What I've Learned in Grad School

I spend a lot of time complaining about school and homework and the feelings of stress associated with both of those things, when really, grad school is such an incredible opportunity for me -- in all sorts of ways.  Plus, I've learned (and am still learning) a lot in grad school, actually, and now I'm going to share some of it with you.

1. I'm learning what I don't know.  That is, as I get older, I am able to recognize where my knowledge gaps are, and they're even more obvious in school.  At times, this realization is embarrassing, but more often than not, it's a good learning tool.


2. I've learned that I know more than I thought I did.  Here's an example:
   

   In grad school, operationalization is pounded into your head.  You can hardly have a conversation with anyone without talking about attributes and values and quantifiability.  I think I'm pretty good at it, actually.  Just today, I was explaining to my group members in class why a value scale of 1-10 didn't appropriately measure the attribute "Relevance of the reading."  There are all sorts of problems with that attribute/value pair, but I'll just skip that to say I knew something was fishy.  I talked to my professor afterward, and she said I was on the right track.  It made me feel smart.

3. I've learned that sometimes I just don't want to operationalize things.  Perhaps that's why I didn't apply to Ph.D. programs.


4. I've learned that there are not many food items better than a really well-made sandwich.

Thing I'm thankful for: Honeycrisp apples