Switching into High Gear

I just started my third week of classes and my graduate assistantship (from now on I'll refer to it as my GA).  Things are definitely picking up around the office and in my classes.  The Higher Education program is unique in that it can be completed in one year, but it is five graduate courses per semester along with 20 hours per week at a GA.  It definitely makes for a busy schedule, but I tend to be more productive when I have things to do (my incredibly unproductive summer anything serves as a testament to that).  So for now, I have been making a lot of lists and going through stacks of Post-It notes, as well as bringing back some of my speed-reading skills from college.  I really enjoy my courses and my GA so that helps.  It's amazing how quickly the day goes by when you actually like what you're doing!

I also started working out at the Pottruck Fitness Center at Penn.  It's right across from the GSE building.  I bring a change of clothes with me when I go to work/class so I have no excuse not to go on my way home!  I used to do CrossFit last year when I was living in Miami, and I miss it a lot.  Right now I don't have the time or funds to continue with CrossFit, but the fitness center is beautiful, affordable, and they also offer various types of group exercise classes.  If I'm feeling lazy, I'll go to one of the classes.  Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing :)

This past Friday I went on a walking tour of Old City that was organized by the Graduate Student Center at Penn.  It was really interesting to see some of the historical sites and to learn more about Philly.  I grew up in New Jersey, but before coming to Penn, I'd only been to Philly a few times.  After the tour, I explored Old City with a few friends from the Higher Education program and we got dinner at a restaurant called Revolution House.  On Saturday I went to Ocean City with another friend from my program, which was also a lot of fun.  I grew up about 40 minutes from the Jersey shore, so it's comforting that Philly isn't too far from a beach!

Okay, back to work!  I'm in the process of planning several admissions events for the Fall.  More updates soon :)