Working on my final semester

I'm in my final semester at Goddard. The work load of graduate school has never really freaked me out, but this semester I have so many commissions that I am a bit stressed about being able to meet the deadlines of the portfolio/thesis writing.

DOES SIZE MATTER?

While searching through some of the portfolios in the basement of the library at Goddard I have noticed that they do come in different sizes. David McCurry's who graduated as I came in, is a wonderful painter and I admire his work. His is one of the larger portfolios. Though a couple like Pam Callender and Coni Porter (hers is a must see) are under 100 pages. She is a book designer so her book is pretty cool looking. I believe this might be her professional website.

As I understand it this is the designated schedule for portfolio

G5 residency - come with an outline.

( frankly I think this should be done way earlier than G5 residency. My advisor had me write about some things about the portfolio in my G4. I don't know if all advisors do that, but I think coming to the G5 residency without having a really good idea of what you are doing is setting yourself up for failure. HINT HINT! Do this earlier. Spend time in G4 in conversation with yourself and your adviosor as you do you G4 work.

PACKET 1 - First draft of portfolio is due.

Wow this surprised me. I mean really 3 weeks and the first draft is due. I know that will be hard for some people. ( I have had a couple friends who have written their portfolio in during the break between semesters. I had hoped i could do this, but got really busy. If you do this, I'm not sure I would mention it to the advisor, or play that one by ear. Seems like some find that a no, no. Not sure why though, you did what you did, weather you write about it during break or the church of the first three weeks of G5 should make no difference.

PACKET 2 Make changes and revise.

PACKET 3 it is sent to both advisor and second reader. Should be a final draft that "could be signed off on if necessary"

PACKET 4 and 5 are about tweaking it and making it look pretty.

So packet's 1-3 are construction

packets 4-5 sprucing it up.

So, I sent my first draft into my advisor- Erica. It was well over 200 pages, something like 214. I think there are some things I can cut if necessary, or combine. While she has it I'll be working on the bibliography and the citations within the copy.