Week 6:  Lots of sleepless nights, chronic panic attacks, over-excitement, am I bi-polar?  Nope, I’m just in grad school.

It’s currently 7:41 p.m. and I couldn’t be happier that my work is done for the night.  I’m contemplating getting into bed, although if I do, I’ll be wide awake at 11 p.m. and that will just mess up my entire chi.

Yes I’m exhausted, but it’s well worth it.  The amount of information that I’ve absorbed in the last few weeks, might be more than what I obtained throughout my years at UNH.  OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’m learning more than I thought I would in the first month of school.  How to write broadcast stories, how to interview a widow or widower, how to find news sources via Twitter, my goodness the list is endless.  My professors are the cat’s pajamas and I can’t get enough of the news.  I guess I made the right decision to empty my savings and come to grad school.

On top of learning so much, I am truly impressed by the undergraduates and how much experience they’ve had in the industry. They’ve had multiple internships at some of the most prestigious news publications and broadcast networks in the business.  One senior I met is a weekend correspondent at the Globe Metro Desk.  They know any and every news and journalism resource that exists on the Web.  It’s quite impressive.  I just have to keep telling myself I’m learning, which I am, and I’m a student.  I will come out of this program ready to take on any news that comes my way, in any country, in any medium.

At the moment, I’ll stick with my courses, WEBN and my latest endeavor, Emerson’s Weekly Wrap Up.  Don’t make fun of the name, it’s a working title.  My friend Garrett had a brilliant idea: All of the undergrads run the broadcast shows at Emerson, so it’s time that us grad students start our own gig.  Thus, Emerson’s Weekly Wrap Up was born.  It’s going to be a charismatic morning show filled with humor, fun, and lots of Emerson news, hosted by yours truly, along with my buddy Garrett.  My other friend Liz will man the news desk, and our other friend Pat will hit the streets to get the latest Emerson sports news.  We’re still working on the logistics, e.g., when it will air, a unique focus, and the name, of course.  But it’s going to be great.  Stay tuned!  It’s time to hit the couch.