Next Stop: Procrastination Station

You might remember me lamenting about the struggle bus back in the beginning of the semester, and let me tell you, I’m still on board! Unfortunately, en route to my final destination (winter break!) I’ve made far too many stops at Procrastination Station! Full disclosure: I find it really hard to think more than a day or two in advance and its really really difficult for me to work on a project or paper more than 48 hours before it’s due! Maybe that’s why I have no interest in getting a doctorate or completing a dissertation… I always think I work best under an intense time crunch, and that my stress produces a better product by the deadline than if I had taken a lot of time to think about it, but that might just be me making excuses :-P

So I wanted to show you all what MY procrastination looks, sounds, and feels like – maybe yours is similar (you’re in good company) or maybe you procrastinate a lot less than I do, in which case, congratulations – try to keep that momentum fueling you through grad school! You’ll be glad you have that kind of work ethic! I wish I had a better drive and motivation to complete my assignments...

So let’s assume I get home from my GA around 3:15pm one afternoon, and my paper is due “tomorrow”, let’s say in class at 9:00am. Here’s what a typical schedule for my night will look like on that day…

3:15pm: Walk in the door of my apartment with the full intention of starting my paper (almost) right away

3:20pm: Change out of my work clothes, open up my computer, and open the documents and readings I plan to use for the assignment

3:23pm: Open Gmail. Delete 47 emails containing news articles I don’t care about, sales at some of my favorite (and not so favorite) retailers, and general unwanted messages.

3:25pm: Open Facebook (READ: BAD IDEA!) Scroll through my homepage to see what I’ve missed since this morning (too much!) Open 18 different links from people.com, Buzzfeed, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.

3:45pm: Finish looking through those posts and others that I linked to. Go back to staring at the blank document in front of me. Reread the assignment description and attempt to start the paper, or maybe just identify the thesis…

3:55pm: Paper looks like this.

This episode of Spongebob is so accurate!

4:00pm: Seems like enough work. At this point I decide to take a shower so I can save that time later in the evening…

4:30pm: Sit back down at my computer and try again to start the paper. Get the idea to write an outline first! Start outlining the paper (progress!)

4:45pm: Get bored with the outline. Decide to make tomorrow’s to do list instead. Also, since we’re in the process of making lists, write a grocery list, a list of things to buy at Target next time I’m home, and a list of things to do over the next 4 days (why am I suddenly thinking so far ahead?!?!)

5:00pm: Go back to the outline and keep working. The paper keeps growing and changing as I keep writing. Try to refocus it.

5:45pm: Detailed outline is complete. I suddenly notice that I’m hungry. Go downstairs to my kitchen and search for something to eat. Finally settle on whatever I have leftover in the fridge…or pasta. Pasta is always a good choice. While I eat I catch up on what I’ve missed online during the past two hours. I see this as a good decision – it’s efficiency and multitasking, right? Here are some things I pinned on Pinterest during this efficient break!

Minion Cupcakes!!!

6:15pm: Return to attempted outline writing. Try to fit in the information and research in the appropriate spaces to organize my thoughts and information – the outline grows from 1.5 pages to 4 pages long! (single-spaced) Uh oh… It’s going to be a long night.

7:00pm: Attempt to start the actual paper itself. Rewrite the opening sentences over and over until I finally settle on one. Write for a while and get through the opening paragraphs.

8:00pm: Brain realizes I’ve been writing for a whole hour! Decides that’s enough for now and I need a break. See ya later, productivity! Tummy realizes I’m hungry – snack time! Grab a few cookies and decide to take a short break. Oh! Big Bang Theory is on? Looks like my break is going to be 30 minutes!

8:30pm: Turn off the tv and try to re-motivate myself to finish the paper. It doesn’t work. To Facebook! Catch up on “news”. Check out Things You Learn in your 20's, Nerdy Jokes and Awkward Happenings of 2013 on Buzzfeed. Wait! See that my friend’s ex-boyfriends’s new girlfriend just had a baby? 25 public pictures of the baby on Facebook – look at them all. Long-lost acquaintance just got back from a trip to Spain – check out all 352 pictures she posted. (Try not to feel like a stalker by “liking” the pictures 3 minutes after they were posted.)

