UMB School of Social Work: Anntag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//2022008-04-28T12:46:39ZMovable Type 3.34Almost done with classes!!!!!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//202.61542008-04-27T16:21:56Z2008-04-28T12:46:39ZIt's been a few weeks since I posted a blog entry, and that's a sign that's it's the end of the semester and I've been very busy!! I can't believe how quickly the semester has flown by, and I also...Ann Buckwalter
It's been a few weeks since I posted a blog entry, and that's a sign that's it's the end of the semester and I've been very busy!! I can't believe how quickly the semester has flown by, and I also can't believe how much I need to get finished in the next couple weeks. However, although I'm very busy, I'm not feeling totally overwhelmed, and I'm still able to go on with life as usual, (which included going to my son's first baseball game of the season yesterday). I also decided a few days ago that I want to take my son to Disney World in two weeks to celebrate the end of my semester and to spend some quality time with him.
And........I got a job!! I'll be starting a new position around the end of May, and I'm thrilled. I haven't had a full-time job (outside of being a student) the past 3 years, (well, actually longer than that because I was working less than full-time before I started school) so I'm a little anxious. Plus, I need to get my dissertation proposal finished by mid-August, finish a paper I'm working on (and hoping to publish) for my independent study class, finish (and publish) an article I'm working on as part of my research assistantship, and also co-author three articles with the other students in my cohort off the data we collected for practicum. I'm used to taking it easy over the summer and relaxing by the pool, so this summer will be very different. However, right now, I'm just focusing on going on vacation with my son, and I'll worry about the rest when I get back.
Please feel free to leave me a comment, and I would appreciate any suggestions on Disney World!! :)
spring break!!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//202.56092008-03-25T13:40:36Z2008-03-25T17:46:27ZHello!! Spring Break was last week (and in my mind I'm still on break until I return to campus tomorrow). :) In reality, it was a break from travelling to campus, but I ended up working on school work a...Ann Buckwalter
Hello!!
Spring Break was last week (and in my mind I'm still on break until I return to campus tomorrow). :) In reality, it was a break from travelling to campus, but I ended up working on school work a lot of the time. My son had off school last Thursday and Friday, so I enjoyed spending that extra time with him. On a side note, I told my son (age 7) last Thursday that Friday was going to be Good Friday. He very emphatically said, "Oh great, that means I'm not going anywhere tomorrow!!" I asked him why, and he said, "Because the stores are gonna be packed!!" I tried not to laugh too hard, and I explained to him that tomorrow was Good Friday, not Black Friday, and that's there's a big difference in the meanings. :)
Anyway, back to school stuff. At the beginning of break I finished the first draft of the intro and method section of my practicum paper and emailed that to my professor. She will review it like a journal editor would and return it with her comments. In the meantime I'm looking over the data we collected and am preparing to write my results and discussion sections of the paper. She will then review those sections, and then I have to make all the revisions to the whole paper. I'm very excited about my project. We mailed out nearly 500 surveys in January, and so far over 60% of the survey recipients have responded. That's an awesome response rate! Now we're entering the responses into our data analysis system and are starting our individual projects. You probably think I'm crazy, but it's actually quite exciting! Besides practicum, I'm getting started on my paper for my independent study and continuing to work on my paper for my research assistantship.
However, besides those things, I've been spending the major part of my break on my dissertation literature review. This is very tedious (in my opinion), and although it's interesting, I'll be glad when I can move on to the next section. I have a lot of questions about it, and besides talking to my co-chairs about my concerns, I'll have to spend some time in the doctoral lounge reading dissertations by previous students. I'm feeling like my literature review isn't long enough, or deep enough, or that it just isn't good enough, you know what I mean? I think the word 'dissertation' is intimidating me right now, and I just need to look at it as a paper or class project. I also worry about missing something important in the literature, and for future reference, you can really end up driving yourself crazy if you don't know when to stop reviewing literature! :)
Feel free to leave me a comment, and as a reminder, I am on campus on Wednesdays and Fridays, and I would love to meet with you for lunch if you are considering the program and have questions! :)
a lighter loadtag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//202.50482008-02-20T14:51:35Z2008-02-20T15:46:30ZHello! Well, if you read my last entry, you may have sensed that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. However, things are looking much brighter this week. Although I really wanted to finish my classes and defend my dissertation proposal...Ann Buckwalter
Hello!
