Samantha's Penn GSE Student Journal

LAST BLOG

2010-04-27T14:48:00.000-04:00

Well, the year is almost up and this is my last week at my Graduate Assistantship at GSE. Sad face.

A couple of my classes go for another two weeks and then graduation on the 15th! Seriously, this year flew by... It seems like I just got to Philadelphia and Penn GSE...

I will be moving back to Louisiana after graduation and attending graduate school (again, but for much longer this time) at Tulane for a Ph.D. in History and Sociology. I'm excited about moving to New Orleans this summer and really getting to know the city (I lived in Baton Rouge, which is about an hour away from New Orleans, before coming to Penn GSE).

This past year in Philly was awesome and I'm so happy I chose to come here for my master's program... I definitely recommend the Higher Education M.S.Ed. at Penn GSE if any of you are thinking about a graduate degree in education. The experience of being in Philly, the classes at GSE, and the people you will meet in the graduate community are all worth the move if you're from out of town and if you're from the local area, getting to attend UPenn is just awesome...

Last Weekend, etc.

2010-04-19T15:55:00.003-04:00

The Open House went well this past weekend... many (about 90) prospective students showed up, several faculty, and students as well. You missed out if you weren't there!

It's definitely feeling like crunch time now... 4 more weeks of school! Woo! Since I don't have any tests, it's just a matter of doing some research and completing final papers for my classes. I can't say that I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel just yet, but by the end of next weekend I should be in a better place!

I'm hoping that the weather is good this week/end since the Penn Relays begin on Thursday. I plan on being there rain or shine, but it'd be nice to get some sun if I'm going to be outside for so long... So need some sunshine!

Misc.

2010-04-12T16:52:00.000-04:00

Penn GSE is hosting an Open House this Saturday from 10am to 12pm. I would definitely encourage everyone to attend, especially if you are thinking about coming to campus for a visit... At an Open House you'll get to meet with faculty, students, and administrators... :-) RSVP now if you're interested!

Also, I don't know if any of you are track fans like me, but the Penn Relays are happening next weekend! Awesome! Usain Bolt from Jamaica will be competing... Obviously, that is a must see event. I'm also excited to watch the pole vault... I used to comepte in the pole vault and I don't think I've seen a competition in years... :-)

Indy

2010-04-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to Indy for the Final Four... Unfortunately, Duke won... I was rooting for Butler! If basketball isn't enough of a distraction, I also have some type of senioritis... Since the weather turned warm, I've been procrastinating on homework pretty badly. Seriously, it's really difficult to buckle down lately. I still have some big papers to finish up in the next few weeks so I better get something done this upcoming weekend if I don't want to be over-stressed at the end of April!

Also, in case you're interested... We are hosting another web chat next week on Wednesday, an on-campus open house on Saturday, and another (the last of the academic year) web chat on May 5th. Come join us!

Comps

2010-03-30T15:28:00.000-04:00

Comps have finally been returned and I'm officially cleared to graduate in May! Just a matter of weeks...

I'm looking forward to the remainder of teh school year. Hopefully I'm not bogged down with final papers and will have time to hang out with people in my cohort for the last few weeks. I know I've said this repeatedly, but I'm still so surprised how fast this academic year has gone by... Some people are likely to stick around in Philly, but for the most part, we are going to scatter all over the country starting in May. New beginnings!

Rain, rain, go away...

2010-03-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

Seriously, stop raining.

Is Anyone Else Ready for the Summer?

2010-03-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

Because I am. I'm not sure what I will be doing this summer, but I'm already ready for school to come to a close... Done in May!

Anyway, it is a pretty exciting time in the office right now. The students for the new Higher Education master's cohort had their accepted students' day on Monday. Interviews for the graduate assistantships have begun and it's interesting to meet and interview the people that are where I was this time last year. Other programs are also having events for admitted students, so there's a lot of energy around GSE this month!

Also, Penn GSE is hosting an event for college juniors from historically Black and Latino serving insitutions. That begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday... Hopefully they're inspired to go to graduate school in education after this weekend!

The Final Two

2010-03-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

We're already down to the final two months or so of school... Nuts! These last eight weeks should go by quickly. And in case you're wondering, our comps results have not been released yet... Sillll waiting on that. Saying the Final Two reminds me of the Final Four coming up at the beginning of next month (over Easter weekend)... Which I will be attending! Woooooo.

On another note, the weather has decided to take a turn for the worse... It's so rainy and gross outside today. This weekend was beautiful, though. Spring is offically here and at least it's not snowing and freezing otuside. (I just jinxed it).

"Spring" Break Next Week

2010-03-01T16:33:00.000-05:00

First... Comps are finally over! Yay! Now I just have to wait and see if I passed the exam.

