Productivity...at an all time low.

I'm not even sure where to start with the updates. I need to blog more regularly, but I've just been so distracted. I've just been busy. Kind of.

Midterms went fine, if I didn't mention that before. I'm not sure why I stress so much. It's hard not to, though. I keep getting told not to worry about grades, but it's a hard habit to break. I just want to do my best...I don't see anything wrong with that.

I think I'll probably only be more stressed from here on out. There are several upcoming projects that are pretty big, and I really need to start those. But I'm lacking motivation. For everything. I didn't even run today. But that is because I keep waking up with headaches. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow morning (for real this time--said I was going today, but didn't). I just don't feel like doing anything.

Last week, I went to the children's museum with the kids at Headstart. Talk about an adventure. It's hard enough when you are babysit one or two kids. Try five. None of them want to look at the same exhibits. Insane. But still a lot of fun :) Kids are cute, and they love to explore.

I am super excited for this weekend--my friend Amanda is coming to visit, and we're going to have tons of fun. She's going through a rough patch...bad breakup and all that. We're going to take a much needed girls weekend. We're going to go out and actually have fun. I'm beyond excited. I miss home, and all of my friends from my undergrad. I like it here, but it's different. It's just a different atmosphere....maybe that's grad school. I don't know, but I'd like to have a little more fun. Amanda knows me, and understands me. I miss that. So I need to get some serious work done so we can have fun this weekend!

So....maybe I should do work now. Or finish watching Mean Girls. Choices, choices.

Midterms...

Surprise, surprise. It's been two weeks or so since I last blogged. I could make excuses. B-mod midterm last week, stats midterm this week. Let's be real, blogging is sometimes less of a priority. But to continue with the updates:

Things are going well. I've been pretty busy but not in a bad way, not at all. I am enjoying everything, and (other than the midterms) it's not been too stressful. I've decided to do a research apprenticeship rather than a Master's thesis. It was a tough decision...having my Master's could give me an edge for internships, but once I have my doctorate, it won't matter at all. So, apprenticeship it is. Here's to hoping that things like my application and interview can make me stand out enough.

I tried Thai food for the first time ever. Who knew it was so delicious? Obviously not me, though to be fair there are NO Thai restaurants where I grew up. I pretty much loved it, and I think I prefer it to Chinese. If my parents are unable to come visit me and try some, I'll probably have to bring some home to them.

I've been running regularly. Hooray? I'm registered for a 5 mile race on Thanksgiving, so I'm working on making sure I can actually run, you know, 5 miles. This past Saturday I ran 6, so I think I'll be ok. I might even try to shorten my mile time, if I'm really motivated. Sometimes running seems like the only real escape I have--not that I need to escape all the time. I just don't have much else to do (nor do I know many people) outside the program. And I cannot always be concentrated on the program.

Today is one of those "blah" days. I'm just not in a very good mood, and I'm kind of crabby. I had my stats midterm today, and I felt like it went well...until I was looking over it later and realized I made a typo somewhere. I may have done the work right, but my numbers were wrong. Well, here's to hoping I get some pity points. I'm also supposed to be getting the results of my b-mod midterm today. I was planning on never opening them, at least not for a few weeks. But if today already sucks, maybe I should just open them today and get all the negative stuff out before the day ends. I guess it depends on if I get them tonight, and if I feel like opening them. I will be going to bingo again tonight, at a local pizza place. It's free to play, and you get awesome prizes like pizza. I'm sure they make tons of money from people buying drinks--it's a clever set-up, and I really like it. Who doesn't want to get out of their apartment once in a while? Or every Tuesday... I'll take it, especially since I'll be meeting up with my only friend that ISN'T in the school psych program. Plus, last week he won a certificate for free pizza, so guess who is getting free pizza tonight? That's right, me. It has to make today a TINY bit better, doesn't it?

Moments :)

I was kind of crabby today, but ended up having a pretty good day. Let's start at the beginning of the week.

Monday & Tuesday I had a small migraine that still lingered onto this morning. I was less than pleased, seeing as how I wanted to start studying for my upcoming midterm. It's hard to do when you are in pain, and it made me feel sick. We did go out for dinner on Tuesday, at La Gondola. All-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner for about $4. It was pretty good, but I felt so sick I could hardly eat.

Today, I had intended to get up and run this morning, but since my head still hurt, I opted to sleep for another hour. I'm not sure that it helped, and I ended up getting up to start reviewing notes for my midterm. I attended an IEP meeting at a local school (not the school where I do my fieldwork) and that was interesting. I've been having a hard time getting ahold of my local school psychologist, so the program director offered me the opportunity to visit another school. It was a little awkward, and I think I'd definitely prefer to attend a meeting where I at least had met the child...or teacher...or psychologist.

Then, I had my supervision meeting. Those usually go well, although I tend to feel like my supervisor is doubting me. No, I'm not taking on more than I can handle. I've been running my life very successfully for the past 22 years. I understand, however, that he's just looking out for me.

I had a really good experience at Headstart today. I think the kids were better behaved than usual, especially some of them in particular.They were all pretty excited to see me, and I tried to play with a bunch of different kids rather than just a few. There are a few who just love to play with me, though, and it's hard to say no. There were a few things today that went really well. 1) I gave the Second Step lesson to the kids. They had a hard time focusing in the end, but overall they did a great job sitting still and answering my questions. It was great to say "So-and-so is doing such a great job, he/she has just earned a heart for all of us."(The idea being that if they behave well and earn all 5 hearts, they get some reward at the end [be it a high-five, stickers, etc]). 2) One of the kids who is normally a bit of a crybaby behaved so well today. I made a point of mentioning it several times. Near the end of the day, they were all standing in line to leave, and this student was standing so nicely and quietly, while the others were messing around, quarreling, trying to run outside, etc. I said to all of them, "Look how [student] is standing SO nicely. He's quiet and keeping his hands to himself. It makes me so happy when people stand in line like that!" and he had the BIGGEST smile on his face when he said "Thank you, Miss Lexie!" And then, one of the other students who normally has a hard time listening to directions said, "I'm going to stand like [student]!" which made that student feel even better (plus then there were more students behaving. Sometimes those simple things are so nice. Sometimes all a child needs is a little praise to feel so great about him or herself.

And, that was my day. I came home and ran 4 miles. Yay me. Then I filled out a log, sent some e-mails, half-heartedly studied for B-Mod, and watched the Brewers lose...again. Off to bed I go--I'll be teaching Second Step in a kindergarten classroom tomorrow, and visiting an early learning classroom at my field placement. I also have class, a meeting, and I'll be observing an intervention group in the afternoon. Busy, busy day!

Kittens, apple orchards, and visits home!

I have no idea how I managed to avoid blogging for the last week. There has been some exciting stuff going on.