Well, if you read my last entry, you may have sensed that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. However, things are looking much brighter this week. Although I really wanted to finish my classes and defend my dissertation proposal this semester, after several sleepless nights, I realized that that was simply too much for one semester. There is so much to learn in every class here, and I don't want to miss out on that or not give 100% because I'm so busy trying to get my dissertation proposal done in time. I also want to enjoy the dissertation process and learn as much as I can from the experience. So, I've decided to put my proposal defense off until the end of summer or even next fall. I'm going to focus on my research class, my independent study, and my research/teaching assistantship. I'm going to continue working on my dissertation proposal, but I'm not going to put the majority of my time into it. I will start spending a lot more time on it once my classes are done in May.
Throughout my doctoral education I've learned that sometimes I need to make sacrifices, and that I can't do everything and please everyone at the same time. It's been hard, being a single mom, working, and going to school full-time. I think my son will be happy when he starts seeing me sitting on the sofa someday instead of glued to my computer, however, he is also happy now that I'm able to volunteer in his classroom every Monday, read to him every day, do his homework with him every day, and listen to his stories and jokes. I've learned to live in the present and enjoy where I'm at. I understand that I'm going to school to prepare for my future, but I'm also loving the process of going through the program, attending classes, and getting to know the people here. Although I will be happy to start earning a larger salary instead of borrowing student loans, I am very appreciative of my time here.
Feel free to leave me a question or comment! :)
Back in the swing of thingstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//202.49102008-02-09T13:46:35Z2008-02-11T13:12:33ZWe've been back in school for a few weeks now this spring, and I'm already amazed at how quickly this semester is flying by. That's good in some ways and not so good in some ways. That's good because this...Ann Buckwalter
We've been back in school for a few weeks now this spring, and I'm already amazed at how quickly this semester is flying by. That's good in some ways and not so good in some ways. That's good because this is my last semester of classes (after 3 years), and summer break will be here before I know it. It's not so good because I have a workload this semester that feels overwhelming right now. Most students finish their classes and then focus solely on writing their dissertation proposal, and they usually take up to a year to write it. I'm taking two classes and writing my dissertation proposal - in one semester. If you remember, I'm a transfer student, and I've ended up squeezing 3 1/2 years of work into 3 years. I could have stretched it out, but the student loans and credit card debt has been catching my eye lately, so these are the decisions I've made for myself. However, looking at the big picture, having a lot of stress for a short time is better (in my opinion) than having a lot of stress in a job where I'm unhappy or unsatisfied all the time. In other words, it's worth it.
Please feel free to leave me questions or comments. Also, students who are interested in our program are welcome to sit in on a class and even have lunch with a current student. Our classes are Thursdays and Fridays, and I'm also on campus on Wednesdays. If you're interested in visiting, please contact Dr. Harrington, the program director.
Starting spring semestertag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Ann//202.45582008-01-16T16:29:23Z2008-01-16T16:53:28ZOur spring semester starts next week after being off since Dec. 14. Although the holidays were nice, my break was actually very busy with GRA projects, an outside research project I'm doing with UMB and the VA hospital, working on...Ann Buckwalter
Our spring semester starts next week after being off since Dec. 14. Although the holidays were nice, my break was actually very busy with GRA projects, an outside research project I'm doing with UMB and the VA hospital, working on dissertation research, helping my sister w/ her kids after she had some surgeries, putting the finishing touches on a paper to submit for publication, and revising a poster I made that I'll be presenting this week at the SSWR conference in Washington D.C. SSWR stands for Society for Social Work Research and it's "the" social work research conference. Every four years or so it comes back to Washington D.C. Last year it was in San Francisco and I think next year it'll be in Miami. It's a very competitve process to have a poster or presentation accepted for SSWR, so even though it's been stressful and hectic, I didn't want to miss this opportunity. The poster that I'll be presenting and the article I'm submitting for publication are actually the outcome of a project I did for my Statistics II class. It was a lot of work at the time, but worth it given the positive outcomes.
