Student SPHere 2008-09

Don’t get me wrong, I was just as pumped as anyone to attend any undergraduate event that advertised free pizza. But now I think the difference is that all the food is scrunched into the last three weeks of the semester.

Not that I’m complaining about that either. Stress and food are an excellent combination, and the more time I can spend on homework (as opposed to cooking) the better.

Last week, the School of Public Health bloggers got together for a fabulous Greek lunch.

Over the weekend, I went to the May Day festival in Powderhorn Park. Let’s just say I have a weakness for cotton candy.

Yesterday, we had a lunch potluck in our CHE class. Note to self for future potlucks: grad students + finals + homemade mac ‘n’ cheese = empty pan.

Then we had a (Cinco-de-Mayo-themed) dinner potluck in computer-assisted reporting. I broke out the chickpea tacos recipe I’ve been meaning to try, and we flew through a package of tortillas, so I’m assuming that means they turned out well.

Today, I’m going out to lunch with a friend at the Star Tribune. It’s my technical last day, though I’ll definitely still be here a month from now if I’m going to finish the stories I’m working on.

And for dinner? Potluck No. 3 in two days – this time, a barbeque with some CHE and MCH folks and friends. I’m heading right home from work to wash and slice and skewer some zucchini, mushrooms and peppers.

Who knows what the weekend will bring. But I would guess it’ll be edible.

And I'm hoping it will fuel me through the grant proposal and biostats final I have left to go!

Posted at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an attempt to wimp out of as much Minnesota winter as possible, I spent from about November (OK, maybe October) onward on a quest to discover the least painful way to get from my parking lot at the U to the Mayo building.

I experimented with zipping up the hood, pulling the hands into the sleeves and booking it as quickly and directly as possible. Too cold.

I tried tunneling through Moos. Too confusing. And depressing underground. And HOT with all my snow gear.

One day, realizing it was the absolute closest big building to the parking lot, I busted into the hospital and figured I’d find myself to class in Mayo somehow. And I did. And it wasn’t confusing. Or cold. Or hot. Or underground. So I adopted that as my route.

One day this week, as I went through the giant revolving door, waved at the valet parking guys, smiled at the front desk attendant and said hi to the gift shop clerk, I realized something: It’s not winter anymore. It was 82 degrees yesterday. The outdoor route from parking to Mayo is much shorter than trekking through the hospital. Why am I still doing it?

Habit, probably, to some degree. But when I really thought about it, I had a dorky revelation. I like the hospital! I like the people! I like the patients! And I haven’t had enough of that in my life lately.

I am absolutely a people person. I have been told more than once that there’s just something about me that makes all kinds of people want to tell me their life stories. Trust me, it’s not always a good thing. Sure, it’s great in the journalistic part of my life – but, um, think for a second about when I’m stuck in the window seat on a plane with a 60-something couple who just must tell me every detail of their son’s destination wedding, a person I don’t recognize from my hometown wanting to catch me up on small-town gossip or a sleep-meds-and-alcohol-mixing soldier returning from a deployment who probably violated many, many confidentiality rules.

But I won’t lie, I even enjoyed (a small part of) those conversations because I just love people. So I go through the hospital a few times a week with a big grin on my face, and people grin back. I see a lot of stuff that one might not grin at – especially because it’s also a children’s hospital – but really, if those kids and their families need anything, it’s a smile.

Yesterday during my little smile parade, I realized how much I miss working directly with people. I’m loving my public health program and the opportunity that gives me to affect change on a higher level, from that upstream perspective. I think ultimately that’s where I want to be.

But without knowing, I think I’ve been reflecting a lot this semester and realizing that I can’t let go of the direct contact with people this easily. It keeps me grounded, reminds me why I’m doing what I’m doing and makes me smile – all of which are absolutely critical, I think, to be successful.

When I meet with kids and their families through Make-A-Wish (where I volunteer), I have a very distinct sense of satisfaction of helping that child and that family in that moment, and I think that’s something I need more of in my life right now.

Funny how it took me a year of loving population-level studies and work to realize how much I love working with people one-on-one. But I’m glad I realized it! I’m going to spend the summer figuring out how to work more of it into my life – mentoring a child, tutoring an adult in English, distributing goods for the food shelf, anything.

