually confirm that this is my true passion. Of course there are times when I go, "ugh, 15 minutes is over. I had better pick the book back up." I do pick the text up, and to me there is not another option. I love having minor epiphanies. Well, at least positive ones.
What has happened to me and the good old days of being a procrastinator? I used to view myself as the few, the proud, the procrastinator. I would claim that my best work came when I was stressed out and under sever time constraints. The validity of this is highly debatable and is probably false if put under a microscope. In fact, I had the troubling woe that I would go full-tilt in this program for about two weeks, but inevitably go back to my old ways. But I have not, can not, and will not. Nowadays, I never have to ask myself, "what in the world is my classmate talking about." I have already read it too! Wait a minute, am I turning into an adult here...
On a more serious note, I try not to let myself be proud of improvements that I have made too often However, this is a great sign. This realization may actually confirm that this is my true passion. Of course there are times when I go, "ugh, 15 minutes is over. I had better pick the book back up." I do pick the text up, and to me there is not another option. I love having minor epiphanies. Well, at least positive ones.
Week 4
This week I got to meet face-to-face with one of my teachers, Dr. Hallward. The purpose of the meeting was to dicuss leading the class in discussion during week 5. I am leading the material with David, one of the people in my program whom made a strong impression on me during orientation. I enjoyed most getting to chat with Dr. H about her background and her application of her studies. I also learned that she did a bit of field work leading up to earning her doctorate. One of her experiences was as an assistant with the United Nations. I cannot wait until I can say that I have had similar involvements. David had formulaeted a question already about the "ground zero mosque". For the purposes of the meeting, I was more concerned about the big picture, as in how to lead my cohorts through critical analasis of their interpretation of the material. By the way, I am leading discussion over Human Needs Theory and voilence: cultural, direct, and structural.
One anxiety that I am feeling at the moment is a bit of mixed feedback that I received in one of my courses. On my first attempt at an exercise I was told to provide more reflection. I responded in kind. Next attempt I was told to provide more direct reference to the material. Okay, I need to find a better middle point. Then, I am told that I need to provide more reflection. Back to square one? I don't exactly think so. I am here to master material. So, I better get to doing it. I can feel my technical writing style come back slowly from college 1.0 and reflecting on subject matter feels very positive for retention. My grades haven't been bad in any sense, they just need to get better. I am off to sharpen my sword.
Outside of this, I am plugging away at my courses, consuming information. And I am still enjoying it. I believe that I have found a good pace that gets the assignments turned in, builds knowledge, and keeps me from suffering burn out.
I have established two goals for Week 5:
1) Try to arrange a face-to-face with my other two professors
2) Master my discussion lead material to effectively guide my classmates through the excercise.
And with that, my friends, this blog is up to date! The idea came late (second day of orientation) so I have had to find time to get current. It has been well worth the time spent because I feel that this e-journal is a great release of stress that might help out a person or two.
One anxiety that I am feeling at the moment is a bit of mixed feedback that I received in one of my courses. On my first attempt at an exercise I was told to provide more reflection. I responded in kind. Next attempt I was told to provide more direct reference to the material. Okay, I need to find a better middle point. Then, I am told that I need to provide more reflection. Back to square one? I don't exactly think so. I am here to master material. So, I better get to doing it. I can feel my technical writing style come back slowly from college 1.0 and reflecting on subject matter feels very positive for retention. My grades haven't been bad in any sense, they just need to get better. I am off to sharpen my sword.
Outside of this, I am plugging away at my courses, consuming information. And I am still enjoying it. I believe that I have found a good pace that gets the assignments turned in, builds knowledge, and keeps me from suffering burn out.
I have established two goals for Week 5:
1) Try to arrange a face-to-face with my other two professors
2) Master my discussion lead material to effectively guide my classmates through the excercise.
