I am currently between week two and three of my first semester of the GTOMSCS program. So far the workload has been manageable with additional review of probability for Bayesian statistics being the main time sink. The assignments have been valuable in understanding the concepts introduced in the lectures for both of my classes and the lectures themselves seem to follow a nice flow that builds upon the previous ones. If I had to pick a negative it would be that it does not feel like I am in graduate school, but rather taking a more serious, and expensive, Udacity course.

 Before the semester began I underestimated how valuable it was to be surrounded by fellow students slogging through the same problem sets. To its credit the program addresses this with online resources such as Slack and Piazza on which the TAs are quite active. However, it is impossible to transfer the social aspect of the shared struggle to an online environment. The key to my success in the program will be finding motivation outside of myself and seeking support and accountability from my work colleagues who are toiling alongside me.