outlook: one more semester of studenthood

So I've decided I'll take things easy and do another semester at UIUC, given that masters degree can take maximum 5 semesters to finish. This means I can spread my course load a little bit more and do things with my full attention rather than being dragged with course works and spend more time on the thesis and research, plus TA work and job hunting. I was eager to get out of uni and find a job and really do something that makes me feel like I'm a contributing member of society :p but the fact is, with everything crammed into a semester, I don't think I'll be able to do a single thing good enough to warrant my graduation let alone finding a job. Hence the decision to stay a student for a bit longer. Another reason would be that I DO NOT want to get sick again like last semester - apparently the thyroiditis is prone to recurrences and I definitely do not want that.

That being said, I do think it was half the workload, and half me that caused thyroiditis because of my tendencies to get stressed out in certain situations (exams.... homeworks... etc) and not really balancing things out.. Hmm I wonder if that means I'm not really good at multitasking as I thought I was. Anyhoo knowing when to stop, looking at the bigger picture and accepting the fact that there will be things that I have to let go are few lessons from the crazy thyroid.

A week to decide my next move (in time for next lease season)

The reality of the semester has finally dawned to me after talking to both my adviser and yy's adviser (who actually offered when not asked! he is seriously the nicest adviser EVER) and I need to decide whether to do 1) another non-summer semester or 2) cram everything and finish by the end of summer semester. Catch is that in the former case, I need to secure financial support for the new semester and in the latter case, I'll prolly have not enough time to do proper job search and go back home straight after the degree. And the "going with the flow" with job searching is really only meaningful if I tried enough to find a job here for the experience sake, but with my current schedule, I don't have time to prepare for interviews... Also it occurred to me that if I don't wanna be here in mid-long term, that doesn't mean I don't want to stay short-mid term... well, sort of like, "if not now, when?" situation since if I leave UIUC when will I study again at such a prestigious institution (not saying this cuz I go here :p)? and when would I come back to live in the USA?

It could be a light decision or not, certainly 6 more months is not a long time seeing how the 2 years are almost up, and with the job market here as it is right now, I'm keen to wait it out, whether I end up going back home all the same or not. Either is fine with me, here of home-bound, it's just that I want to know for sure that I tried everything I can before saying "eh fine I'm going home".
Hmmmmmmmm not knowing what I want is a headache, huh.

Any two cents?

Goals of the year

Complain less.
Be more positive about everything. "Speak with smile", friend of mine once said...
Get healthier. Exercise!!
Get a job :D

I noticed this throughout keeping a journal for few years and then blogging, that I usually write something down when I am more or less fuming/depressed about something. It does help to have a place where I can dump all my anger but going back and reading them, I get reminded of only the bad things I have experienced and it is not all that therapeutic after all. I do remember happier things better but all my "records" are as bleak and gloomy as the weather these days.
SO!! following one of my new year's resolution, I'm gonna blog about happier things more. Don't think I'll blogging any more than I'm doing now though :P

Home was great!

It really has been a recharging three weeks back at home, seeing everyone I wanted to see, just relaxing (although that bloody project was still a headache!), hanging out, catching up on sleeping, eating everything that was on my list, enjoying kiwi summer... ahhh and the snow and cold weather here sure do make me miss home already. Thankfully though, it is unusually warm here these few days, after a real bad cold snap while I was home.
So the new semester starts. I have to write my thesis and find a job, so I don't think it will be any easier than before but hopefully better than the last semester. My thyroidism is almost gone, so it is definitely going to be a better semester!

And on the finding job area... I'm going to take this easy too, not going to go crazy if I don't find a job here. Sure, working experience in US will be just super but honestly, it doesn't feel like I'll be settling down here in a long term. I'll just see how things go and go with whatever that works out.