I am in the full swing of things with classes right now and boy are they challenging. One class is particularly rough and is keeping me busy. For the first assignment I worked continuously on it for ten days just to hand something in. Because of the time consuming nature of the homework I was a little anxious about this week since I would have not only this classes homework due but also the other class's hw.
Surprisingly though, it was all pretty manageable. The one problem I had was that I had to remember how to code in Matlab. And by remember I mean learn because even though I thought I had learned Matlab before I definetly hadn't. The coding I was doing was terrible. I kept on getting these infinite loops which freeze my computer and make me very upset. I was trudging away at all of this in the lounge on campus when I talked to my friend Briana. She lives about an hour away from me and she had the great idea of going to get sushi. I told her I just wanted to work on the program for a little while longer and then I would head out. I was getting pretty frustrated when suddenly I heard the magical voices of two males disputing the null hypothesis of a statistical inference. If they knew what a null hypothesis was then they probably knew a little about Matlab too. So I turned around and explained to them my problem and asked if they could help. One of them said that they knew the code and could email it to me. Sweet! I am getting homework and help and meeting more people on campus. Now that's multitasking.
I packed up my belongings and headed out to Fusion Sushi in Manhattan Beach and ate until my stomach hurt. And since Briana is a happy enabler of my need for material items we then went to ikea where I bought a really sweet chair. Then I decided that I needed a flat screen tv. Off we went to Circuit City. There was a really good one on sale but of course the Circuit City we were at was out of stock. Have no fear, Briana is on a mission. We hop in the car, find the nearest Circuit City, and buy me a new tv 2 minutes before closing. Now that's shopping.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
And Another Week Down
This week was the first full week for me, I went to class and worked 20 hours. Since I have both of my classes on Monday I basically spend the rest of the week doing the homework. I am putting a lot of effort into this first homework because I want to make sure my proofs are right. This homework is kind of like my first impression on the professor. He's heard me talk about math experience and now it's time for me to show it. I know, I know, it's just one homework assignment, but this is me and this is how I roll.
My job is pretty great. For fifteen hours of the week I just get to mess around a computer looking for articles and burning picture cds whenever anybody asks. The other five I do filing and apparently I am really good at it. The other intern went up to the boss and mentioned how fast I was. Who knew that was something I could put on my resume? Really fast filer.
The only downside to the job is that I have to dress up. By dress up I mean no jeans, no plaid shorts, no t-shirts. I have come a long way from 365 in '05*.
Tomorrow I am going to the LA County Fair again. This time I am going to try fried coke (the soda not the controlled substance; no Hollywood nose bleeds for me thanks). OH and I signed up for Yoga classes. The first one is next Wednesday...I will let you know how that goes...let's just say I'll be taking bean-o to circumvent my fears.
*365 in '05 was a dream of mine for my senior year of college. I hated to doing laundry throughout my undergrad. You never knew who was peeing or puking in the machines the night before. It got to the point that I would go an entire semester without doing laundry. If I ran out of something, like socks, I would just buy more. I also have a love of free t-shirts. Part of the reason I became an RA was because I knew that I would get lots of free t-shirts. I volunteered because each new project usually meant a free t-shirt. Let me break the math down for you:
Hatred of Laundry + Love of Free T-Shirts = 365 in '05,
an idea that I would wear a different t-shirt everyday for the entire year of 2005. The stipulation was that these t-shirts had to be free or bought at a salvation army. I did manage to acquire about 100 t-shirts but then a lack of closet space and a love for certain t-shirts caused me to stop the campaign.
My job is pretty great. For fifteen hours of the week I just get to mess around a computer looking for articles and burning picture cds whenever anybody asks. The other five I do filing and apparently I am really good at it. The other intern went up to the boss and mentioned how fast I was. Who knew that was something I could put on my resume? Really fast filer.
The only downside to the job is that I have to dress up. By dress up I mean no jeans, no plaid shorts, no t-shirts. I have come a long way from 365 in '05*.
Tomorrow I am going to the LA County Fair again. This time I am going to try fried coke (the soda not the controlled substance; no Hollywood nose bleeds for me thanks). OH and I signed up for Yoga classes. The first one is next Wednesday...I will let you know how that goes...let's just say I'll be taking bean-o to circumvent my fears.
*365 in '05 was a dream of mine for my senior year of college. I hated to doing laundry throughout my undergrad. You never knew who was peeing or puking in the machines the night before. It got to the point that I would go an entire semester without doing laundry. If I ran out of something, like socks, I would just buy more. I also have a love of free t-shirts. Part of the reason I became an RA was because I knew that I would get lots of free t-shirts. I volunteered because each new project usually meant a free t-shirt. Let me break the math down for you:
Hatred of Laundry + Love of Free T-Shirts = 365 in '05,
an idea that I would wear a different t-shirt everyday for the entire year of 2005. The stipulation was that these t-shirts had to be free or bought at a salvation army. I did manage to acquire about 100 t-shirts but then a lack of closet space and a love for certain t-shirts caused me to stop the campaign.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Things I love right now
Private Schools:
They apologized for making me wait five minutes to see a financial aid officer AND they gave me a cookie while I waited. Then I actually met with the woman and she knew my name and pointed me into the direction of where I could find a job on campus. Poof! Two days later I am employed.
