I am not afraid to try it on my own...

(The title of that entry comes from a Whitney Houston song from a few years ago...)

Last fall, I was really bummed when I found out that one of my favorite faculty members, Dr. Laura Perna, wasn't going to be teaching this semester. I was looking forward to taking her Access and Choice in Higher Education class, so when it wasn't offered, I asked Dr. Perna if I could do an independent study with her. Luckily, she agreed.

This semester, I am working with Dr. Perna and two current Ph.D. students on a paper that we will hopefully publish and present at ASHE (Association for the Study of Higher Education) next fall. It's really exciting to be part of a real research project as a master's student, working with a faculty member and doctoral students to produce something that will be peer reviewed and eventually shared with so many people.

The downsides to independent studies are that you do A LOT of reading (much more than a regular course) and you don't have the opportunity to talk with classmates. Those are small prices to pay for the flexibility and opportunities they provide, though.