I AM SO SMART, S-M-R-T

I think this is a Homer Simpson quote, but really, it reminds me of my cousins, Megan and B-Rent. 

And because I was giddy with glee, it's what I repeated to myself today after I finished my four hour graduation exam for my master's.  I have a few loose ends to tie up, but essential in my mind, I'm done.  Pressure's off.  I have to tell you, despite this extra large baby I am carrying around, I feel 20 pounds lighter this afternoon than I did this morning.  It's a fabulous feeling. 

I really did enjoy my experience as a grad student.  I have absolutely no regrets about the path I took to get this degree; however, I am definitely ready for a break from reading research articles and writing papers.

The end of an era

I attended my last grad school class on campus last night. I haven't allowed myself to think about it yet. So I decided to give myself a little time to reflect.

Will I be sad that it is over? A little. I fully enjoyed being a part of a large, research institution. There is energy on campus, and the feeling that exciting things are happening or about to happen is always present.

I also enjoyed the learning aspect. It made me think and question things about my philosophy, my classroom, and how I approach mathematics education. Even if the learning I did wasn't always immediately useful, isn't it the goal of education to make us think about new things or old things in new ways? And that, I certainly did.

But mostly I am relieved to be wrapping up grad school. While it was fun and engaging, it was also stressful. Like any other student, I, at various points of my education, had to sacrifice time with family and friends, set aside my work responsibilities, and sit in front of the computer or pour over books and articles for hours at a time. I will not miss that part AT ALL.

But before I get ahead of myself, I still have one action research project to complete and a four hour written test to take. I have five weeks to get this done. Let the count down begin.