And with that, my friends, this blog is up to date! The idea came late (second day of orientation) so I have had to find time to get current. It has been well worth the time spent because I feel that this e-journal is a great release of stress that might help out a person or two.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Week 3
I got it. I did only week 3 reading, during week, 3 all week! Week, week, week. But seriously, my concerns about playing catch up are over, (fingers crossed). Now I have a medium-huge reading load as opposed to just a huge one. The thing about it is, this is what I want to learn, my readings are not a pain in any sense. Looking back at week 3, I was bathed in relief, I was getting accustomed, I was back in school.
I did experience a bit of a blindside this week. Dr. A gave us a deadline for our first reflection paper. The premise of this work was to tie together our "Essentials In Comparative Politics" book. You heard me right, I already finished a TEXT BOOK. Not a comic, nor dime novel, but a text book. My biggest difficulty on this assignment was not going well over the approximate 5 page length. I looked at the balance of freedom and equality through governments, while considering how modernization has effected the two liberties. I cannot wait to get my feedback returned on this. I enjoy what I have been able to glean from the comparison analysis style. From here we will be doing case studies (more like individual country studies) over 13 differing states. Should be neat.
Now, I am feeling a little bit of difficulty getting feedback and/or receiving consistent feedback. I try to envision the professors side of the computer screen for these classes. So many discussion posts to read, not glaze over, but read for content and style. The same goes for the reflections that we have been doing as well as responding to current affairs. I do get that they have a lot going on. Yet, I will remain praying to the dry erase board gods for more feedback in the days to come. I can refine my technique readily, if need be. Professors, does need be?
I did experience a bit of a blindside this week. Dr. A gave us a deadline for our first reflection paper. The premise of this work was to tie together our "Essentials In Comparative Politics" book. You heard me right, I already finished a TEXT BOOK. Not a comic, nor dime novel, but a text book. My biggest difficulty on this assignment was not going well over the approximate 5 page length. I looked at the balance of freedom and equality through governments, while considering how modernization has effected the two liberties. I cannot wait to get my feedback returned on this. I enjoy what I have been able to glean from the comparison analysis style. From here we will be doing case studies (more like individual country studies) over 13 differing states. Should be neat.
Now, I am feeling a little bit of difficulty getting feedback and/or receiving consistent feedback. I try to envision the professors side of the computer screen for these classes. So many discussion posts to read, not glaze over, but read for content and style. The same goes for the reflections that we have been doing as well as responding to current affairs. I do get that they have a lot going on. Yet, I will remain praying to the dry erase board gods for more feedback in the days to come. I can refine my technique readily, if need be. Professors, does need be?
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Week 2
My second week of the program was comprised of a charge to get on pace. As mentioned before, the late nature of my orientation left me with 2 weeks worth of reading, discussion, and reflection to be done in just over a week. All I could do was put my nose down. And looking back on it, the 400+ pages of text book/journal reading was both enjoyable and the least stressful of my scholarly activities for the week. What I found my self struggling with more was the "basic week" for each class. I must have looked at each of my syllabuses 10 times that week. Here is the basic weeks breakdown by class, but keep in mind that there are other responsibilities to be peppered in there such as tests, papers, projects, and debates:
Governance requires an average of three weekly readings, one from text book and the rest from journal articles (largely found in a "reader textbook"). Additionally, a power-point is provided to reiterate key concepts and to make notes with. It helps me retain information so much to write things down, even if I feel I wield a good grasp of the concept. Finally, a response to a discussion question is due each Sunday by midnight. Dr. Collins has been very mindful of our "crunch" and has provided a tad bit of wiggle room here.
Comparative Politics is about 4 chapters of text book a week (100-120 pages, YIKES!) A discussion question response is due on Fridays by midnight. Additionally, we will be submitting reflection papers after each text we kill that is roughly 5 pages in lenght.
