Upcoming Web Chats!

Don’t forget – we have several on- and off-campus events coming up in the next few weeks!

Also, as promised, we have a handful of online events occurring in the next few months!

Please join us for web chats with current students, alumni, and representatives from various groups and resources around campus relevant to the graduate student experience. This semester our web chats will each have a particular “theme” which will determine which campus representatives will join us. Hopefully you can attend the ones that are relevant to you, but don’t worry if you can’t – we can answer all of your questions at any of the four upcoming chats!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM (ET)

This web chat will be geared towards students from outside the United States. We will have a variety of international alumni, students, and resources to answer your questions about Penn and life at GSE.

RSVP here.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

8:30-9:30 PM (ET)

This web chat will be geared towards incoming students with families or those who are changing careers into higher education. We will have a variety of current students, alumni, and campus resources to talk about the adjustments involved when coming to GSE.

RSVP here.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

8:00-9:00 PM (ET)

This web chat will be geared towards students identifying with the LGBT community and students of color. We will have current students and alumni from these communities as well as various resources available to discuss the campus climate at Penn and answer any of your questions.

RSVP here.

Friday, April 11, 2014

7:00-8:00 PM (ET)

This will be our final web chat of the semester. It will not be themed, but we will have a variety of individuals present to answer any of your remaining questions to help you prepare for life at Penn GSE.

RSVP here.   

Philly Cheesesteaks

My sister came and visited me in Philly this past weekend. We had a great time! Saturday we went to Independence Hall and walked around Center City. Then we went to South Street to get a traditional Philly cheesesteak from one of the best! Joe's is famous for their cheesesteaks... as are a number of others I might add. The line was out the door when we got there at 3 pm and we ended up waiting about an hour to get through the line... but it was well worth it. When ordering a cheesesteak in Philly keep in mind these principles:
1. 'With wiz'- refers to the spray cheese wiz that comes in a can. A lot of locals love to put in on their cheesesteaks.
2. After saying how many cheesesteaks you want simply name the type of cheese you would like on it.
3. Next, state whether you would like one with onions or without.

Here's what you might hear standing in line at a Philly cheesesteak restaurant:

"I want one with wiz, provolone, without"     
     Translation = one cheesesteak with cheese wiz, provolone cheese and no onions.

"Two, wiz, with"
     Translation = two cheesesteaks with cheese wiz and onions.

Now you're ready to order like a local!

Group projects, group projects, group projects!!

This semester all of my classes have a group project component. While, it is great to get experience working in teams and fleshing out ideas together sometimes it can be very exhausting. It seems I go from one group meeting to the next some days. Have you ever noticed that doing things as a group takes three times as long than doing it by yourself? If you thought grad school was all about individual papers then think again. Penn GSE believes heavily in practical skills and one such important skill is learning to work with a team.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

I've been enjoying Valentine's day events all week, here's what happened: 

GSE had a Valentine's day celebration on Wednesday. They decorated the student lounge and provided free cookies, coffee and hot chocolate. What a great way to celebrate so that everyone can enjoy feeling loved this week. 

Yesterday GAPSA (the graduate student association) had a free happy hour to celebrate Valentine's Day at City Tap house. Each person who came got a ticket to use for one free drink. They also had free food... even though it went really quick!

Tonight IEDP is having our Valentine's day party. We drew secret valentine's and will exchange gifts tonight over baked goods and wine. Fantastic way to spend the evening don't you think?

When to do graduate school?

People often ask me why I decided to do graduate school and why now. I graduated from undergrad in 2006 and told myself I would never go back! Yet, here I am 7 years later working on my Master's. I greatly value the work and life experience I had before coming here. I know a lot of people now like to go to graduate school right after undergrad or perhaps after taking one year off. This can be beneficial in the sense that you are still in the "mode" of school work and can perhaps find it easier to get back into the habit of studying and writing papers. However, I definitely think there is a lot of value in spending several years out in the work field. Often times people still are unsure what they want to do with their life when they graduate from undergrad, or perhaps they think they know but it may change. I thought I wanted to teach 1st/2nd grade when I first graduated. Yet, my first job offer was to teach 5th grade and well you take what you can get. Now, having taught upper elementary and middle school for so many years, I run away after just spending an hour in a 1st grade classroom! Working for a few years before going to graduate school also adds meaning to your learning I think. You have real experiences and context to relate to when you are learning in your classes. I choose to come back to school because when I was teaching overseas I ran into challenges that I just didn't know how to tackle. Either way, choosing to go to graduate school is an investment and a commitment so make sure that you are ready and that you have a purpose for what you are doing.

Thursday Night Movies

The Rave- $5 movies on Thursdays. 

All movies, all day!!

  
The Rave is a local theater at 40th and Walnut just across from Fresh Grocer. Every Thursday all movies are only $5. Tonight some friends and I went to see That Awkward Moment. The movie is about three guy friends who decide to all remain single and just have fun with girls. Then each one of them starts getting more serious about a girl and have to try to hide it from one another. If you are looking for just a fun, entertaining movie this one might be a good choice. Not the best acting ever but definitely worth the $5.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Tonight several girls from IEDP came over to make chocolate chip pancakes! We definitely enjoyed ourselves. People are always asking me how relationships are with others in my cohort. Each program is different and I can only speak for IEDP, but our cohort is very close. My roommate says we 'travel in packs'! Although coursework can get a bit overwhelming and hectic here at times it's important to make time for socializing. IEDP enjoys the regular happy hours at nearby bars. We have done events such as a potluck and game night, world trivia!, a trip to the Penn Museum and Reading terminal.

Course: Educational and Social Entrepreneurship

I'm taking a course on Educational and Social Entrepreneurship this semester. It is through GSE but is being taught by a Wharton professor. Its a great mix of students from all across campus. The course bridges business principles with education. It is a course that is right up my alley as I hope to help start schools or new educational ventures in Africa after graduation. The course meets once per month on Friday, ALL day. Yesterday was our first class period and I wasn't quite sure about the idea of spending 6 hours in one class. The professor however was very lively and really encouraged class participation. He put us into groups several times to think through different situations and apply various principles he had just finished lecturing about. GSE really does offer such a wide variety of courses for students with many different interests!