Last night I had a bit of a taxonomological (yea I just made that word up) epiphany regarding my experience in Barbados. Basically, doing a one year Masters program is like being a Freshman and a Senior at the same time, or as I like to put it a Freshenior. I am a Freshman in that I have absolutely no idea how things at UWI work and what graduate school is like. I am a Senior in that the work expected from me is of a very high level, especially in the realm of my thesis which I will begin writing in only a few short months. Thus the transition from Freshman to Senior that takes four years at an undergraduate university is expected to occur almost immediately in a one year Masters program. I think it is this conflict that is responsible for so much of my anxiety and stress.
My fifth week of classes just ended, and while each passing week makes me more comfortable in my Freshenior role, I wonder when I will cease to be a Freshenior and simply be a Senior. My bet is on the end of the first semester.
Finally, here's a special heads-up: Tomorrow I am going to post my second collection of cultural observations since moving down here, so check back soon!
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