I'm into my 3rd week of school and everything just hit me suddenly. I'm looking at my schedule trying to figure out when I can have a realistic amount of time to study for the GRE and catch up on my marine biology reading (it's probably close to 150 pages now...) and I just can't find it!
I have a marine biology test in 2 weeks, water law presentation & paper on the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District in 2 weeks (I have to interview people and get actual brochures from them), I have papers due every week in 212 (Food Ethics) with some being larger than others, capstone proposal steps to take care of each week, and literature review each week in marine biology.
TIME IS GOING TO FAST! I need it to slow down so I can actually do everything on my list! I'm, in many ways, glad I'm at MBARI for my capstone. LoL It's basically time I can spend doing my capstone research and such. Else, I honestly have no clue when I'd find time to do some things. It also means Judy is around so I can actually go and talk to her about issues and whatnot. It just adds another layer of complication on my already complicated life.
How is it that I don't have all *that* much to do, but at the same time I feel overwhelmed? I'm having troubles going to sleep at night with everything that goes through my head in things I have to complete. I have to take days off for various things and it's just getting nuts. In fact, I should be sleeping now, but I'm updating my blog because everything just hit me. I am trying to be good about homework to have at least half of it completed before the night before it's due. So that's helping the stress level at least, but I just keep thinking I haven't gotten to studying for the GRE (procrastination on the leftover half of my homework - ya know?) and I have these things I need to study for or work on over long periods of time.
There are just too many things to do and not enough hours to complete them in a day.
I am just going to go to bed because I'm getting tired beyond tired and can't think very well anymore. I am going to check out my bike and see what condition it's in and try to go biking around the neighborhood some. See if that helps me or not. Now, to just get the energy and will to do that...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
It's the simple things in life...
I'm officially an employee of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) now! I filled out all the paperwork, got my key card, e-mail, blah, blah, blah all today. :) My title is "research assistant."
I'm most excited about my key card. LoL My e-mail at MBARI is pretty cool too since it's only my first name. I'm apparently the only Bethany at MBARI. :P I also got put onto their staff list so I got my own staff page. Not shabby for basically being paid to do my capstone!
My capstone is still in the early research stages. It'll be focused on the impacts domoic acid (DA) has on select fishing industries, beach attendances, and tourism.
On an unrelated note, I paid my $140 test fee to take the GRE test on Saturday, November the 3rd at 12:30pm in San Jose. It's real now! Taking the test that is. That means, on top of everything else (school, Borders, Aquarium, MBARI, Leaky), I now have to study for the GRE. Yay for me.
I'm most excited about my key card. LoL My e-mail at MBARI is pretty cool too since it's only my first name. I'm apparently the only Bethany at MBARI. :P I also got put onto their staff list so I got my own staff page. Not shabby for basically being paid to do my capstone!
My capstone is still in the early research stages. It'll be focused on the impacts domoic acid (DA) has on select fishing industries, beach attendances, and tourism.
On an unrelated note, I paid my $140 test fee to take the GRE test on Saturday, November the 3rd at 12:30pm in San Jose. It's real now! Taking the test that is. That means, on top of everything else (school, Borders, Aquarium, MBARI, Leaky), I now have to study for the GRE. Yay for me.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
I'm an overachiever...
Hello, my name is Bethany. *crowd says "Hi Bethany"* I admit I am an overachiever.
So I admit it. I am an overachiever. I got an 8/10 on my Thought Piece
for 212 (first assignment) and a 8/10 on my article review for marine bio (first assignment) and I
looked at both scores and thought "That's a B! I want an A. Why did I get a B? I want an A." To top it
off, a guy next to me in 212 said he just wants to pass the class and
the 8/10 was good for him and I ALMOST said, "I just want to pass the
class with an A. If I get a B, it'll throw my GPA off" and thought that
was a bit, well, over the top and didn't say it. LoL
My marine bio assignment he critiqued my writing, which is fine. Part of the assignment is based on your writing. It's a critique of an article and the way I wrote it didn't necessarily achieve the goal. My 212 class is an ETHICS class. Sure, writing is important, but should a professor spend MOST of his time critiquing our writing and not our thoughts? I just feel like he's emphasizing our writing more than he is our thought process and ethics is supposed to make you think. It's not a writing class. As long as I'm writing in a way that my thought process is being conveyed on INFORMAL pieces, who cares if my sentence could be more concise? According to the syllabus (which isn't his, but he's trying to make his and not following) the thought pieces are supposed to get us thinking and we shouldn't be as worried about our grammatical writing. Obviously we need to write to a standard, but he's grading on a much higher standard than the syllabus conveyed.
