Hi – friends, it me again. So I survived mid-terms, it was quite a battle. Many thanks to all that supported me during this crazy time. Let it be known I came, I saw, I conquered my first semester of graduate school mid-terms - lol. Hopefully finals will go just as well. One great advice that I received from a friend that really helped me is “do your best and be happy with that because the rest is out of your control� – Thanks B.

So friends things are still moving pretty quickly for me this semester. My first module for Social Work Practice is about to end. My last day of class for module one – Individuals, is this Wednesday, October 31. No, this is not a Halloween joke. The last paper for this class is a client interview and thorough Psychosocial Assessment and contract. I need to prepare a genogram and an echo map. This paper is turning out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be and to make matters worse it is worth 50 percent of my grade. I am trying not to focus on the 50 percent part.

So the way modules work for our Social Work Practice class is there are three modules: Individuals, Groups and Families and then Community and Organizations. All full-time foundation students begin with the Individuals module. At the end of that module, half of the Social Work Practice I and II section will move to the second module Groups and Families and then Community Organizations or the reverse order. My second module is Groups and Families. Classes begin right away, November 7th. My new instructor will be Professor Pittman. I am excited about this class – it should be very interesting. As you might have guessed it I have a whole new set of books to buy – does the money spending never end (lol).

Okay my friends on that note I will end this blog. Thanks for sharing this time with me again. Until next time – take care. Please feel free to email me or post any questions or comments.

- Stella

P.S. – In case you are counting down the days until the holidays – here’s a little help!

November 23rd – Thanksgiving – 26 days

December 5th – Chanukah – 38 days

December 25th – Christmas – 58 days (I hope you have been nice!)

Posted by Stella at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Top FIVE ways you know it is time for Mid-Terms

5. In a panic, you run to the library and have a 1 hour conversation (instead of studying) with a librarian about why the book your professor put on reserve in the library and said you should read a month ago for the Mid-term is NOT available

4. You spend 4 hours copying notes, 3 hours getting snacks, 2 hours planning study groups with friends, 1 hour actually studying. (YOU DO THE MATH)

3. The person in your class who never says a word to you and who is hardly in class is now your new best friend, to get notes, of course. (WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THAT)

2. People keep saying things like “Stay positive, it won’t be as bad as you think!�

And the Number one way you know it is time for Mid-Terms

1. The biggest decision you find yourself making is whether to watch Grey’s Anatomy or study a little bit more for your Mid-term on Friday.

So as you might have guessed from the title of this blog October is the month of Mid-terms for me. Not all Foundation classes give mid-terms. Some classes give really long papers, which you have to pour your heart and soul into and give up your first born child to make sure they are perfect. In the past two weeks I have had a lot of things to study for and turn in.

Friday, October 5, - Monthly Process Recording (Field placement requirement)
Wednesday, October 10 – Monthly Status report (Field placement requirement)
Wednesday, October 10 – Quiz in Human Behavior
Wednesday, October 10 – 7 page paper due in Social Work Practice
Friday, October 12 – Mid-term in Social Work Research

Okay, Is it just me or did Wednesday October 10 seriously kick butt. So, I have learned a lot in the past two weeks, but the most important is what the acronym CAS stands for. CAS is the Center for Academic Success, whose offices are located in building III of the Universities at Shady Grove. The Center for Academic Success is a graduate student’s GOLD mine. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I discovered this place! The Center offers a variety of workshops (Speed Reading and memory enhancement), peer tutoring, academic coaching, and vast study skills resources to assist students, most of all it offers writing assistance. You can take your paper to them and they will work with you to correct the grammar, writing style and citations. They help you look at your paper in a whole new angle to help you accomplish your goal. This place is perfect for graduate students and it is FREE! Trust me, FREE is the magic word.

Okay my friends, thanks for reading my blog again. Until next time – take care of yourself during this crazy month of exams. Remember what does not kill you only makes you stronger. To all my fellow classmates in Social Work Policy, I wish you all HAPPY STUDYING for our Mid-term on Friday, October 26th. Please feel free to leave me any questions or comments that you may have.

: ) Stella!

Posted by Stella at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)