G4- GETTING READY FOR PORTFOLIO

While at the last Goddard College residency I met several students who had written their first draft of their portfolio before going to their G5 residency. This is not required, but I would really like to do this. Hey, after rewriting a 60,000-word novel that should be a breeze. So, when the semester ends, that is exactly what I plan on doing. Semester ends June 13 and residency begins July 21^st. That means I have over a month to write my thesis- first draft.

Other suggestions I have found for writing portfolio

• G3- you are not required to write a G3 practicum report, but some advisors suggested doing that in the G3. This becomes a part of your portfolio.
• G-1-G-5 Keep annotated bib throughout your time at Goddard. I have also combined my bib at the end of each semester to make that graduating semester easier.
• G1-G-5 Look at the black books. One advisor suggested looking at 3 black books at each residency. It helps once you meet students at residency and can identify them with their work. For me, that made a world of difference. So, I would suggest to find 3 people in each graduating class that you admire. This is very hard as you only get to meet them for a day. Upon your return you can look up their portfolios. At the time of my graduation 2012 these portfolios will be made available online. I hope you will be able to search by subject, because that would be wonderful. Not only for creating your portfolio but for finding suggestions for books to put on your bibliography. However, if you are one of those people who like to have something in your hands, then it might be a good idea to spend some time in the basement of the library looking at them. In hindsight, I wish I had a couple of days working on mine at least formatting it while in the basement of the library. Bring my computer and sit there and lay it out. I should have done that residency of G4. Maybe this residency, but then I have, hopes I’ll be done with the first draft by that time. I’ll wait to print it out until I’m there. After all, why should I use my paper?
• I also wrote my novel-using Scrivener. This is a Mac program but is at the time of this writing being made available for PC. With Srivener you can divide up your novel, have a place for research notes and much more. I'm glad I had a semester to work with this program, though it does so much I'll be having to learn a lot to do the thesis on it. I’ll post more about this as I begin to use it for the thesis.
• My advisor this semester (Erica) said it would be a good idea to look at the degree criteria and do some free thinking writing on each. Looking over each semester’s self evaluation I’m certain will help with this. She suggested we dialogue about these before the semester ends. GREAT IDEA! I really want to get to this before my semester ends. Problem is I fell so compelled to start writing the thesis I’m afraid that if I start dialoguing about it I will have to write, then I lose out on two packets worth of other work. So I am in a quandary. Though I am sure having a dialogue with my advisor would help to write it, maybe that is why you wait until the last semester to write it and not before?

I’ll post more as I head in that direction for completing my G4 and headed into the G5.

Other fall semester dates to note (Packet work August 22- December 5^th. Semester ends December 12. ) 2012 semester dates residency February 3-10. Check in February 2, Commencement residency February 3-5 Commencement I GRADUATE February 5^th.