Sunday, January 3, 2010

2000-2010: The decade of the university

It just hit me today that this was the start of a new decade. Why this didn't hit me during the week when I was reading all those "decade in review" newspaper articles I have no idea. I guess I am a bit slow to catch on right now with all the stuff I have to do to get ready to move and start school again.

But what really hit me was that I have spent the entire decade in Universities. Ten whole years spent in institutes of higher learning, and I am going back for more!

So here is a short decade in review: the education edition:

2000
I was in the high-school graduating class of 2000. We thought we were awesome because none of the other kids would ever get that privilege. Our grad dance was ok, even better because they had finally found some medication that would make me feel better after a year of some weird arthritis thing, so I was able to dance. My parents felt so bad that I had been sick all year, they let me have an after-prom party at my house with all my friends. It was fabulous!

Then I started university just up the street at University of Guelph. I got to live in residence even though my building was actually on the same street as my parents lived, a 12 minute walk away.

2001
My first summer job at a Lodge in Muskoka. Best and worst experience ever. I worked and lived with a great group of young people, but the job sucked and the people I worked for were even worse.

I lived in an apartment downtown with one of my best friends. We quickly realized that we should never have lived together, but we still had good moments of fun.

I started studying history in my second year. All went well until I missed half of my final exam, but I explained what had happened and my T.A. stood up for me and said I was his best student, so I was able to finish writing it. My life would be completely different if i hadn't.

2002
I had a semester in London, England. It was awesome. We had classes in Art Galleries and saw a different play and concert every week. Plus we lived with kids from all over the commonwealth, and I had my first kiss.

2003
I got back from England and lived with my parents for the rest of my undergrad.

I also started working for the 1891 Census project as the first student employee, and worked for them until I moved to Victoria.

2004
I finished up my undergrad with one last semester in the fall of 2004. I completely fell in love with history that told the story of ordinary people. I discovered the dataset that was the start of my Master's Thesis and decided to go to grad school.

2005
I continued to work for the Census Project at Guelph and applied for Grad school.

In the fall, I moved to Victoria, BC, and started my Master's at the University of Victoria.

2006
More masters, awesome friends, moved from crappy house to better house, became Vice President of the Graduate History Society.

2007
Not so much working on the masters, having too much fun as VP and as a T.A.

2008
I decided to get the Masters Thesis done and over with, so I moved back home to Ontario in September and worked on it in my parent's basement.
2009
I finally defended on June 15th! huzzah! I was fabulous.
And then I decided I couldn't get a job with just a history masters, so I applied for the MLIS program at Western, and I start on Friday.
A decade of University, and I'm not even done yet.

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