an update

hhmm it is Friday already again and I haven't written all week. It was the start of classes again though so I was busy. It is snowing right now though and it is beautiful. The sky is full of white, fat, fluffy flakes, it makes soup sound really good. I did get to see Chronicles of Narnia last weekend w/ one of my girlfriends and it was really great. I loved the movie plus I got to catch up w/ a friend. I enjoy those rare one on one conversations w/ this girl who I usually only see w/ her husband or other friends as well.

A new assistant professor started this semester and they gave him the seminar that all graduate students in my program are required to take. The first real class felt so incrediblly long and was so dull. It was actually about one of my normally favorite memory topics but somehow he managed to suck all the life out of it. Plus he kept asking things like, "Have you discussed the difference between declarative and non-declarative memory?" um yeah in your first semester as a student maybe! Jeepers we are all graduate students not freshman! I know that since he is new maybe he is trying to find his balance but it every class ends up as blah as that one it will be a long, long semester. I don't mind faculty starting w/ basic questions because everyone in the class doesn't study memory and we have a diverse field, but then move on and go deeper please! Otherwise why do I have to waste my time?! I am trying to be nice in class though and participate because someday that might be me and who knows maybe next week will be 100 times better. :)

I had to TA my first two sections yesterday and today, I have two more Mondays but they didn't meet 'cause of MLK day. I always feel so stupid the first day. I've been doing this a while now and still I feel like an idiot! Hi, I'm your TA, what are names blah blah blah. Once the semester moves on it is ok, you know who is taking the class because of some requirement and you know who is really interested in the topic etc. But the first day is always the worst! All of the eyes evaluating you and they don' t really know what you do. Teaching gives me $ or else I would be even poorer, but it is not the main purpose of grad school! Research is why I am here. They never get that, they think your life revolves around their needs. I do try to get to know my 120 students names and something about them, but I have so many other things that need to get done that they are not my 1st priority all the time. Oh well, I'm hoping the next 14 weeks go smoothly!

I 'll try to write more before next Friday I guess :)