Though I’m not a full-time student, I’m continuing my academic pursuits this semester. I’m taking a class in German reading comprehension to prepare myself for language exams wherever I might go to school next. I’m not ready for Hegel just yet, but I think my German has reached the critical mass where I can continue to learn the language for myself.

I’m also continuing my writing for whichever academic publications will take me. I completed several encyclopedia articles this summer, and I just received one more to do by the end of the year. I also sent a book review to a graduate journal. Unfortunately, there are few historical journals that will accept reviewers who don’t have a PhD, or who are at least a few years into a PhD program. If any readers know of journals that accept graduate student reviewers, I’d be glad to hear about it.

I’m also working on a paper for the spring meeting of the South Carolina Historical Association. My paper will be titled “Confessionalization and the Creedal Tradition.” It will be part of a panel of graduate students from Dr. Schoolfield’s class Sixteenth-Century Europe. As far as I know the panel has been accepted.

And of course, part of this semester was spent completing applications to PhD programs. As far as I know all my applications are complete and all supplemental materials have been received. Alea iacta est.