The Last Week Before the Rest of My Life
Classes at UTEP started this week and it was pretty interesting overall!
I had filed all my paperwork last week but I figured I'd give them a little time to input it before I tried to register for my classes. But then I couldn't wait and tried to register Wednesday. Didn't work. Thursday. No go. Friday. Nada. So I figured I'd call on Saturday to get some help, but they were closed all weekend! THE WEEKEND BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!??!
So first thing Monday morning I'm on the phone and long story shorter...got registered. But I had nothing to do Monday so I stayed in bed.
Tuesday was day #1!
Program aside, this school is B.S.!!! I wasn't able to buy a parking pass until I was registered for classes, and once I was registered still couldn't buy a parking pass who knows why not, so I parked in the visitor lot and walked. Had my first lab meeting, which I had to leave early from to make it to class, but I met all the undergrads who worked in the lab and had graduated and showed up to finish up their work for the summer. So I met a bunch of people I will "never" see again.
A funny thing happened when one of the girls walked into the room and gave everyone, not me, a kiss on the cheek.
We didn't do that in my old lab...
But other than the questionable PDA the meeting was fine and it was off the stats. Most of my cohort are in this class--the stats whizzes are probably exempt but as I still don't know anyone really I'm not missing anyone. The professor is a man called Ozzy and he made a joke about the t-distribution that if z and chi-square walk into a bar independently (it's funny if you're a nerd), and that while it is possible to get a negative covariance if you get one on the homework "maybe you got it right, maybe you didn't."
So far I like him. Not because of the "jokes" but I understand him. For now.
On my way back to my car I noticed people kissing each other on the cheeks all over the street, so apparently it's a cultural thing or there's something about the first day of school that makes everyone excited...I don't know.
Later, I was finally able to buy my parking pass and, of course, because UTEP dragged their heels I was stuck with the crappy-er parking lots or the insanely expensive (ie $1000) inner campus parking spot that may or may not, mostly may not, be available.
The way the campus is set up is that it's built on a mountain overlooking Juarez (lovely?) and all the parking is grouped on the outskirts and for some reason is miles away from any building. The inner campus parking are 5 spots in front of a building, but we all know what you paid for them so bleh...
So I chose one that was sort of in the vicinity of the Psychology building and it's up on the mountain by the Sun Bowl, by the big Miner "M" in fact, by the football team's practice field and the ROTC building...It's up and down hill getting to the Psych building.
I expect to be skinny by the end of the year.
I also had lunch with Jennifer, my advisor, she took me to a place near the campus--I haven't eaten out a lot since I've been here so it was nice to go somewhere and experience it. She treated which was so nice! I'm excited to work with her--I'm looking forward to when the awkward getting to know each other is over, but I think she's in a great place in the university and in El Paso and that is definitely to my advantage, and I will learn a lot from her.
My other class is on Fridays. Yuck. We tried to change the time but there were no other times that all of us could meet so Fridays it is. It's the Clinical Issues in Legal Psychology and that class I'm going to love. I know it already!! The outline from the syllabus looks like exactly what I want the program to be. So I'm excited about that one.
In addition, I fought with and defeated the copy machine and didn't cry!! small victories...and got my financial aid which led to a severe shopping spree which won't happen again until January so pish posh. And last weekend went out for drinks with a few people and it was nice to meet some people and talk a bit.
All in all, a decent week. I slept in, went to the school only when I had to, and I'm doing my reading to keep up because I know that come next week, week after next at the latest, life as I know it will change forever.
I had filed all my paperwork last week but I figured I'd give them a little time to input it before I tried to register for my classes. But then I couldn't wait and tried to register Wednesday. Didn't work. Thursday. No go. Friday. Nada. So I figured I'd call on Saturday to get some help, but they were closed all weekend! THE WEEKEND BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!??!
So first thing Monday morning I'm on the phone and long story shorter...got registered. But I had nothing to do Monday so I stayed in bed.
Tuesday was day #1!
Program aside, this school is B.S.!!! I wasn't able to buy a parking pass until I was registered for classes, and once I was registered still couldn't buy a parking pass who knows why not, so I parked in the visitor lot and walked. Had my first lab meeting, which I had to leave early from to make it to class, but I met all the undergrads who worked in the lab and had graduated and showed up to finish up their work for the summer. So I met a bunch of people I will "never" see again.
A funny thing happened when one of the girls walked into the room and gave everyone, not me, a kiss on the cheek.
We didn't do that in my old lab...
But other than the questionable PDA the meeting was fine and it was off the stats. Most of my cohort are in this class--the stats whizzes are probably exempt but as I still don't know anyone really I'm not missing anyone. The professor is a man called Ozzy and he made a joke about the t-distribution that if z and chi-square walk into a bar independently (it's funny if you're a nerd), and that while it is possible to get a negative covariance if you get one on the homework "maybe you got it right, maybe you didn't."
So far I like him. Not because of the "jokes" but I understand him. For now.
On my way back to my car I noticed people kissing each other on the cheeks all over the street, so apparently it's a cultural thing or there's something about the first day of school that makes everyone excited...I don't know.
Later, I was finally able to buy my parking pass and, of course, because UTEP dragged their heels I was stuck with the crappy-er parking lots or the insanely expensive (ie $1000) inner campus parking spot that may or may not, mostly may not, be available.
The way the campus is set up is that it's built on a mountain overlooking Juarez (lovely?) and all the parking is grouped on the outskirts and for some reason is miles away from any building. The inner campus parking are 5 spots in front of a building, but we all know what you paid for them so bleh...
So I chose one that was sort of in the vicinity of the Psychology building and it's up on the mountain by the Sun Bowl, by the big Miner "M" in fact, by the football team's practice field and the ROTC building...It's up and down hill getting to the Psych building.
I expect to be skinny by the end of the year.
I also had lunch with Jennifer, my advisor, she took me to a place near the campus--I haven't eaten out a lot since I've been here so it was nice to go somewhere and experience it. She treated which was so nice! I'm excited to work with her--I'm looking forward to when the awkward getting to know each other is over, but I think she's in a great place in the university and in El Paso and that is definitely to my advantage, and I will learn a lot from her.
My other class is on Fridays. Yuck. We tried to change the time but there were no other times that all of us could meet so Fridays it is. It's the Clinical Issues in Legal Psychology and that class I'm going to love. I know it already!! The outline from the syllabus looks like exactly what I want the program to be. So I'm excited about that one.
In addition, I fought with and defeated the copy machine and didn't cry!! small victories...and got my financial aid which led to a severe shopping spree which won't happen again until January so pish posh. And last weekend went out for drinks with a few people and it was nice to meet some people and talk a bit.
All in all, a decent week. I slept in, went to the school only when I had to, and I'm doing my reading to keep up because I know that come next week, week after next at the latest, life as I know it will change forever.
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