time flies...

Thought for the Day: Why is it not okay for me to write my dissertation concept paper on How I Met Your Mother, Chelsea Handler, or Teen Mom? These are the things that would make writing this paper much more interesting. Not that I don't like my topic, I definitely do, but being academic takes a lot out of you. Being academic is sort of exhausting, while being pop-culture-y is sort of fun.

It's interesting, I was thinking the other day about how long I've been in grad school. I am getting close to wrapping up the first semester of my fourth year. Fourth. I know most of the time I'm complaining about how long I've been in school and how much left to go I have, but the time has actually passed rather quickly so far. I think it's because each year is completely different than the last. Looking back at where I've been on this journey...

• My first year was pure classes and I was full of hope for this whole endeavor. I joined a RIG, made new friends, and tried to adjust to actually having to study instead of just passing through college classes without any effort like I did before.
• My second year was my first practicum, assessment. There were a whole bunch of nervous conversations and excitement this year. Especially because my time was split up between two practicum sites, first an adolescent residential treatment facility and second the VA--starkly different.
• My third year was my first therapy practicum so this was incredibly nerve wracking. I spent the year on an acute adolescent unit in an inpatient psych hospital. It was fantastic. I also did a supplemental practicum, which turned into a job for me at the end of the year so I was able to quit serving. I also took and dominated my comprehensive exams and earned my M.A. (pretty cool).
• My fourth year, this year, I am at two sites, a college counseling center and a public all girls middle school (again, starkly different). I will hopefully do well enough on my qualifying exams to pass and I will begin the process of looking at my dissertation topic.
• My fifth year, next year, I will work on my dissertation and begin applying to and interviewing for internships.
• My sixth year, and hopefully last, I will hopefully be on internship. After which somehow my dissertation will be finished and defended and I will graduate with my Psy.D. (pretty freaking cool).

The first 3.5 years have gone pretty well, I only hope that the next few go as well--and as fast!