Did you know...

Did you know that the first webcam was pointed at a coffeepot so the employees could know when the coffee was done? And that some people actually refer to themselves as Cyborgs and have wearable computers? True story. Read "Smart Mobs" its interesting. And answers Microsoft interview questions if you'd only read them a few days earlier.

I study better when someone else is in the room... cause I feel bad for talking incessantly. Or procrastinating. Because they can tell, then, that I'm procrastinating. If only I'd learned how to not procrastinate earlier. With less caffeine.

I can not wait for this semester to be over. Anytime now.

Tomorrow night is going to be fun - cooking for 20 people for Friday as well as baking for cookies to sell at the concert. The concert is going to rock my socks off, but I'm glad the planning will be over.

Research and speaking in front of people amuses me. Endlessly. The research group is amazingly critical - they're going to ask you questions until your work turns out well, and make sure that you've read everything they've read that might be relevant. But really, don't pitch ideas to other people for an hour if you a) don't know what you're trying to find b) how you're going to find it c) how it *might* be better than what's already been done or d) how you're going to test it. If you haven't thought through more scenarios than you're planning on presenting, you're probably going to look like you planned it 5 minutes before. The group being critical is a good thing.

As for public speaking... don't apologize every 3 words. Actually, don't apologize unless you miss speak or don't understand someone's questions. And don't say anything when people are asking questions until they actually finish asking questions. Man. Maybe academia is too obnoxious for me. Some people get too caught up in the theory and in cool ideas to actually stop and think about WHY they are doing things. Or you could just do art. Yeaaaah.

Grateful

New glasses, woot. I almost feel like they're too cool for me, too artsy or something.

I'm grateful for a lot of things, this Thanksgiving. New friends (from ASB and life in general). Old friends, especially the ones that you can not see for ages, and then pick right back up where you left off. Home, whether it be Lexington or Urbana or simply "the place where my friends are."

The ability to give back to the community, through ASB or in general. Both financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically. John, at the site, said service is 50% for others and 50% for yourself. Reading Authentic Happiness alluded to the fact that service is a more rewarding experience(in terms of hapiness) than something done solely for pleasure. My education, both in the classroom and outside the classroom. The ability to learn. The opportunity presented to me by the University YMCA and the University of Illinois. 10 great fall and winter trips, and AMAZING site facs. Even more amazing co-chairs. My research group, for changing the way I think and having a lot of fun. For deciding to stay an extra semester and not drive myself crazy with classes. For finally knowing people in my classes, and learning to schedule homework time together and go to office hours. For job opportunities, even if I get turned down or I turn them down.

For the smell of nailguns, piling 10 people in one minivan, the Frist Museum, collages, "screen" printing, peanut butter and jelly, safety goggles, decking, hammers, nails, cut teams, icecream shops, hair straighteners, hours of physical labor, lack of sleep, long sleeved tshirts, and interesting choices of music.

Wow.

Ah yes, going on ASB trips reminds me why I do ASB. Why sometimes I spend 40 hours a week in the YMCA devoting my time to ASB.

125 feet of ramp and decking
7,000 - 9,000 dollars of lumber and labor contributed for FREE
18 hours of labor
3 very grateful families
12 or so hours of driving
10 amazing people
2 great organizations
1 cool tshirt

The last 5 days have just been amazing. I can't put words to how important ASB has been in my life (this was my 5th trip). I love the number of inside jokes that come up by the end of the week, and how everyone starts talking the same, and how much I'm going to miss everyone.

United Cerebal Palsy of Middle Tennessee is an amazingly well run organization. Seriously, one of the best non-profits I've worked with. They don't get a lot of volunteer groups during the fall so we were REALLY a big help for them. We built 3 wheelchair ramps in 3 days, booyah. John, our main contact at UCP - really gets ASB and what its about. He gave some very motivational speeches and got a bit emotional. Seriously, he was impressed by our team work and each of us and individuals and told us we need to tell our parents they did a great job raising us. It never ceases to amaze me how different the people are who do ASB and the different places they are going with their lives and their motivation for everything they do.

I got to play with power tools! Seriously, because of ASB I've gotten to do some of the craziest things - remove invasive species with a hatchet, play with power saws and nail guns, you know, that sort of thing.