And I’ll probably keep walking through the hospital.

Posted at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OK, I admit this may be about one part reflection to 10 parts projection...but I'm excited! I can't help it.

I want to go on and on about all the stuff that's falling into place for summer and next fall, but I'll hold myself back for a second because the past two semesters have been important in getting it all rolling.

At first I was a little nervous for that point in my programs where I would, for the most point, have my core courses and requirements wrapped up and be set free to sort of do my own thing with intervention and elective credits. Not that I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything -- I was worried I wouldn't be able to cross anything off the list of possibilities!

But this first year has, I think, taught me how to expand and contract my focus at the same time in the way that's going to work out best for me in the end. I've figured out some stuff about the skills I have (communication), should probably get (evaluation) and will need in the future (all...); the topics that definitely interest me (refugees), might interest me (animals) and don't interest me at all (no comment); and, to some degree, the types of work I'd love to do (communications, program planning) vs. the types of work I'd hate (sitting in a cubicle with no human contact and SAS).

In that spirit, I signed up for some fabulous-sounding classes for May term, summer and fall:

May term
- CSPH 5321: Public Health Priorities in the Developing World
- CSPH 5000: Animals in Healthcare

Summer
- PUBH 6102: Issues in Environmental and Occupational Health (online)
- PUBH 6751: Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations (online)

Fall
- JOUR 8195 Online Media Creation & Design
- NURS 5221 Refugee Health: Trauma, Stress & Coping
- PUBH 6066: Community Building & Health
- PUBH 6078: Public Health Policy as a Prevention Strategy
- PUBH 6035: Applied Research Methods
- PUBH 6741: Ethics in Public Health: Professional Practice & Policy

I think it's a good mix of topics and skills classes, and I'm sure I'll be both busy and fascinated. As usual. Now if I can just plow through the next few weeks!

Posted at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I’ve always envied people who, on New Year’s Eve, can go through the year and really think about where they were, where they are now and how far they’ve come. What they’ve failed and succeeded in. How they’re going to take on the next year differently, better.

I am not that person. It’s too mushy, too difficult and takes too darn much of my increasingly precious time. (I tried to make resolutions on Jan. 1. And again sometime in February. Maybe even in March. No luck.) So even though I probably could have learned a lot from a formal reflection on 2008, I’ll probably flop through 2009 in much the same fashion.

Yes, this is something I should probably work on. And what better time to do it than when I’m approaching The End of my first year of grad school? So, for my remaining posts this semester, I don’t promise I will do it well – but I’ll give it a shot.

In my first year of grad school, I learned...

...you have to choose your battles. You can’t knock every assignment out of the park or prepare for a month for every exam (OK, so maybe that one’s never happened). You have to skim some readings and do others, nonchalantly, in the back row of another class. And you can’t beat yourself up about it, as long as you’ve got at least a couple priorities and you know what they are.

…it’s easier to stay on a roll than get on a roll. If the physics behind inertia didn’t make sense to me in high school, I can proudly say that now I’ve got it covered. I’m an all-or-nothing person, so I have to just get busy and stay busy, filling every spare second with something – because when I stop, I don’t want to start again. I know this is the fast-track to burnout, but I’m working on finding a happy little hill that lets me roll down at a relatively leisurely pace.

…it’s not easy to walk the talk. It’s amazing how public health school can be so NOT conducive to being healthy. I have about an 80-pound bag full of crap that I carry around every day, so my lunches, for example, have to small, portable, non-perishable and high-calorie enough to keep me awake and moving. You know what kind of stuff generally fits into that category. Other grad school conveniences? Caffeine! Avoiding exercise! Not getting enough sleep! Luckily I caught this one early and justified to myself that my health needs to be a priority – how am I going to help other people be healthy while I’m to my elbow in a bag of Cheetos? I try to pack a real lunch in a real lunch box with a little ice pack. Avoid soda/coffee. Run, swim, 30-Day Shred in my living room. Sleep seven hours a night. All with varying degrees of success.

