Whew! The early fall term officially ends today, while late fall begins. I am honestly relieved to be finished with 620. I have mailed my final project to Prof. Gao, and now will await my grade, along with the rest of the class. The course was very hard, and I am proud to have made it through. I think I learned a great deal along the way too. Thanks to Prof. Gao and my classmates for all the help.

It is always bittersweet to end a class. Even though each session is only nine weeks, each class is like a little unique family. Even if you encounter some of the same students in future classes, every class has its own special mix of individuals, and its own dynamic. Due to the tough subject nature of 620, I think our class bonded even more than most. I do hope to run into everyone again in subsequent classes.

As this is my last ?official? blog post documenting my experiences in IMC 620, I?d like to share a few ideas for the program that I have heard from fellow students. One idea is to have some IMC branded merchandise available for purchase by students and faculty on the IMC website: T-shirts, keychains, coffee mugs, etc. Would other students be interested in this? I know that I would purchase several such items if they were available.

A second idea is to recognize top graduating students with some sort of award(s). Such awards could be based on GPA, or even a poll of faculty members. Earning the IMC degree is a huge accomplishment in itself, but I think we have all encountered peers who are simply outstanding students. Perhaps these students deserve some sort of additional recognition for their efforts?

A third idea is to have a mechanism in Vista where you can e-mail any and all IMC students. I have heard several students say that they simply don?t use the MIX e-mail very much. (I have to count myself among that number as well.)

(As an aside, I encourage everyone to participate in the IMC Community section of the website. I know it is difficult to find the time to take part. I admit I haven?t used the section much myself, but I am making an effort to check in more. It really is a valuable resource, and a wonderful way to stay in touch with current and former classmates.)

Again, these are just a few ideas I have heard from fellow classmates. Please feel free to chime in below and let me, and the administration, know what you think. On that note, I guess I should wrap this up. I have really enjoyed the journey of the past nine weeks, as challenging as it was. Thank you to all students who read the blog, and especially to those who responded. Best of luck for a great late fall!