Last Semester = End of Phase One
January 09, 2024 |
| In The Penthouse (my apartment), getting ready for my first event of the year...and loving the fact that wide bottoms are reclaiming their spot in my closet - Lancaster, January 2024 |
Happy New Year Beautiful People…and Happy Last Semester to everyone graduating in May.
I just got a reminder from the school bookstore to ‘Buy Textbooks for the new semester’, and since I used this reminder as a cue to share the things I was looking forward to last semester, I decided to keep the tradition and share the things I am looking forward to this semester...which happens to be my last semester here.
1. Graduation and PhD Application Feedback
According to my countdown calendar, I graduate in 3 months 23 days...It has been a long time coming and I cannot wait to walk across that stage. My graduation to-do list includes filling out two forms and finishing my Spring classes.
I am also waiting to hear from the doctoral program I applied to (you can follow my PhD application posts here). My prayer is to get an acceptance letter towards the end of March, and move to a new State over the Summer.
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| Textbook for my Fall 2023 Intro to Neuroscience (Physiological Psychology) class |
2. Another Dose of Neuroscience
I didn’t get round to blogging about the classes I took during the Fall semester because I got into a Positive Psychology Winter class on Happiness and Wellbeing immediately after the semester ended (read this post for Week one summary of my Winter class, and the intro of this one for a discussion on the relationship between money and happiness).
One of the classes from my Fall Semester that I really want to blog about is my Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience class aka Physiological Psychology. The class was a deep dive into the physical organ called the brain, and its role in behavior.
I am not a huge fan of anatomy aka naming organs but this class made me fall in love with neuroscience, particularly after we learned how neurons communicate - and the impact exogenous substances (things from outside the body) like drugs affect this communication, and how that translates into observable behavior.
As a follow up to this, I will not only be doing a Psychology of Addiction Class this semester, but will also do an Independent Study on addiction. I am yet to pick an angle but will share when I do. I will also be taking two psychopathology classes - Childhood Disorders and Abnormal Psychology. Both look at what we call mental illnesses and how they come about, with the former focusing mostly on children and adolescents.
3. Presenting and Publishing
Last semester I got to speak at a side event at the UN General Assembly Week in New York and was set to do my very first poster presentation but logistics failed me. This semester I want to try out another poster presentation opportunity that comes with a publishing add-on. It will definitely be a good experience to learn how to do both poster preparation, presentation and publishing simultaneously.
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| This Fulton theatre flyer came in the mail this afternoon. It is for their next show which has previews on January 24 and main show running from January 26 - February 11 |
4. Spring Gigs & Law and Order Franchises
Beside ordering textbooks through inter-library borrowing, the week before school starts is usually a time to figure out which gigs and TV shows will be part of my after-school-care kit.
I look forward to finishing this season of Fulton Theatre's shows (I spoke about the theatre and my fav shows here). I also look forward to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare at the Claire Hall Performance Hall (where I watched MacBeth and attended a concert by Grammy Award Winning Soweto Gospel Choir). TV-wise, I am excited that the new season of Law and Order Franchises - SVU, Organized Crime and the original - starts this Friday. All three shows are usually my go-to winter break companions but there were delayed this season due to the writers strike.
As usual, weekends are for the Premiere League games and I will be adding Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) to my football watch list.
To everyone going back to school in the next couple of weeks,
I pray that you have an amazing semester/term, and have exciting tales to tell throughout the semester/term and at the very end.
I pray for those starting their semester/terms in new classes, schools, states, countries, may you get all the support you need as you settle in,
I pray that our classes and schools are safe from internal and external forms of violence and disruptions,
I pray for all parents, guardians and academic sponsors, may the work of your hands continue to be blessed, may you not be stressed or anxious every time you send your children to school,
I pray for everyone looking to get back to school, may you find the necessary fees and meet the admission requirements for the programs you are eyeing; and if you don't, may you get amazing alternatives until it is time,
I pray for all our teachers, all the people in charge of and working in the various departments across our schools, all those in leadership, and outside our schools who have a say in what goes and what does not when it comes to what is taught in our classrooms/happens in our schools, may all you do, say and fight for or against be in line with what is right for us, yourselves and the world as a whole,
I pray for all the students who are terrified to be back to school due to previous experiences of bullying, and those who are excited to be back to school because it is much safer for them there, may both groups hold space for each other as they cross paths throughout the semester/term,
I pray for everyone who is finishing a certain level this semester/term, may you get clarity or direction on what to do next.
Until the next academic update,
Sending love and light,
Sitawa
Sitawa
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