Friday after class, Christine, Claire, Natalie, Lynda, and I went to Tanner's Apple Orchard in Peoria. It was SO much fun. We were a little late getting there, as we stopped to let Sophie out and then to meet Lynda's mom. Thus, the U-Pick area was closed...so we didn't really get to explore in the actual apple orchard. But there was a really big gift shop, a petting zoo, and a playground, which we did not hesitate to play on. We played tetherball, rolled down the hill, swung on the swings, and jumped on bales of hay. It was really nice to get out of Normal, and to do something that didn't involve school psychology. We did end up talking about the program for a while, but it was relaxing. I had a really good time...and then I bought some caramel apples, apple cider, and a mini apple pie.

On the way back from the apple orchard, the vet called to tell me that I could pick out a kitten on Saturday. Christine went with me on Saturday, and I picked out one of the adorable kittens. I named her Binet (so we have another famous psychologist kitty). She is dark grey with stripes, and so precious. She's still a little shy, since we was just rescued last Wednesday. She had been living outside with her siblings. After just a week, she is getting much braver. She wanted to play with Adler more than Natalie or I, since she is more familiar with cats than people...but Adler wanted nothing to do with her for the first few days. Poor Adler. Two weeks of being an only kitty, and she did not want another kitten in the household. It was a little stressful, but they are friends now. And Binet has warmed up to people--she loves to be held (but only when she comes up  to me and meows first). It's silly :)

This past week went by fast. Honestly, I don't think anything all that exciting happened. I had fun at my fieldwork--I visited a fourth-grade classroom, and helped them with their journals. They wrote about the kind of person that they did and did not want to be. It was pretty amusing, especially with what they didn't want to be (e.g. serious [because serious people talk about boring things like their jobs], gullible, or a hobo). I was asked to come back to that classroom once a week to work with the kids on playing word games. Seeing as I love word games...this won't be a problem!

I worked pretty hard this week to get most of my work done so that I could come home this weekend! And, as I write this, I am sitting in De Soto. It's pretty exciting--I still need to do some homework, since I have a presentation on Monday that I went to do well on. But I do plan on relaxing :) I'm going to watch my brother's football game tonight, which is exciting. And tomorrow there is a chicken q, which is even more exciting (except that nobody from IL even knows what that is...weirdos). I love being home...Wisconsin in fall is so gorgeous. And it's nice to hang out with my family...even my sister is coming home tonight! It's going to be a good weekend :)

90 minute presentation--done!

This week has been surprisingly good, despite being sick AND having a 90 minute presentation. Yay grad school...

Monday, I was really congested and couldn't breathe. I carpooled to class with Natalie and Christine, who had to present on video modeling. We were running late, so although we were in Christine's car, I drove so that I could drop them off. I figured it was better that I was a few minutes late, rather than the presenters. I would not even have been late, except that I couldn't figure out how to get the keys out of the ignition. Apparently there was a button I had to press. I could NOT figure it out...so I called Natalie. I called Christine. I called my dad. I called my mom--who actually answered, and threw out some suggestions. I ended up getting it (by chance alone) and then I had to sprint to class...and walk in ten minutes late. Awkward. I hate being late.

On Tuesday, I had a busy day. I had my school placement in the morning, which I just love. I sat in on a third-grade classroom, and then back to the first-grade classroom that I love so much. I helped the first graders with their math worksheets...and one adorable little boy read some stories to me. He also offered me some snack, since it was his day to bring the snack for the class. It was SUPER cute.

I had stats, which I still have mixed feelings about. I half-heartedly take notes while organizing my planner and my e-mail inbox. I usually follow along, though I have such a hard time staying focused. After stats, I had lunch and reviewed my presentation.

The presentation was supposed to be 60-90 minutes long...and it actually lasted about 90 minutes. I was afraid it would be way too short, or that we would read too much off the slides. It was about credentialing in school psychology, which is very fact-based and definitely not discussion-based. It was hard to keep the class involved, but we did give them candy :) We got very good ratings from the class evaluations, and I felt very good about it. And now it feels fantastic to be done!!

On Wednesday, I actually did some work for my GA, entering quizzes. Then I had my supervision meeting. I really enjoy supervision meetings, because we get to talk about my school placement, Headstart, my social skills group, the program, my experiences growing up, and more. I talk a lot, so it's not hard to fill that hour. I just have fun talking about all that stuff.

Then, I went to Headstart for the second time. The kids recognized me, and one boy ran up and hugged me. It was so cute--I adore kids. I played with some toy animals, and helped clean up. We went to recess, and since I didn't want to play tag (it's a small space, we'd run someone over) the kids weren't that interested in me. They do like that I'll climb on the equipment and through the tunnels, down the slides, etc. I'm sure I'll acquire lots of bumps and bruises as we go along...but it's fun :)

Today I had statistics. And that's all. I did go to the computer lab to work on some statistics homework, since we need SPSS to do the homework. It didn't take long, and I was pretty proud of myself. I really like having the homework assessments and quizzes on Blackboard, because I can see instantly how I did. The professor encourages you to re-do the quizzes as many times as it is necessary to get 100%. It only took my one try for each of the three homework assessments, and I was so proud!

Other than that, I've been starting the readings for B-Mod. I should do more, but I'm so tired and unmotivated at night. Tomorrow is Friday, though, and I only have class from 1 to 1:50...and then we're going to Peoria to visit an apple orchard!! I'm so excited. I haven't actually been to any apple orchards (at least, not as far as I know or remember?) and I cannot wait. We invited the whole cohort to come along, although many people already have plans for the weekend. I think it'll be a lot of fun to get out of Normal, as well as to play outside and get some apple cider. Fun :)

Grad school addictions

This week seems so long. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I am starting to get sick. Ugh. Fail.

Classes have been...not so exciting. I went to the elementary school on both Tuesday AND Thursday to get in some extra time :) It was fun. I love visiting the schools, and just hanging out with the kids. I'm totally making friends in all the classrooms. I even went to PE today...one of the third grad teachers lent me tennis shoes and socks so that I didn't have to wear heels. I have to say, the teachers have all been super welcoming, which is so nice.

I went to Headstart on Wednesday, and didn't feel quite as welcome there. I think, however, that the teacher was having a bad day--considering that there was one child yelling and screaming the entire two hours I was there. Side note--look, I used "however" in the right place. Today in my stats class, I learned about using "however" at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph versus using it in a sentence. I never knew there was a difference. I still think it's strange to be learning these things in my stats class, but I can't really complain. It's going to help me be a better writer (at least, according to the APA and this particular professor).

I am supposed to be reading right now, but am having trouble focusing. I reward myself with things like cake batter ice cream, which is absolutely fantastic. Luckily you can buy it at Walmart and not just Cold Stone, so I can have it more than once a month. I can't keep running to Cold Stone when I have a long day...tempting though it may be. Anyway, I should be reading now...but I'm debating sleeping now and reading tomorrow. I just know that's a bad idea because if I truly am getting sick...I definitely won't want to read for class tomorrow. Better to get it all in tonight, especially since I have NO CLASS tomorrow so I can sleep in :) Only...I need to work on my 60 minute presentation that is due on Tuesday. Boo.