This semester I'm taking Research Practicum II, an independent study where I'll learn some advanced statistics, and some dissertation credits. I'm planning to depend my dissertation proposal in May (keeping my fingers crossed!) but I have a lot to do before then.
Please feel free to leave me a comment or question. :)
research background?tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.41692007-12-05T19:05:25Z2007-12-06T12:36:41ZI received a comment to my last blog asking if a research background is necessary for this program. Speaking from personal experience, I would say that a research background is not necessary. I didn't have any experience with research before...Ann Buckwalter
I received a comment to my last blog asking if a research background is necessary for this program. Speaking from personal experience, I would say that a research background is not necessary. I didn't have any experience with research before starting this program (I was a clinician), so this was all new to me. However, this program is really grounded in research and takes you through the research process step by step. In fact, although I didn't really know much of anything about research when I started the program, I am planning to go into a full-time research career upon graduation. :)
Mid-terms are done...now I'm back!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.37112007-11-07T15:52:59Z2007-11-07T16:38:58ZHello! I missed writing my blog last week. I was working on a take-home mid-term as well as a lengthy assignment for another class, and the time flew by. Thank you, Diana, for your comment to my last blog; I...Ann Buckwalter
Hello! I missed writing my blog last week. I was working on a take-home mid-term as well as a lengthy assignment for another class, and the time flew by. Thank you, Diana, for your comment to my last blog; I will do my best to answer your questions.
The first question was about whether a lack of social work experience might pose a problem for acceptance into the program. For an exact (official) answer, I suggest emailing Dr. Harrington, the program director. From my anecdotal perspective (and from looking at the other students in the program), the students here have quite a range of experiences. Some, like me, have all of their degrees in social work, while others have degrees in related fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, etc. Some students are fairly new social workers, having just finished their master's program, and others have been out of school for 20 years and are returning now to get their doctorate. While having social work experience was beneficial when I was in my master's program, it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference at the doctoral level. The reason I say that is because this is not a clinical program and we don't really discuss our personal work experiences in class. This program is solidly geared towards research and teaching, and it's fairly rare that anyone shares an experiential story. So, that's not a very concrete answer to the question, but overall your acceptance into the program is based on a number of things, and I don't think lacking a lot of social work experience should keep you from being accepted into the program.
The next question was about GRA positions, and if there are positions geared towards teaching undergrads or being an advisor to incoming students. Again, I'm referring to Dr. Harrington for exact answers on this, but I'll give you my perspective. The GRA positions for first and second year students are all research-based, hence the title graduate research assistant. However, when you're in your third and fourth year you can have a TA, which is a teaching assistantship. You need to complete one or two teaching courses first, then you are able to teach a course (either bachelor's level at a different campus such as UMBC or a master's level at UMB) under the supervision of the regular course professor. After you complete a one-year TA, you can also teach as an adjunct professor at any of the University of Maryland campuses.
Regarding being an advisor to incoming students, I'm not exactly sure how to answer that because I don't know if the question is referring to incoming doctoral students, master's students, etc., and I'm not sure what kind of advising is being referred to. (Please write back, Diana, if I don't properly answer your question). After you complete your first year in the doctoral program, you will be asked if you'd like to be a peer mentor for an incoming doctoral student. As a current peer mentor, this is a great experience. (But one that you don't get credits or paid for). As a third year student, if I'm not mistaken, you can also be a field liaison for master's students. They like the field liaisons to make a two-year committment if possible, and they meet with the students and their field supervisors at their field placement. That is the only kind of advising that I'm aware of. Some professors here are studying social work supervision and have published extensively on the topic, so I can give more information on that another time if that is of interest.
