In early 2011 I applied to the doctoral program at University of Maryland, University College. At the time, I planned to keep a blog on my research and experiences. There were several purposes behind writing this blog. The first was to keep my friends and family updated on my progress. Second, to give myself an outlet for my experiences, and finally, to hopefully offer an insight to others on what the program is like. I plan to include some of my writing, but school rules at times will limit what I can write or publish. For those who have read some of my other writings, you may find this a little different. I hope to still keep it fun and include my inane sense of humor, but know the topics might be a little more dry at times.

So why did I apply in February and am only now starting my blog? Well, what happened very quickly was the cold slap of reality. After doing very well in college and in my Master's program, I was getting pummeled by this first class. It came to the point where I was not sure I would be accepted into the full program. This caused my ego to step in and delay any writing in order to save myself possible embarrassment.

But now, 6 months later, I have been accepted into the full program and am ready to write. This also means I need some backtracking to fill in the story of my application to the program and the pain that was DMGT600.

Joseph Drasin