Some Dog-gone Great Halloween Costumes!

Happy Halloween from the City of Brotherly Love!

While we've established I'm not a Halloween fan, I certainly do love the candy and the costumes! One of my favorite parts of each Halloween is seeing the clever costumes that people dress their pets in, so enjoy my picks from this year!

A minion from Despicable Me 

The Headless Horseman...actually, his horse

A Kissing Booth - how sweet!

A Pumpkin Spice Latte - yumm!

Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you enjoy these pictures and if you have or find any cute Halloween costume pictures (humans or animals) please share them!

New Friends and New Challenges

Ask any grad student and they'll probably tell you that juggling school, work, and a social life is pretty difficult. Now that I'm halfway through the semester, I feel like I have enough time and experience to share some reflections on my year so far, and hopefully you'll be able to use my experiences to inform your own graduate student lives!

In undergrad, I quickly found a group of close friends and we spent four years living near each other in dorms or neighboring apartments. We had the advantage and convenience of living in close proximity and spending a lot of time together, which solidified our friendships. Grad school is just the opposite for me. The members of our cohort are living all over the city (I personally live about 15 minutes from campus) which makes it difficult to spend time together sometimes. We also all have different schedules, lifestyles, work responsibilities, and other commitments - I know quite a few people go out of town many weekends to spend time with other friends or attend important events. This also makes it difficult to bond as a cohort because the small groups of people who spend more time together form stronger friendships, and others who join in social events less often have fewer or different opportunities to connect. 

My greatest challenge so far has been socially. Because my friends from undergrad are all still living in Philadelphia, I instinctively want to spend my free time with them. I want to continue to be a part of that group and keep up with our social habits and traditions. I want to remain in my comfortable and familiar life. But I've found that spending time with my "old" group of friends has been keeping me from spending time with my "new" group of friends in my cohort. This was one of my biggest fears when I began at GSE, and it has come true. 

Since acknowledging this fairly recent realization, I have been trying to push myself to get out more with my cohort and attend happy hours, dinners, or other gatherings, but it's still a struggle every day. First, living a little further from campus has been tough. Often, my cohort members want to meet up at different places on or close to campus so I deal with the constant challenge of motivating myself to leave my apartment and make the trek there and back, which I don't really like doing at night. If seeing friends frequently outside of class is really important to you I highly recommend looking into living in Sansom Place while you're at Penn. Sansom is essentially a "dorm" for grad students. It has mini-apartments, the building is right on campus, and your friends will live next-door or down the hall! If I could re-do something in my grad school career so far, I would probably opt to live at Sansom instead of in my off-campus apartment - it's like having built-in opportunities for friendship!

There's also the added time constraint of  school work that strongly influences my ability to be social. I often find myself passing up opportunities to go places because my schoolwork has built up and I need to get things done. Social gatherings can be a great motivator and reward to get work done by a certain time, but it takes a lot of discipline and time management skills. 

Story of my life most weeks...

This weekend, in our cohort, we had several events build up over a few days - birthdays for cohort members on Thursday and Friday nights, a football game on Saturday, and a pot-luck dinner on Saturday night. I made the logical decision that I couldn't afford to sacrifice the time to attend everything so I had to make choices. I decided to forgo the evenings out celebrating in favor of writing papers, and I had a group project meeting during the football game, but I bookmarked all of Saturday evening for the cohort-wide dinner. I'm really glad I made that decision too! So many people were able to attend, there was a ton of delicious food, and we had a great opportunity to bond as a group! We had a lot of fun and we're thinking of making it a regular event. I was too busy eating and talking to take any pictures of the food, but check out Wesley's blog to see all the delicious dishes - he's always posting pictures of food he makes!

GSE EVENT NEWS!     

We have quite a few opportunities coming up for you to connect with GSE! 

Our November Virtual Information Session will be taking place on Tuesday, November 12th from 4:00-6:00 pm Eastern Time. RSVP for that event here!