Thanks a lot, and please feel free to leave me a comment! Have a great week! Ann :)
Diversitytag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.34392007-10-24T16:47:49Z2007-10-24T17:55:27ZHello! It's a rainy day in Baltimore today, and as I was walking the four blocks from the train to the school, I was taking time to remind myself what I like about school. (It's better to count your blessings...Ann Buckwalter
Hello! It's a rainy day in Baltimore today, and as I was walking the four blocks from the train to the school, I was taking time to remind myself what I like about school. (It's better to count your blessings than to complain about little things like rain). One thing I really like about our program is the diversity of the student body. Our classes are very small, like 4-8 people in a class, and my cohort alone consists of myself (from conservative Lancaster County, PA), a man originally from Nigeria, two women from South Korea, a woman born in the Phillipines, a woman from Brooklyn, and a woman from Virginia. The new cohort this year also includes a woman from the former Soviet Union, and a student from Israel recently graduated. So, think of the rich discussions we often have in our classes. Everyone has very different worldviews, yet we're all here for essentially the same purpose. Also, the friendliness of the students really makes my time here enjoyable. The "upper classmen" are always available to help the students in the newer cohort, and there is not the competition between students here that takes place at other schools. We're all in this together, and we're going to be professional colleagues and friends after we graduate, so why not work together. So...even on a rainy day, I am still happy to be exactly where I am. :)
Second year classestag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.33432007-10-17T16:27:20Z2007-10-17T17:22:14ZHello again! I was asked to talk a little bit about second year classes, so I'll do my best with that. The only required second year class is Research Practicum I in the fall and Research Practicum II in the...Ann Buckwalter
Hello again! I was asked to talk a little bit about second year classes, so I'll do my best with that. The only required second year class is Research Practicum I in the fall and Research Practicum II in the spring. Other than that you take electives (I believe you need 5 electives to graduate). The research practicum provides an opportunity to work with your cohort on developing a study and takes the entire year. This semester so far we have chosen a topic, conducted a thorough review of the literature on our topic, developed a survey and selected a sample population, and now we're getting ready to pilot test our survey. Next semester we will distribute our survey to a large sample of people and each student will write an individual paper on our specific research questions related to our topic. Perhaps none of what I just said makes sense, but don't worry, this terminology becomes second nature by the end of the first year. I believe most practicum classes also end up publishing their work, so that's exciting.
My situation regarding electives is a bit different than other students since I am a transfer student. So, I took my electives at a different school, with the exception of a qualitative research class I'm taking this semester. I'm really enjoying this class, and I'm glad to fit it into my schedule. The research methods classes, statistics classes, and practicums all primarily focus on quantitative research methods, so this class provides a refreshingly different point of view. Most students here also take some teaching electives that are available in the School of Social Work, and some students take measurement classes, advanced statistics classes, or just other classes at different schools within the University of Maryland system, such as the School of Nursing or School of Pharmacy. There's many opportunities here to cater your coursework to your interests, so it's not a problem to get your courses completed here.
Please leave me a comment with further questions! Ann :)
More info on GRAstag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.32692007-10-10T16:07:29Z2007-10-10T16:27:50ZI thought I would return this week to my previous discussion on financial aid for doc students, specifically the GRAs. New doc students can apply for a Graduate Research Assistantship as part of their financial aid package, and they can...Ann Buckwalter
I thought I would return this week to my previous discussion on financial aid for doc students, specifically the GRAs. New doc students can apply for a Graduate Research Assistantship as part of their financial aid package, and they can request either a 10-hour or 20-hour GRA. Often the 20 hour GRA is actually two 10-hour GRAs, meaning you have two supervisors and you work for each of them 10 hours/week. There are many different GRAs available (I believe you can see a sample list on the UMB website). Incoming students rank their choices of GRAs, and the program director does her best to match students up with their preferred choices. A research assistant gets to do quite a variety of tasks, depending on the their GRA. Tasks may include doing literature searches for their supervisor's current projects, helping to write and publish journal articles, collecting data (i.e. interviewing) families in Baltimore, analyzing data, and the list goes on and on. Students typically meet with their supervisors about once a week, and many students can do some or even most of their work from home. Financially, the GRA covers full tuition for a 20-hour GRA and half tuition for a 10-hour GRA. It also covers your health insurance and pays you a stipend that is enough to cover my rent, car payment and most of my groceries each month. (I get student loans to cover the rest of my bills). If you have a 20-hour GRA, the school strongly recommends that you don't have another job because of the amount of time needed for full-time schoolwork and a GRA. I believe you're supposed to aim for 3 hours of study time per credit, on average, so for 9 credits you should allow around 27 hours for homework/studying each week. Add that to your 20-hour GRA and travel time (which is 10 additional hours/wk for me), and you can clearly see why you shouldn't work outside of school.