…people are more important than books. Or tests. Or pretty much anything. I could write a novel about this. Probably a series. From studying to running to swimming to wearing 80s garb to a piano bar together, the people I’ve met this year are fabulous. Hands down. And I know they’re going to be there in the future, whether they’re hooking me up with a sweet job when I finally graduate, months after they do (I’m counting on you!), or listening to me whine about how I gained 10 pounds, got two flat tires and think I should just sell all my worldly possessions and travel the world by donkey.

…not knowing what I’m going to do with my life is OK – and actually kind of fun. My adviser gave me a great piece of advice (which may have just been to make me feel better, but I’m going with it): to take advantage of all kinds of opportunities that seem to have nothing to do with one another and not be embarrassed to have a resume that screams, “I GET DISTRACTED BY SHINY OBJECTS.” If I have run-of-the-mill experiences all in a neat little line, I’m going to get a run-of-the-mill, straight-line job when I finish school, and vice versa. I’m definitely more of a fan of the vice versa, and I’m learning to embrace that (even if it means selling my stuff and hunting down a donkey).

All in all, I'd call it a success.

Posted at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can’t believe it’s that totally chaotic time of the semester again! It seems like it was just October. And unfortunately this semester I don’t think the workload is going to shrink anytime soon – as in, not until May 16 when finals are over and I’m in absolute heaven on the couch in a pair of sweatpants…where I will probably remain for a good week.

There are a couple of good things about the craziness: No matter what, everything always seems to get done, and the more stuff going on each week, the faster it’s Friday. This week was an absolute blur, with a my process evaluation plan due in my program evaluation class on Monday, a World Refugee Day meeting and site visit on Tuesday, a trip to the dentist (wisdom teeth have to come out! boo) and lots of biostats work on Wednesday, a grant proposal review due in CHE on Thursday and, today, working at the Star Tribune – and attempting to get everything done that just didn’t happen this week.

The Malpractice Ball at Blaisdell Manor last weekend was a nice break from everything – absolutely like a semi-adult prom. Aside from the fact that someone STOLE my digital camera (!!!), it was a fun night of friends and wine and digging dresses out of the back of the closet.

CHE ladies at the ball

The other super-fun part of my week was finally meeting my public health advisor, Cheryl Robertson! Yes, I know it’s April and I’ve been in school for almost three-quarters of a year. But she is in the School of Nursing and had never advised a public health student before, so everything took a little longer to get going. And I am very happy to report that it was 100 percent worth the wait.

Cheryl’s had some amazing experiences as a nurse and public health worker all over the world, and the refugee and immigrant issues I’m so interested in are near and dear to her. Before coming to the U, she worked at the Center for Victims of Torture -- what I think has got to be one of the coolest local nonprofits. I think she’s going to be a fantastic resource for making connections, developing a master’s project and encouraging me to really take advantage of the opportunities that come my way (and the ones I have to chase down).

It’s amazing how excited and reenergized I feel after having that one conversation. Five more weeks of school, bring it on.

Posted at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can't say I'm rested and refreshed and renewed after my busy spring break -- and I'm definitely not ready for what I feel like will be three-fourths of the semester's work in half the semester -- but I did manage to squeeze in a little fun in place of classes last week.

There is nothing like the teeny, tiny spring we have in Minnesota, and last week was it. Probably all of it. But it was beautiful. I got in some good running for the first time in a couple months, took a trip to the dog park and met friends for a trip around Lake Harriet. If it could be sunny and 65 (OK, maybe...72) every day in Minneapolis, I swear I would never leave.

Oh, and I ate. A lot. Like, an extra three pounds of body weight worth.

We celebrated The Boyfriend's birthday with my totally-from-scratch Choco Tacos -- impressive, I know!

And a tour of the Summit Brewery in St. Paul. Very cool, and FREE!

Birthday dinner at the Chatterbox, brunch at Day by Day Cafe, ladies night at the adorable Riverview Wine Bar in my neighborhood.

All in all a fun spring break, even though it was a busy one. Now if I can just get down to business for the next eight weeks! And maybe stop pigging out...

Posted at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, so I’m not on a white, sandy beach somewhere, sipping a frosty drink with an umbrella. Spring “break,” for me, is not turning into much of a break at all. But that’s OK – sometimes it’s just nice to change things up a bit, even if it means sitting in Minnesota while friends are in Mexico. Sigh. The life of a busy, broke grad student.

