A Good Day

Friends, today I feel accomplished. In grad school, that is one of the best feelings you can have. Why do I feel accomplished? It's simple things really, but here are the top three reasons. (Okay, the only three reasons.)

3. I have picked and arranged the day I will give a lecture for the lovely class I TA.

2. I have picked my final paper topic for my Atlantic History course. A tricky but doable topic.

And....

.....

Are you ready?

........

1. I bit the bullet, presented my thesis topic idea to my advisor, and he likes it! And he enthusiastic about it!

This is probably the biggest weight off of my shoulders. I have been stressing over the topic for months and I was unsure if it would be considered doable. But my fears were laid to rest!

Now for a small list of things to do relating to my thesis:

1. Have Graduate Coordinator sign off on my Classified Status.*

2. Organize a thesis committee.

3. Turn in thesis proposal.

*I came into the program as an "Unclassified Student" because my undergraduate education was done at a private university where I did not have to take the

state-approved writing exam. My lovely State University said I had to take the Undergraduate Upper Division Writing Exam because it's required of all state

students, even if they're graduate students. In spring 2008 I gritted my teeth, took the exam, and got a perfect score. Boo-yah! Now that I have over 12 units

completed, I can finally get my status signed off on.

Daily Advice:

Take risks and go with your gut. Any topic is doable. You just need to find your voice.

Week 1: Accomplished!

Now that I have finished my first week of the semester, I can accurately assess how things will be.

My TA-ship will be a bit busy, but not too bad. It has a lot more reading that I must keep up with than Western Civ (the class I TAed last semester), but much of the reading cross-lists with my Atlantic history course so not all is lost. I will get more out of it. Every Thursday Dr. M gives a weekly quiz, which I will grade in his office after class each week. The first set only took me about 20 minutes. Best news of all, I still get to give a lecture despite the furlough days. I was thinking that Dr. M might not want to give up a day to teach when he might have to give up a few, but nope! Any topic I want is mine, mine, mine.

Overall, my classes should be lively. Southern History only meets periodically while Atlantic History meets weekly. Lots of reading is involved, but that's the lot of a graduate student.

On another side....

THE THESISTHESISTHESISTHESISTHESIS

It forever haunts me! While I was grading quizzes in Dr. M's office a fellow student of mine came in to discuss her academic plan with him. Although we're both set to graduate and apply to Ph.D. programs at the same time, she seems so much more together than I. She knows her paper topic for the class and her exact thesis topic. While I pretty much know my paper topic, I have yet to bring a thesis topic to fruition. Where's my muse?! Inspiration, hath thou forsaken me?

The only topic I have come up with in detail is to explore why pirates were glorified throughout the Atlantic World. Now how they were glorified, but why. I need to run that by Dr. M. I think that could be feasible. My other interests are gender and medicine so I am contemplating something along the lines of midwifery. My obstacle is coming up with an actual topic through that, so we'll see. It can get rather disheartening at times.

Daily Advice

Concerning theses? I have none. So all I have to say is DO YOUR READING!