Conflict Management's schedule is a bit of a dumpy road. Reading of several journal entries, both from text books and electronic sources are required (about 4 articles). A reflection article that is roughly 700 words long must be submitted by Tuesday at noon. Furthermore, a discussion post in response to student leaders (two per week) is required by Wednesdays at noon. Lastly, a second reply to the discussion forum (but a bit more light than the first) is due by Friday at noon (this due date was modified by Dr. Hallward, originally it was Thursday at noon). Fortunately, our top ten reflection and response scores are counted, out of 14. I used one of my "freebie" weeks for the discussion in week two to help in catching my pace. (Future me does not suggest you use the spare 4 entries as "freebies", cause the writing style required for this class is a bit difficult to master). I am having a tough time, conceptually, understanding why we have a noon deadline, considering that a healthy majority of my cohorts work full time jobs. Oh well, I will manage.
My efforts were so genuine that this week flew by. I digested a ton of information and I am envisioning that I will truly master this content by the time I finish these courses. I wonder if that is why they call it a Masters degree?
On a separate note, I visited this very interesting micro-finance website that was suggested during our orientation. It is Kiva.org. Basically, you use small amounts of money (like $25 -50) to invest in upstart businesses in South Economy regions. You, as well as others who select business X to fund provide a loan to local entrepreneurs. Over time, your loan is paid back to your account (hopefully!) It seems like a great way to promote growth in poorer areas of the world. I intend to send some of my money around this planet of mine as soon as I get some spare cash (Which is hard for me to come by. Maybe I should be on Kiva?).
Week 2 down, 14 to go, this semester...
Governance requires an average of three weekly readings, one from text book and the rest from journal articles (largely found in a "reader textbook"). Additionally, a power-point is provided to reiterate key concepts and to make notes with. It helps me retain information so much to write things down, even if I feel I wield a good grasp of the concept. Finally, a response to a discussion question is due each Sunday by midnight. Dr. Collins has been very mindful of our "crunch" and has provided a tad bit of wiggle room here.
Comparative Politics is about 4 chapters of text book a week (100-120 pages, YIKES!) A discussion question response is due on Fridays by midnight. Additionally, we will be submitting reflection papers after each text we kill that is roughly 5 pages in lenght.
Conflict Management's schedule is a bit of a dumpy road. Reading of several journal entries, both from text books and electronic sources are required (about 4 articles). A reflection article that is roughly 700 words long must be submitted by Tuesday at noon. Furthermore, a discussion post in response to student leaders (two per week) is required by Wednesdays at noon. Lastly, a second reply to the discussion forum (but a bit more light than the first) is due by Friday at noon (this due date was modified by Dr. Hallward, originally it was Thursday at noon). Fortunately, our top ten reflection and response scores are counted, out of 14. I used one of my "freebie" weeks for the discussion in week two to help in catching my pace. (Future me does not suggest you use the spare 4 entries as "freebies", cause the writing style required for this class is a bit difficult to master). I am having a tough time, conceptually, understanding why we have a noon deadline, considering that a healthy majority of my cohorts work full time jobs. Oh well, I will manage.
My efforts were so genuine that this week flew by. I digested a ton of information and I am envisioning that I will truly master this content by the time I finish these courses. I wonder if that is why they call it a Masters degree?
On a separate note, I visited this very interesting micro-finance website that was suggested during our orientation. It is Kiva.org. Basically, you use small amounts of money (like $25 -50) to invest in upstart businesses in South Economy regions. You, as well as others who select business X to fund provide a loan to local entrepreneurs. Over time, your loan is paid back to your account (hopefully!) It seems like a great way to promote growth in poorer areas of the world. I intend to send some of my money around this planet of mine as soon as I get some spare cash (Which is hard for me to come by. Maybe I should be on Kiva?).
Week 2 down, 14 to go, this semester...
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Week 1
Now, I am writing this at the end of week three. So, I plan on being pretty brief to get current. Part of this excercise for me is capturing my current feelings on things, and doing so three weeks past is not an effective way to do this. At least I don't need that much time to reflect.