I'm not very impulsive, I can hold out...or not.

I've been slacking on my blogging again. This time, I think it's because I honestly haven't been doing much. At least, nothing more than class.

I was pretty productive this weekend, and got my homework done. I even started working on stuff that's due a little later. And then I read a book. Yep. A whole book. It's kind of weird that I find more time to read in graduate school than I did while I was at Ripon. But, it is the first year and I'm really not that involved yet. Plus, there are a lot fewer people for me to hang out with. Not in a really sad way (though I do miss so many people), but more that graduate school has not provided many opportunities to meet people. Hopefully I will :) It's nice that my roommate and I get along so well, as well as one of the other girls from the program.

Natalie and I might be getting a pet. Or two. We went to Petco for a fish, and fell in love with some kittens. Although I'd prefer a dog, a kitten is much more feasible at this point in time. But one would be hard--we do hope to stay together for the next for years, but when we leave for internship...who would the pet go with? So, it might be two. I think kittens would make our apartment much more lively. It's kind of quiet most of the time, which has its benefits...and downsides as well.

So that's where we're at. Natalie and Christine have a presentation this week; I have a presentation next week (60-90 minutes, yay). We're planning on visiting an apple orchard, probably at the beginning of October. I'm hoping to go home for one of my brother's football games sometimes, and I'm also trying to convince my family to come visit me. After being home all summer, it's weird not seeing or talking to them.

Tomorrow and Tuesday will be long days, just because they are busy. But before I know it, it'll be Wednesday again and the week will be halfway over! It's a little disconcerting how fast time can go by. Anyway, I suppose I'm off to read (again!) and then go to bed :)

Last time I do that....

It's actually a little bit scary how fast the weeks fly by. Mondays and Tuesdays are long, exhausting days (though the mornings are quiet--it's mostly the afternoons that suck). And then I realize it's Wednesday, and that means that week is halfway over already. Insane.

Let's see. On Monday, I had B-Mod, which is probably my favorite class. It's pretty fascinating, and I love that our professor is so clearly passionate about the topic. After B-Mod, I had a meeting from 3 to 4, and then I had an early dinner and went to TAP at 5:45. I am helping out with a social skills group for children with autism. I can already tell it's going to be an interesting and slightly exhausting experience. But I like it :)

On Tuesday, I had stats, which is still way more about writing than statistics. Ugh. Hopefully we actually start the math part soon. I thought I would like the writing stuff, but so far it's not very exciting.

Today, I did some homework and had a meeting. Then I made banana bread and got scammed by door-to-door salesmen. *Sigh* I didn't know how to say no. I just didn't. They were really nice but I didn't want any magazines...but I didn't know what to do. Well, after they left I "googled" the company, and there are a whole bunch of fraud alerts. Sweet. So I called my bank and cancelled my check, and switched my account. Really easy, and the bank was SO nice. They told me that the company wasn't really fraudulant, just a terrible company, and they recommended cancelling my check, etc. I just felt really stupid. But my banana bread is good. And I guess this isn't really a problem since my bank is pretty much taking care of everything.

Lesson learned for the day: do not answer the door. Ever. Sorry, we didn't exactly have door-to-door salesmen growing up. I'm just not answering the door.

Rough day. Time for some homework...and more banana bread.

Fun with the Cohort

It's been a good and fairly productive weekend.

On Friday, I had a pretty good day. I got my haircut, which makes me happy. It's nothing dramatic, but I trimmed a few inches off which feels so much better. Then, that night, Natalie and I went out for pizza with some others from the program to celebrate the fourth-years finishing their comprehensive exams. Then, we went to Beth's and hung out.  Around midnight, we FINALLY hopped on a bus that took us to the bars. I think the bars could be fun, but it was just an off night. I was holding a glass in my hand (ha, my one drink) and somebody dropped/threw their glass on top of mine. I honestly have no idea where it came from, but both glasses shattered and I cut my hand. We left not long after that.

On Saturday, I did homework and little else. I actually slept until about 11:30 (of course, I didn't go to bed until 2:30), so that was exciting. I read my five chapters of B-Mod, and tried to be productive. On Sunday...I got up and ran, and then did more homework. I actually went to the Coffeehound for a little while and working on homework with Claire and Natalie. Then, we went to dinner with Natalie's family because they came to town. That was fun.

After dinner, I got a little more work done and now I am watching True Blood on HBO with Claire, Christine, Natalie, Sara, and Dylan. Claire, Christine, and I have no idea what is going on, but it's just nice to be around people.

Tomorrow looks long. I have my three hours B-Mod class, then a supervision meeting, brief dinner, and then I'm helping out with a social skills group at TAP. Good thing I have all my homework done for the week...I'm sure I'll get nothing done tomorrow.

Back to the daily grind.

Well, after a lovely long weekend, I've been hard at work once again. It's really not that exciting.

Let's see...Monday and Tuesday I had classes. On Wednesday, I had meetings. Today, I had lots of free time and I totally didn't get anything done. It's sometimes hard to work when hanging out with people. Okay, pretty much always. I'm also just not feeling very motivated this week, which means I'll be spending quite a bit of time this weekend reading for class. To be fair, though, it's not like I have fun weekend plans. I need to start planning some marginally fun events for weekends, just so I can motivate myself to work during the week.

Tomorrow I have no classes. I am, however, volunteering at a campus psychology event and doing some work for my graduate assistantship. I also have super fun plans for a haircut tomorrow, since my hair is just too long. It's driving me crazy when I run.

So...super exciting life. I shouldn't complain, I really like it. It's just that people keep asking for updates, and really my life is pretty average. But I like it, so it's all good.

Second week...sucks.

This week has been more stressful than last week. Still working on scheduling things, and it's just not fun. My days keep starting off terribly, and then getting somewhat better.

ISU never received my criminal background check that I did in JULY. I was directed to a specific person at ISU who would help me, and she wasn't very nice. I e-mailed her last night, and her response e-mail was so unhelpful. I cried a little bit. And then I pulled it together. Met with my principal for my school placement, then came back and made some phone calls. Turns out, people outside of ISU are much more helpful. I didn't have my receipt, but between the criminal background check people and the state police, everything is all figured out. So much stress over nothing.

I had no classes today, just meetings galore and homework. On the bright side, I'm SO excited to start my in-school placement and my stuff at Headstart. Obviously, what I can blog about that stuff will be limited. But in general, I'm so excited for the experiences. I'm not even that nervous, though I am sure I will be when it comes down to it. But this I'm excited for :)

Also, my to-do list is getting shorter...though I still need to finish all the homework that is due next week. *sigh* Tomorrow looks....full of homework. Oh, grad school. You win.

Solution: Cake-batter ice cream

I'm doing my best to blog regularly, really I am. I want to, but by then end of my busy day, I'm just so tired. All of my days seem so long (though not in a really BAD way). I just do a lot of things every day.