Second... It's our "Spring" break coming up next week. I say "Spring" because in Philly, it's not like the REAL Spring outside right now. As soon as all of the snow has melted I will admit that Spring is near. I'll be home in Massachusetts for the majority of "Spring" break... Then I'll be in Los Angeles for the last couple of days attending an Open House at UCLA's Graduate School of Education (where I'm sure Spring is actually underway). I had applied to a few Ph.D. programs on the west coast last year and I'm very excited that I may be attending UCLA this fall!

Third... We're hosting a web chat on Wednesday evening from 8:00pm to 9:00pm EST. Come join us! To RSVP to the chat, click here: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/events. We will have one more in March on 24th and at least one in April.

Comps

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Higher Education Master's students have comps (comprehensive examination)! Hopefully we're all prepared and pass. I can't say I'm especially excited but at the very least, it'll turn out to be a good learning experience of what I've "mastered" at GSE so far... Wish me luck!

On a side note... Penn GSE just started on Twitter! You can find us here: www.twitter.com/PennGSE.

Saints and School

2010-02-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

Well, the Super Bowl happened yesterday... and I missed it because I was about 30,000 feet in the air flying back from visiting Louisiana. Oh well. At least it was 30 degrees warmer and not snowing down there...

Since I didn't metion this in my last post, I think it's important to point out that February is the "Month of Comps"... i.e. the Comprehensive Examination for M.S.Ed. students in the Higher Edcation program. The exam is actually a take-home paper that we are given a weekend to complete. It entails answering a single question (one of two) that basically needs to capture all that we have learned about higher education thus far at Penn GSE. No big deal... :-/ So, we (Higher Education students) are in the midst of preparing for comps, doing course work, and working... A busy month! But, thank goodness, one week after the comps are due is spring break... (smile)

It's February?

2010-02-02T15:36:00.000-05:00

Umm... So I haven't been blogging in the past few weeks... Mainly because school and work took off almost too fast! We are already a few weeks into the new semester (the last one at Penn GSE for me). It was nice to have a bit of a break, but it's also good to be back in Philly... With that said, I'm almost over the cold and snow already. Unlike in Massachusetts where it can look like a postcard from Winter Wonderland in the winter, when it snows in Philly, it snows just enough to either melt away the next day or it just creates a thin layer of ice on the ground that makes it difficult to walk around.

Anyway, my classes are great this semester... I'm taking Globalization and the University, Race and Racism in Education, Contemporary Issues in Higher Education, Professional Development in Higher Education, and Adolescent Development. All except Adolescent Development are in the Higher Education Division. Each class really brings something different to the table about education... So it will be nice to see how the classes complement each other throughout the semester.

I'll Be Back... In January

2009-12-14T16:02:00.000-05:00

Winter break is almost here... Thank goodness because these papers seem like they will never end!

I will be in Massachuetts and Louisiana for the break. Some other Penn GSE students may still be blogging, so keep an eye out for what they're doing over winter break. On the other hand, I will not be back (blogging at least) until after MLK Day.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday season!

Web Chat Tonight!

2009-12-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in talking to GSE students (of different programs) about our experience at Penn GSE, join us for a web chat tonight from 8pm-9pm (EST)! Click on this link: http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial then RSVP to the web chat event and you will receive an email link to check into tonight... See you there!

The Last Three Weeks

2009-12-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

Since Thanksgiving break is over... It's the home stretch until Winter break. The next three weeks are going to be B-U-S-Y. The office is in a buzz over receiving new applications (the deadline is on December 1st) and students are also trying to get there schedules organized and papers done as well. On the other hand, it was so nice to go home to Massachusetts and relax for a few days... It was a much need break.

Also, it's the month of December which means, "Let the holiday parties begin!" A lot of work and a lot of fun are in store for the next few weeks... Winter themed decorations went up in the office today and everying looks festive for the holidays... I'm looking forward to some egg nog.

TV

2009-11-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I never watch TV... and not because I don't want to. Although it was the best deal to get cable AND internet from Comcast (no, just getting the internet is not cheaper for some reason), I never ended up buying a TV to actually use the cable box that is nicely wired and sitting in my apartment. It's probably a good thing because homework may never get done otherwise. With that said, I am so excited to go home next week! Yes, to see my family and celebrate Thanksgiving... but also to watch some much need television. I especially miss the movie channels. I rent movies on iTunes and watch on my computer, but it's just not the same... :-/ One week from today, you can count on me vegging out on my parents' couch in a snuggie (j/k), with some hot apple cider, watching a movie...

