Category Archives: school

November. School and San Fran.

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And then it was November. I’m not sure where October went. Nor September for that matter.

One week left in my coursework and I am frantically researching and writing my final paper for the course. It isn’t supposed to be long but there is a lot of research in the area and it is harder to write something when there is a lot already written on the topic. I feel like I have to read absolutely everything before writing the paper which has meant at least 3 days of reading and note-taking so far. All of that for a ten page paper seems excessive.

Because I am doing all of that, I haven’t spent nearly as much time planning the upcoming trip to San Francisco as I would like. I’m relying on my sister’s preparation and the guidebook given to me by my friend. A week from now, I’ll be basking in San Francisco-ness and enjoying the many shows there. I have no idea how/what to pack as it looks like it is 10 degrees warmer there than here but I need to be ready for rain and fog. Plus, I need to bring my computer as I’ll have to do some school work from there. At least I can travel and do school all at once.

Back to School

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This week hit me like a sack of something heavy. A dead body perhaps. After an intense summer of school, I relished and throughly enjoyed my three weeks off; I didn’t even pick up my text book until the day before classes started (which was yesterday). That must be why it is so hard to get going on school right now. I only have two classes left before my practicum (huzzah!) but I’m having a tough time motivating myself to actually get going on them. I even watched television yesterday to procrastinate. That is how you know things are getting desperate around here.

The World as Best as I Remember it

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The last two weeks have gone by so fast that I’m not really sure what happened. Last Tuesday I could have sworn that I had only gotten home from Montreal the night before; apparently it had been the previous week. I’m still trying to figure out where the last five days have gone.

  • My aunt from Montreal was here visiting for a few days, we went to the art gallery (good exhibits going on right now, Victorians), wandered downtown, saw a movie, climbed a mountain…
  • I started a new course, one which I am not thrilled about but am trying to make the most of. Maybe I’ll finally get that A+ I’ve been trying to get.
  • Random note about that course (research methods) – the prof goes by the same name as my UVic stats prof which is kind of weirding me out.
  • These next two weeks are going to be psycho chaotic with course work plus the last two weeks before the big conference on the 28th/29th. It is not to late to register and you know you want to come!
  • The weekend was great,  but too short. Britt, Kelsey, and I had our first road trip of the summer and it was great fun! Bamfield is lovely and since the resident soothsayer decreed that I will return to Bamfield, I suppose I must. We had a pig roast (like a whole pig on a spit turning over the fire), The Broken Group played the house down and people danced all night. The sun shone all day and the stars shone all night. I got in the first real stargazing of the summer.
  • I know I just mentioned them, but I get very happy inside whenever I think of the name of Bamfield’s resident band: The Broken Group. (For you non West Coasters: The Broken Group versus The Broken Group.)
  • Photos of the previously mentioned weekend are forthcoming. Maybe Friday.
  • I booked airmiles flights to Prince George today for my 10 year reunion this summer. Airmiles was the only way I was willing to go. I’m too cheap to pay full price to see people I only had one year in common with… But I’m stoked to see other friends and (quasi!)family when I’m there!
  • I started reading a new book yesterday. Its really good.
  • Ok. Back to the school work.
  • PS – bonus points for anyone who gets the obscure early 90’s Christian music reference in the title. No googling!

Here We Go Again

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And thus we begin another term of school: two down and two to go. That full week and a half off didn’t really feel like a break with all of the traveling that I did in there. Mind you, it was very nice to not have to take any school work with me to Montreal.

Today, the next course opened: Research Methods. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against research methods. I think it is a valuable component of any degree… I would just like to learn something new. I logged on to the course site earlier this week and began the readings. It is all review. In fact, it is less than review. I don’t think it will be even as in depth as any of my undergraduate courses.

I have, in my undergraduate degree, completed no less than five courses in research methods and statistics. In those courses, I wrote research proposals, I conducted experiments and collected data, I had labs where I used statistics software and analyzed my data, I wrote formal reports. Heck, one prof even used some of our data for her research.

When I wrote the school and asked for permission to not take the course, I was told I could only have that if my courses were taken at the graduate level. Fair enough, I can live with that. Maybe I’ll learn something more if it is a “graduate” course.

Then, I opened the text book and read the first sentence: “A course in research methods is possibly the most important course you will ever take in your psychology undergraduate career.” Kill me now.