More (Almost) Week 2: Throw it in the bag...

Though this line could apply to my shopping habits these days... Read: School made me overhaul my budget!!! I'm talking about classes. One of the exciting aspects of going back to school is studying what I want and devoting time to what's interesting to me. This especially holds true for classes. On Friday, Drop/Add Period will officially end, and to say I did a little class research is the understatement of all understatements.

Having taken multiple Stat. courses in undergrad, I was waved out of the Stat. requirement, which left me with an open spot to fill. So... I went shopping! I sat in on International Markets & Politics, Business as Public Policy, Comprehensive School Reform as Applied Public Policy, Women Leaders in Emerging Democracies as well as a few other courses. It was exhausting physically and mentally!

However, two weeks and many class meetings later, I found my class... well, actually, I found two! Women Leaders in Emerging Democracies and Comprehensive School Reform as Applied Public Policy. The women's course examines traits of successful women within the political realm and how to get more women to the table. Coming from Corporate America, I have an appreciation for strong women leaders and a great interest in studying those traits that make them effective.

Comprehensive School Reform as Applied Public Policy examines current issues in education reform and how to navigate the politics associated with implementing change. Already, the course is smashing many of my preconceived notions about public education and how to fix many of its shortcoming. Hey--That's why I'm taking the course. Learning in progress!

All in all, it's shaping up to be quite the engaging semester. Like this shopping period, it'll be long, but I'm betting quite worthwhile. Oh, and if you're wondering... Though I only had one class spot to fill, I was so curious about Comprehensive School Reform as Applied Public Policy that I decided to audit the course. Learning for the sake of learning-- Can't beat that deal. Throw it in the bag!

Image Credit: ivysport.com

Week (Almost) 2: Lots and lots of leather bound books!

School officially started two weeks ago Wednesday, and I can't believe how time has flown!

While it's only been four years since I've been out of school, it feels like an eternity since I've been on-campus... learning! Going to class, going to the library, doing homework, reading... All of these things feel so mewhat foreign to me. Although studying for the GMAT was definitely good preparation--I got real intimate with the library through that process... just ask the Chicago crew--what GMAT studying didn't prepare me for is all of the READING that comes with the graduate studies!!!

Did I really not read that much in business school? Doubtful. I'm pretty sure I read a ton, and I'm now suffering from selective amnesia.

Anywho, despite all of the reading demands, I'm actually enjoying things this go round... Last week, I read lots of Finance and Econ stuff, The Prince and the UN's Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women... Hadn't touched the last two since Mr. Horner's class and Model UN in high school. This week it's The Art of War, Half the Sky, Gender and Elections and some Econ and Finance texts. Next week it's The Art of Woo as well as more Econ and Finance texts... You see a pattern with Econ and Finance??? Oh, and I read The Power Broker over the summer... That one is in a class of it's own.

All in all things are going well... Just in a couple of short weeks, though, I've realized it's going to be a hectic, page-turning semester :-)

(Oh, the first picture... that's the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, my former second home... Below you'll see my new home, the Van Pelt on Penn's campus.)