so this past weekend i went to austin city limits with the hubby and my little sister. it was SO fantastic....there is something about being with thousands of other people outside and being able to see 10 of your favorite bands all in one weekend. i haven't been able to go in the last 3 years, so it was really nice to go back.
and austin has quickly moved to the top of the "where we want to move after gradschool is over" list. :)
the real reason i felt the urge to post now is that i had a very enlightening experience a few minutes ago..... my major professor decided that i have to start meeting (and interacting) with our weekly seminar speakers. this is quite a scary task because these seminar speakers are in the top of their respective fields in economics, and i'm just not on their level. the one thing you don't want is to make a bad impression on someone who could eventually offer you a job. plus i have a tendency to say very very dumb things when i get nervous.
anyway, the meeting was actually really great.... i explained my research as a third year student would (extremely nervously) and yet managed to sound intelligent. i also got the best compliment there is: "this topic is really interesting to everyone"
that, my friends, is an extremely good sign!
Showing posts with label dumb things students say. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dumb things students say. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Stage Right: Fermi starts typing
Five pm Friday at work. The place is pretty quiet. I decided this morning to stay until seven today because I need to get some work done. But now it is five and I am hitting my slump after being super efficient all day. It must be time to blog!
I have the list to get to, but there are some other things I wanted to write about first. Look at this. It is a blog post on Bitch PhD about pregnant women with substance abuse problems who are open to having talk therapy after their prenatal care. This is incredibly interesting to me, because (a) I am concerned about having a healthy child (in 5 years,) (b) I am interested in substance abuse in general (c) I am interested in "the placebo effect," and (d) I am interested in the benefits of talk therapy. The study was not done scientifically, but that doesn't bother me at this point because the placebo effect is all about positive thinking and interpersonal support both of which you *should* get at talk therapy sessions. A book I was reading awhile back about the possible natural evolution of religion got into the topic of the placebo effect. Basically it said that our bodies have some natural (biological) power to overcome some major obstacles when necessary. But that this power takes a substantial amount of energy and we may have evolved so that it isn't energetically favorable to summon this power unless we are in a situation where long-term survival is ensured. This situation may be when we have wholesome nurturing people caring about us. Some people have family, friends, and church members filling this role, and some people get this impression (that their therapist cares about them) from going to talk therapy. The interesting part is that the nurtured feeling you get from therapy is simulated. The therapist actually is getting paid to nurture you. But often, if you can "buy into" the therapy, the same placebo effect takes place.
What else? Skuh mentioned that she saw on my map that I had been to Iowa. I think this must be a miscommunication or I don't know my state shapes. Regardless, Skuh, I hope you have a good time on your visitation weekend. What are your grad school goals, specifically? How much will it cost? Are there any teaching fellowships you can get where you help out with some undergrad classes?
What else? Novella is touring the US and she will be stopping by where I live. How exciting is that!?
And now, I will make an attempt at THE LIST. Most of it is now *old news* in my mind because it happened last week, so this may be briefer than I originally intended.
1. Zazu Pimple
Do you remember Zazu? Or the conversation with Zazu about chocolate? Right, well it seems that Zazu just lends himself to incredible dialogue. Proceed:
Setting: Fermi and MATURE-female-undergraduate-Celery sitting at two computers in the main lab, working.
The lab door opens, Zazu enters,
Zazu (demanding): Do you have a mirror!?!?
Fermi: No.
Zazu (uncertain, finger pressing cheekbone next to temple where there is an obvious pink-under-the-skin-blemish): I think I have something on my face! Do you see anything?
Fermi (recognises what it is, but as she is uncomfortable even uttering the word "pimple" chooses to entertain a different option with her response.): Yeah, (pausing) It looks like something may have bit you.
Zazu (pressing on the blemish): It hurts when I press on it! Do you see anything, Celery?
Celery (looks, and replies matter-of-factly): Yes, it looks like you have a pimple.
Zazu (SHOCKED, UTTER DISBELIEF): But I thought you can only get pimples on your forehead!
Celery: No, you can get pimples anywhere, even on your shoulder. When you go home today, wash your face and put some acne cream on it.
Zazu: Okay.
If you didn't click over to see who Zazu is, he is in the summer between his first and second year of COLLEGE. He has previously lived under a rock. Also note: Celery's age = Zazu's age.
