It’s 6 degrees out right now. The coldest weather I’ve EVER experienced. I went outside to get the mail all bundled up, and by the time I got back I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes despite the layers. What have I gotten myself into?? Well it’s break, finals are officially over for me, and I’m headed to NYC and then home. Happy Holidays everyone, see you next year!

I’d like to say that I think Professor Judy’s decision to make the Federal Natural Resources Exam a take home final in light of the weather, was an extremely good call. The weather was pretty nuts today. Maybe for the native Vermonters and others comfortable with driving in the snow and ice, it might not have been too tough. For students like myself who are from southern states and completely unfamiliar with the process, finals is not the best time to test our skills. On top of that, many students are traveling from further afield like Burlington, and shouldn’t be put at the mercy of other drivers to go such a distance in bad weather. It’s good to know that even if the school doesn’t close due to the weather, the professors still can make discretionary calls about the exam. To second the previous blogger, I would strongly suggest students who are unfamiliar with snow find housing in South Royalton, it’s just safer to live nearby if possible.

Ok, enough seriousness. In celebration of not having to drive to campus to take the test, while I waited for 2pm to roll around so I could download the exam, I went outside and played in the snow. Literally, I frolicked. I dance, I cavorted, I plopped down in it, made snow angels, ate handfuls, and generally had a brilliant time. Oh the joy of experiencing my first heavy snowfall in Vermont! I’m just glad nobody was around to watch me, I’m sure they would have been on the ground crying with laughter…

The school holds a fairly strcit policy not to close the school during exam week which makes an interesting time in the middle of winter. Today is the first day of exams and all of the Masters students were scheduled to have our Natural Resources exam. However, as our professor wrote in her e- mail this morning “mother nature” has decided that wasn’t going to happen. Although the school is not likely to close, the professors still retain the power to change the format of the exam.

Professor Judy, overseeing a class of mixed joint degree and MELP students made the call to do just that. An early morning e-mail indicated that the scheduled exam is now a take home that wont be due until Monday afternoon. For those MELPs in the Land Use class this couldn’t be a greater blessing. Our exam for that class is closed note, closed book and is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Back to back exams are less than ideal after an entire semester of hard work. So there are definitely 6 or so MELPs even happier to have the news of the take home.

I recommend keeping the school’s closure policy in mind when you’re looking for places to live. I was able to find a place in town that I like. I can’t imagine the added stress of not having internet or decent phone service at home, and deal with the stress of driving to school during exam period… in the middle of winter… in Vermont.

As another MELP blogger posted, it started snowing here yesterday afternoon. It was a very light snow and then it started to pick up as the day wore on. Though at the end of the storm, there was only a dusting. According to several weather forecasts, there are chances for some more ‘flurries’ in the area this week. It sure is cold enough to snow now!!!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my reading days started a day earlier than the official ones, thankfully. There are a lot of 1Ls who I’ve come to realize are a bit pampered compared to the MELP program. Their first exam isn’t until the end of this coming week, and have a few days spaced between that and their next one. I, and many other MELPS in the Land Use class, will have both that and the Natural Resource exams within the first two days of the exam period. Although the school accomodates for rescheduling multiple exams in the same day, and 3 exams scheduled 3 days in a row, there are no accomodations for the “fortunate” circumstances myself and half a dozen other MELPs will deal with. This is of course a double edged sword.

On the positive side, I will be done with the only exams I have right away so I can focus on that 15 pager, Leigh was talking about. The stress however, and pressure to prepare for a closed note exam for Land Use is intense to say the least. I believe success will be all about time management, as cliche as that is, and complete dedication to focusing on the task at hand… study, study, study.

My first snowfall in Vermont, as I look out the window and fail in attempting to focus on studying when all I really want to do is catch snowflakes on my tongue.

Well I’m done with 1/3 of my degree, minus a few papers and one final. It’s exciting to think that I have only two more semesters to go. The advantage of this degree is definitely efficiency. I enjoyed my classes, and more importantly discovered that I am not interested in going on for the J.D. It was a realization made over the past semester, when I found myself getting more excited by the policy aspects of my courses than the legal ones. This came as a surprise to me, since I have sort of assumed my whole life that I would go into law. Years of high school and college mock trial had me assuming I knew what it meant to be a lawyer. There’s a lot that goes on outside the courtroom, and the process is so different to arrive at the same place eventually.

