School has never come easy to me. I’ve had to work extremely hard for every grade I’ve earned. Early mornings and late nights after practice were spent studying for tests and writing papers in the library. So it was no surprise to me that graduate school was going to be a challenge.
Unlike my undergraduate studies, my master’s program is compiled of group projects and writing papers. This involves critical thinking, not just listening to lectures and taking notes. What I learn is based upon my own ability to research, listen to my group members and the guidance given to me from my professors. My professors have been fundamental in the process of steering myself and my group members in the right direction but the knowledge gained is dependent on our willingness to analyze articles inside and out, search for books in the library and spend our free time brainstorming for the “answer” to the problem. I say answer like that because with the assignments we’re given we can’t revert to traditional thinking and just find an answer in a textbook. There is no right or wrong to any of the projects we’re given meaning we each have to think outside the box and bring a unique perspective to create our own solution.
Since I’ve started the Marketing and Management Strategy program at Limerick IT, I’ve pushed myself intellectually more than I ever have in my life. It’s without a doubt the most difficult aspect of my days here in Ireland, but I’m grateful for this new challenge I’ve been given. A word that I often find myself coming back to is relentless. Every morning when I wake up I strive to be relentless, to not let the struggles of each day break me. No matter how hard my days are, I have to be persistent and always keep in mind the end result of all my hard work. Any time I have doubts or feel like giving up, my desire to educate myself reminds me to keep pressing onwards.