I work for the Office of Communications and primary job is to search the web for stories that mention CGU or any of our professors. I also upkeep their photo database and provide the photos for the brochures and things that are made for the campus. I also get to help proof read the university magazine and apparently I might have to write for it too (yikes). The people are ok. They are a little stand-offish right now but I think what it is is that they are just low key people who don't talk a lot, boy are they in for a surprise with me. Everyone working there is a student which means they are really flexible around class schedules, always a bonus.
BBQs at Private Schools:
Yeah the burgers were burnt and the cookies were a little stale, but there was beer! and wine! As much of it that you wanted to drink for free! I also got to meet some more people on campus. Everyone seems really nice and a lot of people are in the same boat that I am in, just adjusting to moving here and trying to find our respective niches. It's always good to have a few more people know your name.
My Landlady:
She hasn't rented her house out before and you can tell. She's trying to find that line between hovering mother and responsible landlady. I didn't come home one night and she told me the next day that she decided not to worry unless I didn't come home for three days in a row. I told her I appreciate her worry and her restraint on panicking. All I can picture now is me out and about and she frantically calling Jersey saying I am lost. Oy.
She also is on every health kick published on the internet. She bought this jug of Aloe Juice. I thought it was something that you pour down clogged drains but apparently you drink it to encourage something or other in your body. I watched her drink it and let me tell you, it did not look appetizing. It looked like she just too her first tequila shot of the night. A day later she sent me an email about the bad effects of sodium benzoate which is in the lovely diet soda that I drink constantly. Fortunately, sodium benzoate is also in that aloe juice so she had a reason to throw the jug out without drinking the whole nasty substance.
TiVo:
I've always loved tivo but now I have one of my very own.
Beaches:
They are everywhere! I got to make my own work schedule and it just so happens that I get off of work by noon on Fridays. Thus Friday is my beach day. I got to the beach, sleep, tan, read, do anything I want. It's pretty glorious. The great weather everyday isn't bad either, I try to spend a couple of hours outside everyday. There's this great walking trail right by the house that I've been using that's pretty good. I don't mind exercising, as long as I am getting a tan to boot.
Oh and I guess classes:
My classes seem pretty interesting. They are def going to be challenging but I think(hope) I can do it. The profs seem really accessible so I just need to utilize them. I am taking two classes, both are stats and one has to do with using stats to predict the functions of certain molecules in the body based on their molecular composition. It sounds pretty interesting.
I guess you can say I am settling in quite nicely.
They apologized for making me wait five minutes to see a financial aid officer AND they gave me a cookie while I waited. Then I actually met with the woman and she knew my name and pointed me into the direction of where I could find a job on campus. Poof! Two days later I am employed.
I work for the Office of Communications and primary job is to search the web for stories that mention CGU or any of our professors. I also upkeep their photo database and provide the photos for the brochures and things that are made for the campus. I also get to help proof read the university magazine and apparently I might have to write for it too (yikes). The people are ok. They are a little stand-offish right now but I think what it is is that they are just low key people who don't talk a lot, boy are they in for a surprise with me. Everyone working there is a student which means they are really flexible around class schedules, always a bonus.
BBQs at Private Schools:
Yeah the burgers were burnt and the cookies were a little stale, but there was beer! and wine! As much of it that you wanted to drink for free! I also got to meet some more people on campus. Everyone seems really nice and a lot of people are in the same boat that I am in, just adjusting to moving here and trying to find our respective niches. It's always good to have a few more people know your name.
My Landlady:
She hasn't rented her house out before and you can tell. She's trying to find that line between hovering mother and responsible landlady. I didn't come home one night and she told me the next day that she decided not to worry unless I didn't come home for three days in a row. I told her I appreciate her worry and her restraint on panicking. All I can picture now is me out and about and she frantically calling Jersey saying I am lost. Oy.
She also is on every health kick published on the internet. She bought this jug of Aloe Juice. I thought it was something that you pour down clogged drains but apparently you drink it to encourage something or other in your body. I watched her drink it and let me tell you, it did not look appetizing. It looked like she just too her first tequila shot of the night. A day later she sent me an email about the bad effects of sodium benzoate which is in the lovely diet soda that I drink constantly. Fortunately, sodium benzoate is also in that aloe juice so she had a reason to throw the jug out without drinking the whole nasty substance.
TiVo:
I've always loved tivo but now I have one of my very own.
