I have in my hand the registration form for my third quarter at MIT. The list of classes on here are much different than last year. A full load is four classes, in the Spring semester I took seven, and this semester i'm taking five. So I'm still technically overloaded, but I'm being a smart cookie this time around and making one of my classes my THESIS.

My classes are as follows:

Media in Transition
Colloquium
Topics in Comparative Media: World Building with Frank Espinosa
Portfolio in Comparative Media (read: Transmedia Storytelling, or THESIS)
Topics in Comparative Media: Comics with Henry Jenkins

Normally students take a class in the Spring semester that is ful-time dedicated work on the THESIS. I'm starting early, hence my assertion that I am, in fact, a smart cookie. Depending on how things go, I may try and take a class at Harvard or the Media Lab instead of one of these, but we'll see how it goes. I definitely think I need the time to work on my THESIS.

It's funny being back. Last year at this time I was beside myself with excitement, going ohmygodohmygodohmygodI'matMIT, but this year I'm kind of blase. I'm happy and comfortable and relaxing about my commitments this year, and everybody is totally supportive of my new mindset, which is to say no to everything I possibly can instead of saying yes to everything. This is because of the aforementioned big bad monster looming on the horizon: the THESIS.

In case you hadn't caught on yet, dear reader, my plan is that every time I mention this particular dreaded beast on my blog it's going to be in all caps. THESIS. I'm working on my THESIS. Today someone asked me about my THESIS.

The only thing better than this would be coding in some kind of rollover that added some booming bass drums every time someone moused over the word THESIS. THESIS! *bum bum bum*

So, yeah. I'm a little punchy. But all things considered, I've feeling much better about the state of the universe, and totally looking forward to this semester. :-)