End of the Semester Reflections
I am 24 hours away from the end of my first semester back in school! Yahoo! I survived—though it feels like just barely. I won’t lie: the transition was a lot harder than I expected. I think this is because when I went back for my BS/MS in occupational therapy, I wasn’t married, and I didn’t have a kid. My life and schedule were incredibly flexible in a way that they just aren’t now. Still, I made it work! And after I turn in this last paper (which is only worth 100 points… gulp), I get nearly three weeks off before summer semester starts! So, as I sit here, procrastinating on writing this final paper, I’ve come up with some thoughts now that my first semester in my PhD program is (nearly) complete:
It’s hard to jump into courses after time away. Cannot emphasize this enough. It sounds so silly to say, but I legitimately thought I’d just be able to go back into this program as if no time had passed since my last degree. Um, wrong. It’d been eight years since I set foot in a classroom as a student. My study skills needed some refreshing, and my time management needed some working on—both still do! This summer, I only have one course, though, so I am optimistic that I can get my head fully in the game.
A 700 level class is much harder than a 300 or 400 level class. It’s also challenging taking that 700 level course in an area outside of your particular skill set (statistics, anyone?). Sure, I got an A in Statistics for Health Professionals (a 200 level course), but the A in Stats 720 is proving to be just out of my reach. And maybe I should’ve assumed it would be, but I learned the hard way that you can’t assume your brain can learn literally anything in just 16 weeks… especially when it’s been 10+ years since you last used that particular computer program and interpreted the results.
Your professors want you to succeed (they should, anyway). Why would they want you to fail? The general attitude amongst faculty members is that if you’ve made it this far, you must be: 1.) dedicated to your studies, and 2.) a strong student. They see their role as working with you to make you an outstanding researcher and faculty member. They will go that extra mile and give you that extra assist to make sure that you understand what they’re teaching so you can apply it as necessary. This is what my professor has been telling me, anyway!
Go to the office hours, get the tutoring. Because why not? Yeah, it’s extra work, but if you do the math and realize how much time you should be studying outside of the classroom, the office hours and the tutoring factor right into that time. Plus, you develop a relationship with your professors outside of the classroom, which is so important as a professional—remember that one #ottiptuesday about networking?! There’s really no downside to this.
A “B” is an okay grade. I’m finishing the semester with one A, one B, and one Satisfactory (equivalent of Pass). I won’t lie: it felt like a gut punch seeing that B—I had a 4.0 in my Master’s program! But I have been told (and I am trying to believe) that grades don’t matter nearly as much as the ability to pass your qualifying exams and defend your dissertation. I’m still not happy with that B, but I am going to have to learn to be okay with it.
Goodbye, first semester!