We are also hosting another Prospective Student Web Chat with current students and alumni on Wednesday, November 20th from 8:00-9:00 pm Eastern Time. RSVP here for this event!

If you're interested in learning more about the Urban Teacher Education Program at Penn GSE, we are hosting an On Campus Information Session on Tuesday, December 7th from 10:00am-12:00pm. RSVP for the UTEP session here. 

And as always, we host Campus Visits every weekday. If you're available to come to campus you can meet with program managers, admissions and financial aid, current students, and take a campus tour. We kindly ask for two weeks notice to schedule a visit, but sign up here!

Hope to see you soon - virtually or in person!

Where to Eat in Philadelphia: Part I

I love food. All food. As a graduate student, I’m constantly seeking out and attending events on campus where there’s free food! There are so many opportunities to engage with various people and learn about a million different things and they usually provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. While these treats are great, there are also many other places in the city of Philadelphia to try delicious foods of all different varieties! Here are a few of my favorite quick and casual restaurants or areas…

If you attended our information session on October 12th, then you heard my cohort member Wesley talk about the “student experience” at Penn GSE, especially his love of food and the food trucks here in Philly! They really are the city’s hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems. There’s a huge food truck culture in Philadelphia - the food is delicious and you can usually get away with spending only a few dollars for a meal. Some of the really popular trucks that you see parked all over campus sell things like breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches and salads, Asian food, Halal food, or fresh fruit, but there are also many “gourmet” food trucks that sell specialty foods and they frequently change their locations to serve as many customers as possible. I haven’t tried them all yet, but there are trucks that sell burgers and fries, brick oven pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos, cupcakes, and even frozen yogurt! This site can help you find what trucks are near you right now whether you’re in Philly or another city in the U.S.

Mac Mart, Spot Burger, Gozen Yogurt

Cheesesteaks are a Philly staple. Everyone has their own opinions about which is “the best” but I’ll leave it up to you to decide after you’ve tried a few different ones! Insider tip: brush up on your cheeseteak ordering skills before you go! Pat’s  and Geno’s  are the “big two” but I really like Tony Luke’s and Dallessandro’s - definitely check them out if you’re in the area!

Yummm

Reading Terminal Market is a fantastic place to go in Philly no matter what kind of food you’re looking for! This vast marketplace is packed with all kinds of freshly prepared foods (American classics and international cuisines) fish, meat, and produce markets, bakeries, and many other kinds of goods! My favorite is the Dutch Eating Place - don’t miss the chicken pot pie or the apple dumplings (YUM!)

Another place to find some fantastic food is Chinatown. The streets are lined with shops selling beautiful clothing, fun items, and many many restaurants - all authentic, inexpensive, and delicious! I’ve tried out a few places in the neighborhood, but I’m definitely not the expert - I usually ask around for some recommendations for places to eat or tag along with a group of friends. Check out the blog of one of our GSE graduate assistants, Danwen, to hear her reviews of various places to eat!

Federal Donuts is a cult classic in Philadelphia. Where else can you buy fried chicken, freshly made donuts, brewed coffee, and absolutely nothing else?! Federal Donuts is one of my favorite places to eat in Philly and it’s growing to become more accessible. They already have 2 stores in the city, they opened a stand at Citizens Bank Park (the Phillies stadium), AND they’re coming to Penn’s campus in early 2014! This could mean bad things for my wallet and my weight…

Image source

Another Philadelphia signature is Chickie's and Pete’s. French fries are one of my favorite foods and C&P’s specialty is crab fries with cheese. The perfect combination of Old Bay seasoning and warm, melty cheese is so indulgent. You can’t go to a Phillies or Flyers game without getting them, but be prepared - there’s usually a long line!

Check back next week for part two of the “Where to Eat” series! And as always, feel free to send me any questions you might have - hopefully soon I’ll write an entire post about the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten so far!

