Association of Cognitive and Behavior Therapy Conference

Good bye snowy Vancouver! Hello hopefully sunny San Francisco!

Statistics.

The last week has been super busy and so I haven't posted until now.

On Monday, I had a statistics assignment due and because the SPSS on my home computer was not working, I couldn't do my analysis until Monday morning... an hour before the assignment was due. Panic pretty much kicked in once I stepped into the computer lab and I was getting frustrated because I can't do this simple analysis that I've done a million times before. The numbers on the screen meant nothing to me. I ended up having to ask for an extension because I just couldn't wrap my head around the assignment.

Yesterday, after my statistics class, I was working on another statistics assignment. Fortunately, I was on a roll this time and so I knew exactly what I needed to do and how to do it. Around 12:30 my tummy grumbled and so I looked into my bag only to remember that I did not pack a lunch. The closest place I can purchase food is a good 10 minutes away and at 12:30 the lines would be long too. I looked at the assignment in front of me, and my tummy grumbled again. Statistics vs. food...  statistics win. I ended up buying a pizza pretzel on my way home at 3:30.

On a happy note, I'm leaving for the ABCT Convention tomorrow morning! Sunny California, here I come!

Nov 11

The university is closed today for remembrance day. The buses and halls are practically empty but that doesn't necessarily mean that my lab is empty. In fact, it just feels like another day in the lab. My brother and I both woke up at 7 and left the house at 8, but for completely different reasons. He serves in the canadian Forces and so he has to be in a Remembrance Day ceremony. I had to go to my lab because I was expecting a participant and I have a meeting there later on in the day. You know you've been integrated into my lab when you actually don't mind, if not prefer, working there on holidays, weekends and even in the wee hours of the morning. My participant today was scheduled for 10am, but I always prefer getting to the lab an hour early to settle in and set up. The guy today has already stood me up last week and so i called him last night to make sure he's coming. Unfortunately, I got stood up again. I was pretty upset because he promised he'll be here. He didn't call until 3:00pm to tell us he can't make it. Thanks buddy... You could've called 5 hours ago. I worked on my stats homework for a while but my brain just isn't working with me and so I just constructed the F-ratios, did some power calculations, ran my data through SPSS  and left it at that.

One of the other research assistants came in later and told me about a shoe sample sale and so I decided to check it out as I'm leaving campus. Half a warehouse full of size 6 shoes!! I was in shoe heaven. My normally heavy bag became light in comparison to the basket of shoes I was carrying. I had to empty it out several times but still ended up having two full baskets by the time my boyfriend came to get me. He took one look at my baskets and said, "honey, you realize you'll have to narrow it down right?" I ended up buying 2 pairs of super cute flats and a pair of heels, BUT THERE IS MORE! The shoe sale was buy 1 get one free!! So, I ended up getting 6 pairs of shoes, a pair of flip flops for next summer, 4 pairs of flats and a pair of heels. I had some Buyer's remorse afterwards but it was well worth my money.


It took me a long time to post this one because I actually wrote half of it on the way to the shoe sale and completely left my mind once I stepped into the warehouse, but there you have it. My Remembrance Day in a nutshell.

Course Registration

            Course registration for the spring started 2 days ago. Today was my turn to register, I'm not complaining because it's a really decent registration date, but I really hate all the preparation and mental work that I have to put into this day. It's unnecessary stress. Every year during Christmas, I take a look at all the courses being offered for the next 3 semesters and plan out which courses I need and want to take. That sounds about right, right? Unfortunately, the university does not like to encourage planning because every time when it comes to my turn to register my plans always fall through. I think out of my 4 years in University, I only had one successful registration where I was able to register according to my plan. 

