The semester is finally winding down. We have just completed cohort weekend #4, and only one remains before the Christmas break. All projects and course work are wrapping up. This will bring to a close my first full semester in this doctoral program. I'm really looking forward to the break, but I see this point as a milestone in my career and life. I am going to use this opportunity to take stock of everything so far...
Being admitted to a doctoral program has been a dream of mine for sometime. I see this degree as a way of legitimacy in my career. I have always enjoyed being a student and trying to be a lifelong learner. This doctoral degree will serve as entry to a the field of higher education and make me a more effective learner. I hope to master skills that will not only make me a better educator, but also a better learner in all things. I expect much of this training to develop under the rigor of coursework and the dissertation. I also believe the degree will give me the tools to take my learning to the next level.
As this semester comes to a close, I also have more people in my life that I can truly call friends. The social networking we did this past semester as part of 744 has made us all closer, whether we liked it or not :-) Most folks in the program will move on to competency examinations and dissertation in the spring, but a core of about 7-9 students will be in program for the duration with me. I have truly enjoyed their company so far and look forward to what future semesters may bestow upon us.
I don't want to be too premature here; the completion of my first semester is hardly a substantive accomplishment in the academic world. We still have a long, tough road ahead. But, for me at least, this is a milestone I have been anticipating for the last decade. I'm glad I have arrived, and hope the future will only result in better experiences at WVU.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment