Funding: Part 1

Last week, I got some interesting news. Apparently Asians are not an underrepresented minority at my university. Hmmm. Also, we outnumber other minority populations such as Blacks/African-Americans and Hispanics/Latinos at the university because they are considered underrepresented. This brings into the question of what actually qualifies as an Asian that is underrepresented versus an Asian that is not underrepresented. As a Filipina, I was sure that I would be somewhat in the minority in research. But maybe that is based on more observation that statistics.

Now, what if someone that is Nepalese, Tibetan, Cambodian, or Burmese tries to apply for funding under a Diversity category. Certainly the categorization of "Asian" would still exclude them if the same representation statistics were applied. But, just how many of each of these ethnicities are actually represented among the U.S. university population. I would think that the number of other Asian populations, such as those from India, Japan, South Korea, and China (those countries that are likely greater represented), would probably skew the actual amount of ethnically diverse Asians that are in universities. So what about the rest of the minority within the minority? Should there be a breakdown of ethnic populations to ensure better representation and better chances at opportunities for diversity funding? Or would this just be another complicated addition as a result of political correctness? Does it really matter? Could one make a case for just how underrepresented their particular ethnicity is within the university? Should one?

The Virtual Classroom

An amazing thing happened today. Despite a crippling snowstorm that shut down the university, students were able to participate in classes from home with their instructors, who were also snowed in and homebound. Back in the day, this would have been impossible. Students would be cheering and running around in the snow drifts, sledding, making snowmen and snow angels. Professors would be wondering how to make up the class days. But thanks to modern technology, the learning environment has extended beyond the traditional classroom.

I was in class today with someone in Kentucky, a few people in Missouri, and I was in Texas. Imagine the possibilities of having class with people all over the world. I'm sure people have imagined this. There are virtual classrooms that connect learners locally, nationally, and globally. I wonder what that will do to the actual institution of a university. Sure, researchers will still need to have labs and equipment. But will the students still need to file into that immense classroom and listen to their lectures at specified times? Will students need a physical library to sift through information, papers, and reference materials? I am able to access my university's library from my computer. While it isn't always the perfect solution (I still have to pay to have older, non-digital papers scanned and emailed to me), it literally puts thousands of journals at my fingertips.

Perhaps the future of learning is in the virtual classroom. There will be no more hallowed halls. No more lecterns. No more boundaries. No more limitations on who can listen, who can speak, and who can learn.

Organization....

...is key. Unfortunately, I think that my mind is trying to move a mile a minute these days. I settle on one concept or thought, and then another creeps in to take its place and wipe any prior ideas out of my mind. Now, that isn't fair. On the upside, I've come up with some good ideas this way, as long as I have the time to write it down before it gets replaced by another thing. Sometimes, multi-tasking is a godsend. Other times, it's a nightmare.

So back to this organization thing. I've gotten this program called Evernote. It's actually been great for taking notes during my distance classes. Also, if I'm in the middle of nowhere, I can still access the program and jot down some ideas and thoughts using the mobile app version. I can take pictures, do voice recordings, screen capture. It's pretty nifty. And I can tag notes so that, for example, I can look up notes based on my classes, or dissertation ideas, or conversations with my advisor. It's free for a limited amount of data. But I figure, I haven't used up my quota in the past couple of weeks of intensive note taking, so I probably won't need to expand.

On the non-school related side, I've used it for other memorable items, like wines I like or recipes. So all in all, a worthy investment for the student. And I really didn't have to invest much at all in it. Just a bit of time to download.

Ramping Up

What is different about this semester from last semester? I'm in a synchronous class that actually allows me to see my fellow mates. I'm trying to sign up for 12 credits as opposed to 9. I'm not stay at home, working on school stuff every day of the week. Yes and no. These are all right. But something else feels different. I can't put my finger on it.

I guess, I'm thinking to myself that I've made it through the first semester. I've done it! Yay. But wait, there's more? What do you mean I've got something like six-plus more semesters. I have to put forth this self-directed effort for the next how many years? Wait. Really?

