[flickr id=”8340048535″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”true” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year to you all!  As I begin to ring in the New Year myself, I think it might be appropriate to share what some of my New Year’s Resolutions are as a graduate student.

1. Apartment Shopping

Currently, I have been commuting to Chicago from the Northwest Suburbs (where I am originally from).  What I have found in this past semester is that though this commute is doable, I would prefer to live in the city and have the opportunity to remain closer to school.  After all, there is so much that the city has to offer, which leads me to my next resolution.

2.  Take Advantage of Chicago

There are so many different unique features that the city has to offer from the many different performance spots to the wide range of museums.  While it is extremely important to remain focused on my studies in grad school, I would like to make just a little room to enjoy this amazing 5-week break that I have before starting up classes again in the last week of January.

[flickr id=”8341106994″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”true” size=”original” group=”” align=”none”]

3. Get Back into the Groove (Literally!)

Chicago has so many wonderful places to not only see but also to take dance classes.  Now that I have a stronger understanding of how to manage my time as a graduate student, I am hoping to take better advantage of all the different dance classes offered across the city.  Also, many of these studios tend to offer a specially discounted student rate, which is nice for me as a grad student with limited cash.

4. Take a J-term Course

As a graduate student at Columbia, J-term is a great opportunity to take an elective that is fun and will give me more insight into my field of study.  This January, I am looking forward to taking a J-term course that specializes in teaching about performance as therapy.  I am looking forward to sharing the knowledge I gain from this class in a separate blog post in the future.

5. Recharge and Enjoy Break

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to catch up on some very valuable rest and relaxation this break.  One way in particular I have been fulfilling this resolution is by watching a TV series that was gifted to me by my Uncle called In Treatment.  This is a fictional HBO show that focuses on the inner workings of the main character, Paul, who is a psychologist.  The show follows five different individuals as they each go through treatment.    This has been entertaining but also informative for me as a student because I have had the opportunity to question how I would work with different situations as a dance/movement therapist, compared to how Paul handles these situations as a psychologist.