We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016

[hippyscientist]

@MarineBluePsy I mean that's frustrating but fingers crossed they let you go with the cumulative GPA! 

I am pooped this week. Getting lots of work done and getting a ton of spontaneous unintended workouts in too! Just got back from playing basketball with the crew, and the bus schedule is sh*t without undergrads around so I'm walking like 4 miles a day to get to and from my car when it's parked on campus. Yay for random exercise!

[nevermind]

32 minutes ago, MarineBluePsy said:

You guys are not going to believe this......the shit storm that I did not intend to create with the faculty over that half a point I am failing that class by just got worse for the whole department and that half a point may be completely irrelevant.  Why?  Because my department may not be interpreting the University guidelines correctly.  Apparently over the holidays the professor in question consulted the guidelines which indicate it is the cumulative GPA that matters, not the individual course grades and shared this info with my advisor.  My cumulative GPA for the semester is high enough to meet the University requirements and maintain my funding, so the question my advisor raised is where is the guideline backing up the requirement for specific grades in individual classes that our department has been citing all this time?  Good question, because I haven't seen that written anywhere either.  This was brought to the attention of the dean who agrees that perhaps our department has been doing something very wrong for who knows how long lol.  So now there is going to be some kind of meeting to review the matter and the extra exam I am supposed to take to earn half a point is on hold until further notice.

 

That sounds awful. Although I'm not a fan of giving grades that aren't earned. it seems like bumping up the half a point would be so much easier than all this bureaucratic nonsense. It sounds like you got stuck in a power struggle between faculty. That sucks. :-(

[MarineBluePsy]

@nevermind  I know right?!  The thing is if the department has been doing things incorrectly then my current grade is passing.  The bigger issue isn't me so much as its how many students were unfairly penalized in the past by having to do additional work, ending up on academic probation, losing funding, etc.  Like you I just accepted what I earned, no matter how ridiculous a half a point shortage seemed.  I didn't ask for any of this drama, but yeah I'm all up in the middle lol.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

@MarineBluePsy Congrats on your half point sending the university into an apocalypse!

[MarineBluePsy]

Hmmm just watched the first episode of Black Mirror.  Are they all that weird and set in the UK?

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

5 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Hmmm just watched the first episode of Black Mirror.  Are they all that weird and set in the UK?

No they aren't all that weird  I actually (on accident) watched the third season before the first season. I loved the third season but honestly after watching the first episode of season one I can't bring myself to watch anymore because what the hell?

[MarineBluePsy]

7 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

No they aren't all that weird  I actually (on accident) watched the third season before the first season. I loved the third season but honestly after watching the first episode of season one I can't bring myself to watch anymore because what the hell?

That's exactly how I was feeling about episode one!  I don't mind weirdness, but on top of being weird it was too predictable and I was bored.  I don't want to watch the seasons out of order in case it all ties together later (like American Horror Story), but hopefully season one gets more interesting.

Edited January 6, 2017 by MarineBluePsy

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

15 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

That's exactly how I was feeling about episode one!  I don't mind weirdness, but on top of being weird it was too predictable and I was bored.  I don't want to watch the seasons out of order in case it all ties together later (like American Horror Story), but hopefully season one gets more interesting.

I agree. I do want to know how they came up with the first episode though. Some bloke sits down in a meeting and goes "I have a great idea for a plot!!"

[Neist]

I'm organizing bookmarks. Anyone else not done this in a few years?

Trying to sell off some of my unused flotsam and jetsam around the house, too. I am dedicated to having a more efficient life this year. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

37 minutes ago, Neist said:

I'm organizing bookmarks. Anyone else not done this in a few years?

Trying to sell off some of my unused flotsam and jetsam around the house, too. I am dedicated to having a more efficient life this year. 

What, you mean I don't need my high school email address saved? C'mon!

[Neist]

27 minutes ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

What, you mean I don't need my high school email address saved? C'mon!

Well, I don't.  If I never talked to those people again, it'd be too soon!

[MarineBluePsy]

Organizing bookmarks is on my to do list, but I think I'm going to go shopping instead.  My credit card misses me hehehe.

[Neist]

49 minutes ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Organizing bookmarks is on my to do list, but I think I'm going to go shopping instead.  My credit card misses me hehehe.

You know, I haven't had the urge to go shopping in quite a while. I think I'm simply becoming more pragmatic, so most things don't appeal unless I have a direct need for them.

Minimalism, go!  

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

3 hours ago, Neist said:

Well, I don't.  If I never talked to those people again, it'd be too soon!

 

I guess I failed to convey my sarcasm - I have so much useless crap on my bookmarks. My first one is a flash games site I haven't visited since ~2008. 

[nevermind]

Back to the grind today. wishing everyone a productive next term/semester/whatever system your school is on.

 

[MarineBluePsy]

*bouncing off the walls*  I found navy pumps!  NAVY pumps!!!!  Oh the outfits I can make!  Don't get me wrong... there's still tons of other colors I need, but navy in a high quality brand has been a huge pain in the ass to find.  Hmmm I wonder if it would seem crazy to hire someone to carry me around when I wear them so they won't get dirty.........