9:30pm: Realize it’s already 9:30 – PANIC! Frantically try to start writing again. The stress is helpful! Productivity happens!!

11:00pm: Realize I’m hungry again. Time for snack number two!

11:05pm: Watch a few Jenna Marbles videos on YouTube to mindlessly relax for a few minutes. Haven’t seen the last 4 weeks of videos so I watch those, followed by my favorites - Landshark, How Girls Pack a Suitcase, and What Are This!

11:45pm: Now I’m falling asleep. Time to set my alarm for a 20 minute power nap. Maybe I’ll work better when I wake up. Zzzzzzzz…

12:05am: Alarm goes off. Time to do some work – but first, coffee!

12:10am: Return to my desk with coffee in hand! Let’s start working!!!

4:29am: SUCCESS!! THE PAPER IS DONE!! Print it out and reward myself with three and a half hours of sleep before I have to get up for class…

8:00am: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Good morning world! It all starts again…Time for a large iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts and another long day as a grad student!

Tis the Season

Disclaimer: I'm sorry for the delay in writing this post, or any post for that matter! It's been a crazy busy week between the final assignments I'm trying to procrastinate and put off completing and the huge influx of work in the admissions office - THANK YOU to those of you who submitted your apps and for those who haven't, winter break is a great time to finish them up!

This post has taken me FOUR days now to get through, and although I'm really excited to share it with you, it's had to take a backseat to the rest of the work, but here it is!!!

Here we are in the last 2 weeks of the semester at Penn, and finals are in full swing! It's so hard to keep motivated through all of the late-night paper-writing, cram-studying for exams, and still attending classes! Unlike undergrad, grad students have class all the way up until the very last day of the semester (only eleven ten nine EIGHT more days!!). There's no "finals week" or "reading days" where we get a break from class to focus on our final assignments. We are warriors who push through to the very end! But this structure has left many GSE students feeling overwhelmed, stressed-out, and at times hopeless here at the end of the semester. All-nighters, endless hours in the library, computer lab, or study spaces, and lots and lots of coffee have become the norm for many of us! Winter break and some time to mentally recharge is so close but still so far away!

I know it's kind of a dated joke, but still funny and relevant!!

This weekend I had so much work to do (2 final papers and a presentation are only one more paper is standing in my way) but it was nearly impossible to focus with our FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE YEAR happening right outside my window!! The gorgeous flakes falling down outside while I was in my cozy apartment was a HUGE distraction, and eventually I gave in to the temptation and took a mental break to watch football all day on Sunday. The games in Philadelphia and Baltimore were absolutely insane because it was snowing so hard! I'm a huge football fan, but this weekend was more of a comedy show than a competitive game - they were even using shovels and snowblowers to clean off parts of the field between plays!

This is what Sunday's games looked like in the Northeast!

Since it's now "officially" the holiday season (Thanksgiving is over, it's December, and we've had not one but TWO snowfalls in Philly!) I figured I would share some links to my favorite holiday attractions and events in the Philadelphia area.


Ice Skating
There's several places to go ice skating during the winter in Philly and every once in a while a new one pops up! My favorite by far is the River Rink at Penn's Landing. It's outdoors so you can skate around on a cold but sunny day and look out over the river; it's a lot of fun and a great winter weekend activity! They even host special events like themed evening skates and a New Year's Eve party! This year there's a new rink in town (also outdoors!) at the Piazza in Northern Liberties. I haven't been there yet, but I'm hoping to check it out over break! Finally, there's the Penn Ice Rink at the Class of 1923 Arena RIGHT ON CAMPUS! And the best part is, it's an indoor arena (used for Penn Ice Hockey, etc.) so it's open ALL YEAR ROUND! Public skate happens several times a week so check it out once you're on campus!

Christmas Village
Every year, a little "town" pops up outside City Hall with tiny wooded houses filled with local vendors selling everything from homemade treats, knit hats, scarves, gloves. etc., fun toys, delicious food and drinks, ornaments, decorations, and lots more! It's a great place to visit and maybe buy some holiday gifts while enjoying the Christmas spirit with your neighbors in the City of Brotherly Love. In the past, the village has been located right in front of City Hall, but due to construction on the new plaza, it has been relocated to Love Park - how appropriate!

