I’m about two thirds of the way through my semester and things are still as busy as ever, probably even more so. At this point, everyone is focused on getting as much out of their DC experience as possible while also getting good grades. Luckily, I did well on my midterm in the Justice & Law class, and the way that the rest of the assignments are structured lead me to believe that my grade is pretty much set. No more worrying about that class. However, Rollins does make students complete the research course, which I am a bit worried about. Some people are worried about the amount of writing or the work itself, but all of that seems manageable to me. What I am worried about is the analysis section of the paper where I have to interview several people in DC about my topic, which is the plea bargaining system. Finding the time to do this is not going to be easy with my work and class schedule.
In a way, I’m looking forward to my return to Florida even though most of my friends know that I don’t like it there. In terms of the city itself, I much prefer DC. But, Florida has been my home for a long time, naturally I want to return to familiar surroundings. I do have friends that are graduating seniors in the WSP program, and will not be returning to their home institution at all, they just plan on finding a job in DC and staying in an apartment with some roommates. I have three semesters left at Rollins, so essentially still a year and a half, but the prospect of moving out to DC is still exciting. The way I think about the future, job opportunities, and graduate school has certainly changed since I have gotten here. Working before graduate school to establish myself is by far what most people recommend, and it certainly looks like a lot of fun.
p.s. I really have no idea who’s reading this. I’m guessing there are prospective WSP students that want to know about the experience? If that’s the case, feel free to contact me (bmanbahal@rollins.edu). I remember being super anxious about the program before I started, so I’d be happy to talk about it with you.
Thanks for reading,
- Brandon