Wondering if I used ironic wrong last time

Castle complained about that last night.

I suck at updating my blog. But what's new. Have you seen my other, more boring, blog? There's nothing much to say. I read, take notes and occasionally wig out. Wigging out is high on the list of things to do this week as I have a midterm shortly. Professor dude sent a note saying average is 65%, and he's concerned about the lack of questions the class has been asking. However, the program I am in requires a 7.0 (which far as I can gather is a B-, which I don't know WTF that means in % but it ain't no 65%) average in psych classes. So really, it can't be THAT hard, or we'd have no "research specialists". This is an entry year 2 class. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I need to figure out where they sent my student card. I just found out I have to take the final at the university in a gym of all places. Bummer.

Floundering

I'm finding it hard to keep up. It's only one class and thank god for that. I've usually only got one chapter and a couple of lectures to read per week, but dang those chapters are loooong. And a total snoozefest. It's ironic, learning about learning and not learning. I often find my mind wandering somewhere else and then I have to go back and reread because I remember nothing. It's really a matter of making time on weeknights, but they are already so jam packed. Wah.

Interesting

Going to school at 29 is exactly the same as going at 19. I am still trying to study while my neighbour tries to get me to party.

Deadlines are so last century

My course went online last week. I can already tell this is going to be rough as the system only allows me to use it if I buy it dinner first. I paid my tuition, but I have no proof yet that I actually go to this school. My student card is MIA. Though I guess they might want my picture or something. Even my Costco card has my picture on it. I also can't access my university email, which I have been told 8 million times is the only email anyone in the school uses so I better get that fixed up.

I was right there first thing in the morning Thursday to see what was what in this course. The first thing I see is assignments. Assignments due on Sept 28! GAH. I haven't had to do anything by any specific time for a decade. Sure, I took two online classes already, but you can do whatever in them whenever. Sign up for exams when it's convenient. No convienience here - midterm is during my dance class. Poo.

The good news is, this class is finally something I have half an interest in. Cognition isn't my burning passion, but it's a hell of a lot more interesting than How to Write a Paper 101 or Stats.

Atonement

Dear Karmic Computer Gods,

I am very sorry for making fun of Mr Music Teacher Guy last week. Killing my power cord and leaving me without a laptop for a week was cruel yet apt punishment. Loss of technology is no laughing matter.
Amen.

Holy shit, I'm old

Part time student orientation was last night. I figured since it was for part time students, there'd be people my age there. To be fair, there were two of them. Everyone else was like 12. Two hours of the orientation revolved around how much their online registration system sucks. Way to reassure me I've chosen the right university! Then I was blinded by the future.

Dudes, there's this library thing, where you save all the books you read for your paper and then you press a button and it creates a works cited page for you IN THE FORMAT OF YOUR CHOOSING! In my day, you had to slave over a APA format book and try to figure out where to put the commas. Wave of the future!

We then had a campus tour. I probably could have skipped that since I'm stuck in cyberland for at least a year, but hey. Mr Tour was pretty enthusiastic. He turns 20 in November. :/ They have sushi in their caf. Back in the old days when I lived on campus, we were thrilled at the prospect of taco night. Memmmmories.

There was one obnoxious guy who told us he wants to become a music teacher like 14 times. Everyone else made sure to emphasize honours when describing their degree, so they probably think I'm a dumbass because I just said "psych". During our tour we saw lecture halls. Some have plugs for laptops. Music guy asked if all desk areas had plugs and was told no. I swear he started sweating when asking WTF was he going to do if he ran out of battery. I showed him this nifty invention called "paper" and explained you can use a "pen" to make primitive markings upon it. I don't think I made a friend.

Last, I braved the scary online registration place again to sign up for Abnormal Psych in the winter term. Self diagnostics on a blog near you coming this January.

Hi, my name is Jen and... *click* hello?

This is the part where I make a name for myself annoying every single psychology faculty person and a few in admissions for good measure.

I got my letter and it said they strongly advised me to call for advising. Alrighty then.
Q1 - how many credits must I take?
A - no more than 1.5 (3 classes) per term. But you can take none.

Q2 - how come some of my things transfered totally (ie. instead of .5 Jr blah blah, I have PS100) and some didn't? MOST NOTABLY MY STATS COURSE.
A - I dunno. Yes, you'd have to take stats again, but the good news is you can take a it little later! Maybe that will ease the sting.

Q3 - Seriously? Stats again? Sucks.
A - ...

Q4 - so...about that masters program. Is a degree from your U better than online U when we're talking admissions? Off the record.
A - *stammer*mumble* accredited...I don't work in the grad department...uh..no comment.

So I mull this over for a week, and decide going to "real" school is probably better. Call for more advising as I have no idea WTF course I should take first. I get a receptionist that tells me the advisor comes in for about one hour a week. Send her an e-mail. Get directed to a page on the website. Yeah, thanks. But she also tells me I'm in the wrong program and if I want to go to grad school I should be in Research Specialist. This makes me gag. I HATE research. I know somebody has to learn how the brain works and how to fix it and blah blah blah. That somebody is so not me. I also need to write a thesis in my fourth year. Hoo-rah. I'm thinking 40 pages detailing the mental anguish I suffered writing the paper should suffice.

I send an e-mail to admissions asking for the switch. They say sure, but fill out this form. And call this person for overrides to register, since I see you haven't actually signed up for a class yet stupid. I call this person, who's all "Jesus! Not you again!" but presses the prerequisites fulfilled button. Because of the lateness of me, and because I am currently limited to online classes, I had the choice between Intro to Cognitive Psychology and Biopsychology. They are part of an "at least two of" group wherein the other two are The Psychology of Learning and Sensory Processes and Perception. Cognitive was the easy choice. I'll probably pick learning for the other. I think I'm registered, it says so, but I haven't actually paid for anything yet. I also have to go pick up my books and stuff. Tomorrow is Orientation day, so hopefully that will be discussed and I won't have to ask and look more stupid. Cripes.