Discourse Chronicle

[Theme: Princes of the Universe (Queen). As I write my ritual semester review blog entry, I realized that I am now officially a second-year PhD student, which I could not be happier about looking forward to another year of teaching and coursework. I know humanities PhD students anticipate being free from coursework once ABD status is awarded, but I find coursework helpful as a safe testing ground for new ideas, such as my current explorations with composition and video games. I also find working as a teaching assistant helpful for experimenting with teaching styles, lessons, and materials. I know I adopted a completely new teaching style this year and stopped relying on detailed lesson plans. I believe my students respond better when we talk about seemingly random writing topics on any given day.

I am currently working on a number of research-related projects, including abstracts for upcoming conferences in the next year, but also book reviews for academic journals. However, I still take time out for myself, playing video games and catching up on my comic book reading. I still believe the best part about having research interests in popular culture is knowing that my hobbies become my career. I am most thankful about being in an encouraging environment at BGSU with more professors and colleagues who want to help me improve and realize my potential. BK]

category: Life