Mastering the Survival of the Second Year Graduate School

 This week I am going to take a deeper dive into what it is like for me, Leah, finishing up my last year of graduate school. My last first day of graduate school was three weeks ago. It is safe to say that I am nose-deep into the semester. I am finishing up my Master of Science: Sports Science and Performance Specialization. I am excited to be coming up on graduation, but also extremely nervous and anxious for what the next steps are come May 2024.

This semester I am taking three classes:

1) Advanced Strength & Conditioning

2) Advanced Exercise Testing

3) Thesis I

As far as this semester goes, my two classes - advanced strength & conditioning and advanced exercise testing - are not that difficult. To be honest, it is mostly a repeat from my undergraduate degree. As for my thesis, well, that is a whole other story.

Typically, students get a whole semester to write their chapters one through three of their thesis. Chapter one is just the introduction, chapter two is an entire literature review, and chapter three is the methods that will be followed during data collection. Then later in the fall semester or even in the beginning of the spring semester students will do data collection and then write the last chapters. However, similarly, to the rest of my life, my thesis timeline has not followed the norm. I had to write chapter one through three in five days. Yes, I had to find twenty plus sources and write eighteen plus pages. These chapters had to be completed in a semi-final draft. I am scheduled to start data collection on the 18th of September and present my thesis proposal sometime between now and then.

On top of my classes, I also work in the exercise and performance nutrition lab as a graduate assistant. I wish I could say that the job was fulfilling, but the research areas are not in my interest circle and they are several internal factors that just drain me. However, I do some volunteer work with sports nutrition with the athletic department and athlete monitoring with the men's volleyball team. These more align with my interests. Additionally, I work as a chiropractic assistant at a private practice here in the area. Its only once a week, but I do very much enjoy the people I work with there.

All in all, I am three weeks into the school year and I am feeling burn-out badly. Let's hope over the next couple weeks things figures themselves out.