My orientation was pleasant. There were a few people that I met who were instant "hook ups" to reach out to and share ideas with at the beginning of the program. However, there were 25 people, about 20 people too many for me to really get to get a feel for. Now I am curious, how long will it take for me to get a feel for someone's pesonality, political views, interests, etc. with primarily only electronic communication. And I do mean it when I describe my feeling as curious, I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
My professors seem responsive and aware of the fact that this is a new endeavor. I will wait a bit longer for some grading feedback to comment on their personalities ;) I kid.
This semmester I have the following courses:
World Politics & Governance with Dr. Collins
Comparative Politics with Dr. Akinyemi (Dr. A)
Conflict Resolution/Management with Dr. Hallward (or Maia)
I believe the titles of the courses here are adequate descriptors for the time being and each subjects content will come with time/more entries.
I remember feeling like I was behind during orientation as our week technically began on a Sunday and we had due dates as early as Friday. Oh yeah, we met for the first time on Thursday! I had actually logged on to web-CT a few days prior. As I have expressed last post, I was frickin' chomping at the bit to get started. I got a few small things settled and took the plunge with some reading.Yet I still felt the first and second week were going to be a game of catch up. Wow, I sure was hoping at that time that I would be able to catch up. The reading load seemed MONSTROUS to someone who had been out of academia for 3 years. Fortunately for me (you know misery loves company) more of half of my colleagues were a few steps behind me. I would say that most had not signed in to web-CT yet.
My overall feeling was that I was trying to orchestrate concepts with due dates and create loose class schedules in my mind. I constantly felt as if puzzle pieces were floating above my mind's eye. It was up to me to get them together within the week. Looking back, I reached all of my goals for that week and felt that I was on pace in my game of catch up. One down, 15 to go!
My orientation was pleasant. There were a few people that I met who were instant "hook ups" to reach out to and share ideas with at the beginning of the program. However, there were 25 people, about 20 people too many for me to really get to get a feel for. Now I am curious, how long will it take for me to get a feel for someone's pesonality, political views, interests, etc. with primarily only electronic communication. And I do mean it when I describe my feeling as curious, I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
My professors seem responsive and aware of the fact that this is a new endeavor. I will wait a bit longer for some grading feedback to comment on their personalities ;) I kid.
This semmester I have the following courses:
World Politics & Governance with Dr. Collins
Comparative Politics with Dr. Akinyemi (Dr. A)
Conflict Resolution/Management with Dr. Hallward (or Maia)
I believe the titles of the courses here are adequate descriptors for the time being and each subjects content will come with time/more entries.
I remember feeling like I was behind during orientation as our week technically began on a Sunday and we had due dates as early as Friday. Oh yeah, we met for the first time on Thursday! I had actually logged on to web-CT a few days prior. As I have expressed last post, I was frickin' chomping at the bit to get started. I got a few small things settled and took the plunge with some reading.Yet I still felt the first and second week were going to be a game of catch up. Wow, I sure was hoping at that time that I would be able to catch up. The reading load seemed MONSTROUS to someone who had been out of academia for 3 years. Fortunately for me (you know misery loves company) more of half of my colleagues were a few steps behind me. I would say that most had not signed in to web-CT yet.
My overall feeling was that I was trying to orchestrate concepts with due dates and create loose class schedules in my mind. I constantly felt as if puzzle pieces were floating above my mind's eye. It was up to me to get them together within the week. Looking back, I reached all of my goals for that week and felt that I was on pace in my game of catch up. One down, 15 to go!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Gettin' In
It was during January of 2010 when I started gathering the materials that I would need to get into one of the two institutions that I was interested in, GTI and KSU. Unfortunately for me, I was a bit two late in the year to polish my appearance enough to apply prior to GTI Fall 2010 deadline. In other words, I would apply for Tech's program starting fall of 2011 if I was not permitted into Kennesaw's program the first time around. As far as what you need to provide for eligibility you need the following: GRE test scores (or GMAT), fill out the application, provide a letter of interest to the institution, submit your undergrad transcripts, provide 2 letters of recomendation, and submit a writing sample. A real handy checklist of all of these items is available here: http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/checklists/IPM.pdf .If memory serves correct, a 900 GRE was suggested for competitive eligibility for KSU and a 1100 for Tech. I wanna say a 3.0 GPA was suggested for KSU and a 3.2 for Tech. Additionally, Tech requires 3 letters of recommendation. Make sure to check each institution's website (both are listed as forum favorites) for official information.