Lesson to self: Write in short, concise sentences. Each sentence MUST have a point to it. If my thought process is faulty, who cares? I have written in a short, concise manner!
I miss 384s with Dan. Dan was great. He structured the class almost the same way 212 is supposed to be structured, yet he actually critiqued your thought process. He'd write all over your paper to give you things to think about what you said. He didn't go through and correct my grammar and write one vague comment saying "your paper shows considerable thought and weight" and then go on to give me pointless information on how I can clarify by rereading my paper to give more clarity (that made no sense to me).
Anyway, I'm TRYING to not have a bad attitude about the class because it'll affect my work and the guy isn't bad. He was thrown into the class and is trying his best, but he's not handling it well at all. I'm hoping it'll get better, but I kind of doubt it.
With that, I must be off. I should work on some homework, go to bed early tonight, and I need to do this capstone assignment now before I forget.
Oh, did I mention someone from MBARI e-mailed me and asked me what I wanted my e-mail address at MBARI to be? I can have my first name only or first name initial and last name. Now which one do I want...
So I admit it. I am an overachiever. I got an 8/10 on my Thought Piece
for 212 (first assignment) and a 8/10 on my article review for marine bio (first assignment) and I
looked at both scores and thought "That's a B! I want an A. Why did I get a B? I want an A." To top it
off, a guy next to me in 212 said he just wants to pass the class and
the 8/10 was good for him and I ALMOST said, "I just want to pass the
class with an A. If I get a B, it'll throw my GPA off" and thought that
was a bit, well, over the top and didn't say it. LoL
My marine bio assignment he critiqued my writing, which is fine. Part of the assignment is based on your writing. It's a critique of an article and the way I wrote it didn't necessarily achieve the goal. My 212 class is an ETHICS class. Sure, writing is important, but should a professor spend MOST of his time critiquing our writing and not our thoughts? I just feel like he's emphasizing our writing more than he is our thought process and ethics is supposed to make you think. It's not a writing class. As long as I'm writing in a way that my thought process is being conveyed on INFORMAL pieces, who cares if my sentence could be more concise? According to the syllabus (which isn't his, but he's trying to make his and not following) the thought pieces are supposed to get us thinking and we shouldn't be as worried about our grammatical writing. Obviously we need to write to a standard, but he's grading on a much higher standard than the syllabus conveyed.
Lesson to self: Write in short, concise sentences. Each sentence MUST have a point to it. If my thought process is faulty, who cares? I have written in a short, concise manner!
I miss 384s with Dan. Dan was great. He structured the class almost the same way 212 is supposed to be structured, yet he actually critiqued your thought process. He'd write all over your paper to give you things to think about what you said. He didn't go through and correct my grammar and write one vague comment saying "your paper shows considerable thought and weight" and then go on to give me pointless information on how I can clarify by rereading my paper to give more clarity (that made no sense to me).
Anyway, I'm TRYING to not have a bad attitude about the class because it'll affect my work and the guy isn't bad. He was thrown into the class and is trying his best, but he's not handling it well at all. I'm hoping it'll get better, but I kind of doubt it.
With that, I must be off. I should work on some homework, go to bed early tonight, and I need to do this capstone assignment now before I forget.
Oh, did I mention someone from MBARI e-mailed me and asked me what I wanted my e-mail address at MBARI to be? I can have my first name only or first name initial and last name. Now which one do I want...
Monday, September 3, 2007
GRE
HAPPY SEPTEMBER!
I haven't registered yet, but I'm planning to take my first stab at the GRE on Saturday, October 27th. AHHHHH. I need to start seriously studying. Right. I'll get straight on that! *7 hours later* Right...I'll get straight on that...! Yeah, okay, so I'm not looking forward to the studying, but I need to! I need a good score, though I can take it once a month and up to 5 times in 12 months. Granted, the more times you take it, the worse it could look. So I need to pace myself and study hard for this one. On top of that, the test is ridiculously expensive - $140. It's not like I can afford to take the test a lot of times.
