On the twelfth week of Grad School, my baton said to me…

On the twelfth week of Grad School, my baton said to me: ‘member all that’s happened to thee…

1. I am stronger than I look, wiser than I know, and a hell lot a braver than most people I know.
2. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race, sometimes it just means your dead.
3. Show the ictus, my child, then they will rejoice in the Lamb…
4. No matter how awesome you thing the idea for a section in your paper is, chances are you WILL NOT know how to put it into words, hence the frustration cycle begins.
5. I can work under pressure *dum dum dum duru dum dum*
6. The number of scores/things you have to do for a specific week will be equivalent to the motivation you have in NOT doing it. This is multiplied by 9 for when you get your weekly breakdown.
7. If I think I don’t have an Independent study class, maybe it will go away.
8. And now I started to sing Meldelhson’s Octet…
9. with a rhapsody of Lully’s Laudate Domino
10. You really know you love X musical period. In my case, Romantic music. Because let us SHOW YOU HOW MANY FEELINGS WE HAVE WITH THIS CHORD AND THESE DYNAMICS!
11. You may have nightmares of losing your assistantship because of reasons…
12. Realizing that you do want to be a Doctor in Music is epic.
13. Bonding with fellow graduate students is cool.
14. Sometimes having alone time is needed.
15. Sometimes saying “NOPE. Not doing anything today!” is necessary. Be prepared for having a little meltdown the following day because you procrastinated. Notice how the graduate student comes back to his natural habitat, made out of choral scores, scholarly articles, and Doctor Who references. This scholarly igloo made out of responsibilities, will keep the graduate student (who’s not form the United States) warm from the upcoming winter.
16. Practice, young Padawan, Practice.
17. Christmas Carols are hard to memorize, but huge pieces of Masterpieces can be memorize in a one, a two, a three, let’s go!
18. Everything is a song cue.
19. Even though I may not notice it, I am getting better.
20. Stop being a perfectionist. (Easier said than done).
21. To every family member, when your son/brother/sister/sibling says he/she want to go to Graduate School, give them a crockpot.
22. Crockpots are good for pianists.
23. No matter how much you try… the Ole will never vanish. It is called HERITAGE. Sorry.
24. Having a tour, a paper due, and a presentation on the same day will make you crazy, but… it will make a Man out of you. *cue Mulan music*
25. Yes. This post may not be very coherent. Sorry. This graduate student hasn’t slept in a while.
26. You will start to lose count on how many coffee cups or caffeinated beverages you drink in a day.
27. There is power in numbers. For example, let’s count how many scores you have to give a graduate student so that he/she can cower in fear (and be more nerdy than before).
28. When your first undergrad mentor is recognized by your hometown, it is totally acceptable for you to Skype with a fellow friend, and for her to basically go everywhere so that you can talk to everyone. Including your three mentors from undergrad, more than 15 choristers, more than 5 teachers, and so much more.
29. Going to Chicago for Thanksgiving, makes this guy very excited.
30. Hoping that when this degree is over, I will have made life-long friends and colleagues.
31. Knowing that when I finish this degree, I’ll be even better and stronger that I was gives me hope for my career.