A Brief Welcome

I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to introduce myself and make myself seem interesting.

Awesome.

I'm going to forgo that nonsense and move on to the good stuff. I'm a master's student at the University of South Florida (heretofore known as "USF") earning my (guess!) master's degree in mass communications, strategic communications management. It seems there's this natural progression that exists in which a master's student sometimes becomes a doctoral student. Turns out I'm following that progression.

As of last month I began the application process. I researched, I narrowed, I came up with this list of awesome schools:
Syracuse
Penn State
Temple
Ohio State
Florida
(I will neither confirm nor deny whether this is the list in order of preference. I can tell you it's not alphabetical.)

In the meantime I've been writing essays, handing out numbers I didn't know I had, and awkwardly wondering if these places are going to request full dental exams. (They ask for a lot of stuff. It's as though applying to a Ph.D. program is important or something. Sheesh.)

Anyway, if you've found this blog, welcome. In here you will find ramblings. Ramblings will be about the schools, the programs and the application process. Hopefully there will be a celebratory post of some sort early in 2010, and I will announce which school I'm going to (or where the pity party will be).

Then, I'll switch gears. I'll document my life as a doctoral student. I'll bore you with theoretical discussions about why the Phoenix Coyotes can survive if given another decade in the desert. I'll talk about anything bizarre I see on campus. For the most part, I'll use this blog as a way to keep everyone (or all four of you... whatever) posted on life as I leave Tampa for the first time in 15 years.

Sound good? If so, stay. I promise to make this a fun ride.

- Mel(li) :)

PS -- I plan on making the blog all purty-like and stuff, but that may take some time. I'm busy working on my thesis, after all. *grin*