I am also taking the liberty to get rid of 4. Parents Visiting, because I feel that I addressed that sufficiently in my post: Oil Truth.
I feel ready to work again. That or Work-Out! Yes, I believe the second one is the key, my legs simply cannot handle sitting any longer...
------------------------------
2. Boss Anger Group Meeting Communication
3. Maru, Katu, and Arum Rae (also Jed, THE FAN)
5. Experiments working
6. Black boys catcalls
7. Harlem Shakes Vampire Weekend vs Bonaroo Music Festival
8. Magazine Obsession
9. Cake Therapy
14. Penelope Trunk's writing
15. Things that make me happy
16. Feeling happy vs Feeling Powerful vs Feeling Superior
17. Jips comes home
18. Flowers and Presents
I have the list to get to, but there are some other things I wanted to write about first. Look at this. It is a blog post on Bitch PhD about pregnant women with substance abuse problems who are open to having talk therapy after their prenatal care. This is incredibly interesting to me, because (a) I am concerned about having a healthy child (in 5 years,) (b) I am interested in substance abuse in general (c) I am interested in "the placebo effect," and (d) I am interested in the benefits of talk therapy. The study was not done scientifically, but that doesn't bother me at this point because the placebo effect is all about positive thinking and interpersonal support both of which you *should* get at talk therapy sessions. A book I was reading awhile back about the possible natural evolution of religion got into the topic of the placebo effect. Basically it said that our bodies have some natural (biological) power to overcome some major obstacles when necessary. But that this power takes a substantial amount of energy and we may have evolved so that it isn't energetically favorable to summon this power unless we are in a situation where long-term survival is ensured. This situation may be when we have wholesome nurturing people caring about us. Some people have family, friends, and church members filling this role, and some people get this impression (that their therapist cares about them) from going to talk therapy. The interesting part is that the nurtured feeling you get from therapy is simulated. The therapist actually is getting paid to nurture you. But often, if you can "buy into" the therapy, the same placebo effect takes place.
What else? Skuh mentioned that she saw on my map that I had been to Iowa. I think this must be a miscommunication or I don't know my state shapes. Regardless, Skuh, I hope you have a good time on your visitation weekend. What are your grad school goals, specifically? How much will it cost? Are there any teaching fellowships you can get where you help out with some undergrad classes?
What else? Novella is touring the US and she will be stopping by where I live. How exciting is that!?
And now, I will make an attempt at THE LIST. Most of it is now *old news* in my mind because it happened last week, so this may be briefer than I originally intended.
1. Zazu Pimple
Do you remember Zazu? Or the conversation with Zazu about chocolate? Right, well it seems that Zazu just lends himself to incredible dialogue. Proceed:
Setting: Fermi and MATURE-female-undergraduate-Celery sitting at two computers in the main lab, working.
The lab door opens, Zazu enters,
Zazu (demanding): Do you have a mirror!?!?
Fermi: No.
Zazu (uncertain, finger pressing cheekbone next to temple where there is an obvious pink-under-the-skin-blemish): I think I have something on my face! Do you see anything?
Fermi (recognises what it is, but as she is uncomfortable even uttering the word "pimple" chooses to entertain a different option with her response.): Yeah, (pausing) It looks like something may have bit you.
Zazu (pressing on the blemish): It hurts when I press on it! Do you see anything, Celery?
Celery (looks, and replies matter-of-factly): Yes, it looks like you have a pimple.
Zazu (SHOCKED, UTTER DISBELIEF): But I thought you can only get pimples on your forehead!
Celery: No, you can get pimples anywhere, even on your shoulder. When you go home today, wash your face and put some acne cream on it.
Zazu: Okay.
If you didn't click over to see who Zazu is, he is in the summer between his first and second year of COLLEGE. He has previously lived under a rock. Also note: Celery's age = Zazu's age.
I am also taking the liberty to get rid of 4. Parents Visiting, because I feel that I addressed that sufficiently in my post: Oil Truth.
I feel ready to work again. That or Work-Out! Yes, I believe the second one is the key, my legs simply cannot handle sitting any longer...
