I’m dedicated to this field, but golly it can be exhausting.

As a graduate student at MU, I have to balance the personal, professional and the academic.

Personal entails what most people have in their lives: groceries, laundry, and – when time permits – a nice hike with friends at Rock Bridge State Park (time rarely permits.)

In a way, planning for graduate school courses is easy. Class times are preset, and at-home assignments like readings and essays are plannable, assuming nothing goes wrong (things can go wrong.)

Reporting is the most difficult thing to consider, though. In some ways, it would be easier on a nine-to-five, I think. While you’re always “on,” in a normal job you know what hours you absolutely will be working and what hours you usually have to yourself.

While we have required general assignment shifts once every two weeks in 7450 that come with very clear time requirements, our beat is different. It is meant to fill in the time a schedule that has nothing else in it. Even with only 3 classes and a part-time assistantship, that time can be very difficult to find. I’m still adjusting, and any time I’m sitting and not working on a piece or some homework I worry I’m not doing enough. I’m sure that feeling will reduce with time.

On top of that, though, comes immense financial pressure and a sprinkling of existential dread about post-graduate employment. Then again, I did sign up for a master’s program at a damn good J-school—nobody said it would be easy.