Classes Complete

Another busy week of the holidays around here, although actually all of these festive Christmas market pictures are from last weekend.  This week, despite having much to celebrate, I've been fighting a cold so I have been trying my best to limit the number of hours standing out in the cold at Christmas markets...

A twinkling Stephansplatz

Finally made it out to Schönbrunn, which despite being completely packed with people is still a gorgeous spot for a market.

Some nice Austrian musical accompaniment 

And a nice little hidden punsch stand in town

Tuesday was also a big day, my cohort had our official master thesis proposal presentations all morning, followed by the annual charity Christmas party at school all afternoon.  Students took over cooking lunch in the cafeteria and the student representatives manned a punsch and cookie stand, with all proceeds going to a homeless shelter that we partner with here in Vienna. 

The choir performed some Christmas songs...

as did this brand new band which was super impressive...a group of undergraduates, MSc's, an MBA and a professor who had only practiced together once, and they were excellent.

And then Thursday was the last class ever for some of us.  Thankfully we all still have our thesis to write, so we're not actually going anywhere yet, but still the end of a chapter here.  These are the other two I started with back in March 2012, and now after 4 semesters and 22 courses, the three of us have made it together till the end.

Definitely called for popping some bubbly after class. 

I think at some point this semester I was hoping to get some sort of senioritis, or whatever the grad school equivalent of that might be, where I was just looking forward to not having to read and sit in lectures and work on group projects, etc. but that really never came.  This semester was tiring for sure, especially with the condensed time schedule, making each week seem almost impossibly full preparing for the week to follow, but these have been some of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.  I'm not even talking about all the fun extra-curricular things either, but actually sitting in classes and learning with this amazing group of people and wonderful professors is something I wish I could start all over again.  

I have learned so much, not only about Sustainable Development and its many facets and complexities, but I have gained invaluable knowledge about a multitude of nations and cultures so different from my own, and how we can all communicate and learn from each other.  I sometimes now forget just how different all of our backgrounds are and how truly unique this classroom learning experience has been.   

Thankfully though this semester ending doesn't mean an end to getting to go up to school and be on campus some.  I am still participating in a research project with a professor, working on my thesis, singing in choir, being a student representative, wine society and sustainability committee meetings and I'm sure I'll need to just go up there and socialize at lunch some as well.

Plus it is still one of the best views in all of Vienna, and I couldn't possibly go too long without it.

While I'm sad to see this small chapter of my schooling end, I am of course excited to see what 2014 will bring for me educationally and professionally.  Figuring out what comes next is top on my to-do list for 2014, and I have till mid-July to get that sorted out, which seems like a nice long time, but I know that will be here before I know it.