A Week in the Life Adriana Popa COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

A Week in the Life Adriana Popa COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Were featuring  a new mini series,  A Week in the Life,  to highlight all of the wonderful experiences our students have had in the program. Adriana Popa, MIA 16 Hometown: Pitesti, Romania Concentration: International Security Policy Specialization: International Conflict Resolution Fun fact about myself: I lose balance when I sneeze or blow my nose. Monday, MorningJoseph Stiglitz, pictured, (Nobel Prize in Economics, and former senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank) and Jeffrey Sachs (special adviser to two UN SGs, and author of three NYTimes bestsellers) are guest speakers in my Conceptual Foundations class. I am tempted to run and ask them for autographs at the end of class. These are the guys I read in college, and they teach at Columbia. I turn around and see two of my friends also taking photos of them. #IRgroupies Monday, AfternoonI’m done with classes for today at 2:00 p.m., and I run to the UN, where I’m working at the UNDP on decentralization and local governancecontinuing the work I did with them over the summer in Jordan. Tuesday, AfternoonAfter class, stat lab and a quick lunch, I set up for the mock negotiation on the Malian crisis and security of the Sahel for my Contemporary Diplomacy class. John Hirsch, the professor, is a former U.S. ambassador with 32 years of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service. He now works for IPI (the International Peace Institute). He is an inspiration and a valuable resource as I prepare for a career in diplomacy myself. Wednesday, AfternoonAfter my campus job in the Admissions Office is done for the day, I join my friends, writers/journalists Tara Isabella Burton and Rebecca Baldridge, for one of Vica Miller’s literary salons for a wonderful few hours of art and discussion. Thursday, MorningIn the morning, I go to my weekly flying class. I’m in much better control of the plane after several months of practice. Thursday, AfternoonI drive way too fast from Republic Airport back to Manhattan, to change and make it to an event with Kofi Annan, where SIPA students have access thanks to Professor Elisabeth Lindenmayer. We all get to take a photo with him at the end. Friday, MorningI skip ballroom dancing practice, despite the approaching competition, to make it to fencing class, which I’ve skipped for the past three weeks because of midterms. Friday, EveningAn unexpected stat homework session pops up, as my homework partner was able to make the TA’s office hours and insists on completing the homework tonight, before he has to fly to a conference this weekend. So we meet in Lehman. Three hours later, I finally leave campus. Saturday, MorningI look through the fridge and find enough stuff to make caviar blinis. Saturday, AfternoonMy SO surprises me with tickets to Breakfast at Tiffany’s on Broadway. Sunday, MorningI wake up to my Audrey poster, Vosges truffles and my favorite flowers. Sunday, MorningReady for a new week!