             Back in the day in my first couple of years in university, not being able to register in my classes was because I'm taking courses ahead of my year (ex. taking second year courses in my first year) and have a later registration date compared to second and third year students who are also registering for second year courses. I guess the university doesn't like to encourage keeners either. Now that I'm in fourth year, my headaches are no longer because I can't get into a class. In fact, I open up my registration browser and every single course being offered is still open with tons of seats available. What bothers me now is my university decides to schedule all the courses I need and want to take in the same time slots. I hate registration day. I'm sure it's been a nightmare in every undergraduate student's career at one point. I ended up only being able to register for 3 courses instead of my usual 5:

- Couples Research and Therapy

- Health and Illness in Later Life

- Asia-Canada Identities: Experiences and Perspectives

             I am considering doing a directed studies project under my lab professor, so we'll see what happens. I'm also hoping I can get into the Applied Gerontology course. I just need the "research methods" course waived which would probably be possible considering I've taken something like 8 courses in research methods already. If I do get into that course, I'll probably drop Asia-Canada identities and take it another semester because it sounds REALLY interesting. Wish me luck!

  

The Hunt for a Perfect Coat and Heater.... + Test results!

 Shopping

            Christmas is pretty much here! The mall I work in has already built Santa's Castle and put up all the decorations. My store is playing Christmas music already and I'm already loading my Frank Sinatra Christmas Album into my iPod. For once, I'm not all "scrooge-y" and "bah-humbug" about Christmas coming in November. I even kind of want to put up my Christmas tree this weekend. The unfortunate part is that La Nina (aka super cold snowy winter) is coming this year. Having no body fat also means that you have no insulation which REALLY sucks when you live in the "True North". Unfortunately, I hate the cold because my body tends to clam up and get major cramps when Vancouver winters start. The old injuries in my wrist, knees, and ankles from cheerleading are already getting painful from the cold. Thus the hunt for a heater, a REAL good winter coat, warm scarves, hats, and mittens begins. There are a lot of cute mittens, hats, scarves and even earmuffs in stores this year, but for some reason I can't seem to find the perfect coat and the perfect heater.

The Coat:  



Requirements:
brown/beige/camel
knee length
wool coat
has toggles

           I've been looking through every physical and online store that delivers to Vancouver. Sadly, all the cute toggle coats that I have come across only come in black, gray and navy! Like this one! Isn't it cute? Aside from the colour availability everything else fits the requirements!



The Heater:
           Again, I've been searching through Canadian Tire, London Drugs, Home Depot, Rona, and any other store that sells fans and heaters looking for THE Heater. My boyfriend recently brought me one that heats, humidifies and purifies from Walmart, but it doesn't have the fan only option that I want so badly. Why? because the fans in my house are massive and stored in the garage. Which means, every winter I have to carry my fan up two flights of stairs to the garage and then carry my heater back down, and vice versa in the summer.

Requirements:
Heats (thermostat, auto-off, more than 1 heat option)
Humidifies and purifies the air
Fan Only option

You would think some technical genius would have already created something with these functions, because it only makes sense, and be widely selling it in North America... but no. On the other hand, the Asians have done it (I love the space saving mindset of my race)! This baby is called the Fujitronic 5-in-1 Whirl Wind-Air Cooler/Heater/Fan/Humidifer/Ionic Air Purifier! It costs $119 for this thing, I'll take it! The problem is, I don't know where to find it in Vancouver. I need to thoroughly search Richmond and Crystal Mall for this excellent piece of technology before the chill kicks in.

Test Results!!!

            One of the current classes I'm enrolled in right now has 15 minute bi-weekly tests. It also comes with an awesome policy: as long as you achieve 50% on your test you are allowed to rewrite BUT your rewrite score replaces your original score no matter what. I haven't lost a mark so far in this class, but when the grades were released for the second test last week, I found out I got 12/14! Imagine my HORROR! Anyways, I decided to rewrite this test so I can maintain my perfect streak. I was actually debating whether I should or not during the course of the day because I was feeling super lazy and wanted to go home earlier, and I also felt like a neurotic freak for feeling miserable over losing 2 marks. The keener got the best of me, and I decided that I cannot live knowing that I can quite possibly get 100% in this course if I rewrite the test. Unfortunately, the same Thursday I decided to rewrite my test on, we had another test last Thursday. I probably lost 3 marks on because I panicked and blanked out for 5 minutes and only wrote one sentence for the last question, so I guess I'll be rewriting that one as well. The point of all this? Grades for my test 2 rewrite was released! My perfect streak stays!!!