On Monday, I didn't feel well (probably from breathing in all that acetone while trying to remove my nail polish) so I slept in instead of running. I got up around 8, did some homework, and went to my noon class (Advanced Behavioral Modification--from here on out to be referred to as B-Mod).

I really like B-Mod. We're learning about functional behavior analysis, which is just want it sounds like. When you've identified a problem behavior, you should then figure out what purpose that behavior serves for the child. When does it occur? Do they usually get out of class if they do it? Once you've determined the function that the behavior serves, you can (very strategically) phase out that unwanted behavior and replace it with something more appropriate. Sounds great, but that's literally all I know about it so far. How do I know what function that behavior serves? Observation and data-recording. And as for dealing with the behavior...obviously we've not learned that much. Ha. But I think it's fascinating, and it seems like a very logical way to go about it. My only problem with this class (and my Tuesday afternoon class) is that it's a three-hour course...and I have a hard time paying attention for that long.

Also, class was interrupted when one of the other doctoral students had to leave because of a family member being in the hospital. It was really sad to hear, and we all had a hard time focusing after that. This is one thing I miss about being a child...as a child, I rarely worried that anything would happen to my parents or other family members. Now that I'm grown up, I know that bad things can happen and that no one lives forever. It's just not something I'm sure I'd be able to deal with during my second week of graduate school.

Today was pretty laid-back. I did run this morning (yay me) and then started reading the stuff for next week. I really want to get next week's homework done ASAP because I have a long weekend and I'm visiting family in Ohio...thus, I do not want to be writing papers this weekend. So, I started the reading this morning before class. I had stats at 11, which I'm starting to get annoyed by. I like the professor, really I do. But he does talk a lot, and this stuff is SO basic that we do not need all the examples. Normally I love examples! But we're talking about qualitative reasoning, and none of this stuff is new. It's so hard to focus. I literally take notes (even though I have the slides) just so that I pay attention. Ugh.

My afternoon class went well. Again, a three hour course. Not my favorite. But we do have at least one break in the class where we can get up and stretch, which I appreciate. This class (Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in School Psychology--which I cannot think of a good nickname for...LEP? I'm going to call it Issues, probably) is very discussion-based, which I have mixed-feelings about. I love hearing what everyone else has to say, and getting a new perspective...I just hate speaking up in class. Our professor is very good about not making you feel dumb--no matter what you say, he's very encouraging, which I very much appreciate. One of my other professors made me feel stupid on the first day of class, and although it was said in a joking way and I laughed it off...it made me not want to speak up. Ugh.

The second half of my three hour class focused on Headstart, since we'll all have a placement in Headstart in addition to our school placements. I'm really excited for this--3-5 year olds that we get to play with. Sounds like it will help me relax (though also stress me out, since I have to connect it with what I am learning).

For Headstart (and the school psych program), we had to get criminal background checks. In an effort to get this done before school started, I made a special trip in July to do this...and the department never received my  information. Ha. Must be a joke, right? I'm not paying $54 AGAIN. This is one of those areas where I wish the department was more helpful...I know I'm an adult, but come on. How am I supposed to fix this?! Naturally I was a little frustrated by this, but all was made well later by taking a trip to Cold Stone. Cake batter ice cream makes everything better...and I'm trying to remember that I can't let the little things upset me. This isn't that big of a deal, and maybe once I talk to the right people, they'll find my background check. One can only hope, right?

I am really enjoying graduate school, but it's making me miss Ripon. I like the faculty here, I really do...but no one is as helpful as Ripon. I realize ISU is much, much bigger, but I'd appreciate some help (and maybe a little sympathy) once in a while. I've had to deal with far too many issues already (like a broken computer system holding our stipends hostage...still). Can't things just work the way they are supposed to? None of my stresses are actually about school...it's just about tedious things that aren't working. And I can't do anything about it...which is probably the worst part. Such is life, though. I probably just need to let go of those things and focus on the things I CAN do.

Small-town fun :)

So, Friday's get-together went quite well. I always make plans, start to dread them, and then end up having a good time. I didn't dread this event, but I did get a little nervous about it. Anyway, by 7 pm, everyone who was in town came by. We hung out and played Apples-to-Apples, and talked. I didn't get to bed until almost midnight.
On Saturday, Natalie and I met Claire, Beth, Marissa, and Lynda at the Sweet Corn Blues Festival in Normal. We wandered around and checked out the street vendors. It was like a mini-fair, without the rides! Plus, the corn was 50 cents an ear (for cooked corn, that is) and the first one was free for ISU students. Delicious.
After the corn festival, I came back and worked on homework. I had 11 things (chapters, pdfs, etc) to read for one class, and 4 chapters for another, plus a reaction paper on those 11 readings. Ha. So, basically I spent most of Saturday reading.
Natalie had to run home for a while on Saturday, so I studied and then ran to the grocery store. We had some chicken, so I decided to make parmesan chicken. I was, however, lacking ingredients. I drove to Kroger (since it's only a few miles away!) to get stuff and also to drop off recycling. I was almost in an accident on the  drive there, making that the fourth time this week that people have almost HIT ME. Can no one drive here? This is ridiculous. I love having everything close by (that novelty has yet to wear off) but I HATE the drivers around here.
After nearly being hit, I was a little stressed so I decided to bake. A bit random, I know, but I found this recipe on StumbleUpon for chocolate chip truffles, and they look so good. I kept forgetting ingredients, so I ended up running to the store THREE times. Ugh. But, both the truffles and the chicken parmesan turned out great. Score one for me :)
On Sunday, I continued to read. So exciting. At 4:30, Christine and I went to the Annual School Psychology Picnic. I did not really want to go--I would just like some free time for myself. Natalie had too much to do, since her family stuff took up most of her Saturday, so she didn't come. After a slow beginning, I ended up having a really good time at the picnic. We played games, had a white elephant silent auction, and ate food. The weather was great and the people were fun. So, all in all, a good choice.
One last thing I really wanted to do this weekend was remove my nail polish from Becca's wedding. The lady at the salon informed me that I would need to use pure acetone. However, she did not inform me that it would take me FOUR HOURS to get all this stuff off. I had to soak one finger at a time. Let's just say, tonight has been less productive than I would have liked.
Luckily, I don't have class until noon tomorrow. I'll be getting up to run, getting some random things done, and possibly painting my nails. I almost have more time than I know what to do with...almost.

And the latest adventure begins!

So, it's official. I've started graduate school. Actually, I'm almost done with my first week! I have one class tomorrow morning (unless I find out before 10 that I passed the competency exam to test out...no guarantees there). About this week--it's been almost completely overwhelming.

I finished moving in on Sunday, and went to dinner with the other school psychology graduate students. I barely had any time to settle in, and then I had my first class Monday morning. That one wasn't too difficult, and then I went to Noodles for lunch. I'm not quite sure why I was so nervous, but I was. I had Advanced Behavior Modification from noon until almost 3. I'm definitely nervous for this class, since I've never even taken a regular behavior modification class. But it's largely discussion based, and that's something I can do...once I am comfortable speaking up.

