First Day of Experiment: Fail

I'm sitting in my university's psychology lab right now and feeling like a total *FAIL* because the computer/experimental equipment wasn't properly working for me. I figured out how to fix the problem after the participant (the one who actually came in... yay! The very first scheduled person didn't even bother... BOO) left. Don't worry... I have the participant credit for even coming in, which is the ethical thing to do.

Anywho, to fix the problem I need to reboot the data collection computer. Sounds easy, and technically it is. It's just sooo annoying setting the program up again because I have to choose all the settings so that the experiment runs the way that it is suppossed to.

I still don't know what the culprit is exactly, only that restarting the computer will ultimately end up with me being able to complete all of the trials.

Rawr.

I know what you are thinking now if you are really dedicated to this blog... "Katrina. You aren't talking about the GRE. This belongs in another blog." That is a very valid thought. However, all of this has to do somehow with the GRE for several reasons. Additionally: I can write about what I want, dude! It's okay. I still love you.

Here are the reasons:

1. I am not about to let my frustration over a loss of two participants ruin my excitement over eventually completing this experiment nor my excitement about studying for the GRE. (Woo!)
2. Now that I'm all set up and know the problems I can go back and study for like... 6 hours straight. (Woo! Wait... Hmm...)
3. This is forcing me to think of solutions outside of the box, which is necessary for all things regarding life. That include the GRE!

See?! Everything is connected in the circle of life... ;)

Disregard What I Said About the Barron's Psychology Prep Book...

So I finally caved and bought a Psychology GRE prep book… and if you read the title of this post, then you would have figured out already which book I got. Yup: Barron's. Woo!

I know I wrote a scathing review of it earlier during the summer... but I think what I was most miffed about was the fact that I couldn't write in the book. It just set the tone for the rest of that first Barron's Psychology Prep Book experience, which ended up being a bad one. Now that I have my own that I can write in and mess up as much as I'd like and not have to worry about returning it to the library in time or else I get a ridonkulous fee... well, I'm as happy as a clam.

You are probably shaking your head at me, but that's okay. I am shaking my head at myself.

This is the 6th edition of the tome. It includes "5 full-length model tests" which include "2 diagnostics and 3 tests that reflect the most recent actual GRE Psychology tests." Apparently "all test questions are answered and explained," which is fabulous (and necessary), as well as "a brush-up subject review and scoring grids" which are supposed to help me "gauge [my] strengths and weaknesses in all subject areas."

I'm excited for this book. And this also probably means that I am going to update this blog more often because now I have something to talk about in regards to preparation… better late than never, right? By the way, I think that this book look gorgeous.

Hmm… I'm taking the test on October 9. That gives me *finger counting here* 17 days. Two weeks and three days. Haaawhoops!

It's okay, though. I know that I can succeed. I am going to really lay down my own law and bunker down. I'm finally feeling motivated and excited about this whole application process, including taking the GRE. I know, I know… I'm weird. I'm just a nerd, really.

I think that I can attribute my motivation to the fact that my Master's thesis experiment is *finally* up and running… I start running subjects tomorrow! Eee! (Hmm, lots of interesting sounds in this blog post apparently… I hope that you are enjoying them.) Before when I was working on the proposal paper for it I just feel so tired of it. Perhaps it was the fact that I worked on it over the summer and had encountered so many obstacles with it that I was feeling down. But no more of that!

IT'S GAME TIME. I'm going to hit them all out of the park.

This morning I starting asking people about recommendation letters. BAM.

I bought a Psychology GRE book. BAM.

My Master's thesis experiment is finally going somewhere. BAM.

Bring it, application process!

Whoops and Eep...

So in a few minutes will mark just about a month before I have to take the Psychology GRE. And you know what? I'm starting to worry a little bit, but not enough to freak me out yet. I still haven't bought my own prep book for it, already returned the library book, and haven't really thought about it too much.

I know that I need to start hunkering down for it, but I have no motivation for it right now. Plus, it's very possible that I will have to change the date of it in the first place. I might as well do it right now before I find out for sure - part of my job is to bring a bunch of students involved with Habitat For Humanity to their service sites on various Saturdays during this fall.

My problem is that I currently don't know when exactly those dates are, but I have already scheduled my Psychology GRE for a Saturday. Who am I kidding... I'm going to end up changing it. I'll probably even end up changing it tomorrow after I find out for sure (watch, it's going to happen now. I know it...) that I will need to go do service for 8 hours on a Saturday, the very Saturday that I was planning to take a major standardized test.

Now, don't get me wrong: I love doing community service and am excited to be doing lots of it this year... but I also have other important things, too! Ahh, priorities... they are quickly getting all a-tangled up.

School has started. That means: full-time graduate assistant stuff (class, homework, reading, studying, tests), my Master's thesis, work, and trying to balance the rest of my life with it. Tomorrow I just have work, so that gives me a good amount of time to figure out other stuff during the day.

In other news, my YouTube video log is going great and I'm still having a blast with it! Also, it's kind of nice seeing a bit of a turnover from ads. Just saying... I never would have thought that would have ever have been possible before. I'm not a partner yet, though... if I ever did become one, I would want to start a fund to help needy schools around the world. I guess that I will cross that bridge if and when it ever comes.

I hope that you all out there enjoyed this summer. It amazes me that it's already gone!