Holiday Shows
I love shows and performances! My favorite in Philadelphia is the Christmas Light Show that takes place in the Macy's in Center City (it was formerly Wanamaker's and it's a gorgeous old building with the world's largest operating pipe organ inside!) The show started in 1956 and has changed very little since then! During the holiday season, at the top of every other hour (10am, 12pm, 2m, 4pm, 6pm, and 8pm), the whole store stops and turns its attention to the spectacle of lights as Julie Andrews narrates a ten-minute condensed rendition of the Nutcracker, complete with some of our favorite characters (Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!). The whole show ends with a performance of "Oh, Christmas Tree" on the historic organ. It's one of my favorite Philly Christmas traditions!

The Comcast Building also puts on a great Holiday Spectacular every year, but it's very different from the vintage feel of the Macy's show. The Comcast show is very high tech, involving dynamic video of real people on their giant LED video wall!

I have to admit, as someone who has been taking dance classes since age 3, I absolutely adore the story and ballet performance of The Nutcracker! If you're a fan of the ballet like I am, or if you're just looking for a fun cultural activity, definitely check out the Pennsylvania Ballet's show running through December 29th!

As an added holiday bonus, the Philadelphia Parking Authority is giving the city FREE PARKING in Center City on Saturdays after 11:00 AM through December 28th! YAY!

So there's a little snapshot of some things I like to do on the weekends in December in Philly! Feel free to share any other things you do for the holidays - I'd love to hear them! I'll still be posting over winter break (hopefully I'll have time to post more frequently!) so stay tuned for more of my reflections from the semester, fun things to do if you're spending New Year's Eve in Philadelphia, and my goals and plans for next semester!

Happy Holidays!!!

Meet the Dean!

Attention New York City and Chicago - we're coming to you!

Penn GSE is hosting Holiday Reception/Meet the Dean events in both Chicago and NYC.  It will be a great opportunity to meet leaders from GSE, find out more about our degrees and programs, network, and enjoy some delicious food! You can RSVP here. 

Here are the details for each event: 

Chicago
Tuesday, December 10th, 6-8PM
Gleacher Center at the University of Chicago
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Room 420 (South Lounge)

New York City
Thursday, December 12th, 6-8PM
Grand Hyatt New York
Park Avenue at Grand Central
Uris Room

Hope we see many of you there!!

If you can't join us in either Chicago or New York, check out our web chat with current students and alumni coming up on Tuesday, December 10 from 12:00-1:00pm ET. Register for the online chat here!

Post-Holiday Excitement!

Hi All!

I’m back from a relaxing long weekend at home with my family and I've entered an incredibly busy week at the admissions office! Evenings and weekends in the office are becoming the norm (along with several large coffees a day!), BUT that means we’re getting lots of applications from all of you, which is fantastic!

Admissions plug: If you haven’t completed your application yet try to submit it as soon as possible!

First, a few updates on the events going on at GSE during the next few weeks:

This Saturday , December 7^th is our Teacher Education Program Information Session! If you’re interested in becoming a certified teacher (Pre-K through high school) join us on campus from 10:00am-12:00pm to learn more! RSVP here.

Next Tuesday, December 10^th is our final Web Chat of 2013. Join current students, alumni, and admissions and financial aid representatives to learn more about all of the programs and being a student at GSE! The web chat is taking place online from 12:00-1:00pm ET. RSVP here.

Want to get a first-hand experience at Penn GSE? Join us for a campus visit where you can meet with program managers, admissions and financial aid reps, current students, and take a tour of campus! Visits take place between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday. We kindly ask for two-weeks’ notice to plan any visit. Sign up for a visit here.

NOTE: We are NOT hosting campus visits between December 7^th and January 12^th as the staff is very busy processing applications. We will begin visits again on January 13, 2014.

After a long weekend it’s tough to be back at school and work. Only 2 ½ more weeks until the semester is over but I still have 2 big projects/papers to complete. Wish me luck!

I wanted to share some pictures from how I celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, but somehow in the chaos of hosting 18 people at my house for dinner, we didn't manage to take any pictures of us, but I’ll leave you with a few pictures of my dog – I think she enjoyed the day more than we did!

Hope your Thanksgiving was as delicious as this one!

A small powdered-sugar mishap while baking cookies...

As always, questions and messages are welcome - I love hearing from you!!