Surviving Graduate School, a Day at a Time

I'm a 21 year old first-year grad student in Pittsburgh, getting my master's in counseling psychology. Barista by day, research/teaching assistant by free-time. Feminist, avid reader, and self-professed nerd. Come commiserate.

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Today’s used bookstore haul. So excited. #themainidea #eastendbookexchange #bloomfield

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Losing my steam

All I even remotely want to do right now (following, you know, a weekend of sitting on my couch, ignoring the world, and watching Game of Thrones with my boyfriend) is sit on the couch, ignore the world, and reread Game of Thrones with my cat.

Instead, I'm sitting in the library transcribing interviews for one professor's research and working on a paper about the effects of child abuse on adolescent attachment patterns. 

Not at all what I want to be doing.

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My boyfriend got ahold of the cat

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My new, perfect, adorable kitten! He came from the Humane Society (by way of Petsmart) and is 7 months old. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a name for him yet, so I've come here for help. Suggestions, Tumblr?

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All I want

Is for my boyfriend to make dinner, for get through tomorrow so that I can be on fall break, and for it to be Thursday so that I can get a cat.

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Staying Healthy in Grad School

Anyone have any tips on this?

Before I moved/started graduate school, I was eating at least relatively healthy and training for a half marathon.

Since starting school, I've exercised maybe 2 or 3 times, and have been struggling a little more with eating healthily. I start work at 7:15 on weekday mornings, and on my class days, I go directly from work to campus and stay there until 9:30 at night. The campus cafe very scarcely has any healthy, appetizing, or vegetarian food, so if I don't take the time the night before to pack an entire day's worth of food, I really don't eat. Combine that with barely any free time/little inclination to make the time to go to the grocery store, and you've got some pretty sad food.

I've started going to a farmer's market on the weekend--it's indoors and open year round!--and that's been nice in terms of getting fresh, local produce, but I've been having a hard time with meal planning, making the time for grocery runs, and exercise.

Any wisdom from seasoned grad school veterans/people who generally have it figured out?

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I have a chapter in my developmental psychology textbook to read.

I have a stack of exams to grade.

I have a take-home exam to take.

I have several hours of interview to transcribe.

I have two different papers I could do research for.

But hey, I finished my list for today and I have half an hour until night class. Bring on the kittens, internet.