Height of the Semester
With three weeks until Spring Break, it appears that I have reached the height of my second semester in my Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program at the University of Colorado Denver…or have I?
![College of Architecture and Planning University of Colorado Architecture and Planning](https://i0.wp.com/admin.capmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/capp-300x41-1.png?resize=300%2C41&ssl=1)
My Spring 2014 semester went from manageable to overwhelming very quickly! Being overwhelmed seems to be a common theme with my studies, if you’ve been following along, hasn’t it? I am only in my sixth week of the semester and I am in over my head. From extensive and complicated group projects, to learning how to use unfamiliar computer software programs, to creating full-blown professional site plan in only a short number of days, this semester is really something. Last semester I felt that I was alone with feeling like I had bitten off more than I could chew, as my program peers were all bright-eyed and excited about the workload, but this time my fellow students are in the same boat. The atmosphere at school is certainly a tense one. But, after all, that’s what graduate school is supposed to be like…right?
Because I still have nine weeks of class meetings and due dates before the semester is over, I am thinking that while it does feel like I’ve reached the pinnacle of workload, this may actually be a false summit. ‘False summit’ is a mountaineering term used when you come to find that you have not reached the top of the mountain after all – even though you thought that you were approaching it. However, with fewer hours of sleep and gym time and a general sense of being in a whirlwind like I haven’t experienced before, it certainly feels like the top.
I suppose it isn’t so bad, though. Spring Break begins in just over two weeks from the date I am writing this! I’m looking forward to it very much. Per the grace of my generous boss, Chris Crigler, I will be taking the entire week off from both school and work. I’ll be spending that time hiking in southern Utah – the entire week. The best part is, one of my favorite colleagues at CAP Management, Samira, will be joining me on this excursion. With this trip to look forward to, I think I can deal with the next couple of weeks of intense pressure. Also, with the perceived rate of time speeding by as I work to maintain my 4.0 GPA, the semester will be done before I know it and I can feel good knowing the graduate school challenge is half over.
If you are interested in the MURP program, check out their website at http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/ArchitecturePlanning/Academics/DegreePrograms/MURP/Pages/MURP.aspx. While very challenging, it is a highly accredited, comprehensive program. While trying, I feel that these experiences will certainly be worth it in the end.