The first area that I focused in on was studying for the GRE. First I learned a bit more about the test and scheduling via their website: http://www.ets.org/gre . The scheduling for testing is VERY convenient and you can schedule to take the test about 48 hours out from when you would like to take it. So, I went off and bought some study materials from Barnes & Nobel. I went with the most inexpensive study guide available and some cheap flash cards for road trips. Don't waste and extra $30 on the "most successful and flashy study guide available that promises 150 point better score than competitors". My advice is to get familiar with the test layout. Also, learn about how the test scores. It is a bit funky, giving you harder questions the better you do (all computer based).
Now that I had my study mats, I proceeded to procrastinate until early April, when I really put my nose to the grindstone. I studied math, a LOT of math. A LOT of 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade math. I remember my teachers saying that I would use geometry in the real world. And I did. To take a test to learn more... Oh well, I picked up all the basics that I had long ago lost and did pretty well. I believe it was a 1260 I scored, but my memory evades me by about 10-20 points. I was aiming for the 1300s, but was relieved to see a competitive score (you get your scores before you leave your seat!). By the 1st of May my essays were returned. I got a 4.5 on a 6 point scale. I thought that my writing that day was better than a 4.5, but I am painfully aware of my misspelling and poor grammar. Thank you spell check!
I had also sent out requests for letters of recommendation in mid April. One of my professors, May Gao, was easy to track down and a pleasure to meet with again. Her recommendation was no less then shinning. My professional recommendation, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to obtain and was all sorts of disappointing. I tried getting my recommendation from my former boss/mentor/friend (a least I thought). We will call him Chris Cross. Chris and I worked together at a company that I came to leave because they were plain and simple breaking employment law. I, as the Human Resources rep., politely asked to make corrections of this "over-site". I resigned after being told that there were too many laws to be concerned with following them all. At any rate, Chris Cross was by that time my peer, but still mentor. We were friends enough for me to attend his wedding and occasionally visit outside of work hours. But when I left, he sided with the company. After a month of no reply on request for a reference and one polite nudge, I gave up on getting a reference from him. It is a shame too: He knew my skill-set very well. I ended up obtaining my second letter from another employee from the same company that I worked side-by-side with for approximately 2 years. Thank you Patrick, your reference was no less than flattering.
The letter of intent to the institution came with ease, given my passion for the field and appreciation for KSU. Finally, the writing sample that I chose to submit was my senior thesis from psychology. Although substance abuse and its relationship to behavior and personality does not speak directly to the specialty of international policy management, I felt that it highlights my ability to collect and interpret data while arguing a central thesis. I wanna say that all of my admission materials were turned in by the 24th of May. Accordingly, the deadline for receiving all submission materials was June 1st.
The next two weeks were nerve racking! I felt that my profile was likely to be accepted, considering that this was a start up program with little popularity (yet, it will get bigger!). However, I was worried that my letters of recommendation fiasco had put me in too close to the deadline. Additionally, I was self conscience about not coming from the poly sci department. Fortunately I had a little bit of distraction while waiting for a reply about my admission. I was on a cruise to Cozumel from May 30th to June 5th. No reception, no connection to the mailbox, minimized worries. But the nervousness I felt as I booted up my phone after docking in Alabama only shared a likeness to that of a panic attack. "Did they respond? Am I in?" I contemplated quietly over and over again while standing with my girlfriend in our cabin. The silence was measurable. Then... Relief! Yelling, hugs, kisses, and excited phone calls. I was on a high for days. My passion was becoming tangible, my goals coming to fruition.
It was a long two months until our August 20th orientation. I kept hoping for an email containing a taste of what was to come. An assignment or recommended reading would do. Little did I know, I was about to be blindsided by a workload that cannot be described, only experienced, in grad school...
