a week in the life.

As a full-time graduate student, I get a lot of inquisitive stares/questioning looks when I say something about being busy.  I get it.  Many of my friends did not work in undergrad, so they can look back on those years and remember how amazing it is to only HAVE to do something for a few hours a day.  Maybe 2 or 3 classes, then they would spend some time in the library.  Then hangout.  Don't get me wrong, I worked throughout undergrad ... for awhile, I worked 2 jobs while taking a full caseload, and even I look back on that time and think about how nice the free time was ;)

Then I took a year and a half off and worked full time.  I did not miss school all that much.  I LOVED coming home and vegging out without HAVING to read something or HAVING to write a paper.  I am remembering it fondly and wondering why I have put myself in my current hell.  haha.  (Then I remember that though I enjoyed my job most days, it wasn't nearly what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing...)

So here I am.  A full-time graduate student in school psychology.  What is that?  Well, it's a changing field, but I can give you a quick snip-it.  Overall, we help to identify children that cannot access the curriculum due to different disabilities, and we help to create accommodations so that they can be successful in school.

I can tell you first hand that going to school for this is NOT a walk in the park.  I am BUSY, people!  Here is a glimpse of how I spend a typical week.

Monday - I work in our clinic office from 9-4.  This is my assistantship.  It provides me with free tuition, and I get a small monthly stipend.  Because of this, I do not have a "real job" outside of school...  But it is a job that takes up a good chunk of my time.  I stick around campus until our kickboxing class at 6pm!

Tuesday - We have class from 9:30-12:20.  This class requires an insane amount of reading (books, empirical articles, etc), as well as a large project outside of class that involves identifying a student with behavioral problems and working with their teacher and parents to develop a plan to reduce problem behaviors and increase more desirable behaviors.  This project will involve at least 4 meetings, data collection, intervention implementation, etc.  It's a wonderful learning opportunity, but it's a lot.  Typically I can get home pretty quickly after class and do an early afternoon run :)

Wednesday - Clinic from 9-4 -- this is usually a rest day for me.

Thursday - Class from 9:30-12:20.  This is my psychotherapy class.  We are learning multiple therapy theories, and our large project includes doing therapy with a child at practicum for at least 12 sessions throughout this semester.  I am getting started on that Friday.  Anxiety provoking, to say the least!  I then work in our clinic until 4.  Occasionally we will go to a workout class on Thursdays, or I go home and do circuits.

Friday - Practicum (where I am placed at a school doing assessments, attending meetings, completing those projects that I mentioned) from 8:30-3:30. -- this is another rest day, typically

So those are the times I am REQUIRED to be somewhere.  On top of those times, I am working endlessly on my MS research project and reading A LOT for class.

Beginning next week, my schedule will get more insane, as part of my assistantship involves grading the cognitive assessments that the first years are learning to give.  I will watch all 10 students' tapes of their administration, and it will roughly take 30 hours/week for the next 10 weeks.

I see a lot less sleep in my future ;)  Which is sad for Dan because I am a grumpy bear without 7-9hrs!

But really - I should say.  I am incredibly fortunate to be in school right now.  I complain about it endlessly, but I am learning how to do my dream job.  Who doesn't want to work a typical school schedule?!  Summers off?!  SIGN ME UP!