The Thanksgiving Special

So I was all excited about my first Thanksgiving here in the US and it lived up to all of its hype. Well, not in the traditional way but in other ways for sure. It started with the trip to Boston. To give you a background, the plan was to spend Thanksgiving with family in Boston. Not willing to spend a bomb on Amtrak, I thought MegaBus would be a good way to go. I could not be more wrong! I was to take the 11 pm bus on Wednesday from Philly to Boston but due to reasons still unclear, the 11 pm became the 2 am (Thursday). So a bunch of us ended up bringing Thanksgiving in together. We even wished each other and all. However, the problem wasn't that we brought Thanksgiving in on the side of a road in Philly - well it wasn't the big problem anyway. The real problem was the cold! It was super cold that night. We were actually scared that we'd get hypothermia or something. In order to avoid the cold, a whole lot of us actually sat inside the Amtrak station, right in front of the door facing the bus stop, so that we could keep an eye out for the bus while not freezing our backsides off. Anyhow, all's well that ends well. The bus (finally) came and took us to Boston. It was no where close to our scheduled time of arrival but we got there. Since most of us had actually given up hope, nobody complained. It helped that the driver was funny and willing to poke fun at himself. And I believe I overheard that the bus had actually broken down in Baltimore.

After I got to Boston, I had pretty much had all the excitement I could handle for the weekend already. So I was looking forward to a relaxed weekend ahead. And relaxed is what it was, because I fell ill. Now I have heard many theories about this. Some people are of the opinion that I was already ill when I got to Boston (overworked, they say) and I only just realised it when I had a moment to breath. I can't say I disagree with this, but we will never know for sure. All I do know is that I fell ill and popped two Advils every few hours for the fever and the body ache. Another popular theory I have heard is that my MegaBus adventure took a toll on me. In this case, I have been advised to sue, but its just too much work. I have plenty of things on my to-do list without adding this! I finally begun to recover right before it was time to leave though. Fun weekend.

When I got back to Philly, I was all set to start school - the final frontier. Papers, papers and more papers. In many ways I'm glad I got the illness out of the way - all set for work now. How exciting. Not. 

Getting back after a bad week

This week hasn't been that great for me. It was because of a combination of personal and professional reasons, but the end result was just a tremendous amount of heartache. Living alone in a foreign country, with no friends or family around for support can be very challenging at times like this. You don't really know what to do or whom to talk to. You don't want to bother your family in your home country because they'd just get worried and obviously won't be able to help you out given the distance. Yes sure, skyping to tell them your problems might be an effective way to vent, but its not really enough for either party involved. It might just end leaving you a little frustrated.

I felt a little lonely and miserable for some time but realised that the only way to get over this would be to just talk to someone. And thats what I did. I spoke to people. People (like me) usually underestimate the power that talking to strangers has. Strangers don't judge, they don't question, they just look at the facts you present and give you an outsider's view - something very useful. When you are attached to something or someone, more often than not, you do not really see it/them for what it/they really is/are. You see things the way you want to see them. And people who have invested time and emotion in you and your life, see things from their point of view. In such cases, the objectiveness that strangers bring to your life is like a breath of fresh air.

So in the end, things worked out (or will work out, I hope). But the thing is, I'm hopeful. For the future and my life. Probably, some day I'll look back at this time in my life and laugh, but till then, its full steam ahead!

Till a happier next time! :)

Among other things...

So when I started this blog, I thought I would post as much about my upcoming wedding as I would about my life here. Clearly, that hasn't happened so far. To say that I didn't expect school would keep me this busy is a lie. Okay, maybe not this busy, but I expected it to be intense! So far, ever since I've been here, I've had no time to devote to my wedding. Considering its only two and a half months away, I'm starting to get anxious now! Not because things aren't going to plan, but simply because it would be so much more easier for me to be around while things were actually happening. Since that can't happen, three-way conferences with my Mom and my fiancé, Prasant, have been essential to my existence.

However, this weekend-start of the week was extremely difficult for me. Sandy made sure of that. For the uninitiated, Sandy refers to the hurricane that wrecked the North-East. So Sandy basically ensured that I had no/limited connectivity to the net, making me fall behind not only in homework but also my wedding prep. Its exceedingly difficult to plan a wedding from across continents as it is, but once your only mode of connection to the people who are actually executing your plan is cut off, it becomes downright impossible. I did, however, use this time to catch up on my reading and expanding my wedding decor photo album. Not that it did me a lot of good - if I was confused about what colour theme I wanted at the wedding before, I'm waaaaayyyy beyond confused now! Who knew there were like a million shades of purple and that they each looked 'different' when lighted up!? And flowers! Don't even get me started on them!

I did, though, as you can see, survive the storm (and quite well!) as did my wedding planning and my schoolwork. While we are behind a little, I hope to be able to catch up over this weekend. But wait! A school friend from India is coming over this weekend! There goes this weekend. Sounds really mean, but thats the life of an overworked grad student, planning her wedding. While I'm super excited and happy that my friend is visiting, at the very same time, that doesn't stop the thought at the extreme back of my head. The thought that basically says, 'you have homework to do' and 'your wedding menu is STILL undecided'. Ah well. Such is life. Even if I get my homework done and decide the menu, a ton of other work will crop up. So what's the point fretting? I think I'll take my own advise and end this rant now! Probably get some homework done. 

