This week I’m wrapping up my first semester of grad school. For one class I have two assignment due Friday, and for the other, I have a quiz and team project due next week. I’d like to say everything went pretty smoothly and was what I expected.

With taking online classes, you definitely have to stay on top of the work and plan everything out. I got a new planner over the summer and used it once classes started to stay organized.

For my research class, everything was due on Tuesdays or Fridays, so I always got a head start on Tuesday’s work over the weekend before. For Friday’s work, I planned to do it throughout the week. For my other class, Principles of PR, the majority of the assignments were due on Fridays, so I worked on them throughout the week in pieces so I didn’t have to do everything at once.

I also kept a binder with two folders so I could hold onto any articles I printed out and especially the syllabuses. Those came in handy since you don’t see the professor three times a week when they’ll tell you when assignments are due. It also helped when I would bring homework with me to work at the ice cream shop so I could jot down notes since I didn’t have my computer with me.

I recently started rewatching NCIS; I picked it up in season 10. When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with the show and when I went off to college, I dropped off watching it. I’m excited to be watching it again, and I’ve rediscovered my love for (Very) Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

I register for new classes on December 12, and they’ll start the middle of January, so I have a “winter break” but I still have to go to work. It’s crazy to think, though, that a year from now I’ll have my master’s. I know all of the hard work will pay off in the end.