Favorite thing about working on an MA: Spending time with right-minded individuals who are interested in the same things I am. Oh, and the small matter of fulfilling the great dream of my adulthood.
Favorite thing about working on an MA, more candid answer: That I don't have to take my kids with me to class. It does wonders for my psyche.
Least favorite thing about working on an MA: Less time to ________. There are only so many hours in the day. Poor me, I might not read as many books this year (at least books without the word Linguistics in the title, anyway).
The hardest moments of the semester were: There were a few days when both Jeremy and I were really busy and unable to give our daughters the care and attention they needed. Not fun. And not to be too bitter, but guess who took one for the team most of the time? Me, because Jeremy's job is the one that makes it possible for us to live. I'm convinced that one particular time I put the books down to take care of my kids made the difference between an A and an A- on an exam, but I'm over it. Can you tell?
Number of times I drove to class: Ummmm, twice. This is really shameful since it's about a 10-minute walk. The shame is mitigated by the fact that each time I drove, there were extenuating circumstances. The first time, Jeremy was out of town so I had to drive to drop the girls off at a babysitter's house. The second time...it was hot and I was wearing high heels and I was late and I was carrying a lot of stuff? Is that good enough?
I am no longer afraid of: Writing a master's thesis. I was terrified before. Now that I have one research paper under my belt, not so much.
I am also no longer afraid of: Going in to talk with professors about research issues, advising, or whatever. It's amazing how quickly I got used to being taken seriously on my own terms. Finally not having a small child emptying my purse of its contents while I tried to talk to an adult probably had something to do with that return of confidence.
Finally, I'd like to thank my sponsors. Child care was brought to you by Jeremy, every single class period except one, when he was in Chicago. Time spent in class was brought to you by Diet Coke/Pepsi, because after almost six years of being a mom my sleep deprivation is at a high while my attention span has been torn to minuscule shreds. My major research paper was brought to you by my kids watching a bunch of movies last week.
I'm looking forward to Fall 2011, coming in September.