Tuesday morning I had statistics, which was amusing. The prof has a sense of humor, and although he can be long-winded, I like him. Stats could be boring...this isn't. He says we'll be doing a lot of technical writing, and that he is a "grammar bitch" but I'm not the least bit scared about that. My sister (who just got her first real job, teaching English!) is the most strict person I've ever met when it comes to grammar. I actually feel prepared for this class.

I also had my legal/ethics/issues in school psych class, which looks like it's going to be a lot of work. Most of these classes are only once a week, so it can't be too terrible. But I'm told my schedule will really fill up, with a two-hour block of field work at an elementary school, a two-hour block at Headstart, and two one-hour blocks for meetings, in addition to my classes and my graduate assistantship.

I will say that the older students are really nice and supportive. They've all told us that we'll be just fine (whereas the professors warn us that we'll come to them crying in a few weeks) and I'd much prefer to believe that I'll be fine. I probably have one of the better schedules--my school placement is close by, and my graduate assistantship is very simple. I'm just taking care of small tasks, as needed...and I haven't even been needed yet. It's disconcerting that I am hardly working at all, after working 3 jobs last year.

I would really just love for my schedule to be set in stone. I hate trying not to forget all the necessary meetings and stuff, and I can't wait until things settle down. I'd like to feel more organized, really. Today I took a competency exam to hopefully drop a class, which would give me more free time. I'm not really that confident, as I mentioned earlier. We were told that only one person has ever not passed the exam and I don't  want to be the second. I'll know soon enough...but it just doesn't seem SOON enough!

Tomorrow, my roommate and I are having a small get-together at our apartment for all the first year school psych students. We haven't had a chance to really get to know the specialist students, though they seem really nice so far. Natalie and I want to be on good terms with everyone, and this week has been so exhausting that it's hard to be social. People are coming over around 5 tomorrow to just hang out and get to know each other. I'm pretty excited. Speaking of which, I am loving my new apartment AND my new roommate. It's surprising how much we have in common, and it's just been a lot of fun getting to know each other. We had a good heart-to-heart yesterday, which was rudely cut short by the appearance of a big spider on the sofa. We both freaked out a little bit, and it took us about half an hour to kill it. But then we went out and bought bug killing spray..and called maintenance today to have them spray for spiders too. Ha. I am pretty pleased with how quickly maintenance has helped us with everything--it only took them one day to replace our dishwasher, which I was quite impressed by.

Suffice it to say, despite being stressed, nervous, and confused, I am having a really good time. This weekend, we are going to check out the corn festival in town. I'm really looking forward to getting out of the apartment, for something OTHER than school. More updates to come soon, hopefully :)

Summer Plans

Apparently I'll continue this trend of blogging about once a month. It's not even that I'm that busy. Some days I'm too busy, and other days I just do nothing so it seems silly to blog.

I had my graduation party last weekend! That was...fun. I haven't had to do small talk in a while, and I wasn't really feeling up to socializing. Just kind of crabby. But in the end, I had fun. My favorite part is reading what people wrote in the cards, and then sending thank-you cards.

I've mostly been working (anywhere from 1 day to 4 days a week) at Macy's. Some days I do markdowns, some days I set sale, and some days I rearrange clothing. I'm just thankful to have a job, even if I'm not making that much of a profit. It gives me something to do, and gets me out of the house.

I've also been slowly unpacking and re-organizing my stuff. Every year, I go through my clothing and get rid of stuff. This year it's not just clothing. Since I'll be moving to Illinois (details on this to follow), I want to get rid of any unnecessary items. Mom says she can store some stuff that I'll want later, so mostly I'm just trying to get rid of some of the junk that I've accumulated!

I think I have all the apartment details worked out. I was going to live with two other girls from the program, but now I'm just going to live with one of them. It's a lot easier and less complicated. It's also a longer story, but not one that I need to elaborate on. Suffice it to say, the three of us are not...compatible. Things got a little stressful--I'm feeling relieved that we've worked it out, and now I can go back to being excited about moving! It'll be my first apartment, so I really have nothing useful. Living in dorms didn't require a whole lot, which means I have some catching up to do. Luckily, Natalie (my roommate) has most of the things we'll need, like a kitchen table and chairs. I guess I'm not bringing a lot to the table, but it seems a little ridiculous for me to buy things that my roommate already has.

Other than figuring out apartment stuff, I've mostly been studying. I need to take a statistics placement test before classes start, and also a competency exam on abnormal child psychology. I bought the books, and now I'm reading two chapters a week from each book, and then typing up notes so I can review in August. In addition to studying, I've been hanging out with Becca, helping with wedding stuff and all that. I've also been hanging out with Shelby, a fellow ADPi who goes to Ripon who happens to live in LaCrosse! It's a small world. Anyway, Shelby and I meet up about once a week to do fun things. We run, hike, shop, walk around Riverside, eat dessert, etc. It's one of the few fun things I've really been doing this summer--not that being home is not fun, but I don't have a lot to look forward to every day. Making plans with Shelby (and Becca) gives me something to look forward to.

On the agenda for this summer:
1) Several weddings, including Becca's on August 20th
2) Running a 10k on my birthday
3) Going to Summerfest to see Rise Against
4) Getting a tattoo with my sister
5) Moving all my belongings to Illinois
6) Passing my placement & competency exams
7) Maybe having some fun?!

I'll (hopefully) post updates a little more frequently now.

Graduation!

Eventually I hope to get back to blogging on a regular basis. Maybe while I'm at graduate school? It'd be a good way to keep my family updated on all my adventures.

Since my last blog, I'm sure that not much has happened. And yet, plenty of things HAVE happened. Let's see. I graduated on Sunday, Magna Cum Laude (meaning my GPA was higher than a 3.7). That was pretty exciting :) I was not really nervous about the whole graduating and moving on thing. I guess it's easier for me because I have a plan, I have direction. I'm not lost or floundering, like many no doubt are. Graduation is a big milestone, letting the world know that we are truly adults now. It is kind of weird to think about. Anyone using the excuse that we're wild and crazy (or starving) college students can no longer use that excuse. It'd be a bit much, however, to expect all that to change in an instant. I mean, it's not like I have money now. In fact, I technically have less now than I did last year, or the year before that. Going out into the world with student loan debt is not exciting. It's a little bit terrifying, and I don't even have to pay it off until after graduate school. I should actually figure out how to defer payments--that'll be interesting, I'm sure.

There are many things to be nervous about, but as always, there are also many things to be excited about. I'm starting a new chapter in my life, one that I am beyond excited about. School psychology is a fascinating subject, and I can't wait to learn more about it. I do have to take a statistics placement test this summer, before I start graduate school. I like statistics, but I'm still pretty nervous. I haven't had to do statistics by hand in several years, though I did tutor someone for the past two weeks, which helped me to review a little bit. I lost my stats notebook, which does not bode well. Googling "how to re-learn" statistics probably won't help me too much. Gah. That's part of my plan for the summer. That, and cleaning the attic, as well as going through all of my worldly possessions (and thus preparing to move to IL)....yup, that's about it. It feels a little bit overwhelming, though I know it really isn't.

