So Aunt Rita wanted to know what it's like living in DC with elections looming. Basically, it's the same as everywhere else. Except!! When you're eating in an everyday restaurant and see a heavy politician! It's like seeing a celebrity...lol....you have to call the people you know and then ponder what/who they may have been talking about. My school has speeches and conferences going on pretty constantly right now because it's one of the biggest academic arenas in the area. I plan on getting into one or two of those; I'm sure it will get crazier the closer it comes to election.
Not sure on who's republican, democratic, or independent in my readers, but I'm an Obama gal right now. And I can't believe that McCain picked the governor from Alaska. I believe it was a poor choice, that he was hoping would bring Clinton supporters over to the republican ticket. Unfortunately for him, I think it just insults those democratic Clinton supporters, and confuses those Republican supporters who wanted experience (as she's 2 years Obama's junior, and not nearly as many years in service).
31 August 2008
29 August 2008
First Week Done
WOOHOO (screaming football game yell) It was awesome; the first week that is. I'm taking Psychological Research, Behavioral Neuroscience of Addiction, and Statistics. Already tons of reading, but it's wicked awesome reading (only things I'm fascinated by which always makes things more interesting). First day was mostly a debate about the ethical or unethical nature of using animals such as rats for research. Not the happy go lucky research, but rather the inject them with cocaine type research. Was interesting, and great to get in a class with people who are all different with different interests, yet all very similar in passion. Second day followed the theme with a debate about the definition of addiction (aka is it a brain disease, does it exist at all, a purely mental existence, etc, etc). That same day was also statistics, which I've had two classes in already so it was quite boring...but at least it's only once a week and I'm done with it after this semester. (silly required for all classes)
ANDDDD....I got the position!!!! The position with Dr. Gishawn Mance. I'll be working on a study/publication based out of Baltimore and Chicago that looks at the effects of low-income, low-education, and low-healthcare availability to inner city drop-outs (between the ages of 14 and 20. Mostly this work will concentrate on determining if psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc) prevalent with these groups is mediated by hopelessness, and whether a lack of education and medical attention or awareness thereof contributes to this. I'm also interested in whether longitudinally this increases or decreases with second generation children of parents in programs of intervention.
I'm totally EXCITED!!
I'm also working on getting some pics up for you all. As soon as I do, they'll be up I promise.
Oh and the money thing worked out, after pulling "a Resa Mom thing." Which is basically when I refuse to back down and walk away when no one is giving me an answer that I really need. Generally the front desk staff in the offices get scared and defensive, but hey it's my money not theirs so it's important that I don't give up.
Hmm more to come...for now the pot roast is beeping at me!
ANDDDD....I got the position!!!! The position with Dr. Gishawn Mance. I'll be working on a study/publication based out of Baltimore and Chicago that looks at the effects of low-income, low-education, and low-healthcare availability to inner city drop-outs (between the ages of 14 and 20. Mostly this work will concentrate on determining if psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, etc) prevalent with these groups is mediated by hopelessness, and whether a lack of education and medical attention or awareness thereof contributes to this. I'm also interested in whether longitudinally this increases or decreases with second generation children of parents in programs of intervention.
I'm totally EXCITED!!
I'm also working on getting some pics up for you all. As soon as I do, they'll be up I promise.
Oh and the money thing worked out, after pulling "a Resa Mom thing." Which is basically when I refuse to back down and walk away when no one is giving me an answer that I really need. Generally the front desk staff in the offices get scared and defensive, but hey it's my money not theirs so it's important that I don't give up.
Hmm more to come...for now the pot roast is beeping at me!
22 August 2008
Money
This is ridiculous!! I absolutely hate the system that colleges seem to have set up for student accounts. They lose money, they can't find money, they have no idea who their lenders are, and then they expect you to be okay with them saying it's just a fluke in the system. Well sorry, but the kind of money it takes to go to school out of state should not be subject to flukes!!
Ok, rant over. Basically the loans I have/need are not showing up in my account. I talked to the financial aid people; they said it's there and will show up next week when the IT problem is taken care of. The problem I have is that I can't apply for a loan refund until they fix that problem even though my money is there. Point being it's MINE! lol....anyway second rant over. I'm alone for the weekend because Laura went home for her mom's birthday and her anniversay. She and Brandon have been together 5.5 years! Crazy huh. And no they're not getting married for at least 2 years, but he's supposed to be asking her this spring (per the plan that I am a part of -- woot woot) She doesn't read this so it's ok!
I am still talking to one of the professors about working with her this year. She is leaving after a year but I love the work she is doing, so I'm excited just the same. I will give more info on that if it progresses. If it does I have the very real possibility of working and contributing to at least 3 different publications. AKA WOO HOO.
Finally, in this crazy time. The silly toilet clogged. Not a normal clog fixed with a plunger. Oh NO it is a crazy clog caused by our neighbors toilet! Pleasant. At least it doesn't smell..just can't use the toilet in my room for a bit. It's ok though because we have two! Yup two. It's awesome.
Ok loves ciao
Ok, rant over. Basically the loans I have/need are not showing up in my account. I talked to the financial aid people; they said it's there and will show up next week when the IT problem is taken care of. The problem I have is that I can't apply for a loan refund until they fix that problem even though my money is there. Point being it's MINE! lol....anyway second rant over. I'm alone for the weekend because Laura went home for her mom's birthday and her anniversay. She and Brandon have been together 5.5 years! Crazy huh. And no they're not getting married for at least 2 years, but he's supposed to be asking her this spring (per the plan that I am a part of -- woot woot) She doesn't read this so it's ok!
