Nothing too exciting today...I'm at home in Centralia right now, getting ready to head back to good ol' Springfield. Classes start this week. I'm taking graduate seminars in state and american politics, in addition to POS 502, graduate methods of inquiry (which ultimately is designed to help me write and research my thesis-ARG). I have classes on t-w-th, all in the evening from 6:00-9:30 p.m., in addition to putting in about 15 hours a week at FB, and 3-4 days downtown interning. Fun times are ahead, but my schedule is going to be even crazier than last semester...and last semester I was dangerously close to burning out. Let's hope I keep my wits about me. It's hard to believe that in less than a year, I'll have a master's degree and be out in the "real" world. That is, unless I decide that I want to go on to law school or a Ph.D. program, (ideas which I've toyed with) but I imagine that if I do either of these things, it will be after a few years of working. I'm just trying to open myself up to take advantage of all the opportunities I can while I'm here in Springfield, so that I can #1, build up my resume and #2, gain necessary experience. That's the reason I came to UIS in the first place, and it has served me well thus far.

Anyway, I've recovered from Friday night, visited with the family, and now I'm going to head back to Spfld. and start on my application for ILSIP-it's due the first week of February. More later...