I do also plan to spend time this summer working out. My knees are still (somehow) sore after running the half-marathon, so I plan to start with knee strengthening exercises and start running again in a few weeks. I miss running, but I would like to do it without pain. I really want to be in good shape before the wedding of one of my best friends. That's August 20th, so technically I do have time. Still, I'm a little nervous. I feel like this summer is going to fly by, and that terrifies me just a little bit.

Well, I should probably go back to wasting time. I have really done very little today, and I don't plan on doing much tomorrow either. I'll ease back into being productive :) For now, it's relaxing in the sun and reading a book about autism. Maybe I'll watch tv too, just because I can!

What blog?

Oh dear. I see that I haven't blogged in about three months. I'll be impressed if I still have any readers.

Updates for everyone.

I had graduate school interviews at Penn State and Ball State University. They all went well; in fact, I had a lot of fun. I really like interviews. I think I connect well with people, and it makes the process easier.

I was accepted into Penn State, but with no funding (no thank you). I was accepted into Ball State with a full tuition waiver and a full time graduate assistantship.

However, I really liked ISU best, and so I decided today to accept their offer. It's a full tuition waiver, and a half time assistantship. I will be working about 10 hours a week, earning $550 a month. It's half as much work (and money) as I would have at Ball State, but I really felt like I fit better at ISU. ISU did offer to help me find another assistantship, but it wasn't recommended and after talking to about 6 current students, I decided to wait and see how it goes.

Other updates.

I just had spring break, and it was so wonderful. I wrote 2 and a half of the four papers I wanted to write (finished the third today, and I still don't have guidelines for the fourth). But also, I slept like 8 hours EVERY night, which was phenomenal. I hung out with friends--dinner, bowling, etc. I hung out with my family--casino, Harry Potter marathon (ha).

I did also get food poisoning this weekend, and am still on a saltine diet since no food sounds the least bit appetizing. I probably need to eat more than saltines. I had a sandwich for lunch today, and felt sick again so I'm just being cautious. Not exciting, though.

Other updates...none, really. Things are going well, I guess. I'm ahead in most of my classes, which means I should actually be able to relax sometime. I do have a couple of tests coming up, so I should probably study sometime. It's never-ending, really, but I'm not sure what I would do with free time. No wait, I know. I'd sleep and hang out with friends. Why can't it be spring break forever?

I'm sure I don't have time for this, but here I am anyway...

Oh wow. I love being back at school, but I just have so many committments that it's impossible to try to find "free time." As last week was recruitment week for the sororities, I am already behind on my readings for classes as well as sleep. Gah. Luckily my plans for this weekend involve catching up on both of those wonderful things.

I was informed by UW-Madison that I was selected as an "alternate candidate" for their program. So...I'm on the waitlist. But that's ok. I liked Madison, but not nearly as much as I liked ISU. And ISU informed me last week that I got accepted into their doctoral program...FULLY FUNDED! That is, I have a full tuition waiver and I'll be working in an assistantship and making about $550 a month. It's not the BEST and I'm pretty sure I'll still have to take out a loan to live off of. Ok but seriously...FULL FUNDING? AHHH!

Then, just a few days ago, Penn State e-mailed me to ask me if I could interview on February 4th. Wow. I certainly did not expect that. But they didn't give me any details, and although I'd love to go, I'm not sure that it's feasible.I mean, really. It's 13-14 hours away. That's a hike. And although I would LOVE to go check it out, maybe a phone interview would be a better option? That's no fun, but I'm trying to be logical. I'd miss probably two days of classes and work, and it would be expensive to drive down there. I wish it was easier.

Also, I was invited to attend a reception on campus on that same date. It's a pretty exciting reception, where I'd be learning about some major national scholarships like Rhodes, Fulbright, etc. I'd love to attend that as well.

Finally, next week Wednesday I am going to a concert at home. Ahhh! I'll have to miss probably one class and work to drive home. Then I'll drive back in the morning, pack, and leave for Pennsylvania? I guess it's possible, though I am going to be freaking exhausted.

There's just so much to think about, and this lack of sleep gives me no motivation. I have a meeting at 10, so I can't sleep yet :( Perhaps I should try to catch up on my readings for classes...I have 14 or 15 books for this semester....yikes.

Ahhhh!

Well, I've jumped right back into things back at Ripon. First day of classes today, and I have been STRESSED out all day.

But the stress is mostly due to sorority recruitment. We've squeezed everything into a week instead of the month it used to be, and so none of us really get to sleep this week. I'm averaging about 7 hours, and I'm hoping to get more tomorrow night. But we'll see.

I completely forgot to buy notebooks and folders. Really? It's my fourth year here, and I forgot that? Oh well. I'll pick some up tomorrow, and just take scattered notes until then. It's not really a big deal. Speaking of things I've forgotten to do, I didn't look up where my one class was today, so I almost didn't get there. I got to the building, and panicked. Luckily one of the psych professors was in his office, and he had the sheet of times/rooms so I was able to figure it out. I wouldn't have missed anything much, but it would have been embarrassing to explain.

I worked at all three jobs today. Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be long days this semester. But not really in a bad way, and I should be done before 8 or 9 pm. So that's not really so bad. I am looking to go to sleep earlier this semester, so that I can get up and work out. I ran on Monday. I should run tomorrow, according to the 1/2 marathon schedule. Actually it says I should walk 2 miles, which would be super easy. I think I might try to convince Kim to run with me tomorrow night. I don't know if I'll have time though :( BUT, good news, the fitness center is open until 10 pm most nights now. That means I could go alone, because I'll be safe and sound inside a building! This could work out.

I also spent over an hour fighting with my scanner. My sister needed me to scan some evaluations so she can apply for teaching positions. Some papers scanned just fine, but for other ones, my scanner only scanned a quarter of the page. Wait, what? It's an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper, so please scan all of it. I still don't know what's going on. I put a piece of dark paper over the sheet I was scanning, which seemed to help. But it was just odd and finicky. Annoying, and stressful. Not at all cool.

Now, I should really head to bed. Tomorrow looks to be another super busy day. I'm excited though...I like classes :) I'm also going to the elementary school for Big Brothers Big Sisters. That's exciting as well, since I haven't been there in a month now!

Graduate School Interviews

So, I think my first round of interviews went well. But perhaps I should start at the beginning...Mom and I drove separately to Madison, where we parked my car at the airport so it would be safe while we were in Illinois. There were a few...trials during this trip. My windshield washer fluid was frozen (again) and then one of my windshield wipers broke. Mom and I stopped to get new windshield wipers, but couldn't figure out how to get the old ones off, much less how to get the new ones on (not exactly a sign of good things to come).

