Despite what previous posts might convey, there are moments when I enjoy being in grad school.
A few nights ago, my friend Julie and I were at Barriques as usual (it's a good thing I work there because I'd be broke without my discount), me doing homework and she reading her Economist. We didn't get much done because we kept interrupting each other with interesting things we came across. We discussed Burma, aka Myanmar, and the political significance of names. I got my mind a little blown by my textbook that grouped Al-Qaeda in with non-governmental organizations, commonly thought of as non-profits. (Technically, it's true. For a certain sector of society, Al-Qaeda represents their interests and provides social services when the government does not. Heavy, man!) We talked about the importance of the spectrum of activism. I get to have this exchange of ideas quite often, both in class and over beers. It's pretty awesome.
I'm even enjoying writing my term paper on
debt-for-nature swaps. Of course, I'd love to be spending all my time researching it instead of wasting hours on deciphering statistics software, but the important thing is is that there are only 3 more stats classes before the end of the semester. And the program has an incentive not to fail me, because if I have to take this class again, I'm dropping out and taking my exorbitant out-of-state tuition fees with me.
But I digress. I'm actually looking forward to next semester, when all my classes will be ones I'm interested in. (Yes, even macroeconomics. I've gotten really interested in economics this semester, and the potential to use economic means to solve environmental problems.)
I think the core reason I enjoy grad school is that it gives me a chance to blatantly, unabashedly rebel in my nerdulence.
Current Temperature: 18; windchill: 3.
WWTAL:Yellow-Orange.
Edited to add: I just saw tomorrow's temperature and I made a sound like this: aachhuuuuuuuuuuuhhhwuuhhuguhhhh.
