First Semester of Grad School: Complete

The fact I entered graduate school was a mixture of serendipitous circumstances. I didn't want to be done with school after undergraduate, but I also made no effort to pursue graduate school (at first). I thought it was time to pursue a "career:" whatever weight that word actually carries is up to you. I applied for a motley of jobs, hearing back mostly from marketing jobs. After going to interviews, I found most (if not all) of these "marketing" jobs to essentially be sales jobs, earning commission off of getting people to sign up or buy what you offer. AKA, the opposite of what I wanted to do. I wanted to be involved with the design and/or written side of selling (at first), but soon found that possibility for a career to fall flat, too. I cancelled all my second and/or third round of interviews, and went back to figuring out what I actually wanted to do.

I became interested in moving to the West Coast, and applied for a tutoring job that would involve tutoring in the Bay Area, which I received an offer for fairly swiftly. The job paid well, and the idea of moving to a completely new area wasn't scary to me. Also, my boyfriend would be spending the summer in the San Francisco area as, which was a main incentive for me as well. However, after parsing through details (and rent costs) it would be ideal to have a roommate, or at least time to physically go to the different apartment complexes/neighborhoods I could live in. This would involve driving across the country and spending a week just apartment shopping. I decided it wasn't quite the right time to take up and move everything with too many unknowns. Again, I was back to having no clue what I'd be doing.

By a stroke of impulsiveness, I decided to get a short-term lease down in Myrtle Beach, where one of my friends from college would be spending the summer. I went and immediately applied for a serving job close(ish) to the water, which teemed with tourists from open to close. I made awesome friends, loved the money, and adored the work itself. That said, I knew I wanted something else for when off-season came around. With the suggestion by a friend to inquire about tutoring in the nearby university, I emailed someone in the English department. I gave my background, the history of my undergraduate senior project, and my experience in the field. By a stroke of luck, the professor was familiar with my university and adviser, and said I'd be a great fit for the MAW program. I rushed to get transcripts together, filled out the application, and applied for an assistantship, and waited.

When I received my acceptance and assistantship news, everything felt right. Going back to school felt like the only way I could be fulfilled, and I questioned how I missed this detail post-grad. Whatever the reason may be that I didn't consider graduate school at first, I'm enthralled I'm here now. Writing makes me happy, the people I've met are already going to be lifelong friends, and the professors truly inspire me to grow and push myself.

The first year of graduate school: filled with work and new experiences, but I'm happy to be here. I'm just happy to be here.

Stay loving, stay kind.