Almost done...
I just finished my last fall semester in my MA program and I am feeling sad, anxious, and stressed.
I am feeling sad because I made so many friends in the spring and this past semester and now I'm realizing that I won't get to spend as much time with them after I graduate at the end of spring semester next year. I was elected an officer for my department's graduate student association and it's been so great running a creative writing circle for the graduate students. But I'm sad and already feeling nostalgic even though my last semester hasn't even started yet. I'm also sad cause I found out that one of my favorite professors from this past semester is planning on teaching an undergraduate Austen class and before she found out I was graduating in the spring, she asked me if I wanted to be the TA for the course. When I told her I couldn't and why, she looked so sad. She knows that one of my main focuses of research is Jane Austen and she knows how disappointed I've been about not being able to teach a literature course. I'm gonna miss her so much and we've both promised to keep in touch. She's on sabbatical next semester but she asked me to send her my capstone project once it's finished.
I'm anxious and stressed because of our living situation and my job situation after I graduate. Although we live in a "college" town, there's a dearth of available jobs for anyone who graduates from the university regardless of degree level. I'm hoping that I can be hired on as an instructor to teach in the First-Year Comp. program since it's something I'm familiar with and until Court finishes his PhD, it'd be mostly consistent. BUT like most English departments, they're pretty determined to keep the faculty and staff an older and whiter generation...there's literally one person of color on faculty and she's been reported for being racist and inappropriate with her undergrads but other than being put on leave a few times, they've kept her on. She's also the only professor who teaches any of the ethnic literature courses. UGh.
Anyways.