So the first few months, I was settling into my routine. My routine's changed a bit and I am still trying to get a hang of it. But there is so much to do. Other than keep up in my classes, I've got this research practicum to work on, which requires me to travel about 30-40 a day to the local University and do work over there. And I've got to do some field work in an environment involving older adults. And I've got to continue to look up papers related to my research interest. *sigh* But you could say that I'm doing this to myself, and you would be absolutely right. And then, you could ask why? 

Head Start

I'm trying to get a jump on things early. But, I can't decide what to start on first: stats, grant writing.... The problem with working ahead is that you risk not getting important information from future classes that may be useful to your work. But then, you get the work done early so you can focus on more time-consuming and taxing future classes. Is the work 100% quality then? Perhaps at the time you initially worked on it, without the knowledge or perceptions that you would have developed in the later classes and discussions. I think I'll wait. Besides, I'm not really that motivated right now anyways.

Learning from Far, Far Away

So, we had our first "class" yesterday. I put it in quotations because it's sort of a virtual class room. You can see your instructors and maybe any students that are actually living in the area and attending in person. But you can't see any of the other non-locals. Well...unless they press the talk button to chat. Anyways, much to my relief, it all went quite well. There are only about 4 of us in the course. So maybe we have to push that talk button more often than not.

Distance learning is a challenge. It's not for the faint of heart, or the weak of self-motivation. You have got to set your time aside and stick to your schedule. It's so easy to say to yourself, "nah, I'm going to watch that NCIS marathon, and get to the stats homework later." Later could then turn into tomorrow, and then the weekend, and next thing you know, you're scrambling to get the work in before that midnight deadline. Not that I do that, mind you. No, never. Actually, I like to try to get as much done earlier in the semester as possible. One could say that is because traditionally, semesters get much progressively busier. But the truth is that I get progressively lazier as through the semester. The laziness and inertia slowly creep in after week number 5 or 6....insidiously infecting my grey matter, making me think that whatever marathon may be happening on the USA channel is far more important than finishing that grant proposal.

But this semester ends with a bang. We have to give a presentation on our research topic to the faculty and however many students that decide to show up. I'm already experiencing tachycardia. More on this later.

Week One, Day One

So, as anticlimactic as it may seem, today is the start of the new semester. Let me explain. It's anticlimactic because nothing is really happening today. See, I'm in this distance program, and I don't really have "in-class" time, so everything's really self-directed and self-motivate (uh-oh). Last semester, I didn't have any regular meet-with-your-peers time, so my mates and I basically chatted over the phone periodically and caught up, or whined, or groaned, or wallowed in a pit of self-pity and loathing over how silly we were to sign up for this whole graduate school thing again.

This semester, we have a regular, weekly virtual classroom day. It will be interesting because 1) I wonder how my internet connection will hold up to 3-6 hours of constant "on-ness," 2) I wonder if I have to wear anything nice below the waist, since most people won't be seeing that (i.e., can I wear my jammies and a nice shirt?? what is the etiquette here?), and 3) well, it will just be darn interesting to actually see and converse with my peers, even if it's through the ether.

Another fun fact about this semester: we have an in-residence week. Well, it's more like 3-4 days. But during that time, I have to *shudder* give an oral presentation. Okay, so to most people that doesn't seem to bad. But I haven't told you about my dislike, nay, aversion, to standing up in front of people. It wasn't always like this. But that story is for another time. Let's just say, I have a physical and psychological response akin to excessive, debilitating distress! So, while others are trying to get on top of this semester and plan ahead, I am sadly counting down the days and hours until my trial. Literally.

One would ask, why would you chose to pursue a degree where the final product is a rather large and drawn out oral presentation, and which entails a career of public speaking? Good question. But don't judge. Maybe I can explain in a later post. For now, I have to lie down and take some deep, calming breaths.