The first area that I focused in on was studying for the GRE. First I learned a bit more about the test and scheduling via their website: http://www.ets.org/gre . The scheduling for testing is VERY convenient and you can schedule to take the test about 48 hours out from when you would like to take it. So, I went off and bought some study materials from Barnes & Nobel. I went with the most inexpensive study guide available and some cheap flash cards for road trips. Don't waste and extra $30 on the "most successful and flashy study guide available that promises 150 point better score than competitors". My advice is to get familiar with the test layout. Also, learn about how the test scores. It is a bit funky, giving you harder questions the better you do (all computer based).
Now that I had my study mats, I proceeded to procrastinate until early April, when I really put my nose to the grindstone. I studied math, a LOT of math. A LOT of 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade math. I remember my teachers saying that I would use geometry in the real world. And I did. To take a test to learn more... Oh well, I picked up all the basics that I had long ago lost and did pretty well. I believe it was a 1260 I scored, but my memory evades me by about 10-20 points. I was aiming for the 1300s, but was relieved to see a competitive score (you get your scores before you leave your seat!). By the 1st of May my essays were returned. I got a 4.5 on a 6 point scale. I thought that my writing that day was better than a 4.5, but I am painfully aware of my misspelling and poor grammar. Thank you spell check!
I had also sent out requests for letters of recommendation in mid April. One of my professors, May Gao, was easy to track down and a pleasure to meet with again. Her recommendation was no less then shinning. My professional recommendation, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult to obtain and was all sorts of disappointing. I tried getting my recommendation from my former boss/mentor/friend (a least I thought). We will call him Chris Cross. Chris and I worked together at a company that I came to leave because they were plain and simple breaking employment law. I, as the Human Resources rep., politely asked to make corrections of this "over-site". I resigned after being told that there were too many laws to be concerned with following them all. At any rate, Chris Cross was by that time my peer, but still mentor. We were friends enough for me to attend his wedding and occasionally visit outside of work hours. But when I left, he sided with the company. After a month of no reply on request for a reference and one polite nudge, I gave up on getting a reference from him. It is a shame too: He knew my skill-set very well. I ended up obtaining my second letter from another employee from the same company that I worked side-by-side with for approximately 2 years. Thank you Patrick, your reference was no less than flattering.
The letter of intent to the institution came with ease, given my passion for the field and appreciation for KSU. Finally, the writing sample that I chose to submit was my senior thesis from psychology. Although substance abuse and its relationship to behavior and personality does not speak directly to the specialty of international policy management, I felt that it highlights my ability to collect and interpret data while arguing a central thesis. I wanna say that all of my admission materials were turned in by the 24th of May. Accordingly, the deadline for receiving all submission materials was June 1st.
The next two weeks were nerve racking! I felt that my profile was likely to be accepted, considering that this was a start up program with little popularity (yet, it will get bigger!). However, I was worried that my letters of recommendation fiasco had put me in too close to the deadline. Additionally, I was self conscience about not coming from the poly sci department. Fortunately I had a little bit of distraction while waiting for a reply about my admission. I was on a cruise to Cozumel from May 30th to June 5th. No reception, no connection to the mailbox, minimized worries. But the nervousness I felt as I booted up my phone after docking in Alabama only shared a likeness to that of a panic attack. "Did they respond? Am I in?" I contemplated quietly over and over again while standing with my girlfriend in our cabin. The silence was measurable. Then... Relief! Yelling, hugs, kisses, and excited phone calls. I was on a high for days. My passion was becoming tangible, my goals coming to fruition.