------------------------------
2. Boss Anger Group Meeting Communication
3. Maru, Katu, and Arum Rae (also Jed, THE FAN)
5. Experiments working
6. Black boys catcalls
7. Harlem Shakes Vampire Weekend vs Bonaroo Music Festival
8. Magazine Obsession
9. Cake Therapy
14. Penelope Trunk's writing
15. Things that make me happy
16. Feeling happy vs Feeling Powerful vs Feeling Superior
17. Jips comes home
18. Flowers and Presents
Monday, February 25, 2008
How do you spell neurosurgeon?
Careers. What are those?
My kids are doing a research paper on a career that they think would fit them. Some of the dumbest said they wanted to be neurosurgeons and some of the smartest wanted to be basketball players and models.
They have no clue, and all I could do was continue to emphasize that they are just looking into a topic that is interesting to them. But it also has to be substantial enough for a paper, so "model" isn't going to exactly fill out three pages, much the way they don't fill out anything else. Like an application for a real job?
It was a lot of "THIS COMPUTER ISN'T LETTING ME IN" and "THIS SURVEY IS TRYING TO PLAY ME." No, hunny. You just didn't type your birthday in right on the profile page. Gotta love the freshman. I do most of the time. But they are some not-listening fools.
I started a short story this weekend. This is a big deal for me because I've been struggling with the being-a-teacher-and-still-being-a-whole-person issue. I haven't been to dancing in six months and I'm intimidated about stepping back in to class all rusty. Even though no one would care but me. It's going to be painful to realize how much catching up my body has to do.
So I try not to talk about short stories when they're not finished because I'll inevitably tell people about what I perceive to be my great ideas, and then they sound cliche out loud, so I lose my excitement and drive of writing them. I'm afraid my grueling school schedule going to suck the steam right out of this one, but I'm still excited about it. It's about a young teacher crossing lines with a student. Not autobiographical or completely creative, but it will be wrought with conflict I tell you! I'm interested also in taking advantage of this period of weird "What is this adult life after college supposed to be like?" And how all of the old insecurities from way back get drudged up and you start comparing yourself to people again and wondering if your present matches up to your past hopes for yourself at this age. It's a cool time of self-discovery (Wrought with conflict). And in a story, if a character is in that state, she'd be doing things that she wouldn't normally do if she had a handle on what kind of person she was and what she would and would not decide in her life. This summer...a teacher and a student walk the line between friends...and something else! Ugh. See what I mean.
For the Tie-In, I'd like to state that In Conclusion, careers are confusing to one's identity.
My kids are doing a research paper on a career that they think would fit them. Some of the dumbest said they wanted to be neurosurgeons and some of the smartest wanted to be basketball players and models.
They have no clue, and all I could do was continue to emphasize that they are just looking into a topic that is interesting to them. But it also has to be substantial enough for a paper, so "model" isn't going to exactly fill out three pages, much the way they don't fill out anything else. Like an application for a real job?
It was a lot of "THIS COMPUTER ISN'T LETTING ME IN" and "THIS SURVEY IS TRYING TO PLAY ME." No, hunny. You just didn't type your birthday in right on the profile page. Gotta love the freshman. I do most of the time. But they are some not-listening fools.
I started a short story this weekend. This is a big deal for me because I've been struggling with the being-a-teacher-and-still-being-a-whole-person issue. I haven't been to dancing in six months and I'm intimidated about stepping back in to class all rusty. Even though no one would care but me. It's going to be painful to realize how much catching up my body has to do.
So I try not to talk about short stories when they're not finished because I'll inevitably tell people about what I perceive to be my great ideas, and then they sound cliche out loud, so I lose my excitement and drive of writing them. I'm afraid my grueling school schedule going to suck the steam right out of this one, but I'm still excited about it. It's about a young teacher crossing lines with a student. Not autobiographical or completely creative, but it will be wrought with conflict I tell you! I'm interested also in taking advantage of this period of weird "What is this adult life after college supposed to be like?" And how all of the old insecurities from way back get drudged up and you start comparing yourself to people again and wondering if your present matches up to your past hopes for yourself at this age. It's a cool time of self-discovery (Wrought with conflict). And in a story, if a character is in that state, she'd be doing things that she wouldn't normally do if she had a handle on what kind of person she was and what she would and would not decide in her life. This summer...a teacher and a student walk the line between friends...and something else! Ugh. See what I mean.
For the Tie-In, I'd like to state that In Conclusion, careers are confusing to one's identity.
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