Hi, I go by Jennifer or Jen--never Jenny. I'm in my second year of graduate school. Right now, I'm feeling more adjusted to my classes and my student teaching responsibilities, so I figure that I'm ready to start looking for a relationship. I socialize mostly with the same group of people every week, so I decided to follow a friend's recommendation in joining this site to meet new people.

Personality wise, I'm very laid-back and easygoing. I tend to handle stress very well, although grad school sometimes pushes even my limits of tolerance. I've always had a fierce sense of independence; I'm an only child, so I'm used to following my own drum when it comes to relationships. I'm looking for somebody with a similar personality type, somebody who is laid-back and respects the need for "me time". I also need somebody as mature intellectually and emotionally as I am. I much prefer careful consideration to impulsive decisions, and I always follow the rule "look before you leap".

My two main interests are reading and animals. For fun, I practice Shotokan karate twice a week. I'm not naturally athletic, but I've been slowly but steadily improving over the last five years.

I don't really have any favorite bands. I enjoy music, but I don't follow it religiously. If I had to pick my two most favorite groups, I would probably choose Duran Duran and The Eagles.

When it comes to movies, I usually watch comedies and sometimes action movies. Along with the more well-known movies, I have a few oddball favorites, like Evolution, Wasabi, and The Birdcage. My friends are trying (and occasionally succeeding) in converting me to like Japanese anime.

My current short-term goals are 1) survive the current semester's classes 2) survive the current semester's student teaching and 3) earn the next belt in Shotokan karate (high purple)

p.s. my profile photo is from senior year of high school, it's my favorite picture that I have of myself. The only thing that's changed about me since then is the length of my hair--I had it cut a few years ago

For a first date? Hmmm.... I would probably suggest going to a coffee shop/cafe to sit down and chat and try to get a feel for if the guy is compatible for friendship/relationship.