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have further questions on the GRAs or any other topic!
Ann :)
addendum to my last blogtag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.31572007-09-30T15:23:13Z2007-10-01T13:17:15ZAddendum: I forgot to answer the last of Angela's questions from her comment to my last blog, regarding how hard it is to get into UMB. (By the way, I answered her question about hotels via email, so please leave...Ann Buckwalter
Addendum:
I forgot to answer the last of Angela's questions from her comment to my last blog, regarding how hard it is to get into UMB. (By the way, I answered her question about hotels via email, so please leave a comment if anyone wants more information on staying near campus). So, I'm not exactly sure how to answer the question about being accepted into the program. You do need to take the GRE as part of the application process, and you should have at least an average score, if the admission process is still the same as it was a few years ago. (Remember, you can keep taking the GRE to better your score). I'm not sure exactly what score they're looking for, and I honestly don't even remember what my score was, but I don't consider myself a genius or even close to a genius, so don't let the GRE score thing scare you. Of course, they consider a lot of other things too, such as what your goals are, your life and professional experience, and what you can bring to the program. The application requirements include a few essays, college transcripts, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. I think you can actually apply online from the UMB website, but you can check that out. The program is very small, and from what I see, approximately 7 people start the program each year. I don't know how many people are turned away, but I didn't have a hard time being accepted with a master's degree from Temple, experience as a mental health clinician, and acceptable GRE scores. So, in other words, I encourage you to apply and see what happens. If you have specific questions about the application process, I encourage you to contact Donna Harrington, the department chair. Ann :)
Classes...tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.31302007-09-26T16:39:26Z2007-09-26T17:19:29ZWelcome back! I usually write my blog on Wednesdays, so if you leave a comment, I will most likely respond on a Wednesday. Thank you Angela, for your excellent questions. There are 6 core classes that incoming doc students are...Ann Buckwalter
Welcome back! I usually write my blog on Wednesdays, so if you leave a comment, I will most likely respond on a Wednesday. Thank you Angela, for your excellent questions.
There are 6 core classes that incoming doc students are required to take during their first year. (Unless you are part-time, then you take them over the course of two years, but it seems more recommended to go full-time your first year if possible so your new knowledge is fresh in your head for qualifying exams). The core classes for fall are Theory, Statistics I, and Research Methods I; for spring it's Policy, Statistics II and Research Methods II. Then, at the end of May, you take 4 qualifying exams (Statistics, Policy, Theory, and Research Methods). The classes are great, probably because the professors are great. (And no, I don't think they actually read my blog, so I'm not trying to get on their good side :) ). The coursework is taught in a way that is pretty easy to understand; the professors are good at breaking the concepts down so you don't have to be a genius to do the work. Also, don't let the thought of Statistics scare you. It tends to scare everyone at first, but it ends up being most peoples' favorite class, no kidding. If you have specific questions about any of the core classes, please leave me a comment.
Qualifying exams...ahhh....the memories... Most people enter the program already worried about qualifying exams, and honestly, I wish they were kept a secret because there is absolutely no need to worry. Quals at some other schools are nearly impossible; at UMB, I heard that only 1 person in the history of the program didn't pass them. Now, I'm not saying they're easy, I practically killed myself studying for them the two weeks before I took them. But, the good news is that all of the professors teach their classes directly to the qualifying exams. So, if you do well in your classes, and most people do, you should be fine on the quals. Also, the last week or two of class each professor does practice tests so there are no surprises when you get to the quals. And, one more great thing, you can use all of your books and notes when you take the quals! Other schools make you take them with just you and the computer, but not here. It's such a supportive environment here. The professors want you to succeed and they will go out of their way to make that happen. It makes sense, doesn't it? If we, the students, are successful, then UMB looks good.
So, that's all for now. Angela, I will get back to your specific questions about hotels as soon as I learn how to respond directly to a comment (hopefully later today or tomorrow). Sorry, I'm still learning how to blog.