I am still talking to one of the professors about working with her this year. She is leaving after a year but I love the work she is doing, so I'm excited just the same. I will give more info on that if it progresses. If it does I have the very real possibility of working and contributing to at least 3 different publications. AKA WOO HOO.
Finally, in this crazy time. The silly toilet clogged. Not a normal clog fixed with a plunger. Oh NO it is a crazy clog caused by our neighbors toilet! Pleasant. At least it doesn't smell..just can't use the toilet in my room for a bit. It's ok though because we have two! Yup two. It's awesome.
Ok loves ciao
19 August 2008
Second....or maybe Third Try
OK guys. I know I basically fail at the blogging thing. But I'm doing a lot of changing right now and blogging is a goal.
So to start off. As some of you know I am attending American University in Washington, DC this fall. I am "officially" a general Pschology graduate student, but what that really means is I'm a psychology graduate with a focus in whatever I want. As those who know me well know I loveeee working with kids, so my focus is Child and Adolescent clinical psychology. I'll be working with a couple different professors and still waiting to find out if I got a position with a professor Dr. Mance who works with inner-city adolescents and cultural image and identity. I would be totally PSYCHED!!! if I got that position (hehe..pun). Three classes, which is a huge change from what I've been doing in undergrad, but the classes are significantly more involved (aka 3.5+ hours per class just for the actual class time) I have five books I'm supposed to basically memorize before next summer for the cumulative exam that allows the psych grad students to graduate. I am so excited!! It's still a bit daunting sometimes.
Last week I had orientation with the other students in my program...20 total students this year out of the total 400+ applicants, so I'm basically very very thankful for the opportunity to be at this school. The director of the program said quote: "no crying in my office at the end of this semester about not having a thesis topic picked yet......at the end of the second semester you may cry, but not until then!!" He cracked me up, he thinks he's going to be on estrogen overload with this year's class (there are only 3 guys out of the 20 of us). He also said quote: "You aren't allowed to get C's, but if you do get one C don't flip out just work on it, but you may NOT NOT NOT get two C's; if you do I have to fight to keep you in the program and two C's doesn't convince me you should be here.....three and God help you if you come to my office"
He is truly a nice guy, so hopefully I won't have to go to office about bad things.
Laura (my roommate I've had already for a year) is going to Georgetown, which is just a few blocks from my school, so we decided we should live together again. We already know how we function with each other, and have a system down and similar budget. So we moved here at the beginning at August; technically we live in Bethesda, MD but it's the south side of Bethesda right on the border of DC (literally I can walk two blocks and be in DC) It's a nice area, safe and easy to commute from. We have a grocery store across the street so shopping is easy and a great pizza place about a 8 minute walk. Biggest change...lol....they don't sell liquor in grocery stores. Neither Laura or I drink very much, but they don't even sell Mike's hard lemonade!! I mean geez o pete. I won't even tell you guys how much rent is, it still shocks me. We got furniture when we got out here, it's super comfortable and way worth the money we spent.
Hmm, I will try to get some pictures up soon of the apartment and the area around here.
And I will try very hard to actually keep this updated at least every few days (3-4) I promise!!!!
Loves
Gail
So to start off. As some of you know I am attending American University in Washington, DC this fall. I am "officially" a general Pschology graduate student, but what that really means is I'm a psychology graduate with a focus in whatever I want. As those who know me well know I loveeee working with kids, so my focus is Child and Adolescent clinical psychology. I'll be working with a couple different professors and still waiting to find out if I got a position with a professor Dr. Mance who works with inner-city adolescents and cultural image and identity. I would be totally PSYCHED!!! if I got that position (hehe..pun). Three classes, which is a huge change from what I've been doing in undergrad, but the classes are significantly more involved (aka 3.5+ hours per class just for the actual class time) I have five books I'm supposed to basically memorize before next summer for the cumulative exam that allows the psych grad students to graduate. I am so excited!! It's still a bit daunting sometimes.
Last week I had orientation with the other students in my program...20 total students this year out of the total 400+ applicants, so I'm basically very very thankful for the opportunity to be at this school. The director of the program said quote: "no crying in my office at the end of this semester about not having a thesis topic picked yet......at the end of the second semester you may cry, but not until then!!" He cracked me up, he thinks he's going to be on estrogen overload with this year's class (there are only 3 guys out of the 20 of us). He also said quote: "You aren't allowed to get C's, but if you do get one C don't flip out just work on it, but you may NOT NOT NOT get two C's; if you do I have to fight to keep you in the program and two C's doesn't convince me you should be here.....three and God help you if you come to my office"
He is truly a nice guy, so hopefully I won't have to go to office about bad things.
Laura (my roommate I've had already for a year) is going to Georgetown, which is just a few blocks from my school, so we decided we should live together again. We already know how we function with each other, and have a system down and similar budget. So we moved here at the beginning at August; technically we live in Bethesda, MD but it's the south side of Bethesda right on the border of DC (literally I can walk two blocks and be in DC) It's a nice area, safe and easy to commute from. We have a grocery store across the street so shopping is easy and a great pizza place about a 8 minute walk. Biggest change...lol....they don't sell liquor in grocery stores. Neither Laura or I drink very much, but they don't even sell Mike's hard lemonade!! I mean geez o pete. I won't even tell you guys how much rent is, it still shocks me. We got furniture when we got out here, it's super comfortable and way worth the money we spent.
Hmm, I will try to get some pictures up soon of the apartment and the area around here.
And I will try very hard to actually keep this updated at least every few days (3-4) I promise!!!!
Loves
Gail
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