It’s not to say that I’m not enjoying my degree, I absolutely love VLS, and I have been pleased with the classes I’ve been taking, they’re stimulating and I’ve learned a lot already – it’s just that they’ve made me realize that law is not my path to environmental work – it lies elsewhere. Professor Judy gave us a motivating speech at the end of our Natural Resources class yesterday. The message was essentially that we are all important to the environmental movement, there is a place in it for all of us, with our various backgrounds, strengths, and interests. She wished us luck, and encouraged us to go out and find the job that allowed us to make a difference. I enjoyed her course, it taught me a lot about the agencies I thought I already knew but didn’t. It also showed us that there’s a lot more going on when legislation is written, agencies are created, and cases are brought, than simply what’s best for the environment. Discouraging news for those of us biocentrists who feel the health environment should come before all else. Reality check.

Time to write my 15 paged single spaced paper you’ve all heard so much about, edit a draft of another paper, and a memo, and start on my outline for my Nat Resources exam. Semester isn’t over yet, but the end is in sight.

As the previous blogger mentioned, today is the last day of classes for this first semester. It’s hard to believe how quickly the semester has gone. August seems like ages ago, and yet it seems impossible that we’re already to reading period.

In two of my classes yesterday, the professors gave inspiring and motivational closing talks to the class. Although I’ve heard those sorts of speeches before, I hadn’t heard them in the classroom setting. I have to say it was a nice thing to see how much our professors really care about the issues they are teaching.

Both of my professors really stressed participation in the environmental field, and said there were many different ways to participate. I really appreciated that because, at least for me, I’ve found that I haven’t really had much of a chance to get involved in a community. I think it’s because I move around so often — which is a wonderful opportunity that many of us in this generation have. I went to undergrad on the other side of the country from my home, and I’ve not really stayed in a place for much more than a year since I graduated.

While it’s wonderful to have so many opportunities to travel and live in different places, my classes yesterday made me realize that when I do stay in a place, I’ll likely be able to participate in a more meaningful way.  And, participating on a local level is perhaps the easiest way to be involved — there at least seem to be relatively few barriers to getting involved.

It was strange for me, because I’ve really enjoyed my classes, but I had this urgent desire to get involved yesterday when I was reflecting on my courses. I guess that’s a good thing  since I won’t be in school forever. And, it is good to know that I am anxious to get out there and put into practice some of the things I’ve already learned here at VLS, and to learn even more by actually doing, instead of just reading and learning.

This blog has gotten a little lengthy, but the main point is that beyond teaching me about interesting issues, my classes and professors this term have successfully motivated me to make a difference and get involved once I’m finished here at VLS (and maybe even before that!)

Today denotes the final day of my first semester as a MELP. The final day of classes at least. I have been fortunate to have Fridays off all semester and am thrilled at the moment especially. Official reading days don’t start until Saturday but, without class tomorrow, I am able to have one more reading day before my exams. Is that ever necessary too.

I am not used to this system of scheduled exams on specific days and times. My undergrad had open exams days with a heavy honor system. I could take an exam over a period of four or five days at one of three different periods throughout the day. The exams were not proctured. I would pick up the test from a central place, go to an authorized room, and return my test to that central location when I was done within the alloted time. VLS is probably more closely in line with many other schools.

I have an exam scheduled next Wednesday and another the next day. Fortunately those are my only two exams. Unfortuneately, they are back to back which makes these next few days a significant time crunch. Once those are behind me I’ll need to complete that 15 page single spaced paper for my Enxtinction and Climate Change class. I don’t anticipate finishing everything before the final exam date (December 17th) but, I know many other students will be in the same boat. However reassuring that may be.

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving break is over, and that we’ve only this week left for classes before finals arrive. Instead of talking about the end of the term, and all of the studying that will involve, I think I’ll talk about Thanksgiving in Vermont.

I was fortunate enough to stay in Vermont for the holiday — my family actually came to see me, which was great. Though it’s wonderful if you can go home for the holiday, if you can’t, you should also consider yourself lucky. For one, Vermont is such a lovely place to spend the holiday — it feels like Thanksgiving here, at least in my opinion. Also, it’s great not to have to travel from here. One of the hardest things about this place is traveling, particularly if it involves flying. It just takes a long time, and if you can avoid having to travel over Thanksgiving, I’d recommend it.

Also, even if your family doesn’t come to visit you during the holiday, VLS has several dinners that you can attend for the holiday. In fact, the local paper, The Valley News, had a front page article on the southern-style dinner that Dean Jefferson prepared for students who couldn’t go home for the holiday. I would post it, but the paper doesn’t actually post its stories on line. However, you can watch a story about Dean Jefferson and her experiences coming to VLS from the South. It’s a wonderful story, and also gives you a good introduction to Dean Jefferson, who is one of the most prominent and welcoming faces at VLS.

Well, that’s about it for now, except to say I feel rested and ready for the end of the term after a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday. I hardly did any work, which I may regret later, but really enjoyed at the time. Now it’s time to get back to business, finish up outlines, hand in memos, and other good things like that.