So today marks the end of my first complete day as a Graduate student doing Graduate courses. It's a lot of work. A lot more then I expected. I knew there would be an increase in workload but there is so much more then that at the Graduate level. No more easy answer, no more teacher/student relationship. It's a blend now. The teacher no longer treats you as a student but rather a colleague with less experience here to profit from the wisdom of the generation that's been around the block a few times.
It's an interesting change. The increased workload is partially the amount of work expected and the quality expected at the Graduate level but a lot of it comes from the need to not disappoint or live up to your potential. To not get out of the experience of working with these veterans some valuable insights not just into your field but rather to how they have lived their lives. It's here at the Graduate level that I'm finally utilizing all those skills that seemed useless at the undergrad. I've come to realize that besides the base knowledge the most valuable thing you learn in undergrad is the ability to teach yourself, to discipline yourself. No longer are you given examples but rather you must seek the examples to educate yourself.
I feel, despite my tiredness (12 hour days are really really long), a renewed interest and a vigor to immerse myself in the world around me. Not just in music, or school but rather everything that the insight of knowledge brings to you. An increased appetite for things I don't know, and the confidence to boldly state what I do know. And mostly, after a 5 month hiatus I feel the need to create...
2 comments:
Ah yes.
That need to create. That feeling has been on hiatus for me too in the last little while. It's coming back though.
Cheezy, feels after-school-special-ish, but well put.
As a grad student, I concur.
Post a Comment