When my alarm went off on Monday morning, I won’t lie, I was wondering what in the world had made me sign up for a two-full-day, one-credit class. Over spring break. But in the first five minutes of PubH 7250 Designing and Conducting Focus Group Interviews, I knew it had been the right decision. Widely known, from what I hear, as The Man of focus groups, Dick Krueger did not disappoint in the slightest. For two days straight, the guy went totally off the cuff and imparted more perfectly versed, detailed knowledge than I will ever collect in my lifetime. It was a great mix of lecture, sharing experiences, practicing and talking in small groups, and – don’t tell anyone, but – I’m actually excited to do the final assignment: writing out a focus group introduction and questioning route.

When we practiced introducing participants to a focus group, explaining the goals and procedures and logistics and asking an initial question, my small group told me I was a natural. “I think we would tell you anything about anything,” one person said. I take that as a compliment, which is great because I could really see myself doing it one day, maybe even for my master’s project. There’s just one problem: I would NOT be able to be a quiet, objective observer! I love interacting with people and am, surprise, surprise, very chatty, so I can’t imagine sitting there nodding when I would surely want to tell people I understand, I’m so sorry for what they’ve been through, that’s a great idea, that happened to me once when I was traveling abroad, etc. Sooo maybe conducting focus groups isn’t a realistic career move for me, but I'd at least like to try one out. Maybe I shoud be in focus groups instead?

I’ll be at the Star Tribune and World Refugee Day planning meetings for the rest of the week, working on various school stuff in between. And it’s The Boyfriend’s birthday on Thursday, so of course I have to sneak around and set up some things to make sure it’s a happy one!

Posted at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh, midterms. I can't believe you're here already! And I am not looking forward to you.

I spent the weekend doing productive things like walking the dog,

working out, cooking, cleaning, running errands) to avoid studying - and I have to say I was quite successful at that part of it. I've also managed to somewhat gear up for the week to come. Not as in being pumped and ready to go, but as in convincing myself that I can do it and survive 'til Friday. At least I'm feeling OK about it at this point...ask me again in a day or two.

Because I'm a born 'n' bred Minnesotan, ask me how my midterms week is and, without thinking, I'll say, "Could be worse." But I think it really could be. Here's the line-up for the week:

Monday: biostats midterm exam (eek), program eval

Tuesday: biggish CHE assignment due, doing a Make-A-Wish interview

Wednesday: turn in biostats homework early (I hope!), work @ Star Tribune

Thursday: another CHE assignment due (better not be as big!), computer-assisted reporting story due, computer-assisted reporting midterm exam

Friday: at the Star Tribune all day, then getting my apartment/life in order because my fam is coming to visit this weekend!

It'll be busy, but I think I'll make it. Especially because I have some fam time and spring break to look forward to at the end of the tunnel. Not that my week "off" is really a break -- I'm taking a two-day focus group class, working at the paper, prepping/going to a World Refugee Day meeting and finishing up the video project I've been working on with the Department of Health.

So I'll be busy but not with homework, which is always nice. :)

Posted at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wasn't 100 percent sure about this whole interning-at-the-Star-Tribune thing when I signed up to do it at the end of last semester, but I'm having a fantastic experience so far. I love rolling up my sleeves and doing real-world work to balance all the time I spend in a classroom, and it's great to see how the two connect.

I'm technically doing a directed study in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication so I can get graduate credit, but I'm really taking an undergrad practicum course that places students in the Strib newsroom for 14 hours a week. We also meet weekly at the Strib to check in and hear from people working in different areas of the company: multimedia, union stuff, columnists, etc.

Situated in the health team, I've reported, written and pitched my own stuff alongside a bunch of great journalists who have been doing this for years. I was pretty nervous the first week, wondering why in the world someone slipped up and decided to let little old me play journalist.

But I've really gotten into the swing of things the last few weeks and am quickly getting over my fear of talking on the phone in the middle of the newsroom when people can hear me, my frustration when sources don't pick up their phones or call me back and my total inability to tell a story in 500 words instead of 1,500. And I'm remembering why I majored in journalism in college -- because you get to very quickly become a quasi-expert on a totally new topic every week. Which is fun!

So far, the pieces I've had published include a story on the nutritional impact of the economic recession, one on high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts and a little story on the cost of operating health data centers (think electronic medical records) in Minnesota.