It wasn't a bad drive to Illinois, especially with such good company. Mom and I rocked out to some good music, had a little dance party, etc. It was easy to find our hotel and all that. Then I drove to the student center and had dinner at a deli with other prospective and current students. It was a little awkward, really, but not too bad. After that, we all carpooled to the house of a faculty member for a reception. I had a really good time at the reception. Mostly we all just talked to people about our interests and their interests, as well as where we were all from. The current students made sure that I met faculty who shared my interests, which was really nice and incredibly helpful.

Interviews started the next day, and it all went pretty well. I had a lot of fun overall, so hopefully that is a good sign. I had 5 different interviews at ISU, and when I had free time, I hung out with current and potential students. I made a lot of friends, which is good because I want to like people that I might be taking classes with. It was wonderful to meet with faculty--they were all so encouraging and flattering. I guess I hadn't really believed that my resume, experiences, education, etc. would honestly be comparable to the other students applying. But it was made clear to me that I do, in fact, have very good qualifications (and chances of getting in). It was very reassuring. Although, I did learn that ISU can probably only accept 6 or 7 of the 13 that interviewed. That's about half...and there were some great people there. I guess I'll know in about a month.

After all of my interviews at ISU, Mom and I drove to Madison. I met Missy at Caribou, had dinner at BWW, went grocery shopping, and then just hung out with Missy. I probably could have used some more sleep, but I had fun. I woke up before my alarm on Friday, probably because I was back to worrying about the interviews. But really, the interviews were just a chance for faculty to get to know us, and try to determine if we would be a "good fit" for their program. At Madison, I had 3 group interviews and 1 one-on-one interview. I had fun, though probably not as much fun as I had in Illinois. I had many more chances to interact with faculty at ISU, so I feel confident that I was able to make a good impression. I think that they will definitely remember me. I think I also made a good impression on the faculty at Madison (at least  I hope ) but I didn't have enough one-on-one time. I tried to get in some good conversations when I had the opportunity, but I don't know that they will really remember me as well at Madison. On the bright side (or maybe not) I should hear from Madison in about a week. Madison can accept 10-12 students out of the 30-some that applied...so, we'll see.

I think it's a little bit scarier now, when all I can do is wait and hope that they liked me. As they said, it's no longer about the credentials and all that--all applicants who were invited to interview had outstanding resumes and experiences. Now, it's about determine whether the program and applicant are a good match.

Honestly, interviews were nothing like what I expected. I printed out 30 potential questions that I answered; I printed out information about the theoretical orientation of each program; I printed out information about all of the faculty. And yet, between the three days of interviewing, I think I was only asked one relevant question OTHER than "what are your research interests?" and it made me laugh. I was so worried that I wouldn't be prepared, and now I feel like I was slightly over-prepared. But it wasn't bad--they could have asked me questions and I would have been ready. But instead, it was just an opportunity to chat with faculty about things that interested both of us.

For the rest of the weekend, I am relaxing (finally) and then moving back into Ripon. I'll have a roomie this semester, and I'm SO excited. I really cannot wait for the semester to start (although I'm sure I'll be wishing it was still break in just a few weeks). This semester looks like it'll be a lot of work, but work that I am interested in. Let's be real, I like school. I might get stressed about trying to get everything done, but I'll enjoy doing it. I can't honestly complain :)

How does anyone know anything? (In relation to cars)

This working nights thing isn't so bad, really. The only complaint I have is that it's hard to get anything else done. I'm not home and awake long enough to achieve much of anything. Today I'm not feeling well, so I've only been awake for a total of 3 hours. I don't work until 9:45, so I have hopes that maybe I can get something done. But I doubt it. I still need to finish answering potential interview questions, but that requires work. I'm just not feeling up to doing anything.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful run. It was just over two miles (apparently 2.44 miles, according to my Nike+ sensor). It wasn't a struggle; I felt good; and my knee didn't hurt! I think that's a win. I'm trying to run every other day, since that's similar to the training I'll be doing next semester. The Nike+ sensor is the coolest thing ever, and the wristband is awesome. I can plug it into my computer and upload my run. I can keep track of my runs, goals, motivation, etc. online. It's a lot of fun to play around with.

After my run, I went to Walmart to pick up some new headlights for my car. My brother informed me a few days ago that one of my headlights was out. I hadn't even noticed. I've always wished my lights were a bit brighter...and the light that was out was on the passenger side, so I could still see pretty well on my side. My dad told me to pick up a pair of lights so that they would glow the same. He put them in for me today, which is good because they DON'T come with instructions. Gah. How does anyone know how to do anything? I might be able to take it apart, but I'd never be able to put it back together!

Work was not exciting. Two nights ago, I was an auditor (with the rest of my team) but last night, I was a scanner...with a bunch of people I've never met. We aren't really supposed to chat a lot, but there are some pretty funny people working with me. It made the night amusing. Also, they've had snacks for us every night during our breaks. Each night, there has been a veggie tray and water...last night there were cupcakes too! It doesn't take much to make me happy. I worked from 7 pm to 4:30 am...bah. Got home at 5:30 and crawled into my bed...wide awake. I managed to fall asleep, but woke up at 11:30. Really, body? 6 hours of sleep is all you want? I don't think so. I was up until 2, and then I'm pretty sure it was the cold medication that made me feel like I was going to fall asleep on the couch....so I napped until 5. I'm still pretty tired, but I'm thinking maybe I got too much sleep? I just hope that I'm not too tired tonight at work.

Ok...off to go eat dinner, and then maybe be productive? Yeah, right.

Work, work, work, all night long.

I slept until 1 pm today! Great success. But considering that I got home around 4:30, I guess it's legit.

I suspect I am going to have a shortage of stories to blog about. After blogging yesterday, I didn't do much of anything. I read for a while. The most exciting thing I did was to go to my brother's basketball game. I love watching basketball, although it's kind of frustrating. Eric tells me I should yell less. But come on! I have so much fun, but there are things they should be doing, such as rebounding. I can't just sit and watch!

After Eric's game, I went to work. So exciting, I know. We're doing inventory of the store, and the pricing team (which includes me) are the auditors. It's kind of boring, because we audit 10% of what everyone else is scanning. It means a lot of waiting. I guess my boss might put some of us to regular scanners, so that things will move faster. No one really wants to be at Macy's until 3:30 am. But it looks like I will be, until Wednesday morning. Gross.

I'm not going to get much sleep at ALL before my graduate school interviews. Good thing Mom is driving. She doesn't want me to drive out there alone, so she'll be hanging out in the hotel room and around town until I'm done.

Oh, oh! Actual excitement! My new SHOES came today! Now I can use my Nike+ wristband, and record my runs!! I needed some extra motivation to run...it's been snowing, and I learned a few days ago that running in the snow isn't actually that much fun. It blows in your face and it's really bright and reflective. Buuuut fortunately, it looks like the snow has stopped, for now at least. So, I should probably go run. I have to be at work by 7 tonight. Ugh.

