I have not fallen of the face of the earth (yet)

Phew, I managed to post befre a month passed. I don't know where to begin, but I guess I'll start at the most logical place...
where did September go? Furthermore, how are we already halfway through October?

I've given up any semblance of a normal life. Here's a recap of the previous week:
Monday- class 12-2;
Tuesday- class9-1:30, work the night shift
NO SLEEP
Wednesday- class, and meeting with my advisor, get home at 5pm and go to sleep after being awake for 36 hours.
Thursday- class ALL DAY till 9pm; biostatistics project due
Friday- class in the afternoon, work the night shift
NO SLEEP
Saturday- class 1-5; in bed at 6:30pm
Sunday- class 9-1, study for midterm on Monday

Ah yes, this is my life.

Today I took my first midterm, not too bad. Three hours to write type four essays; technology is so awesome.
I was't going to write about this, but I think it's important. Everyone is asking me if I like school; I tell them this: I'm still waiting for that "ah-ha!" moment when I realize how and when I will be able to use all of this information. Don't get me wrong, I like most of my class (Health Policy and Management Seminar, Policy Analysis, Epidemiology), with a few exceptions (Biostastics and Economics) but I don't find the administration very helpful or organized. Actually, they are so UN-organized. It's a 180 from PENN who was so organized that they sometimes anticipated my problems before I did....yeah, that was freaky.

However, one thing I must credit Columbia with is their impeccably clean bathrooms. I'm not kidding. Even at the end of the day, trash barrels are emptied, toilet paper is stocked and there is never any "tinkle sprinkle" on the seats. I know you know what I am talking about! So if nothing else, for my $55,000 a year, I am gaurenteed a clean bathroom.

But in all seriousness, life isn't that bad. I cannot compare my experience in graduate school to my experience undergrad. Back then, I lived on/near campus and school was my job. My weekends and weeknights were full of friends, going out, class board meetings, sorority events, drinking (sometimes too much), and making bad decisions gaining life experiences. Now, I'm a working professional, a real grown up. I have a beautiful apartment in a great neighborhood, brand new furniture, a fantastic employer, amazing friends (even if I never see them), things are shaping up. It will be pretty great to be 26 years old with two Ivy League degrees.

I can do this. I can do anything for 16 months. One day, one class, one paper, one test at a time.