And I just wrapped up interviews for my next story that I'm super excited about. Stay tuned!

Posted at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't get me wrong, I never, ever disliked weekends. They were the high point of my undergrad days and the light at the end of the tunnel that is the dragging 40-hour work week. But until this semester, I didn't really need them -- and I don't hesitate for a second to admit I do now.

I know I piled a pretty hefty load on myself this semester, but I'm discovering it's not just the amount of time I spend on school/work/internship stuff that makes me daydream about putting on my sweat pants on Friday at 6 p.m. It's the variety -- and while I love it, my brain constantly switching gears between statistical software and program evaluations and lining up photos for newspaper stories and writing program goals and objectives just makes me want to take a nap.

I definitely still spend much of my Sunday evenings whining about how the weekend went by too fast and I don't want it to be Monday yet, but I've been thinking more about the art of making weekends feel longer, more relaxing and as if they're better preparing me for the week to come. And while I've far from mastered it, it's getting better because of:

Yoga. Much to (I'm sure) The Boyfriend's delight, I try to make him do yoga with me on Saturday mornings in the living room. I admit my MTV Yoga DVD from college and move-the-coffee-table-out-of-the-way routine aren't quite a trendy little yoga studio, and I'm certainly not tying myself into a pretzel, but I enjoy it and find it's a good way to forget about the week, prepare myself for the weekend and get in some exercise.

Breakfast. I refuse to skip breakfast, even when I head to campus early to swim twice a week and will honestly load up my fancy cereal holder (with separate, cooled milk compartment and fold-up spoon) with yogurt, granola and berries and eat in class. Without some nutrients, I cannot function. But there's something about making a real breakfast -- pancakes, waffles, muffins, omelets -- that feels nice and relaxing and homey and weekend-y. (And I have to make up for forcing The Boyfriend into yoga somehow.)

Avoiding work. OK, I know this is not always possible. It's usually not, in fact. But I try to plan ahead and do as much work as possible during the week to free up as much weekend as possible, and, when I do have to work, to squeeze it all into a specific period, i.e., Sunday afternoon, so I don't have to spend the rest of the weekend thinking about it.

Prepping for Monday. My mom would be so proud: I do my best to get together everything I need for Monday the night before so I don't spend the morning spazzing. Yes, I've even been known to lay out my outfit. I also go through my planner and see what's coming up for the week and what I need to add right off the bat. If I start the week organized and not scrambling to get myself out the door, I definitely have more confidence in my ability to make it 'til Friday.

And when I'm not running around like a headless chicken, everyone's happier.

Posted at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo by Pat Connolly

I survived another week! Last semester, that was a nice little thought that popped into my head on occasional Friday afternoons. This semester, it’s a miracle.

On Wednesday, I ran to a meeting of the Twin Cities World Refugee Day planning committee, something I joined last year through my job at a community health nonprofit. I was the chair of the marketing committee – and spent the probably two months leading up to the June 20 event running around like a headless chicken.

Because I didn’t know what I’d be doing with my life at planning time this year, I pulled all of my materials together in a super-organized, tabbed binder, wrote notes and instructions and contacts and tips for each section, and handed The Marketing Bible over to a colleague to pass it on to my successor when planning started up again this winter.

Little did I know that it would again be me.

Some other planning committee members signed up to tackle marketing, but unfortunately, none of them are able to chair the committee. And since I was the one left holding the big binder, I guess it’s back in my hands. Oh boy.

Planning last year’s event was a fantastic experience, and while I got sucked in (at least to this level of commitment) rather involuntarily this time around, I’m excited to get going. I can’t think of anything else I could do to add so many distinct skills to my toolbox – and, yes, my resume. I work with a large, intercultural, inter-generational committee made up of staff and volunteers from refugee- and immigrant-serving organizations all over the metro. I have no real boss, teacher or direction, so I have to teach myself how to pull off marketing for a big (1,500-2,000 people last year) event – and then do it. And in the process, I have to jump in and help with things totally not in my area, from ordering/assembling tents and tables and chairs to figuring out why, exactly, it matters what size generators you order. I worked with printers, reporters, t-shirt makers, educators. And, somehow, made it all happen.