New experiences and a tiny bit of trauma

I meant to blog yesterday, really I did. But I was up at 3:45 for work, and I stayed up as late as I could in hopes that I would sleep late too. Much too tired to blog.

At any rate, yesterday was full of adventures. After work, I met with my friend Becca (I'm the maid of honor in her upcoming August wedding) to help her decide on jewelry for her wedding dress. This is probably the third or fourth time she has tried on the dress. She picked out a veil, a tiara, earrings, and a necklace. It was pretty exciting :) I could tell she felt self-conscious...she wants to look amazing, but I don't think she realizes that she already does. She's even doing weight-watchers, although she there is no way she weighs more then 115 lbs.

After that, I stopped for gas (gas prices are RIDICULOUS right now--3.149 a gallon?!) and went home. I had lunch, and read for a while. I decided I really wanted to go for a run, since I haven't been running regularly since October :/ Of course, it was snowing but I decided I would run regardless. It really wasn't too bad, since I only ran two miles. I am a little worried though, because my knee started to hurt again. A bum knee would make it awfully hard to run a 1/2 marathon. I was hoping that it would be better be now, but apparently not. It doesn't hurt as much as it did this summer, but I'm afraid to push it.

Later in the day, I experienced a bit of trauma. You see, I broke a nail. Crazy, right? Why would that possibly be so traumatic? I'm a nail-biter. For as long as I can remember, I've been a nail-biter. Every so often, I've been able to stop for short periods of time. I haven't bitten my nails since October. They are the longest they have ever been, and they look great. Or they did :( I broke off about a quarter inch of nail, THAT'S how long my nails have gotten. I've never broken a nail before, since I haven't had nails long enough to break. It didn't hurt, but I was devastated. Now I have one really short nail, and the rest look great. I had to trim all the rest to make it look better, and I still don't like it. It bothers me, which is never a good sign. Mom told me to wear gloves--I am not allowed to fall back into my nail-biting ways. Fair enough, I don't want to anyway. But who knew having nails could be so traumatic? I've finally adjusted to having them--for a long time, I kept scratching myself by accident. I still struggle a bit with taking out my contacts...it's different when you have nails! But I'm glad I have them. I feel much more like a real adult.

I chatted with Melisa about real life today. Graduate school still counts as real life, even if some view it as a continuation of college life. We talked about switching banks, and the price of living in different places. Grad school will be a real adventure. It's a little bit scary, the thought of going off to school in a strange city where I have no friends. I've always had at least one friend with me. What will I do when I have none? I don't want to go places alone. I think this is one of those times when grad school interviews will be really useful. I am looking forward to meeting professors and learning more about the programs, but I'm REALLY looking forward to meeting other potential students, as well as current students. I have no idea how I'd balance having even more friends, but I can't really be friend-less in a new city. I'm going to need someone to live with, which is an adventure in and of itself.

Starting tonight, I will be working nights for the next 6 days. 7 pm to 3:30 am. So I definitely won't be blogging at nights--look for posts in the afternoons, I guess. And wish me luck...

Too much energy--not enough to do.

I still feel terribly unproductive. I just don't feel like doing anything.

I woke up BEFORE my alarm went off this morning, surprisingly cheerful. Drove to work, worked until 9. Working at Macy's makes it so hard to not spend money. I keep seeing stuff that I want, and knowing that it's cheap, but trying to tell myself no. I don't NEED anything.

I came home to an empty house. Now that tax season has begun, Mom will be working all the time. It's kind of depressing. Seriously. I had no idea what to do with my time, and it was boring because I had no one to talk to. I spent some time looking at grad school stuff, edited my sister's paper, watched another episode of Jersey Shore (the last one--look, it only took me two days to catch up). What will I do without trash tv to make me feel better about myself? Gah, I guess I'll have to re-watch them.

I had a skype date with Melisa, which was wonderful. I also chatted with Amanda for a little while. But mostly I was bored, and FULL of energy. I did not want to sit still, at all. Staring at my computer for too long gives me a headache, but anything productive I could do is on my computer. I need a project or something, something that involves moving. I was going to run this morning, but the weather (6 degrees, feels like negative 7) and a dead ipod scared me away from that. No excuses tomorrow--I charged my ipod, did some laundry. I'm prepared to bundle up, but I need to stay motivated. It's too hard to bribe myself. Luckily, I'm taking a half-marathon course next semester. It's a psych class focusing on motivation, and I'm SO EXCITED. I got new running shoes (they are coming in the mail, and I can flat-out guarantee that I'm going for a run when they get here) and I bought some more running clothes. I am ridiculously excited!!

Although I'd love to blog more (we all know I love to talk), I have to go relax and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is the LAST day that I have to get up at 3:45 am! At least, til this summer--they asked me if I would like some hours this summer too, and of course I said yes. I'll (hopefully) be preparing for grad school, but that doesn't start until the fall so I will be around this summer, and I'll be grateful for whatever money I can make!

The start of a great year :)

So starts 2011. I'm so excited for this year--I have so much lined up, and so much to look forward to!

For New Year's Eve, I hung out with my parents. It was not too exciting, but still pretty wonderful. We went to dinner at a bar in nearby Ferryville--prime rib special. It was pretty good, and I had fun. Afterward, we came home and watched Criminal Minds for a few hours...until midnight, haha. Mom and I each had a glass of champagne during Criminal Minds, and we went to bed at about 12:05. I had a number of people text me to wish me a happy new year, but luckily I'm smart and silence my phone when I sleep. I used to always be available, but I really hate when my sleep is interrupted--I'm sure people prefer the delay in response to the crabbiness.

On the first day of 2011 (shut up...it's 2011...I graduate this year!!!) we had my mom's family over for Christmas. My grandpa and his wife Nicki came; my uncle and my cousin Jenna came. Aunt Trisha and cousin Megan did not come, as Megan was not feeling well :( It was sad that Megan couldn't come, but we had fun with the rest of the family.

Other than that, I've just been working. I work every day this week, and while I should be grateful for the hours (and money) I'm getting so tired. I don't like getting up at 3:45 am. I only have to get up early for two more days! But then, I'll be working overnights Thurs-Tues, which might actually suck more. I'm not quite sure. I think it'll be preferable--I don't mind working, it's the getting up in the morning that I HAAAATE. We're doing inventory, and I'll be working from about 7 pm to 3:30 am. I'll be tired, definitely, but then I get to come home and sleep at the time when I'm normally getting up! Once the week of inventory is up, I'll probably be tired of the awkward schedule. But, after that, I'm done at Macy's for now!

After I get home from work on Wednesday morning, I'll sleep for a while and then drive to Illinois for my first grad school interview! Scary! Tomorrow I'll blog about how I've been preparing--you know, answering possible interview questions in between watching episodes of Jersey Shore. Classy, without a doubt. But really, some of these questions are difficult, for example: "Why do you think you are better suited for admission than your classmates?" and "What will you do if you are not accepted?"

Ok, for now I have to head off to bed. Before I know it, I'm going to be getting up for work yet again. *Sigh* I miss college life already.