[hippyscientist]

4 hours ago, nevermind said:

Back to the grind today. wishing everyone a productive next term/semester/whatever system your school is on.

 

Thanks nevermind, hope your first day back was good! I had the most amazing day today, I didn't think days like this existed in grad school but they do and I''m flying so high right now! Things that happened today:

1. Woke up to an email from my MSc advisor inviting me to present my work at a conference in Hong Kong this summer.

2. Had a great impromptu meeting with my advisor who told me my writing was "exceptional and an example of how essays should be written"

3. In our official lab meeting my advisor assigned me host duties for a big name in the field whom he invited to talk to us in a month or so, but he has to go to a conference meeting (he's conference chair) and he trusts me over his other first year grad student to act as host.

4. I managed to write the abstract for the HK conference in a day! and my Msc advisor replied saying he was very impressed and can't wait to introduce me to his colleagues in the field.

5. One of the conferences I'm submitting to is very specialized and one of the guys on the committee came to give a job talk just before the break, and I was the only student at his talk. We chatted afterwards about our research interests, and hit it off - hoping this stands in my favor when they're reviewing abstracts.

6. My advisor asked for my help with the conference he's organizing because I have a background of organizing them (admittedly not academic conferences but still).

7. My IRB proposal is almost done

8. I did 15,000 steps, and did my C25K day even though I had food poisoning at the weekend.

9. Got the syllabuses/syllabi? for my two classes and I'm really excited about them. They're going to really complement what I'm doing with my research this semester.

10. Got to hang out with my friends and we went and shot hoops for a half hour instead of sitting around drinking coffee! 

I'm so sorry if this sounds like bragging, it really wasn't meant to! It's just been the most unbelievable, great day and I wasn't sure they actually existed! 

[nevermind]

1 hour ago, hippyscientist said:

I'm so sorry if this sounds like bragging, it really wasn't meant to! It's just been the most unbelievable, great day and I wasn't sure they actually existed! 

You don't sound like you're bragging at all! It sounds wonderful--days like that kind of make up for the rest of it!

[hippyscientist]

Thanks @nevermind it's put me in such a good mood and it's the kind you just want to share you know? 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I'm back from visiting my family! It was draining. My dad flipped out when I casually mentioned how I was staying with my best friend and her family when I go visit her. He kept saying that I'm putting myself in danger because I'm staying with a black family in Arkansas.....He went on a huge rant how there is a giant racial divide, that I'm going to get kidnapped/murdered, and how I'm putting my best friend/her family in danger because me being white somehow puts a target on them. He also freaked out how I was planning on driving 9 hours because that increases my chances of dying and how could I disrespect him for not telling him sooner. He also demanded how could my bf let me go. My bf doesn't own me and my bf thinks my dad is either a psychopath or bi-polar. My bf thinks my dad is verbally abusive. Sigh....families are dysfunctional at times

[hippyscientist]

@Need Coffee in an IV ouch I'm sorry! Family can test the best of intentions at times. But that trip to visit your friend sounds really exciting! It saddens me that people buy into over-hyped, sensationalist headlines rather than taking the time to get to know the true state of affairs. My parents had a similar reaction when they found out I only applied to US schools - "racial divides, gun crime, etc etc etc" all were brought up, I acknowledged that they were their fears but that we can't be ruled by fear....yeah wasn't the best but we moved on and forward. You got it

[MarineBluePsy]

Well @Need Coffee in an IV your dad isn't totally offbase about Arkansas.  There is a lot of racial tension there and you will see confederate flags proudly displayed.  But there are also plenty of people there that are welcoming of everyone and it sounds like your friends family is confident you will be perfectly safe in their home and neighborhood if they invited you.  And driving 9 hours is excessive?  He does realize that your life would be similarly threatened if you traveled via bus, train, or plane right?  I couldn't stand to listen to this kind of worry/control so I just don't tell my parents anything lol.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

1 hour ago, hippyscientist said:

@Need Coffee in an IV ouch I'm sorry! Family can test the best of intentions at times. But that trip to visit your friend sounds really exciting! It saddens me that people buy into over-hyped, sensationalist headlines rather than taking the time to get to know the true state of affairs. My parents had a similar reaction when they found out I only applied to US schools - "racial divides, gun crime, etc etc etc" all were brought up, I acknowledged that they were their fears but that we can't be ruled by fear....yeah wasn't the best but we moved on and forward. You got it

I know exactly what you mean! Honestly I was surprised because they knew I was visiting her, so I didn't realize I was dropping a bomb. My dad is one of those who thinks Obama is the worst thing in existence. Its annoying.

@MarineBluePsy I know right?! I drove to Alaska from Virginia but that was okay because a man was with me apparently. I was planning to leave at 8 am and getting there around 6. Plus I could get kidnapped at any gas station. Its not like there is a certain mile radius that I'm safe in lol. Yeah her grandparents are very excited to meet me. We've been best friends since 6th grade and talk daily. My dad is very controlling and it has an impact on our relationship.

[MarineBluePsy]

Oh so if a man is driving its ok?  Great then I'd tell him to get off his ass and drive you himself.  Hehehe, but I'm kinda bitchy so my dad wouldn't be surprised to hear me say that.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

You drove to Alaska from Virginia?!?!?