Next Monday I start at MBARI. That should be exciting and add another layer of complication to my life. I'm already sleep deprived and procrastinating on homework. Yay me. :)
The Aquarium has a new White Shark if ya didn't know. It's a male, young-of-the-year at 4'9"! I haven't seen it yet. Yesterday was insane at the aquarium and I never made it to that side of the aquarium in general.
With that, I'm off. I need to sleep since I have class at 10 am and I don't get to come home till 5 pm. :( I have homework to do tomorrow. I've been avoiding reading this article on mesoscale iron enrichments in the ocean somewhere (it's just a lot of technical words in it and those just don't make for quick reading). I also have to read chapters 1 and 2 of the Water Law book and some chapters/pages in the marine bio book. Not to mention I still need to annotate my Domoic Acid articles before Monday. And I have a journal assignment due on Thursday for 212 and that article I have to read for marine bio I have to write-up a 1 page review of it. I could start working on assignment 2 for water law, which is due next week, but that's getting ahead of myself. :P
Laters
I haven't registered yet, but I'm planning to take my first stab at the GRE on Saturday, October 27th. AHHHHH. I need to start seriously studying. Right. I'll get straight on that! *7 hours later* Right...I'll get straight on that...! Yeah, okay, so I'm not looking forward to the studying, but I need to! I need a good score, though I can take it once a month and up to 5 times in 12 months. Granted, the more times you take it, the worse it could look. So I need to pace myself and study hard for this one. On top of that, the test is ridiculously expensive - $140. It's not like I can afford to take the test a lot of times.
Next Monday I start at MBARI. That should be exciting and add another layer of complication to my life. I'm already sleep deprived and procrastinating on homework. Yay me. :)
The Aquarium has a new White Shark if ya didn't know. It's a male, young-of-the-year at 4'9"! I haven't seen it yet. Yesterday was insane at the aquarium and I never made it to that side of the aquarium in general.
With that, I'm off. I need to sleep since I have class at 10 am and I don't get to come home till 5 pm. :( I have homework to do tomorrow. I've been avoiding reading this article on mesoscale iron enrichments in the ocean somewhere (it's just a lot of technical words in it and those just don't make for quick reading). I also have to read chapters 1 and 2 of the Water Law book and some chapters/pages in the marine bio book. Not to mention I still need to annotate my Domoic Acid articles before Monday. And I have a journal assignment due on Thursday for 212 and that article I have to read for marine bio I have to write-up a 1 page review of it. I could start working on assignment 2 for water law, which is due next week, but that's getting ahead of myself. :P
Laters
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
My last year...
I'm 3 days into my 2nd to last semester at CSU-Monterey Bay. It's insane to think in less than a year I'll be done with my undergraduate degree and have a BS in Earth Science Systems and Policy with a concentration in Marine and Coastal Ecology! Course, technically, ESSP is now the new Science and Environmental Policy (SEP).
Anyway, I got my ILP (individual learning plan) signed off. Tomorrow I will have submitted and paid my $40 fee for my application for graduation for the Spring of 2008! I'm excited! And scared! LoL I'll have to join the "real world" then.
Two of the classes I was hoping to take (undergrad classes) look like they won't be offered next Spring (though according to the prof teaching one of them I want, it's supposed to be) and I have to finish a MLO (major (as in my degree) learning outcome) that has been giving me troubles. A lot of it is science application and most of the classes don't really pertain to what I want to do. So it looks like I might be taking Physics I, Capstone II, and 2 grad classes next spring. Unless I can get one of the undergrad classes (probably Conversation Marine Biology) than I'll be taking that, Capstone II, Physics I, and 1 grad class (environmental economics). So we'll see. Either way, I may just die by the end of the semester or something. :P
My water law class is quickly becoming my most boring class that has the potential to also be interesting. The first two days, though, have been dreadful snoozers. We'll see as the semester progresses. Reminds me, I need to read chapter 1 and start on chapter 2. *sigh*
Marine Bio looks to be my best class. I know most of the class and the prof has some pretty neat labs set-up that are either things in the field, going to the aquarium, or staying in the lab. We're actually going out on a boat twice, going snorkeling one day, and going to the aquarium twice! The snorkeling should be interesting since we have to be positively buoyant and we're supposed to be doing some type of transect or something in the water. I'm not sure to be honest. It should just be interesting in general. Lol That happens in two weeks, actually.