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Mid-Semester Slump

Well hello there! It's been a while since I've posted on here, but life has really caught up with me this week. I thought I had figured out a balance of work and school and social activities but I guess when the ride is smooth, you're eventually going to hit a few bumps in the road. I've hit what I'm calling my mid-semester slump. We're about halfway through our fall semester right now (time is really flying by!) but I feel completely unmotivated to do work anymore, and it just keeps piling up! Don't get me wrong - my classes are really interesting, and I love everything that I'm learning, but it's getting really difficult to continue reading and writing day after day.

It's been a "ruff" week.

I came from my undergrad institution where we did 10 week quarters instead of 16 week semesters, so in my mind, by week 7 or 8 I'm already getting ready for final exams, papers, and wrapping up the quarter! It's going to be tough to spend another 8 weeks in the same classes when I really feel like I'm ready to move onto my next set of courses. Speaking of which, we register for spring semester classes next week! WOW! I can't believe this is my last set of course selections, probably ever. I'm really excited to see what the next semester will bring, but it's a tease to think that these classes are still THREE MONTHS AWAY.

At Penn, the undergrads had a fall break last week for a few days. Unfortunately, the grad students don't get that luxury. A few days off would have been a nice mid-semester mental break to refresh and get motivated to finish the semester. Instead, I have to hold on another 6 weeks until Thanksgiving. I can't wait to spend a few days at home with my family! Until then, I'll be powering through life with lots of reading, lots of writing, relaxing time with friends and my favorite tv shows, hopefully a reasonable amount of sleep, and lots and lots of coffee!

This is me every day around 8:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 10:00 pm...

As usual I'll post a little plug for our upcoming events here at GSE! We had a fantastic turnout last weekend at our on-campus information session - thanks to everyone who came and all of our student and faculty helpers! We have an online information session coming up on Tuesday, November 12th from 4:00-6:00 pm EST (RSVP here) as well as two web chats with current students and alumni on Tuesday, October 22nd at 10:00 am EST and Wednesday, November 20th at 8:00 pm EST (RSVP for those here). We will also be at the Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C. next Wednesday, October 23rd if you're located in that area (RSVP here). Hope you can join us for one of these events! Also please consider coming to campus for a visit! We would love to meet you in person!

Have a fantastic day everyone!

FALLing in Love with Philly

Hello and happy fall, everyone! As a tribute to my favorite season and the upcoming Halloween holiday (which I’m not really a fan of), I wanted to share a few of the fun things to do in Philly at this time of year! Most of these events happen year-round, but they’re extra-special in October! There’s also some cool festivals and weekend events listed on the uwishunu website. These are always new and always changing – every day, every weekend, every year. Definitely check them out if you’re in the area!

Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary

Terror Behind the Walls is a haunted house in an already spooky historic prison – Eastern State Penitentiary, right here in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. This year, experience the new interactive option. Rather than just being scared and watching everything happen, you can get in on the action! Prepare to be seized, shoved into secret passages, separated from your tour group, and become part of the show. In short: prepare to be terrified!

Eastern State Penitentiary

Terror Behind the Walls is open nightly through October. Order tickets online ahead of time for the greatest savings. High school & college Students can get half-price admission on Sunday nights after 7:30pm with a valid student ID.

Ghost Tour of Philadelphia

Want to hear some of Philadelphia’s eeriest stories? Check out a ghost tour of historic Philly. The Candlelight Walking tour is a 90-minute journey on foot to uncover secrets at some of Philadelphia’s notable locations like Independence Hall, the Signers’ Garden, and St. Peter’s Cemtery. Walking not your thing? Try a Haunted Trolley Tour instead. Stories of ghosts, haunted houses, and mysterious encounters will be shared as you drive to some of the spookiest sites in Old City and Society Hill. Walking tours and trolley tours depart nightly from 5^th Street.

Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards

Linvilla Orchards is a 300-acre family farm located about 30 minutes from Philadelphia. Linvilla offers year-round, pick your own apples, berries, peppers, tomatoes, a bakery and farm market with local produce, and hayrides for the family. Pumpkinland is a Philadelphia fall favorite with tons of pumpkins for you to take home, fall crafts and decorations, scarecrows everywhere, and straw bale & corn field mazes as well as weekend festivals and events.

Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards

Linvilla Orchards is open daily through November 3. Fall fun awaits!

Looking for more fall fun in Philly? Visit the uwishunu Guide to Fall in Philadelphia!

Uwishunu also has a really great Guide to Farmer’s Markets in Philly – fall is the perfect time to check them out!

So, can you tell what my favorite Philadelphia website is? Uwishunu is a phenomenal guide to everything that’s going on in and around Philadelphia! Arts, culture, sports, music, holidays, shopping, FOOD – it’s all there! The site is updated several times a day so you’ll never miss an exciting event!

So if you’re a local, hopefully you’ll try some of these great autumn activities, but if you’re not, please keep them in mind next fall if you end up in Philadelphia!

One final plug for our upcoming events – ON CAMPUS INFO SESSION THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, from 10AM-1PM! You can still RSVP until tomorrow evening!

If you can’t make it, we have another ONLINE WEB CHAT coming up on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, from 10AM-11AM (EST). We already have a fantastic lineup of alumni and current students to answer all of your questions, so RSVP soon!

Hope you have a fantastic day! It’s chilly in Philly today – my favorite weather – so hopefully I’ll put on my coat, grab a pumpkin coffee, and go out to enjoy it soon!

Work Hard, Play Hard

Coming back to work on a Monday after a great weekend is always hard, and this Monday was incredibly busy! We’re trying to get everything ready for the upcoming information session on campus this Saturday – it’s not too late to sign up if you still want to attend! It’s been a lot of work, but I’m excited to meet many of the prospective students this weekend!

It’s taken a few weeks to get into the rhythm of things here, but I seem to be following a “work hard, play hard” kind of schedule. I get my school work done during the week and then spend my weekends doing [almost] no homework (unless it’s necessary) so I get to relax and enjoy time with my friends or family. It helps that I don’t have any classes on Monday, just my GA, so I’m not usually doing last minute homework or prep work on Sunday. You have to find what works for you. I know a lot of people who catch up on their homework on the weekends because they’re so busy during the week. I prefer to do my work during the week and I don’t usually mind staying up late on weeknights if it means having the weekend free!

 

This weekend my best friend Maura came up to visit and we celebrated TWO birthdays for our friends. I got to spend Friday night with everyone in Manayunk, a nearby neighborhood and great place for twenty-somethings to go out, and on Saturday I made a delicious pumpkin cake to celebrate! Sunday was a lazy day, spent watching football - the Ravens and Eagles both won their games and I’m currently undefeated in my first fantasy football league! I went to bed “early” on Sunday night after an exhausting weekend, but I’m so happy I could spend it with many of my friends instead of locked in the library!

I hope to see some of you at the info session this Saturday and if you can’t make it, hopefully you’ll consider joining us for a web chat with current students and alumni on Tuesday October 22, from 10:00-11:00am ET (RSVP here). The last one was a great success and we hope to talk to more of you soon!

Have a fantastic week!

Some Tuesday "Pin-spiration"

So I don't know about all of you, but I'm addicted to an amazing website - www.pinterest.com!

On "lazy days" I can be found browsing and pinning things for hours - new recipes to try, clothes I want to buy, and workout plans that, if I'm being honest, I'll never do. I've even started a Grad School board! But my favorite pins, and my two boards that are overcrowded, are the humorous ones or inspirational quotes.

What I think I do. What I actually do.

True words.

Oh, how I wish I could just have a coffee IV...

Like what I pin? Follow me on Pinterest and check out my boards to see more!

Helpful Tip - If you're interested in Teacher Education, Pinterest has tons of incredible ideas for anything you might need or do in a classroom!