Thursday, March 13, 2008

Stuff.

A few things to update about today, I guess!

The first thing is that Nattie is mean because she gave me spring fever! And also Kaila, because her facebook status was something about blue sky! It's been real nice here the last little while, but will be kind of icky until at least Wednesday, according to the online weather network! So boo!

I just finished my stats lab, thank goodness! The assignments in that class are brutal! I think I'm just being a stats snob, but I feel like she stresses the unimportant things. I know that she knows best, I just am not yet seeing that rationale. I always feel like I've learned SO much in a Linda class, just not for this one. Whatever though, it's OK. I just hope to do better on the second midterm next week than I did on the first one! It's not that 79 is bad, I just know that junk backwards and forwards and am disappointed with my stupid mistakes and upset about her trick questions. No worries though, I'll just study differently!

I'm pretty psyched to start working on my essay/term paper/ movie review assignments because of what happened on Tuesday!!! We have kind of a student teacher right now, for the second section of our course (second of three)... she was sick on Tuesday so our regular teacher was there, but she would have been anyways because she was handing back our essays. I was NOT happy about this, because I really had NO IDEA how I did! She said that there were 7 A's out of the 20 of us and at this point I'm thinking I'll for sure find a C+ or something on mine. So, she's handing them back alphabetically and I was pretty much freaking out because I was so nervous. So, I take a deeeeep breath and open my paper to the last page. Wow. Oh WOW! A 95!!!! That's an A+!!!! UNREAL! I just couldn't believe it! I was so happy!!!! When she was all done and everyone was leaving, I had a few formatting-type questions for her (should I use I this, I think that, etc? and did I cite the papers correctly?) and so I walk up to ask her my questions. "Excellent paper," she says, which she had also written on the top and which was so sweet, "best in the class". WHAT?!?!?!?!?! My mind was SERIOUSLY just racing! I said thank you, but I was kind of like, "REALLY?" And oh it just made me so happy! Especially because Marina (who I hate) and Chris (who is SOOO smart, I think he reads academic journal articles for fun) are in my class! I was considering that maybe she just said it to be nice or to blow smoke up my you-know-what or something, but I've come to the conclusion that that just isn't very likely. She would have no reason to do that. I just couldn't believe it. It's made me think seriously about my future and maybe going to grad school. When it comes down to it, I love doing this junk. It's painful, and long and sometimes REALLY boring, but I know why I did well on that assignment. Because I was so darned excited to do it! It was like a science lab from my chemistry days, but about something that I CARE about. And not even something that I consumingly (is this a word? I don't think so...) care about like how people act about religion or why Jews are so successful sometimes against all odds, etc, etc, but something I care about (the topic was asymmetrically permeable work-family boundaries for men and women, basically work and family role conflicts). But I seem to find sociology so darn fascinating. I don't know though.

So what to do? I posted earlier (I think even earlier this month) about the three things I'd like to do if I could choose anything at all.
1) Teach. Probably social or math (or both would be fun). I do love tutoring a LOT, so this is definitely a possibility.
2) Make movies. I was so inspired by that darned documentary a few years ago. This would be a way to do sociology but for the public, not in such an academic way. I'd go to SAIT for film and video production for this probably and hopefully start out at the CBC or something. I emailed the director of that documentary from a few years ago and she sent me back her phone number so I could ask her some questions about what she does and stuff. I think I'll call her as soon as I get up the courage!
3) Go to grad school. In some ways, I think this is the best way to do everything I want: teach and do research about stuff I'm interested in. I don't see why a person who just has graduate degrees couldn't make films, so I'd kind of be finding a way to delay my decision between numbers 2 and 3, I guess. I emailed my grad student cousin (she almost has her PhD, WOW) and asked her about grad school, so I'm sure she'll give me the inside scoop, and I think I might also go and see the student teacher grad student from my class, the regular teacher from that class and Dr. Wong to see what they think about whether or not I'm good enough for grad school and how much work it is, etc, etc, etc. *disclaimer: I KNOW it's a LOT of work, but I'm interested in how the day to day stuff goes.... if that makes any sense.

Soo..... if everyone who reads my blog EVER wouldn't mind, if you can see one of these 3 options you think I would be best at, PLEASE comment! Even if you are a lurker, you can even post as anonymous, I totally don't care! And don't be afraid to be brutally honest! If you think I'm way to stupid and lazy for grad school, say it!

EDIT: Oh, for anyone who reads this, I'd rather my family not know about stuff if I can avoid it. I don't know why I like to keep things from them, it's weird, but I don't want them to make fun of me....

Thanks all! Lots of love and appreciation for your future responses!!!

<3

2 comments:

Natalie said...

Just wanted to say that I have read this, but am putting due thought in until I respond!

<3

Have a good weekend! :)

Kaila Cook said...

Hey, well I am so sorry about talking about blue sky but seriously it is gone once again, it won't stay for more than an hour at a time. I think my neighbours think I am on crack,cause I run outside and around the block when it's sunny, maybe even do some dances, then come back in and wait for the next burst of sun.
Congrats on the great marks, maybe you can tutor me when I come home...........