212 will be a snooze too. It's basically "food ethics." I'm only taking the class for my speech and ethics requirement, but it has a TON of writing in it. It'll be like my service learning class last semester in the assignment style and set-up, but not the topic. I'm one of a few seniors in the class too. The class is really for sophomores, but there are some juniors too.
Capstone I has started interestingly enough. They've decided to start a "standard capstone" in Spring of 2008 along with the current thesis capstone style. I'm sticking with the thesis capstone for a number of reasons (grad school, my capstone advisor would frown upon me taking the standard route, and my project will be the basis for a peer review paper, I want distinction in my major, etc), but the standard capstone is SO much less work than the thesis one. Most of my friends are taking the standard route, but I'm set on the thesis one. I'll have to take 2 semesters of capstone (I is for writing the formal proposal, II is for the paper). The standard capstone is much less formal. Here's a chart noting the differences.
With that, I'm off to read this chapter for 212 and write-up my 2 page thought piece on it. *groan* At least I don't have any marine bio homework! Though, I probably need to read the book chapter. *sigh*
Welcome back to school...
Anyway, I got my ILP (individual learning plan) signed off. Tomorrow I will have submitted and paid my $40 fee for my application for graduation for the Spring of 2008! I'm excited! And scared! LoL I'll have to join the "real world" then.
Two of the classes I was hoping to take (undergrad classes) look like they won't be offered next Spring (though according to the prof teaching one of them I want, it's supposed to be) and I have to finish a MLO (major (as in my degree) learning outcome) that has been giving me troubles. A lot of it is science application and most of the classes don't really pertain to what I want to do. So it looks like I might be taking Physics I, Capstone II, and 2 grad classes next spring. Unless I can get one of the undergrad classes (probably Conversation Marine Biology) than I'll be taking that, Capstone II, Physics I, and 1 grad class (environmental economics). So we'll see. Either way, I may just die by the end of the semester or something. :P
My water law class is quickly becoming my most boring class that has the potential to also be interesting. The first two days, though, have been dreadful snoozers. We'll see as the semester progresses. Reminds me, I need to read chapter 1 and start on chapter 2. *sigh*
Marine Bio looks to be my best class. I know most of the class and the prof has some pretty neat labs set-up that are either things in the field, going to the aquarium, or staying in the lab. We're actually going out on a boat twice, going snorkeling one day, and going to the aquarium twice! The snorkeling should be interesting since we have to be positively buoyant and we're supposed to be doing some type of transect or something in the water. I'm not sure to be honest. It should just be interesting in general. Lol That happens in two weeks, actually.
212 will be a snooze too. It's basically "food ethics." I'm only taking the class for my speech and ethics requirement, but it has a TON of writing in it. It'll be like my service learning class last semester in the assignment style and set-up, but not the topic. I'm one of a few seniors in the class too. The class is really for sophomores, but there are some juniors too.
Capstone I has started interestingly enough. They've decided to start a "standard capstone" in Spring of 2008 along with the current thesis capstone style. I'm sticking with the thesis capstone for a number of reasons (grad school, my capstone advisor would frown upon me taking the standard route, and my project will be the basis for a peer review paper, I want distinction in my major, etc), but the standard capstone is SO much less work than the thesis one. Most of my friends are taking the standard route, but I'm set on the thesis one. I'll have to take 2 semesters of capstone (I is for writing the formal proposal, II is for the paper). The standard capstone is much less formal. Here's a chart noting the differences.
With that, I'm off to read this chapter for 212 and write-up my 2 page thought piece on it. *groan* At least I don't have any marine bio homework! Though, I probably need to read the book chapter. *sigh*
Welcome back to school...
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Coming Semester
So, tonight I was called "Hannah" by one of our regular customers at work who isn't a favorite customer of mine. I dunno. He's nice, but...*shrugs* He's older so do NOT get any ideas! I didn't correct him, said hi, asked him how he's doing (all automatic, btw), and I walked away because I was doing something. I hope it didn't come off as a diss....then again, I really don't like it when some customers try to know my name. *shrugs* Some customers I don't mind, but this customer I'm a bit hesitant on. Not sure why. He's not creepy, he's just...I dunno.
