There is no finer moment than turning your tassel across your immaculately decorated mortarboard.
Well, how about that all-too-exciting "welcome to grad school" email? When I received my acceptance, I slipped into a sudden shock of accomplishment. I wasn't a typical college student, it took me ten years to get my diploma. Ten years, five breaks, three major switches (Business Management, Marketing, English), and many meltdowns.
I had mixed feelings about going back to school, and didn't want to let myself down again with another setback, either financial or physical. The reading lists were excruciatingly difficult, the response papers were foreign to me, and I honestly felt stupid after sitting in the class with English Lit majors. Their back-and-forth banter felt like a dangerous game of double-dutch, and I couldn't find my rhythm to jump in.
What the hell did I just sign up for?
I questioned my reasoning for signing up for such torturous work. I felt like I was drowning, and I didn't understand why. I somehow made it to the end of this gruesome semester and learned more than the importance of Bertha Mason's character in "Jane Eyre" or the influence Lorraine Hansberry had in the United States; I learned nifty tricks, and I can finally say what I wish someone had said to me this past August.
1. Taking literature classes? One word: Shmoop
If it's shmoopable, it's doable!
I found out about this gem after spending countless hours reading "Emma" by Jane Austen for my literature class. My savvy classmate spilled this juicy gossip as I questioned his beautifully crafted notes. The site is your typical millennial version of SparkNotes, with enough wit and humor to tickle your classic-novel-reading fancies.
"Bro, do you even shmoop?"
Well, you should!
2. Think about your thesis from day one!
I still don't know how I wrote two 15-page papers in two weeks. Aside from having an over-the-top panic attack in class for not having an approved topic, and having my ideas shot down left and right, I also had to find six to eight scholarly sources. (FYI-CSI Library Online has an option called One Source-and you can search through databases for articles that are peer-reviewed!) If I had allowed myself more time, I would've been able to structure my papers stronger; but for a first-time thesis writer, I have no regrets.
3. Bring snacks and coffee, for the show.
To prepare for my long night of listening to that one student who thought she was the author (spilling her soul over the meaning of the red room in "Jane Eyre" or arguing with the professor whether "Jane Eyre" is nonfiction because it was written in first person), I would make sure to take my usual trip to Dunkin Donuts and Wendy's in preparation for the show. Plus, the vending machines are rarely stocked, and always overpriced.
4. Too many passwords!
I have passed my phone and laptop around the classroom in hopes of someone logging me into their account because CSI has too many passwords. How can I remember how to properly use MLA format and the 1700 passwords used for every single area of CUNY? Think about it, they have account sign-in's for EVERYTHING: CUNYFirst, CUNY Portal, the CSI Computers, and your CSI Email. Well, before I trashed my Lenovo laptop, a friend gave me advice: take your classmate's log-in and add (@something) to share their WiFi access. You are welcome! And you can use @apple, @school, or even @strawberry, it will work.
With these casual CSI-hacks, your graduate sentence in CSI might go slightly smoother. And when you deplete your sanity, and find yourself still struggling to commit, remember to look around your classroom.
Do you see anyone? Well, if the room has other students in it, how bad can it really be? Go get your seat!
