Or maybe it is over since I already spent $300 on books for the upcoming semester.

To get the most out of my money, I used 4 different websites to obtain the best prices. The books where there were no deals at all to be had, I bought from my local feminist indie bookstore. I also bought the one book I know I already have homework in…so the quicker the better on that one.

My program reviews all the students every summer. I received my review a few weeks ago and had been letting it stew in my inbox. It was not good at all.

Remember how I was content with my two Bs? Well, not everyone shared that contentment. So I spent a few days last week scheduling appointments with those two professors in order to find out how I earned those Bs and if I should be as concerned as my review tells me I should be.

After I was able to gather my thoughts on the review and a conversation I had with a professor, I think, I hope, it’s a difference of opinion on what a B means. I’ve already spoken to one professor who seemed to think I kicked ass. But I’ll have to wait to sit down with her for a few more days.

But another PhD friend of mine, whom I ran into on Friday night, said she had a similar “bad review” and it spurred her to make some tough decisions on her focus. I have been delaying putting a interests in focus. I figured I had some time before I had to do that since I’m part-time and have only taken 3 classes, which is what a full-time student takes in one semester. But I was wrong.

Part of my difficulty is also not quite knowing what is out there, how to verbalize exactly what my ideas are and how to defend them. So that ends now. I need to dig into the literature and find a few papers, hopefully recent ones, that will help me crystallize what I want to do with this whole PhD thing. What do I want to spend years studying? And how do I do it without continuing to pigeonholing myself YET stand on years of experience?

We shall see. So until then, if you see me IRL or on the interwebs, I could use a hug or a thumbs up. Thanks.