Beaches:
They are everywhere! I got to make my own work schedule and it just so happens that I get off of work by noon on Fridays. Thus Friday is my beach day. I got to the beach, sleep, tan, read, do anything I want. It's pretty glorious. The great weather everyday isn't bad either, I try to spend a couple of hours outside everyday. There's this great walking trail right by the house that I've been using that's pretty good. I don't mind exercising, as long as I am getting a tan to boot.
Oh and I guess classes:
My classes seem pretty interesting. They are def going to be challenging but I think(hope) I can do it. The profs seem really accessible so I just need to utilize them. I am taking two classes, both are stats and one has to do with using stats to predict the functions of certain molecules in the body based on their molecular composition. It sounds pretty interesting.
I guess you can say I am settling in quite nicely.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
It's my turn
Meryl and Harold are back on the east coast and not sweating nearly as much as they were this past week. They picked me up at the airport on Tuesday and since then it's been a whirlwind. I will let them fill everyone in on our sightseeing adventures.
The first thing we did was go to the house where I am renting a room. I found the room for rent online and agreed to rent it sight unseen. Needless to say I was pretty anxious about finally seeing it. The move has been pretty effortless on my part so I was waiting for the downside, such as I mistakenly rented a room in a crack den and my room would be a cardboard box. Luckily this was not the case. The house is beautiful, a typical California ranch, and my room is pretty awesome. I knew it was fully furnished, one of its major selling points, but what I didn't know was that my landlady was nice enough to supply me with pillows, sheets, and a comforter,...and a tv....and satelitte connection...and a dvd player....and a walk in closet. Whoo hoo!! I was relieved.
The people I am sharing the house with are pretty cool. One is a junior and the other is a senior at undergrad. Then there's my landlady and the two dogs. It's pretty cozy. I only share a bathroom with one other person which is really nice. All in all, as of right now, I really lucked out.
My parents met my landlady, Kim, and they really liked her. When my mom got up from the couch she did her typical "Oy". Later that night Kim knocked on my door and asked me some random question then she hesitated and asked "are you Jewish?" I replied my usual way where i say it's kind of complicated and that my mom is Jewish but I was baptised and confirmed Christian but we basically still celebrate everything. She then told me that she is Jewish and that maybe that would make my mom feel better about leaving me here. ha! so cute.
I've been to orientation and have already picked classes. I am taking two classes and they are both on Monday and since this past Monday was labor day I don't have classes until next Monday, pretty sweet. Now the question is what to do with my time? I have thought about walking around with a sandwich board around my neck that reads "From New Jersey, need friends." but I decided that that is pretty tacky and ranks up there with the time my parents walked around a store up at UMass and shouted "This is our daughter, will you be her friend?" Instead I will bide my time looking for a job AND laying on the beach. We are in the middle of a heat wave right now...It hasn't been under 100 degrees since I got here so I am either in air conditioning or driving to the coast, where it is at least 20 degrees cooler, no lie.
I am still trying to work out the internet kinks at the house so my access is spotty at best but that should be figured out by the end of this week. Miss me lots!
The first thing we did was go to the house where I am renting a room. I found the room for rent online and agreed to rent it sight unseen. Needless to say I was pretty anxious about finally seeing it. The move has been pretty effortless on my part so I was waiting for the downside, such as I mistakenly rented a room in a crack den and my room would be a cardboard box. Luckily this was not the case. The house is beautiful, a typical California ranch, and my room is pretty awesome. I knew it was fully furnished, one of its major selling points, but what I didn't know was that my landlady was nice enough to supply me with pillows, sheets, and a comforter,...and a tv....and satelitte connection...and a dvd player....and a walk in closet. Whoo hoo!! I was relieved.
The people I am sharing the house with are pretty cool. One is a junior and the other is a senior at undergrad. Then there's my landlady and the two dogs. It's pretty cozy. I only share a bathroom with one other person which is really nice. All in all, as of right now, I really lucked out.
My parents met my landlady, Kim, and they really liked her. When my mom got up from the couch she did her typical "Oy". Later that night Kim knocked on my door and asked me some random question then she hesitated and asked "are you Jewish?" I replied my usual way where i say it's kind of complicated and that my mom is Jewish but I was baptised and confirmed Christian but we basically still celebrate everything. She then told me that she is Jewish and that maybe that would make my mom feel better about leaving me here. ha! so cute.
I've been to orientation and have already picked classes. I am taking two classes and they are both on Monday and since this past Monday was labor day I don't have classes until next Monday, pretty sweet. Now the question is what to do with my time? I have thought about walking around with a sandwich board around my neck that reads "From New Jersey, need friends." but I decided that that is pretty tacky and ranks up there with the time my parents walked around a store up at UMass and shouted "This is our daughter, will you be her friend?" Instead I will bide my time looking for a job AND laying on the beach. We are in the middle of a heat wave right now...It hasn't been under 100 degrees since I got here so I am either in air conditioning or driving to the coast, where it is at least 20 degrees cooler, no lie.
I am still trying to work out the internet kinks at the house so my access is spotty at best but that should be figured out by the end of this week. Miss me lots!
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