Sunday, February 26, 2012

Grad School Experience

Look what I get to read!


This month's feat is to write a 15 page paper for my pedagogy desk class. Sorry, I'm distracted by my messy desk. One of the many adventures of being a graduate student is to wrestle your desk into submission...sometimes you win, sometimes your desk wins. I suppose it could be worse.

Not only do I need to write a 15 page paper for my pedagogy class, but I also have to write a 20 page paper for my researching the recital class this semester. Lucky me! On top of that, my oral exams are next semester, and I'm supposed to be a master of all flute pedagogues, literature, mechanical developments, and a master of everything else having to do with music. From what I understand, at the end of next semester, I will have two sessions of standing before intimidating Juilliard graduates for 2 hours, telling them everything I know about music. Everything. If I fail this exam, my degree is over, and I receive no diploma. No pressure, right?

So I decided to catch up on some light reading each day. Don't you wish you had my life? Oh and the best part is that I have to find time to practice my flute. It's kind of bizarre how I can play my flute for 9 hours a day, and yet only take credit for 2 of them toward my "official practice hours." I'm like a lawyer, scrounging for "billable hours." I never thought I would be able to relate my life to the legal field so closely.

A few pictures showed up on facebook that describe my experience so far quite concisely.




Maybe when I graduate I will be able to blog more. I won't say that this experience hasn't brought to pass a fair number of meltdowns. I also won't say that I'm able to get enough sleep or be the most cheerful person for my darling husband 100% of the time. However, when this is all done, I'm bound to be one proud woman.

3 comments:

  1. Amber. Here comes some free advice...are you ready? (skip to the last paragraph if you don't want it...)

    Doug Bush told me, as I was preparing for my orals and getting ridiculously close to a nervous breakdown, to relax, and enjoy this time of my life. He said, "You will never again have this much musical information at your fingertips. And this is stuff you love! Just enjoy it, and your mind will hold so much more that you think it can." And he was SO right. Little sparkles of information that I have a hard time grasping now were shining all around me while I was in graduate school. I KNOW it's stressful and it's hard, but try to enjoy it. It's a great time of life, and it's something you love. So LOVE IT, by golly!!

    And if that doesn't help, have a good cry, get a good night's sleep, and start again tomorrow.

    Love you to BITS, and am so proud of you. XOXOXOX

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    Replies
    1. I really do need advice like this. Thank you so much!

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  2. Oh the joys of school! I think I'll take a backseat in considering grad-school for now but I know you will do awesome and wow all the Julliard graduates!

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