It was a long two months until our August 20th orientation. I kept hoping for an email containing a taste of what was to come. An assignment or recommended reading would do. Little did I know, I was about to be blindsided by a workload that cannot be described, only experienced, in grad school...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Why I Study IPM
I received my bachelor's degree in May 2007 from Kennesaw State. My area of study was psychology. In early June I took a graduation trip to Spain to visit some friends. When asked by my friends whom I was visiting where I was going from there, I was unable to answer clearly. I knew that I finally obtained that piece of paper that everyone kept talking about, but the field of psychology has little application at its 4 year level. I knew that keeping on with school for a doctorate was more time spent learning that I was willing to commit. Also, I see counselors with a terminal masters in psychology (ie. LPCs) as not fully trained and undercutting the professional psychology field. But none of that mattered. I had just graduated college and had my first job landed as a product of an interview that I went on the same day of my graduation.
I remember the night clearly, in Italy (on a side trip from Spain), at the cafe of our trendy hostile. Martin, Izzy, Jarrod, and I were discussing our PASSIONS. Martin and Jarrod shared foreign language as their passion, Izzy had her art (you can always see that glimmer in her eyes), but there was nothing for me... I wanted to feel it. I wanted a deep drive to pursue what interests me most. I wanted a cause and something to chase after. In retrospect, psychology clearly wasn't that. The four of us worked on addressing this. They prompted me to list what my greatest interests were. Well, there was technology and travel. You could definitely throw foreign language in there. Oh, and there was communications and economics too. "What about International Affairs", Jarrod offered? We used a laptop at the table to look it up at a masters level. I looked at Georgia Tech's program, as I knew of its existence from an ex-girlfriend who was in the field. I knew right away that this was my passion. Damn it!, I protested. Why couldn't I have know about this field four years ago. I could have majored in this all along... Oh well.
Pretty much from here, I went home and experienced a dead end job for 2 years. It was in late 09, early 2010, that I created and focused in on my goals. Now here I am, finally chasing my dreams. I feels right...
Here is a link for GIT's undergrad: http://www.inta.gatech.edu/
And their masters: http://www.inta.gatech.edu/academic-programs/graduate/masters/
I remember the night clearly, in Italy (on a side trip from Spain), at the cafe of our trendy hostile. Martin, Izzy, Jarrod, and I were discussing our PASSIONS. Martin and Jarrod shared foreign language as their passion, Izzy had her art (you can always see that glimmer in her eyes), but there was nothing for me... I wanted to feel it. I wanted a deep drive to pursue what interests me most. I wanted a cause and something to chase after. In retrospect, psychology clearly wasn't that. The four of us worked on addressing this. They prompted me to list what my greatest interests were. Well, there was technology and travel. You could definitely throw foreign language in there. Oh, and there was communications and economics too. "What about International Affairs", Jarrod offered? We used a laptop at the table to look it up at a masters level. I looked at Georgia Tech's program, as I knew of its existence from an ex-girlfriend who was in the field. I knew right away that this was my passion. Damn it!, I protested. Why couldn't I have know about this field four years ago. I could have majored in this all along... Oh well.
Pretty much from here, I went home and experienced a dead end job for 2 years. It was in late 09, early 2010, that I created and focused in on my goals. Now here I am, finally chasing my dreams. I feels right...
Here is a link for GIT's undergrad: http://www.inta.gatech.edu/
And their masters: http://www.inta.gatech.edu/academic-programs/graduate/masters/
Introduction
Hello world! I recently started my track towards my Master's degree on 20th of August. After about a week of confusion, organization, and a whole heap of reading, I decided that I wanted to document my journeys and exploits related to the field of International Affairs. I hope that this will provide some insight for people who might consider studying something similar to this one day. If that doesn't happen and not a single soul other than myself stumbles onto this page, at least I will have a great journal of the experience.
I got the idea for this blog a little latter than would be ideal, but we do what we can when we can. So, in addition to posts when I feel necessary about what is currently happening with me, school, and international politics I owe this blog a few posts. Expect to see these within the days to come:
I got the idea for this blog a little latter than would be ideal, but we do what we can when we can. So, in addition to posts when I feel necessary about what is currently happening with me, school, and international politics I owe this blog a few posts. Expect to see these within the days to come:
- What made me decide INTA was for me?
- The application process into Kennesaw's MSIPM program
- Expectations pre-orientation and expectations post-orientation
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