After two months, I am finally here again -- back to my blog. Many things happened and I do feel that I have changed.
First, my perspective to my study has changed. I must say that responding to friends and relatives asking "how many more years?" forced me to think. Grad school is like a time capsule. From time to time when you need to "come out," you feel like nothing really happened to you while everybody is moving on. Friends ask "what's up?" You would answer "Not much, same thing."
Seriously, how many more years do I take? Three, crisp and clear.
In order to meet this target, i have to plan carefully. I have to recognize the critical skills that I have to master before I graduate. And I have to seek the opportunity to learn them.
Here are something I have to master: teaching, writing, presenting.
Teaching
I am TA'ing a class this semester -- nervous! It is not my first time to teach but first time to teach American students. Jessie (my sister) told me that she does not feel nervous after teaching the 3rd semester. It is comforting because (1) it is normal to feel nervous, and (2) i will get better after a few semesters.
Writing and Presenting
Last semester I started to write a book chapter with CY. It was challenging! I felt quite frustrated that I just could not communicate clearly. On the other hand, i felt glad that, after writing that book chapter, CY has a relatively accurate assessment of where I am in terms of writing skills. We have set a goal for this semester: improve writing skills. I hope that I will be able to communicate my research effectively through writing and oral communication.
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p/s I am planning to write about my Europe trip and the various things in this summer. It may take a loooooooong time. Stay tuned.
