more than macarons

Graduate school has been sweet thus far, and not just because of the macarons at our last cocktail. Today marks the end of my first week! Dare I say it went well?

It's most definitely going to be a ton of work, most notably in the form of reading assignments and research papers. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Two years is both a long and short time. Many of the skills that had made me a "good student" had been in practice for 16+ years then. Although I've managed my time and multitasked at work, I'm realizing how different it was/will be in an academic setting. It's going to take a great deal of extra effort to get back into study-mode.

But with that effort comes excitement. I've always enjoyed learning yet for the first time I'm finding myself wholeheartedly passionate about each one of my courses. 

• Global Communications: theories and practices of communication research, particularly those dealing with globalization of media & culture.
• Media Convergence Practicum: how the convergence of print/radio/tv/web content is revolutionizing story telling, journalism, and the communication industry at large.
• Museum as Medium: an investigation of the construction and communication of national, cultural, and community identities and diverse definitions of heritage through the medium of the contemporary museum.
• Communication & the Global Sphere: how media and political actors rhetorically constitute the public, how they (and occasionally governments) constitute "public spaces" in which public discourse takes place, and how institutional and technological forces constitute "public opinion" and articulate "the public interest" & how political economy of media and social practices facilitate or stifle spaces, political actors, and publics.

Yes, I am totally and completely geeking out. Please judge. And did I mention I have a pretty ideal class schedule with Tuesdays and Fridays off? I can spend two whole weekdays reading, writing, and studying at any neighborhood café. Maybe I'll even have a fellow grad student join me since I really do like all my classmates. I think this calls for a celebration ;) let the weekend festivities begin!