On to the important stuff - the pictures! Picture Number 1. Lumber for the first day Picture Number 2. Ramp we replaced Picture Number 3. Ramp we built day 1 Picture Number 4. Us and the ramp

I want to be Karrie. Or at least, I want Karrie's job

So. I want to be in a position to say no to a job at Microsoft.

Apparently, Karrie went to a conference all of last week. She got to be part of a panel with a few people who are pretty well known. Big deals, if you will. In talking about some of the research the group is doing about accents and visualization, Microsoft slipped her a check for a really large sum of money, across the table. Right then and there. And then offered her a job. And she said no.

I mean really... who wouldn't want that job. I'm seriously considering grad school. Just not immediately.

Le sigh

Le sigh. No offer from MS. Yeah, I'm bummed.

So do I accept with CAT IT? Do I wait it out? Do I go on an ASB spring trip?

I SO don't have time to be worrying about these things.

On Caffeine, Job Searches, Online Resumes

It's weird getting a gmail chat from one email address you have (and share with others) to your personal gmail account. As Casey said "its kind of like being schizophrenic". Yes, a bit.

I need to learn to regulate my caffeine intake. I object to paying $3.50 for a coffee, that sucks. However, it is kind of nice to get a buzz off caffeine - and I mean a buzz like I can feel it affecting me, like my insides (and my attention span) are buzzing. Its interesting, though, because I will get about 20 things done - just in 5 second increments. I can't believe how much espresso I had when I was in France. I miss the automatic coffee dispensers from UTC though - they need to have one in Siebel. Yes, I realize Siebel has its own coffee shop, but its not open all the time. I was in the Undergrad for the first time EVER - it was crazy. They have an espresso royale AND automatic coffee dispensers. I'm jealous of LAS - what's wrong with me? (No offense to LAS intended, but usually ENGR has more money and nicer ammenities).

On Online Resumes
GRRRRR. Agilent has the best online app of any I've filled out so far - very simple. Honestly, why can't more companies just LET you fill in the school, major, etc field instead of having a "generic" drop down menu? Really, there are too many majors and whatnot for all of that. Agilent was the first one I think that didn't puke at me that I'd entered something wrong. Sometimes (often) what I want to fill in isn't defined by your stupid drop down menus. Maybe drop down menus aren't how I want to represent myself. Maybe I don't fit in any of those categories. I spend time putting my resume together to present myself the way I want to present myself - let me upload the frickin' PDF version I spent time on. I'll upload a text version, too, if that makes you happy but gosh darn it I already have most of the information on that in more detail than your little 50 letter boxes can handle.

On Job Searches
I am SO tired of talking to a company rep and getting "yeah, apply online for this position" and then going to the website and not seeing that job title ANYWHERE in site. Also, when you apply for jobs online, you have no idea if anyone actually looks at your resume if you aren't applying for a specific job. Maybe I'm looking at your company like "hey, you're really cool, please let me submit my resume and you tell me where I'd fit well." On that note, at my mentoring class yesterday, there was a rep from Boeing who has done a lot of recruiting/interviews. A lot of companies aren't allowed to pass resumes anymore. Which basically means, unless you know someone inside the company anyway, its really hard to get your foot in the door. Your resume has to trigger those keywords for the electronic searchers that screen text resumes, and if your GPA isn't high enough - SOL. Even if you are the perfect match and have other qualifications that blow you out of the water compared to everyone else - tough luck. You're probably not going to get to a human being, much less one with an appropriate job for you. BAH!

Things are ok. The last post was just what happens when I spend all weekend freaking out about life.

The solution? To apply for everything. TFA, grad school, industry positions. If I get TFA, seek deferrals from every offer (both job and school), that I've gotten. This also means I really need to look into the GRE. At some point. It can all be figured out later, as long as I have a plan. That plan is apply for everything and see which sounds best when I get offers. Something has to come through.

And if nothing else works, I can always move out to Seattle and become a model. Or work at a car rental agency.

Chicken

Why am I so afraid of the future all of a sudden? Seriously, sometime in the last two days I started doubting myself and where I'm going and what I want to do. Or at least, I lost some of the confidence I had that everything would work itself out.

Somehow, I started freaking out about whether I'd be able to hack Teach for America. It's something I've been wanting to do for the last 3 years, but now that I'm postponing graduation a year I'm totally doubting myself. Blah.