Center City or University City

Lately, every trip I take to Center City has been triggering the 'should I live here' debate in my head. University City has its charm but after a while, you get tired of living in the peaceful, campus-y atmosphere. Having had lived out of campus, in the busy environs of a city for a while now, living on campus or in University City has its charm for a while. Soon, however, there is the possibility that you might start missing the exact things that angered you about the busy city.

Technically, I live off-campus. Close to school, but off it anyway. Its not University City, its technically West Philadelphia. Thats another thing I don't get - this whole university city - west Philadelphia divide. When is it University City and when does it become West Philadelphia? And why call it University City in the first place? It is technically West Philadelphia. Irrespective of what you call it, it continues to be the same place.

Everytime I go to Center City - either for a night out with friends or for some event - I realise how much I miss being in the 'real' world. The world with tall buildings, adults with jobs, restaurants at every corner and just the feeling of not being in school. Don't get me wrong - being in school is great, but after a while you start yearning for people and conversations beyond what school can provide. Living in Center City could be a way of keeping in touch with the world outside school.

When to come to Grad School

Recently, I was asked a very interesting question: how do you decide when to go to grad school? Considering this is my second stint at grad school, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to answer this question (because obviously 'always' seems to be my one word take on it!) but I'll still try. 

I decided to get back to school because of two reasons. One, I had, over the course of my working life, changed my career goals. In fact, I'd changed careers entirely. So I felt the need to specialise in what I aimed to do now. Two, I love school (in general - not so much when I have a gazillion papers due). These reasons made grad school look like a perfectly good reason. 

Most people are caught up in the whole 'experience' 'no experience' debate. There is really no one, correct answer for that. Some people thrive at grad school after a few years of experience while others are good to go straight out of undergrad. It really depends on the kind of person you are and also on if you were lucky enough to figure out just what you wanted to do early or a little later in life. 

Another thing people often forget is that there's no judgement involved in going to grad school 'early' or 'late'. In fact, there is no early or late. Whatever time you decide is good for you is a good time for grad school. I have classmates who are 40 and some who are 21 and I think each one of them deserves to be here! What really matters is what you want out of your degree and grad school and the level of clarity you have about your end goal.

A night at The Philadelphia Orchestra

So yesterday was a super exciting day for me! I finally submitted two papers I'd been working on for the past week, met with a few people who gave me some clarity about my way forward and went to the orchestra!

So first things, first. My assignments. Nineteen pages of hardwork, all finally came together yesterday! One click of a button, and it seemed like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. Funny how that always happens with assignments - they're never really off your mind till you hand them in. And so I did! All I have to worry about now is how badly I did.

Yesterday was also the day our IEDP Proseminar class was taken by Dr. Elizabeth King, Director of Education and Human Development at The World Bank. Dr. King spoke about The World Bank's new 'learning' based approach, as opposed to the previously misunderstood 'education/enrollment' based approach. She also mentioned the new (and improved) focus on education for girls in the most rural of areas. And finally she mentioned the hiring process!

The best part in all of this was that I got to be one of the lucky few who was invited for an 'intimate but casual' lunch with her and Dr. Wagner. It was like christmas came early. No, not because of the food (even though we did go to the Inn @ Penn!) No, it was so because of the conversation we had with both, Dr. Wagner and Dr. King. The most important part of the conversation for me was when they spoke about the pros and cons of getting/not getting a PhD and how relevant that was to our field. All in all, a rich conversation, full of advise for the worried Masters student!

And finally, the grand finale to my day - The Philadelphia Orchestra that plays at the Kimmel Centre. One, a bunch of us got to get out of the University City bubble and be a part of the city again! Such a welcome change! And two, we got to see/hear some good music - FOR FREE!!! Yes, we got to see The Philadelphia Orchestra for free. It was 'Student Free Night' and a bunch of us had booked our tickets way in advance (and rightly so!) so that we could bring in a little culture to our lives. It was a refreshing change from dreary routine!
So all in all, another busy yet exciting day - something that I'm getting used to at GSE!

P.S. - Did I mention there was FREE FOOD at the Philly Orchestra?? :P

Of Philadelphia and cheese steaks!

Hello hello! And extremely sorry for the long absence - have had a crazy week! Between going to the Social Security Card Centre on a holiday (Columbus Day, darn!) and trying to make it to SHS before they put me on hold for spring registration (how crowded is that place!!), its been a crazy week. Add to this classes, readings and two papers due on the same day and you have the recipe for the perfect week. Now, that I'm beginning to recover a little (my Social Security Card is on its way! Yay!), I have plenty to write about here!

