Introductory Reflections

What has this experience been like so far?

The short answer: everything that I had hoped it would be. These first weeks of class have been filed with challenging texts and terminology that cause me to reflect + healthy discussion that has opened up new cavities in my mind. This is more than a "glass half full" experience because the climate and conditions on the IUP campus are healthy and prime for both personal and intellectual growth.

The student experience is surely different from many programs since we meet for a concentrated ten week summer program. Unlike my M.A. program when classes took place in the late afternoon and lasted for 3 hours a pop, we meet daily in two hour chunks per class. I find that this enables me to build on the learning and to steep in the new ideas that are coming my way. It's easy to build a rapport within the cohort and the group is an excellent one - diverse and interesting.

There aren't any particular challenges to report YET...that being said, a crisis bound to develop tomorrow. I'm wired to enjoy intense experiences and spontaneity so the program structure, hours, and schedule are working well for me. I will report that the dining hall is a disappointment and it's tricky to get a good meal in during the 45 minutes between our two classes. That has to do with time as well as quality - is this the land of processed food? Imagine a cafeteria that is more like a giant vending machine - except there isn't anything as tempting as a Snickers bar. Help!

The aspect of the experience that is most rewarding is the simple fact that I'm in a doctoral program enjoying 6 credit hours of coursework and finally getting to start something that I have been working toward for the past ten years. Education is a privilege and I feel fortunate to be studying at an institution that values both scholarship and practical pedagogy. It isn't a lack of transparency or defense mechanism driving me to log these positive comments - it's simply the truth.