I start work at MBARI for NOEP on Sept 10th. I finalized my start date today. I'll be working between 10-13 hours a week there for my capstone and NOEP and 7 hours on Saturday at Borders. I'll also be doing every other Sunday for 5-5.5 hours at the aquarium for volunteer work. Not to mention my 14 units at college (that's, uhm, 16 hours of actual class in the week) and studying for the GRE. The Academic Planning Committee will have to take a definite backseat. As is, I can't attend the pre-semester meetings because of work and being out of town.
Life this semester, what life? Burnout? Uh...I'm going to try and avoid it as much as possible. I'm almost scared to burnout this semester (like I did last fall and had the worst birthday, Christmas, and new years). So we'll see how that goes. My order of letting things go: Leaky, Aquarium, Borders (4 hours instead of 7), NOEP (less than 10 hours, can't quit though). Hopefully I won't have to do any of that, but I at least have a priority list.
Now I must be off to write my cover letter for MBARI. My resume is up-to-date, but I need to write a cover letter.
I start work at MBARI for NOEP on Sept 10th. I finalized my start date today. I'll be working between 10-13 hours a week there for my capstone and NOEP and 7 hours on Saturday at Borders. I'll also be doing every other Sunday for 5-5.5 hours at the aquarium for volunteer work. Not to mention my 14 units at college (that's, uhm, 16 hours of actual class in the week) and studying for the GRE. The Academic Planning Committee will have to take a definite backseat. As is, I can't attend the pre-semester meetings because of work and being out of town.
Life this semester, what life? Burnout? Uh...I'm going to try and avoid it as much as possible. I'm almost scared to burnout this semester (like I did last fall and had the worst birthday, Christmas, and new years). So we'll see how that goes. My order of letting things go: Leaky, Aquarium, Borders (4 hours instead of 7), NOEP (less than 10 hours, can't quit though). Hopefully I won't have to do any of that, but I at least have a priority list.
Now I must be off to write my cover letter for MBARI. My resume is up-to-date, but I need to write a cover letter.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Home and Stressed
HAPPY AUGUST!
I've returned from the UK (less than a week ago) and now I'm in Anaheim. I am a travelin' fool. :P
My stress level has increased, though. It's like I've returned to the real world once I came home from the UK and got the trip over with.
I have to start researching for my capstone again. I can't remember if I've mentioned my topic already, but my topic is on sea temperature rise and how it affects harmful algal blooms and domoic acid poisoning on marine life and humans and the economic impact it has on California's (specifically Monterey Bay) tourism and fishing. So I'm starting off with researching domoic acid and all that.
I also have to work the rest of the summer to make money so I can pay off my trip ASAP and get enough to pay for my textbooks. :P I only really have 1 textbook and 1 basic type book (haven't decided if I'll buy that one or not). I also need to save for the GRE classes and the test.
That's another thing! I've started to study for the GRE. I'm basically reviewing vocab words and math refresher. The math refresher is amazing because I haven't taken a basic math class in years and my last math class (Calc II) in general was 2.5 years ago!
I had another point in this post to make, but now I can't remember what it is. Oh well.
All for now. :P
I've returned from the UK (less than a week ago) and now I'm in Anaheim. I am a travelin' fool. :P
My stress level has increased, though. It's like I've returned to the real world once I came home from the UK and got the trip over with.
I have to start researching for my capstone again. I can't remember if I've mentioned my topic already, but my topic is on sea temperature rise and how it affects harmful algal blooms and domoic acid poisoning on marine life and humans and the economic impact it has on California's (specifically Monterey Bay) tourism and fishing. So I'm starting off with researching domoic acid and all that.
I also have to work the rest of the summer to make money so I can pay off my trip ASAP and get enough to pay for my textbooks. :P I only really have 1 textbook and 1 basic type book (haven't decided if I'll buy that one or not). I also need to save for the GRE classes and the test.
That's another thing! I've started to study for the GRE. I'm basically reviewing vocab words and math refresher. The math refresher is amazing because I haven't taken a basic math class in years and my last math class (Calc II) in general was 2.5 years ago!
I had another point in this post to make, but now I can't remember what it is. Oh well.
All for now. :P
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