Midterm papers + Completion = Happiness

2009-11-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

These past couple weeks have been a little rough trying to get papers finished. But they're finally done! I'm in the clear for a couple weeks and it'll be nice to spend some time with my family this weekend (probably in the rain, since Philadelphia refuses to be sunny lately). It's hard to believe how fast the school year is going by. It's almost Thanksgiving, then really just a few more weeks until the semester is over... wow! It still seems to me like I'm settling into GSE and Philadelphia. I probably won't be ready to leave come May...

Month of the Turkey

2009-11-04T15:49:00.000-05:00

It's finally November... and my favorite month! It's a good thing I don't have triskaidekaphobia (a phobia concerning the number 13) because my birthday this year falls on Friday the 13th and my age is double the 13s (26). My family is going to be in town from Massachusetts and it's always nice to have a couple of familiar faces in town. We're going to grab some good food and hang out in Philly... Hopefully the weather holds up for the weekend.

Also in November... Thanksgiving! Probably my favorite holiday of the year... maybe a tie with Christmas. Obvioulsy the food is the best part- and the leftovers last until I almost can't stand it anymore.

Gobble, gobble...

Halloween!

2009-10-29T12:09:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went back to Louisiana for a visit. The weather was great and it was nice to go to a football game... This week is already almost over at GSE and unfortunately, the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Since midterms and papers are looming right around the corner, it's proabaly for the best. Although, I have to say that I'm pretty excited about Halloween this year! It'll be my first in Philadelphia and I'm planning to set some time aside for pumkin carving tomorrow and dressing up on Saturday. I haven't decided what to be at this point, but this afternoon would be the best time to get to costume shops and pick one out...

The best part about Halloween for me is the pumkin flavored drinks and food. I simply can't have too much of pumkin spiced lattes, pumpkin bread, pumkin pie... and I can't forget mulled apple cider. Happy Halloween!

Time is Flying By...

2009-10-20T14:32:00.001-04:00

This weekend was a cold and rainy one! It gave me plenty of time to catch up on school work, though... About half way through this first semester, I'm finally feeling completely settled in to the city and to GSE. Classes are moving quickly and it's hard to believe that November is approaching. I'm just realizing now that one year in a Master's program is not all that much time to get to know the area or the people around you. Getting together with friends can be a challenge most days because of homework or class schedules (which sometimes go late)... It's going by way too fast! Before I know it, it will be winter break, then graduation and having to say goodbye to all of the new friends I've made here. Who knows, though, Philadelphia is such a wonderful place to be, I could be in this city for a long time to come...

GSE Open House

2009-10-13T16:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, we had our first Open House for prospective students! The event was a success and just over ninety students showed up to have some breakfast, meet division coordinators and professors in their program of interest (twelve faculty members came as well), and current students. Since the weather wasn't as good as we'd hoped, not very many people opted for the campus tour. But, everyone definitely seemed excited to be there and ready to ask faculty questions. We have one more on-campus Open House before New Year's which is on November 14th from 11am to 1pm. We also have Virtual Open Houses and several other events on the GSE website that you can RSVP at http://www.gse.upenn.edu/node/156.

Other than the Open House, the rest of my weekend was pretty relaxed. I usually go to a cafe and camp out for the day to read and/or write for my classes... In a nutshell, my weekends mean studying, drinking chai lattes, and eating chocolate chip muffins!

Phillies Weekend

2009-10-06T11:45:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was my first Phillies experience! My family was in town visiting from Boston and the weather thankfully held up, too. Even though they lost it was great to just sit outside and enjoy a good game. Afterward we headed to South Street to La Fourno for some pizza, salad, and wine- great thin crust, personal size pizzas. Lastly, I made my way to the Northern Liberties neighborhood for a night out with some friends. Finnigan's Wake definitely brought back some memories of college with the live bands, warehouse-esque rooms, and pub bar areas. It was pretty cool to get out an do some different things, see different places this weekend. Since I'm usually around Rittenhouse Square and Penn's campus, I will have to go back to South Street and Northern Liberties again to get a better sense of the areas! So much to see, so much to do...

Living in Philly

2009-10-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

Moving to Philly for graduate school has been a surprisingly easy transition. I fall in love with cities that have great food options and culture; Philly is no exception. Living in the East (Boston, New York), West (San Francisco), and South (Baton Rouge) has given me a good perspective on what’s so different about cities in the US. In my book, Philly is completely underrated! I think it has a soul like no other and really just feels so alive. When I’m not in school or working, I enjoy exploring the different neighborhoods and restaurants; the best way for me to get to know a new place (although I feel right at home here). Philly is like a combination of the different cities I’ve lived in throughout my life... South Street feels a little bit like the Mission District in San Francisco while Boston’s Beacon Hill reminds me of Washington Square in Philly.

If you’re in the Rittenhouse Square area, check out some of the restaurants that line the park. Another fun thing to do is to hang out at First Friday's in Old City. There's always something to do in these areas... especially to eat!