It is Sunday evening and I have begun planning for the second week of the semester. Last week each first-class began with the familiar review of the syllabus - now we know what work is ahead this semester. One of my classmates said as we left the building for the weekend that she thought this semester was going to be a bit lighter, another classmate quickly asked why and we all laughed.
I am sure now that during the next few months, I will return often to the mental images of winter in the woods I burned into my memory over the holiday break. I spent most of that time up in the little town of Espyville, PA, where 48 inches of snow fell from New Years day through January 9. Beautiful scenes of snow blanketing trees and bowing branches were everywhere. Runs in snow with my dog bounding through deep drifts were invigorating, and soaking up the quiet at night was incredibly soothing, but the light of the full moon twinkling on the fresh snow was the most magical image of all.

Spending time in nature is my favorite way to recover from stretches of intense and demanding work. I know that others find music, art, writing, creative cooking, and many other kinds of activities to be rejuvenating. One thing of which I am certain is that everyone entering a doctoral program in social work should have some hobby or special-interest that works for them as a walk in the woods does for me. If you don't have a special way to re-charge your batteries - find one before you start a program!
To close this entry I would like to share a few sentences that I have adapted from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature:
Nature says -she is my creature, and maugre all her impertinent griefs, she shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields a tribute of delight in the woods, a woman casts off her years, as the snake her slough, and at what period soever of life is always a child… In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life-no disgrace, no calamity, which nature cannot repair. I find something more dear and connate than in the streets or villages. In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, nature wears the colors of the spirit.

Posted by Peggy at 12:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is so hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving! This semester has been a roller coaster of exciting and interesting classes, projects, and events. It also has had special challenges for me because I caught that nasty flu just a couple weeks into the semester. In some ways I have felt like a racehorse that stumbled out of the starting gate and has been running hard to catch up with the herd. At this point it does seem like I am going to get to the finish line. My endurance and persistence may have been stronger than I thought, or the herd is just slowing down! Whatever the truth we areand get to the finish somehow, someway.

So let me share some of the high points of this semester. I am taking a class in my area of interest, military families. I am particularly interested in the nonmilitary spouse and children in military families, and will probably do my dissertation in some area related to them. The instructor for this class is one of the original pioneers to investigate the needs and experiences of military families. She is now an established national and international expert, whose consultation is sought by individuals at the highest levels in the Department of Defense and other international organizations, as well as researchers and policy makers. In every class I think of how fortunate I am to be able to match up my interests with someone so outstanding. If that experience wasn't great enough, a couple of weeks ago I also had the opportunity to meet and talk with another outstanding expert in military families who has written classic works that focus on the children in military families. He like the faculty here at UMB, was very responsive and generous in offering suggestions and advice to a second-year doctoral student. One sometimes hears in the popular media that many college professors are not really interested in teaching or their students. That certainly is not my experience.

The challenging aspect of the semester has been getting behind early. I am not the most naturally organized or focused person in the world. Prior to beginning the program here, I often allowed curiosity to trump "staying on task". But it is true what people who have successfully completed their PhD's will say: a big part of your success is simply staying organized and focused. That is true under the best of circumstances and especially true when unanticipated events occur... And they always well it seems. Whether illness or family needs or unexpected difficulties with a database, something will come up that causes you to revise your plans! It seems that it is the basic things like being organized and managing your time well that are as important ingredients to success as creativity or analytic skills.

Having engaging in support of classmates is also a tremendous plus that should never be taken for granted. I have heard from students in other programs that competition rather than cooperation dominates their graduate studies. In my cohort, cooperation and support prevail, the competition is of the kind that spurs people on to do their best.

Well, as Thanksgiving approaches, I know I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. I hope everyone out there has a great Thanksgiving too!
Peggy

Posted by Peggy at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After reading Mimi's question about shadowing, I asked a few current students about their experience as a visiting student themselves and in hosting prospective students after begining the program. It seems experiences are similiar. Most prospective students meet with the program director, faculty who work in the student's area of interest, observe a class or two, and have lunch with one or more current students. The agenda for a visit is driven mostly by what the visiting student wants to learn about the program. The faculty and students here are really hospitable and if a visiting student wanted to spend more time with one student through a day, I am sure folks would try to respond positively. It is probably saying the obvious to point out that busy schedules limits what can be done in a day, but the desire to make a visit really worthwhile for each individual is very genuine.

I have really enjoyed having lunch with new students. The conversation usually covers everything from classes to where to eat and shop, dissertation interests to whether someone is a Raven or Oriole fan. I still learn things about the program and living in Baltimore. So to anyone out there who wants to make a visit, my advise is to ask for what you would like to do - folks will do their best to work that out. You'll find that we like to talk about what we are doing!

Peggy

Posted by Peggy at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 9, 2009

Hello! This is my first note as the PhD program blogger so I would like to introduce myself briefly. I came to Baltimore from Pittsburgh, PA where I had lived for many years. I left the New York/North Jersey area where I grew up for an opportunity to work with adolescents in a newly opened mental health inpatient unit. I stayed in the Pittsburgh area longer than I ever expected! Last fall I entered the program here at the University of Maryland after working many years in children’s mental health services.

This is the second week of classes of my second year, and I still feel that having this opportunity is almost too good to believe. I wanted to enter a PhD program for some time, but life circumstances just didn’t line up until now.

If any reader is a first year student, try to remember that many of us found our first semester to be the hardest. Hang in there! My classmates and I agree that the second year will be more fun than last year. We are questioning our “staying power” less and have become more excited about the work we have begun.

Many of us had interesting experiences over the summer too. Our faculty were instrumental in guiding us to a variety of choices. I had the opportunity to attend seminars at the Center for Race and Social Problems at the University of Pittsburgh. The Dean at Pitt invited students from other universities to attend their summer program at no cost. It was inspiring to learn about the research that social workers and others are doing to address serious problems related to race in schools, the distribution of resources, and management in corporate America. My interest in translating research to practice was definitely heightened. The presentations included several examples of seemingly good ideas that just didn’t produce the desired results, and evidence supporting the ideas that were producing results.

It is getting a bit late though so I’ll reserve discussing the presentations in more detail for future conversations. I hope everybody has a great semester!

Posted by Peggy at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)