Not surprisingly, I’m a little worried about the time commitment this year, but the rest of my committee is great and I think (hope!) I’ll be doing a lot less of the work myself and more just making sure it all comes together in the end.

Sure, I learn a lot in class, but sometimes there’s nothing like getting out there and getting thrown into the fire.

Posted at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can’t believe week three is just about done – or, more importantly, that the semester is already one-fifth over! Time is flying because I’m totally swamped, so I’m glad it’s flying.

My big Stressor of the Week was our first assignment for community health theory and practice. Last semester was focused on theory; this semester, it’s practice. We’re basically doing one long project – in a lot of smaller chunks -- from now until May: planning an intervention and writing an accompanying grant proposal.

Much of my professional and personal experience is in working with refugees and immigrants, in health- and non-health-related capacities. So the obvious choice of a health outcome or behavior to modify was something within those groups locally. But I decided to make my life a lot harder and go into uncharted territory, picking a topic I know very little about that requires interventions I have zero experience in – and so far, I’m glad I did.

Inspired by an amazing project two of my journalism classmates worked on last semester, I decided to target lowering the c-section rate within a specific hospital system in order to improve outcomes for mothers and infants during birth. Just in researching and writing the background section, I learned a ton and am becoming really interested in the topic. Of course I was pulling my hair out finishing the assignment the night before it was due (and I even started the week before!), but now that it’s done, I’m looking forward to the next steps of the program planning process. I’m especially excited about creating a policy-level intervention as part of my plan. Can’t say I know how to do that at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll learn soon.

This semester already feels very different from the first in terms of content. Fall was a nice intro into the theory and framework behind everything we as public health professionals-to-be do, and this semester, we’re really starting to do it. Very exciting. And also exciting that I actually very much appreciate what I learned last semester and love feeling as if I’m building off of it.

Fridays make me so happy this semester – I guess that’s what taking 16 credits does to a person! I’m glad I’m doing it – and that the extras I’m taking now will mean a lighter load in the future – but trust me, I will not be doing it again.

Happy weekend!

Posted at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If my weeks are going to be so jam-packed and stressful this semester, they might as well go fast! And they certainly have so far.

I’m getting a little better feel for my classes at this point, and I think my initial assessment will probably prove to be true: They’re going to be hard, stressful, practical and awesome. I admit I’m not looking forward to SAS. I’m scared of program evaluation. I’m still trying to figure out exactly how and why to make a logic model. And the mere idea of creating Access databases to use for reporting stories makes my brain shut down.

But I am 100 percent sure that I will learn a heck of a lot by May.

My internship at the Star Tribune is going well, and I’m getting a little more into the groove every time I work in the newsroom. (Example: At first I was terrified to talk on the phone in a huge, silent room, surrounded by veteran business reporters; now I’m on the phone most of the day.) The first assignment I got turned out to be a non-story, so we’ve changed the topic slightly and I got back on the horse. I’m not expecting my first real story to be groundbreaking or anything, but it’ll be nice to get one under my belt.

And my exciting news for the week is that I was offered and accepted a position in the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Executive Pathways Internship Program for the summer! I’ll be working full time in the DHS communications office, which handles media relations, internal communication, much of the external communication, some budget and legislative issues and more for the whole agency. Yikes. I’m going to use it as my public health field experience and, as it’s 400 hours, I might even do it for more than the required two credits. I’m excited – too bad it’s four months away!

Needless to say, I’m very much looking forward to the weekend. I definitely need to do some work and clean my disaster of an apartment (first thing to go when things get stressful…oops), but I definitely want to check out some ice and/or snow sculptures if there’s anything left of the Winter Carnival.

Happy Friday!

Posted at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I spent the first three weeks of winter break battling boredom, antsiness and major cabin fever (but yes -- I admit -- I did have some moments of pure joy lounged out on the couch watching totally pointless TV).

I passed the time hanging out with family

running with friends

exploring the city

granting Make-A-Wish wishes

and, of course, torturing my dog.

I also worked on the Minnesota Department of Health project I mentioned at the end of last semester -- and realized reeeeally early on that almost all of the health education videos were in a language other than English. No subtitles. No translation. So that made my job simple...or nonexistent. The few videos that are in English, primarily about refugee mental health, were super interesting, and I'm still working through a few huge boxes of documents (that smell like the 80s) to see whether there are any treasures. I have a feeling there might be.