Side note: I just realized I formatted this post in APA style... geeeeky!!!!

Today I don't feel like doing ANYTHINGGGG

The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars

Today I don't feel like doing anything /  I just wanna lay in my bed 

Don't feel like picking up my phone / So leave a message at the tone 
Cus today I swear I'm not doing anything

I'm gonna kick my feet up and stare at the fan 
Turn the TV on / Throw my hand in my pants 
Nobodys gon' tell me I can't 

I'll be lying on the couch just chillin in my snuggie 
Click to MTV so they can teach me how to dougie 
Cus in my castle I'm the freakin man / Oh Oh 

Yes I said it / I said it / I said it cus I can 

Today I don't feel like doing anything /  I just wanna lay in my bed 
Don't feel like picking up my phone / So leave a message at the tone 
Cus today I swear I'm not doing anything

Nothing at all / Woohoo ooh / Woohoo ooh hooh ooh ooh / Nothing at all 

Woohoo ooh  Woohoo ooh hooh ooh ooh 

Tomorrow I'll wake up do some P90X  Meet a really nice girl have some really nice sex 
And she's gonna sream out 'this is great' (Oh my god, this is great) / Yeaaah 

I might mess around and get my college degree 
I bet my old mam would be so proud of me 
But sorry paps you'll just have to wait / Oh Oh 

Yes I said it / I said it / I said it cus I can 

Today I don't feel like doing anything /  I just wanna lay in my bed 
Don't feel like picking up my phone / So leave a message at the tone 
Cus today I swear I'm not doing anything

No I ain't gonna comb my hair 
Cus I ain't going anywhere 
No No No No No No No No No / Oh

I'll just strut in my birthday suit  / And let everything hang loose 
YeahYeahYeahYeahYeah... / Ohh ohh 

Today I don't feel like doing anything /  I just wanna lay in my bed 
Don't feel like picking up my phone / So leave a message at the tone 
Cus today I swear I'm not doing anything

Nothing at all / Woohoo ooh / Woohoo ooh hooh ooh ooh / Nothing at all 
Woohoo ooh / Woohoo ooh hooh ooh ooh / Nothing at all

             Unfortunately, I had a 9 paged case study due at 11:55 pm... listening to this song didn't really help motivate me much. I'm better of sticking to classical music when I'm writing or studying. The funny thing is, in the final minutes before handing in my assignment I was intensely editing which broke me out into a massive sweat... this is really weird considering how I never sweat when it's hot or when I exercise... I only sweat when my coach makes us do intense conditioning or when I do this really hardcore leg workout: Mels Hell. Anyways, I will start actually blogging more when I finish this blitz week of assignments =)

Introduction

What my paperwork labels me as...

A 4th year Undergraduate student,

Majoring in Psychology,

Minoring in Counselling and Human Development,

Minoring in Gerontology,

Currently in "good academic standing",

On the Dean's Honour Roll 2009-2010,

A Research Assistant in a Personality and Emotion Research Lab.

Who I really am...

I'm an undergraduate student who basically lives at school for most of the week.  I get stressed out over my grades a lot because I'm trying to repair the damage from "exploring my choices" in my first and second year of academia which basically destroyed my CGPA. I have an unfortunate (yet incredibly supportive) boyfriend,  who basically gets dragged through my academic career with me.  Like most girls my age, I love fashion, makeup, and other girly things. I'm formerly a collegiate cheerleader, but recently forced myself to retire because of my workload. 

Why I'm here...

In fifth grade, I had a dream. I wanted to become a clinical psychologist. 10+ years later, my dreams are still the same. So here I am working towards graduating with first class honours and hoping to get into a great clinical psychology program after graduating.