"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
What a lovely perspective...
Just thought I'd share the giggle! =)
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Six Feet Under and Sinking Fast
A few weeks ago I applied to participate in the Annual Fulton Mentored Research Conference. Basically, you create a 48" poster about research that you have performed with the guidance of a faculty member and, if accepted, they pay to print it and you compete for a few cash scholarships.
Easy, I thought. I'm doing the research anyway, I thought. It'll definitely be done before the April 10th deadline, I thought.
Today I was accepted into the conference and informed that the posters must be printed up to 10 days in advance, following a college-specified print schedule. I haven't exactly even started writing my test model, let alone applying my data to it. Shoot me. I think perhaps Dr. Janetski (my mentor extraordinaire) was correct when he mentioned that this was typically a conference for those who have already completed their research.
So, aside from being the Maid of Honor at a dear friend's wedding on Saturday, the rest of my life will be spent on my bed with my laptop and reference books strewn semi-circularly around me. Thank heaven I bought the full-size mattress!
When I surface, I'll tell you all about the big competency exam which I finally took and am still waiting to hear about. Oh heck, I'll just sum up: it's a 3 hour typed essay exam on every aspect of archaeological theory anyone in our department has even the slightest bit of experience or interest in. I answered three questions: Archaeological trade patterns and research designs, the major contributions of three of the biggest archaeological theorists, and how to determine the difference between an egalitarian and a stratified society using multiple lines of archaeological evidence. Sigh. Now it's just the wait...
See you all on the other side of the moon!
Easy, I thought. I'm doing the research anyway, I thought. It'll definitely be done before the April 10th deadline, I thought.
Today I was accepted into the conference and informed that the posters must be printed up to 10 days in advance, following a college-specified print schedule. I haven't exactly even started writing my test model, let alone applying my data to it. Shoot me. I think perhaps Dr. Janetski (my mentor extraordinaire) was correct when he mentioned that this was typically a conference for those who have already completed their research.
So, aside from being the Maid of Honor at a dear friend's wedding on Saturday, the rest of my life will be spent on my bed with my laptop and reference books strewn semi-circularly around me. Thank heaven I bought the full-size mattress!
When I surface, I'll tell you all about the big competency exam which I finally took and am still waiting to hear about. Oh heck, I'll just sum up: it's a 3 hour typed essay exam on every aspect of archaeological theory anyone in our department has even the slightest bit of experience or interest in. I answered three questions: Archaeological trade patterns and research designs, the major contributions of three of the biggest archaeological theorists, and how to determine the difference between an egalitarian and a stratified society using multiple lines of archaeological evidence. Sigh. Now it's just the wait...
See you all on the other side of the moon!
Monday, March 06, 2006
An end to Nightmares...
For five years now, I have had recurring dreams about Dr. J being disappointed in me. Anyone who knows me has probably hear the tales, but anyone who knows J may understand why. Well, today I met with him about a paper and he began by telling me that he's proud of me and it looks like I'm really passionate and going places in archaeology. I was stunned and more than a little relieved to know it. Wow! I will never fear sleep again =) Now I'll have to develop some sort of psychosomatic issue with Clark, eh? =)
All else goes well, life is just life. I love it, but it's coming up on the competency exam soon, so I'm becoming anxious about getting ready and passing that. And I've seriously got to figure out how to sell my contract so I don't pay rent while I'm at field school. Sigh.
Camille is in Taiwan. Tragic, but so cool! It's sad, though...she is no longer just a free cell phone call away, so I've had move her name down in my phonebook so I won't forget and break the budget calling her...what an empty existence!
All else goes well, life is just life. I love it, but it's coming up on the competency exam soon, so I'm becoming anxious about getting ready and passing that. And I've seriously got to figure out how to sell my contract so I don't pay rent while I'm at field school. Sigh.
Camille is in Taiwan. Tragic, but so cool! It's sad, though...she is no longer just a free cell phone call away, so I've had move her name down in my phonebook so I won't forget and break the budget calling her...what an empty existence!