Hello world!
I thought I would start a blog documenting my new ambition to earn my Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Today is the third day I have been moved into my new apartment in Wilmington, North Carolina. My family and boyfriend helped me move in on the weekend and left this morning. I have been slowly unpacking and decorating all day.
My first thoughts about the Wilmington area are optimistic but still unsure, of course.
Pros:
Lots of restaurants (I have become quite the foodie in the past year or two)
Near the beach (more of a pro for Matt)
New culture (I really like the idea of finally experiencing a different area)
Many shopping options
Warmer winters
Cons:
Far from home (relatively)
Hot weather (has been very hot and humid this weekend and is raining right now!)
Lots of big roads and not as many residential areas (prob will figure this out when I get familiarized with the area)
BUT the real reason I am moving here is not the area but the school. I will be getting a wonderful research opportunity here. I will be getting my Masters degree in General Psychology at UNCW (en route to my Ph.D. somewhere else afterwards). I am very excited to be getting back into research - my true passion. I worked in a psychiatric rehabilitation program this past year. I liked it - but it made me realize how much I really love research. I missed research a lot when I was away from it.
I will specifically doing schizophrenia rehabilitation research. If all goes as planned, my mentor and myself will be starting a new project related to cognitive enhancement programs for schizophrenia. I originally thought I would be working on an ongoing project related to mental health courts and serious mental illness. This is loosely related to my research interests - but cognitive rehabilitation is more what I want to do. I am very happy my mentor was able to start a new project so closely aligning my research interests!
This week I will be unpacking and getting settled, maybe meeting with professors before classes start in a few weeks. I have never lived in another state but it is exciting!
More to come later......
