the encouragement lounge: What have I gotten myself into?

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

What have I gotten myself into?

For some of you who have just started a new program or even for those who are starting a new semester... you might be having this feeling of "whoa, what have I gotten myself into" or you might be asking yourself, "did I bite off more than I can chew?"

These are feelings are common among graduate students. The fact is, you have taken on something BIG! Some of you have been out of school for awhile... or perhaps you are starting your dissertation which feels bigger than anything you have tackled before. Regardless of where you are in your process, know that these feelings are common among graduate students.

Despite these questions and concerns, know that you can do it! Many others before you have had the same doubts and have gone on to do great work and graduate! These feelings may be part of the process of taking on a big challenge. Again, you can do it!

cheering you on,

Harriet

p.s. apologies to the vegetarians regarding the photo... but a big heap of string beans just wasn't going to have the same effect!

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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.