Georgia on My Mind

‘Tis Spring Break and school projects are keeping me from the leisurely respite for which I would normally hope. These same assignments are in large part responsible for the eerie silence that currently inhabits my blog. Add to the demands of academia a recent sojourn to Arkansas and a brief battle with the stomach flu and you’ll understand why I’ve spent the whole of March missing in action.

While I promise to share my mildly entertaining Arkansian tales in the near future, the biggest news of late is my acceptance into two master’s programs to which I applied last month. I’m still waiting to hear from four of the programs, and another four have already declined me. Fortunately, the rejections were expected and have thus failed to shatter my emotional wellbeing. Of the four programs from which I have not yet heard, I am fairly certain one of them (Virginia Tech, for all you gambling junkies) will accept me, one of them (Claremont) will decline me, and the other two I’m rather indifferent about due to my offers elsewhere.

So who has accepted me? Northern Illinois University and Georgia State University. Both school’s MA programs in philosophy are considered among the nation’s best. NIU, which is located 90 minutes outside of Chicago, has many geographical perks. I like the idea of being in a smaller college town yet very near a major metropolitan city. It would also be within a day’s driving distance of several other large cities (St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Nashville, Pittsburgh, etc.) as well as where my dad lives. It’d be a lot closer to my hometown as well, which will help both with moving away and coming back home to visit the family that remains here. Georgia, on the other hand, has flattered me by already offering a teaching assistantship with a full tuition waiver. The assistantship consists of being a TA for one year and teaching five introductory philosophy courses the following year, both of which will result in further financial compensation. And rather than sending me a letter to inform me of their decision, GSU called me. They sounded personable and genuinely interested in me as an individual. Based on presentation alone, Georgia is the one pulling my heartstrings. Not to mention the fact that GSU’s philosophy department features an incredibly extensive list of religious course offerings. This fits right in with my primary philosophical interests and is thus another bonus. Northern Illinois has yet to make their final decisions regarding assistantships, but I must admit it will have to be mighty generous to hold much sway…

That’s my update for now. It’s all very exciting. Until I received an acceptance letter, there was always the possibility I wouldn’t be going anywhere in the fall. Now I’m almost certain to be leaving my lifelong residence and having an amazingly unique experience. It’s enthralling and intimidating all at once. I know these are the hoops through which I must jump, but it’s hard to imagine myself really being such an “adult.” What a year this will be!