First, I want to start with Philadelphia. My recent, reluctant trips to Centre City have sparked quite an interest for the city in me. I think Philadelphia is underrated. Almost no-one mentions it as the 'place to see' in  tourist guides and travel books. And I totally get that. Philadelphia isn't a tourist-y sort of place. You'll be hard put to see people walking around with cameras and clicking photos in front of City Hall here. It hasn't got the New York busy-centre-of-the-world feel either. Philly is more of the place people come home to after a crazy weekend in NYC. Don't let this give you the impression that this city is some not-so-busy, in-the-middle-of-nowhere kind of place, though. Philly is a city alright! Tall buildings, honking cars and all included. Its just a home-y city. Its not a crazy-pace, loud-lights city, its a calmer (and cheaper!) NYC in many ways, without trying to copy it. (In fact, NYC and Philly have some sort of an enmity. Apparently, you aren't supposed to praise NYC in front of a Philadelphian.)

What is more fascinating about this city, is its history. Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin, first capital of the United States - a quick google search will tell you all about it. And you can feel the history too. In University City and Centre City. The old Penn buildings with the air of history around them, drive the point home. And if you get tired of all the history and old buildings, just look over to the high-rise buildings in centre city! For a 'taste' of the good life, take a walk in and around the Italian Market. Or China Town. The restaurants here are AMAZING and cheap. And remember, you cannot forget to try the Philly Cheesesteak and soft pretzels while you're here. Its blasphemy! When talking about food and Philly, its impossible to not mention Reading Terminal Market. The fresh produce at this place is just out of this world. Okay, so I'm going to stop talking about food now, because its making me hungry! But I will leave you with an image! :p

....and another day goes by

So keeping up is getting tougher by the day. GSE really keeps you busy! Between homework, readings and thinking about my papers, I rarely get time for just sitting back with a good book and relaxing. One thing I've realised the importance of after getting to GSE, is a daily planner. With the number of homework groups, reading groups, discussion groups and social groups one forms over here, keeping track of events can be quite challenging! But its fun on the whole. Can get a little overwhelming at times but as long as you love what you're doing, you should be fine.

Another important thing that you could keep in mind while at GSE, is planning for the future. Most programs here are just a year long and a year at GSE pace will definitely go by quickly. Penn and GSE are great platforms and things like networking and job hunting becomes so much easier with the plethora of options available to you here. The great thing about Penn is the resources at your disposal and the one-campus policy. Its amazing how you get to interact so many people from different schools and different fields without having to go anywhere!

Classes at GSE are a great experience. You learn as much from your professors, as you do with your peers. The IEDP cohort usually takes it discussions out of class too. While walking in and out of class, randomly bumping into each other - wherever we may meet, we share a word (or two) about our class discussions and our takeaways from our different classes. Its amazing to hear different people share their stories. One of our classes required us to share our life stories with the rest of our cohort by way of autobiographies. Reading about each others' experiences was just fascinating. We realised how little we knew and how big the world actually was. For me, personally, it was a rather humbling experience.

Well this is pretty much all I have for now! See you next time the urge to write strikes me! :)

Getting Started!

Hello!

My name is Akashi and I am a first year MSEd International Educational Development student at PennGSE. I am from India and this is my first time studying in the United States. This also happens to be my second Masters degree. I live off-campus (in West Philly to be precise) and am loving being a part of this diverse and dynamic community that we call PennGSE. 

Like I said earlier, this is my second Masters degree. However, that does not, by any measure, mean that I am better prepared for graduate work at Penn than the rest of my peers! GSE is hard work! But I think I'm doing a decent job of keeping up so far. Having had taken a full course load this semester (five courses!), I spend a whole lot of my time reading and working on assignments. To makes matters worse, I'm still sort of on India time and end up staying up most nights! (Actually that's a lie! I stay up to skype with my fiance and my family back home.) Also, since I'm coming back to school after spending three years in the work force, getting used to the school routine will take some time. But I'm not complaining! I love my classes and all my professors are absolutely brilliant! I can already tell its going to be an exciting year and I'm looking forward to it. 

So far, I have had little trouble adjusting to the American classroom. Sure they are different from classrooms back home, but perhaps my previous stint at grad school made this transition easier for me. The primary difference between the American classroom and the standard Indian classroom is that while the former encourages a more participatory learning atmosphere, the later rarely sees students contributing to the lecture. But my previous degree was in Journalism and my cohort was an exceptionally opinionated and bright group of people (quite like my cohort this time round - I guess I'm just lucky!) so we had class discussions galore. So this is just like a continuation of that for me. However, I can understand how most Indian students from more traditional subject backgrounds might have trouble adjusting to this atmosphere. All I can say to them is, the less self-conscious you are, the better. After all, you're here to learn - from your professors and your peers - and what better way to do that than to talk to them - in and out of class. 

Besides this, Penn and Philadelphia are great for international students. Penn has a huge international student community and multiple socializing and academic opportunities for all that I fully intend to take advantage of! And if you follow this blog, you will definitely hear of them too! :)

Till next time.

Akashi :)

P.S. My cohort had a picnic at Rittenhouse Square last Thursday. Fun times! :)
http://iedp-penngse.tumblr.com/post/31743670863/iedp-picnic