Week 1: networking, prepare for lecture series that begins July 12th, begin to discuss personal statements for graduate school applications
Week 2: come prepared with one school and program that you want to apply to, read sample personal statements and discuss them, create outline for your own statement
Week 3: come to class with a written personal statement, read each others statements in class and make comments, email a version to me so that I can make comments and return to you, discuss using track changes in microsoft word
Week 4: work on interview techniques and on cv/resumes
Week 5: open to suggestion!
At least this is how I remember the schedule :) I could be remembering wrong or leaving a week out! So, in class yesterday we got started by going over the lecture series and talking about how to introduce yourself to people at events like that (bring your cards, tell them your name and what you are studying, ask about them, etc etc). Then, we got started on the personal statements. This is something that a lot of the 3rd year students have asked me about. They are quite concerned about them since they will be working on grad school applications next year. We talked about tips, what to include, mistakes to avoid, etc. I made up a tip sheet that I emailed out to everyone, so hopefully that will help a lot with their preparation.
Then, this morning I didn't get up until 7:30am! How crazy is that? Admittedly, I did wake up at 6:30, but managed to fall back asleep for a little while. At 11am, Lili Sisombat who works for the IFC/World Bank here in Cambodia came to visit the dorm. She will be giving the lecture at the bookstore next week on the 19th, but wanted to meet the girls beforehand. A good number of the girls were around and able to meet her and talk about their interests and what they were looking for in the lectures. She is an interesting woman - she is from Laos but moved at a young age to France as a refugee and eventually earned her MA and PhD there before returning to Asia in the position at the World Bank. She brought her daughter with her to the dorm, who apparently is a really well-known singer here in Cambodia (she is 12 yrs old and has been signing since she was really young!). The girls were so excited to meet her, so that was a really nice surprise for them! She even gave them a few cds, which they promptly began listening to :)
Here is a picture of the girls with Dr. Sisombat's daughter:
After that I was just dragging a lot because of the heat. I started working on some edits to my dissertation last night and again this morning but just wasn't getting much done. I finally decided to venture out on my own and went to a place (Cafe Yejj) near the Russian Market to work for a while. I think I was there for about an hour or an hour and a half and finished all of the edits/corrections to one of the chapters! And, I got to sit in the air conditioning and have a cold drink (a mango lassi - delicious!!). It was soooo nice, but then when I left the building, it felt like I stepped into a sauna! It was insane. And, now that I am back at the dorm, I am, of course, covered in my usual fine film of sweat. I can't decide if that would be a good, reinvigorating way to spend a few hours each day or if it would just make the rest of each day more unbearable. Even the girls here have said it is very hot right now and that it should be cooler during the rainy season. It seems like the temperatures should be in the mid-80s but instead they have been in the low to mid 90s, which definitely is a lot warmer!!! It makes me feel a little bit better that I am not the only one who thinks it is hot. Of course, they are still walking around in jeans, long sleeved shirts, and even sweaters or light jackets sometimes. So crazy!
Tonight is movie night! I think we will watch the Fantastic Four, which should be fun. I wish I had been able to get some snacks for the movie, but maybe I will have a chance in a little bit to buy some. We will see....
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