now what did we learn...

Welp, my first year of doctoral study is over.

Let me repeat that: MY FIRST YEAR OF DOCTORAL STUDY IS OVERRRR!!!!!!! Woohooooo!!

(I may or may not have hit a dougie when I emailed my final paper... you know, just like a normal doctoral student.)

This year, especially this past semester, was probably the hardest in my long (and not always illustrious) academic career. There was just sooo much work!! When I described it to my friends, I would always say, "it's like undergrad, only I have to do all of the work." Seriously, there was no room for slacking. But I learned a lot, both about the education stuff I'm studying and about myself. Here are a few of the personal take-away points that will (hopefully) serve me well in the future.

1. Sleep to rest, not to procrastinate. "I'll do this after my nap" = "This won't be done until tomorrow/next week/the night before it is due." Not always a good idea.  
2. Family-sized bags of chips should not be kept next to the computer. (Related: Family-sized bags of chips are not a meal.) 
3. If I don't go to the gym as soon as I wake up, I'm not going to go to the gym that day. Just wake up, work out, then attempt start the day. 
4. DVR anything that is remotely interesting, or else I won't get any work done while it's on. I have to stick to reruns of cooking shows and marathons of ANTM or Project Runway if I want to get anything accomplished.  
5. Spotify's genre stations suck. A lot. Artist stations are slightly better, but only slightly. 
6. Dance breaks are necessary... as are food breaks, walk breaks, Twitter breaks, and mess with the cat breaks. 
7. The energy from a grande hazelnut redeye (flavored coffee with a shot of espresso) from Starbucks will last 7 hours if consumed when tired... 10 if consumed when awake.  
8. Going into a work tunnel will only trap me in the lonely box. Sometimes, not working is just as important as working.
9. Anyone who doesn't understand how busy I am doesn't deserve an explanation. 
10. It's tough because it's worth it. 

As this journey continues, I'm sure it won't get easier. Hopefully, I'll be able to learn from myself and make it as painless as possible. I like where this is going, and I hope to be in good shape when I get there!