Take care, Ann :)
The life of an adult doc student...tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.30712007-09-20T13:14:10Z2007-09-24T13:42:05ZWelcome back to my blog! By the way, please feel free to leave a comment or question for me after any of my blog entries. I'm never far from my computer, so you can expect a quick response. (I've actually...Ann Buckwalter
Welcome back to my blog! By the way, please feel free to leave a comment or question for me after any of my blog entries. I'm never far from my computer, so you can expect a quick response. (I've actually been told that the internet (and email) is my heartbeat, but I don't know what they're talking about! :) )
I'm sure there's many of you that would love to go back to school and get your PhD, but perhaps you're not sure you can do it because of financial or family reasons. As a 30-year-old single mother and previous full-time social worker, I can tell you it is possible. Most doc students that attend the UMB SSW full-time agree to be graduate research assistants, which is a 20-hr/wk (or 10-hr/wk if you choose) position that pays a decent salary, allows students to be involved with some exciting and new research, covers health insurance, AND covers the full cost of tuition. (Even out of state tuition, as in my case). Plus, many of the positions allow you to do some or most of the research from home. In addition, I receive Stafford loans (the same as any undergraduate or graduate student) to cover the additional costs of my living expenses. And just to paint a clear picture of my additional costs of attending UMB, because I live so far away, last year I stayed in a hotel 2 nights/wk during fall semester and 1 night/wk during spring semester, plus I was taking 6 light rail trips/wk to save time on traffic, and it takes about a half gallon of gas to take my Focus round trip to school and back. So, if you live in Maryland (or even Washington or northern Virginia) you won't have to spend nearly as much on travel expenses or take out as much in student loans as me.
Regarding family commitments, I have a 6-year-old son who started kindergarten last year and is in first grade this year. Last year was a very intense year for me at school, I'm not gonna lie, because I had to take the 6 core classes and then qualifying exams at the end of the year, but I made it, and so did my son. I have an awesome roommate and family who are willing to help out with my son, and I think that is very important if you're thinking about returning to school. I needed to know that somebody would be available to drop my son off at school and pick him up on days when I had class, and also to watch my son so I could study uninterrupted at regular times. Although it was hard at the time, looking at the big picture, it's worth it. Someday soon I'll have my PhD and (hopefully!) a great job so that I won't have to worry about my financial security or how I'm going to afford college for my son. Also, once the year of core classes are done, much of the pressure lessens. This year I travel to UMB two days/wk, I don't stay overnight, and I'm available to pick my son up at school at 2:30pm three days/wk and even volunteer in his class once a week.
Next time I will talk a bit more about qualifying exams (because new students are usually terrified about them unnecessarily even before they start classes), as well as my current dilemma - trying to narrow down a topic for my dissertation. Talk to you soon! Ann :)
Hellotag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/umbssw/Ann//202.29832007-09-12T18:24:07Z2007-09-12T18:39:12ZHello! Welcome to my blog. I've never done a blog before, so this is a whole new experience for me. I'm a doctoral student in the School of Social Work at UMB, and I'm in the process of completing my...Ann Buckwalter
Hello! Welcome to my blog. I've never done a blog before, so this is a whole new experience for me.
I'm a doctoral student in the School of Social Work at UMB, and I'm in the process of completing my final three classes (2 this semester and 1 next semester) while also narrowing down my dissertation topic. Normally a doc student takes 6 core classes the first year, 2 research classes and 4 electives the second year, and then 1 more elective and dissertation credits after that. However, I did my first year at a difference school and transferred to UMB for my second year. So, to make a long story short, that means I ended up doing my electives my first year at the other school, my core classes during my second year (which was my first year at UMB), and now I'm finishing the required second year UMB research classes even though I'm technically a third year student. That doesn't make sense to a lot of people, but it's working out, so that's what counts.
I'm very much enjoying my time at UMB, and I have no regrets whatsoever about transferring. I have to drive at least 2 1/2 hours to get here (longer depending on traffic), but honestly, I would drive twice as far if I had to just to come here. (And I don't like to drive, so that says a lot!) I'm from Lancaster County, PA, so it's quite a culture shock to leave my house in the morning where I see farms and horse-and-buggies out my window and come to downtown Baltimore. However, I quickly learned how I need to present myself when walking in Baltimore and when I take the light rail (public transportation) in Baltimore as compared to when I'm in Lancaster County, and I've gotten used to it.
Thank you for reading my first blog. I will soon post again and give more information about my classes and the life of an adult student. Ann :)