I spent a week up north with my family.

I tried to do all kinds of little domestic things I never seem to want to do when I'm busy.

I rang in 2009 at a Wii party with SPH friends (who had to run a 10K the next morning).

I did the Polar Dash with a capital "P" on New Year's Day. (Cold. Ice. Hills. No further description necessary.)

But I was bored...until I hit the wall. About a week before spring semester started, I suddenly decided I like doing nothing, reading for pleasure, baking cookies, sleeping in! And then I didn't want to go back to school. Ever.

Obviously I dragged myself to class yesterday, and yes, again today, but I'm definitely not back in school mode yet. Give me another week. It's going to be a busy semester, though, so I don't have much time to get back into the swing of things!

I had my community health theory and practice class yesterday, which I think is going to be awesome -- the entire course revolves around writing a real-world grant proposal which will be great experience -- and biostatistical methods 2, which terrifies me because we're doing statistical analysis in SAS instead of Excel, which we used last semester. Programming. Eek. I'm also taking program evaluation for my MPH and computer-assisted reporting for my journalism program, but I haven't had them yet.

I also officially started the Star Tribune practicum today! Though the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I'm taking a class that placed me with the newspaper's health team for about 14 hours a week all semester. I'll be assisting reporters and writing my own stories -- I'm technically a contract health reporter, not an intern. And I even have my own desk in the newsroom (which was prepared for me with an "Elvis Presley Blvd" street sign). Should be an amazing experience...even though I'm sure it'll stress me out.

So, yes. That's 15 credits. Plus my research assistantship. Plus working with Make-A-Wish. Maybe running at least a half marathon. And doing a triathlon. I hope getting out of Minnesota for spring break. Blogging here. Blogging there.

I'm taking bets on how long it'll take me to crash. (But it's fun for now!)

Posted at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm thisclose to the end of the semester, and I'm feeling good about it -- but, though it's strange to admit, I totally wish I could take my last final right now and just be done. My epi exam was Saturday AT 8AM (ugh), and it was tough but could-have-been-worse tough, and I'm just glad it's over. I finished up a CHE take-home exam which didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would over the weekend. Now I'm just waiting for biostats at 8am on Thursday. A little nervous? Yeah. Studying like crazy? Not exactly. But at 10am Thursday I won't even care.

Of course I've been trying desperately to distract myself from finals, preferably with things I can pretend are productive, educational, helpful, etc. This morning, a big group of CHE ladies went to Common Roots Cafe on Lyndale to "study biostats," which we did for a few minutes and you can imagine how it went from there.

Then The Boyfriend and I headed -- through the nasty snow -- to the Science Museum, just for fun. A Texas transplant, he hadn't been there before, and I wanted to see the CSI exhibit before it's over on Jan. 4. Very cool. Maybe cooler if you're 10, but whatever. And I was totally impressed with all the health stuff! I shamelessly went through all the Disease Detectives activities to diagnose fake patients with malaria and e. coli.

Last week, some CHErs and friends headed to 80s night at the Shout House (dueling piano bar, highly recommended) to celebrate the last day of classes...

The Boyfriend and I made our annual Minnesota (and new this year -- Texas!) Christmas cookies to send to his fam...

And we, of course, laughed at our dog who decided to eat his new run for a midnight snack...

Otherwise I've just been looking forward to my weeklong post-finals nap, lounging with my fam up north and doing nothing. Well...almost nothing. Since I'm incapable of actually doing nothing, I'm working with the Minnesota Department of Health's refugee health program on evaluating some health education videos and other materials for refugee and immigrant groups. My car is full of boxes, and I have a huge bag of VHS tapes -- good thing the 'rents still have a VCR! I'm still deciding (very quickly, I know) whether I want to try to use this as my field experience or wait until the summer.

And I'll be attempting to run as much as possible in preparation for the Polar Dash 10K on New Year's Day -- and praying that it's not absolutely freezing, dumping snow, pelting freezing rain or any other torturous winter thing that only Minnesota knows how to do.

Happy holidays to everyone! Enjoy break, and stay warm!

Posted at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)