When I finished school in May, I was going to write a post about the trials and tribulations of the Ph.D program. Obviously, I didn't do that. It’s mostly because I'm a lazy writer, but also because it's really hard to talk about it. So now summer is over and I'm preparing to head back for another academic year. I used this summer to process last year, prepare for this year, and have as much fun as possible while still working enough to supplement our fun.
I left campus in May with two basic goals. First, I needed to figure out a minor as required for my program. Then, I needed to figure out the subject/topic/issue I want to "specialize" in. I’ve struggled with the direction I want to go for sometime and trying to find some linkage between my main two interests of violence prevention and HIV/AIDS. In June, I had a flash of brilliance and decided to focus on HIV transmission through gendered violence. It's a topic that doesn't get much attention here in the US since most of our HIV cases are through men having sex with men, but internationally it's an issue and with a growing immigrant and refugee population it will likely be something we have to deal with here. So, now that I narrowed my interest down, I also was able to choose my minor. I decided on public health. I may get the full MPH but for now I’m just planning on taking the required 14 credits.
Tomorrow I start what is probably my last year of classroom work. I’m taking a total of 13 credits divided between 6 classes—2 of which are online (something I’ve never done)—this semester. In addition to my classes, I’ll be working 20 hours a week as a graduate research assistant. I’m working on a few interesting projects with two of the best professors at the University. I wasn’t sure I’d be as excited to start back this year as I have in the past. Last year was difficult, but I can honestly say that I’m excited for my classes and research projects. I just hope I can remain positive throughout the entire year.
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