Fear
I just read a post on Zen Habits about fear: http://zenhabits.net/2009/02/conquer-the-fears-lurking-in-the-dark-corners-of-your-mind/#more-2583 I don't know if you've read any of Zen Habits, but it's good for tips on organizing your life, finding your passion, becoming motivated, getting things done ... which is ironic because usually I read it while I'm procrastinating. (I justify it by saying I'm looking for motivation on getting things done.) Anywho, this post is about acknowledging your fears, shedding some light on them, and writing down concrete steps to take in order to be proactive and dissolve them. One of them is sharing your fears. So, here we go.
Fear 1: Physical health. I don't come from a small family, and at 5'10 with a larger frame, I'm not naturally a small person. Even so, diabetes and high cholesterol run in my family. I have to start making a point to eat better and get some exercise. Yes, I've said this numerous times before, but I suppose it's better to be at least a part-time health nut than a full-time couch potato. Every time I travel outside the US, I come back resolved not to put re-immerse myself in the culture of fat Americans, but dammit, I have my weaknesses. (Sonic chili cheese fries are one. Yes, they're probably more full of chemicals than nutrients, but they're good.) I also have that pesky trait of being a grad student without a lot of free time. Still, health has to be a priority. Steps to take: Eat salads before dinner to curb a bit of the appetite, drink more water, start going to the gym 2-3 times a week and increase it if possible.
Fear 2: Money. This is a concern for almost all grad students, and the thing that makes me fear it more than most is that I had a full-time job for a year and lived at home, so there's no reason why I should have money concerns, but I do. Luckily I babysit fairly often and have that occasional ethnographer job that pays well, but I have a little bit of credit card debt and I'm going to be buried in student loans in about 2 years. I've been reading the personal finance books and they say to cut back severely until all your debts are paid off, but there are opportunities I have in grad school that I won't have when I graduate. So, I'm going to still cut back, but I'll put a portion of the money towards my evil AmEx card and the rest towards saving up for the Beijing class I'll hopefully get into this coming November/December and the 2010 Sarajevo summer internship. It would be more economical not to go to either, but it's kind of insane to pass up these opportunities also. They'll look great on my resume and be fabulous experiences.
Those are my main fears. I was concerned about not getting into the dual degree program, but I found out a couple weeks ago that I've been accepted. So, I'll have a Master's of Social Work and a Master's of Arts in International Studies in June 2011. I'm not going to lie - I'm impressed that I'll have as many degrees as Erin. :-P Anyway, if you have suggestions on ways to deal with one or the other, I'd welcome them!
Fear 1: Physical health. I don't come from a small family, and at 5'10 with a larger frame, I'm not naturally a small person. Even so, diabetes and high cholesterol run in my family. I have to start making a point to eat better and get some exercise. Yes, I've said this numerous times before, but I suppose it's better to be at least a part-time health nut than a full-time couch potato. Every time I travel outside the US, I come back resolved not to put re-immerse myself in the culture of fat Americans, but dammit, I have my weaknesses. (Sonic chili cheese fries are one. Yes, they're probably more full of chemicals than nutrients, but they're good.) I also have that pesky trait of being a grad student without a lot of free time. Still, health has to be a priority. Steps to take: Eat salads before dinner to curb a bit of the appetite, drink more water, start going to the gym 2-3 times a week and increase it if possible.
Fear 2: Money. This is a concern for almost all grad students, and the thing that makes me fear it more than most is that I had a full-time job for a year and lived at home, so there's no reason why I should have money concerns, but I do. Luckily I babysit fairly often and have that occasional ethnographer job that pays well, but I have a little bit of credit card debt and I'm going to be buried in student loans in about 2 years. I've been reading the personal finance books and they say to cut back severely until all your debts are paid off, but there are opportunities I have in grad school that I won't have when I graduate. So, I'm going to still cut back, but I'll put a portion of the money towards my evil AmEx card and the rest towards saving up for the Beijing class I'll hopefully get into this coming November/December and the 2010 Sarajevo summer internship. It would be more economical not to go to either, but it's kind of insane to pass up these opportunities also. They'll look great on my resume and be fabulous experiences.
Those are my main fears. I was concerned about not getting into the dual degree program, but I found out a couple weeks ago that I've been accepted. So, I'll have a Master's of Social Work and a Master's of Arts in International Studies in June 2011. I'm not going to lie - I'm impressed that I'll have as many degrees as Erin. :-P Anyway, if you have suggestions on ways to deal with one or the other, I'd welcome them!