Pet Peeves

...when people refer to the state legislature as the "state congress" or "congress" in general.

1. There is only one Congress and it's the U.S. House of Representatives
2. State legislative bodies are referred to as Legislatures!

Grad School Annoyances

Someone asked me recently how I felt about some of the other grad students in my program. Simple, I don't know, I don't hang out with them. A few I have classes with this semester, I had class with last semester so there are some I enjoy, but for the vast majority, I really don't know.

However, having almost three weeks of class under our belts now, I can safely make the following observations about grad school and my classmates:

1. A guy in one of my classes has a rat tail. I'm not even kidding. I hadn't noticed it the first week of class, but as I walked behind him (still seated) this week, I saw this glorious, braided, approximately 2 ft. long, rat tail streaming down his back. WTF. Jordan Knight called from 1991 and wanted his hair back.
   
2. We have a first-semester gunner. Now, I thought these people were reserved for conversations and things I've read about law school, but as we all know, these are the same people known as "suck ups, teacher's pets," or any other name for someone who talks too much, asks too many questions, tries to one-up the professor (seriously, why?), or tries to undermine or annoyingly challenge the views of anyone else in the class. Unfortunately for this guy, he probably made a lot of enemies when, in talking about how we were politically socialized, told everyone he used to listen to 6 hrs. a day of talk radio. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and yes, I mean Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and probably a variety of other idiots. Good for you buddy.
   
3. I have no use for the grad lab, mostly because I'm working during the hours it is open. If I need to use SPSS, I'll just go to the library or the 24-hr lab, thankyouverymuch. Also for the reasons listed above, I'd rather not spend any more time in the departmental areas than I have to. I do enjoy seeing my profs, especially those I had in undergrad and don't see often now, but working full-time doesn't exactly allow me hours to kill in the grad lab during the day. However, on one of my syllabuses (syllabi?), it states that additional reading is available on e-reserve and in the grad lab. Apparently this is not entirely true however because one of this week's readings is ONLY available in the grad lab...which I never visit. So, tomorrow morning - because I am a champion procrastinator - I will be there, copying whatever it is I should have read tonight and frantically coming up with a paragraph to turn in at class time in the evening.

In conclusion, why don't you help me out and just pray for classes (including night classes!) to get canceled tomorrow for this crazy snowstorm! Thanks!

Minutes just ticking away...

For the last few weeks it's felt as though the minutes and days are just ticking away without much recollection or productivity. Some are better than others, but overall, it's sort of felt like a daze.

I haven't worked out much mostly for lack of motivation - no 5K looming on my calendar anymore probably doesn't help - and lack of time. It seems free moments outside of work or class are spent procrastinating on homework or actually doing it.

Classes are going well I guess. Research methods is what it is...a bunch of stats and math I don't remember from 6 years ago and need to reteach myself. This weekend I'm working on a paper assignment this weekend for my Subnational Gov. class. Basically, we're suppose to synthesize about 12 journal articles into about 6 factors necessary to understand modern politics. It's weird though because I feel like 6 years ago I could have sat down in an evening or two and cranked out a paper with no problem, but now it feels as overwhelming as the idea of writing a thesis. I'm probably just over-thinking it.

I think today might be a good day to pick up running again...stress relief!