ouch.

I just read my teaching evals from last semester. Ouch. Some of them were great (I even got some "best TA ever!"-type comments). One commended me on coming to class every day. (I wonder if there are TAs who sporadically don't show up for class?) Others weren't so great. The majority of the negative comments were about grading, of course. This upsets me, because I didn't come up with the grading rubric and although I did grade the papers, I had little say in how the grades were actually tabulated (e.g., 5-10-15 points for drafts, nothing else; a crazy 6-point Fail-Excellent checklist of about 35 items). Also, I don't think students understand the difference between grading a draft and a final paper. Drafts are looking at larger issues (like did you at least write a semi-complete hypothesis) while final papers are looking at the larger issues in addition to the minor details. (Did you write a complete hypothesis? Did it make sense? Did you back up your hypothesis with literature or did you just pull this out of your ass? Did you cite things properly? Can you write a complete sentence? Did you use APA format? Do you even know what APA format is?) So, people think that if they get a good grade on a draft (lots of VGs from that crazy grading scale) they don't need to revise at all. There were also lots of "Jen doesn't know what she's talking about"-type comments. True, there are lots of things I don't know and I'm by no means an expert in Experimental Psych. But - I'm a TA, not a professor, and shouldn't be expected to know everything.

Maybe this is what I get for telling people they don't know how to write and calling them on plagiarism.

Gold medal!

I finished the wristies! I got a gold medal and everything. yay!

Photos of the finished project (and medal ceremony) to come. :)

no news is good news

No rejection (or acceptance) letters in the mail today. I did, however, get an unexpected $5 check for doing a survey online. yay!

Waiting is so frustrating. I check my email about 50 times a day, hoping to see some grad school news. I've gotten one notification via email, and you never know when/if they are going to email you. ugh. Then I keep getting all of these junk mails with "Admissions Dept." in the subject line...so I read them, because, you know, I wouldn't want to delete a real email from one of my schools. So I read them, and they are offering me a degree from a non-accredited university. uumm...ok. THAT will get me a good job somewhere!! Then today I get a form email from NYU's GSAS (grad school of arts & sciences, for those who aren't obsessing over grad school admissions...) saying thanks for your interest in our program. Yeah! I'm interested! Let me in! Sadly, there was no admission decision in the email...that's not till mid-late March. ARGH!

rejection sucks.

This fall, I applied to 10 social psych phd programs. The deadlines were Dec. 15th, and there is a 2-3 month lag time between when you apply and when you get your decision. So...it's been 2-3 months, and the rejection letters are pouring in. I applied to 10 school, some are definitely out of my reach but I figured why not, and some are (umm...were) sure things. I've gotten 4 rejections so far. 2 of them came yesterday, one came with my birthday cards last week. The places I got rejected from (Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, UCLA) weren't my top choices (well...Colorado was up there) and I'm not completely disappointed that I didn't get in to those schools, but it's still frustrating that I didn't get in. If I can't get into Colorado, will I be able to get in anywhere? CO was a sure thing, but I just found out that one of the profs. I wanted to work with is going on sabbatical next year. So, that partially explains why I didn't get in. I know that getting accepted isn't all about the grades, GRE scores, etc. but rather the match between profs' and students' interests. But I'm still frustrated, and really worried where I'm going to get in now. 2 more months, then this whole waiting period will be over. ugh.

In other news, I'm almost done with wristie #2! I watched I Heart Huckabees tonight and knit...and knit...and knit...and I'm just about done. A few more rows and a buttonhole to go, then I'm officially a finisher in the Knitting Olympics! yay!

I'm also just about done with my first eBay auction. Colette hooked me up with some insider American Girl tips and told me to buy some limited edition dolls last fall. So I've got 2 dolls sitting in my closet now, and one of them is on auction now, about to make me a nice little profit. For her help, Colette gets a doll present (orange sneakers for Maike).

And from The Onion...Betty Friedan honored on 2nd Class Stamp

Completed Wristie & Wristie in progress

Completed Wristie & Wristie in progress
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

I'm more than half way done with the wrist warmers. I'm about 1/3 of the way done with wristie #2, I hope to finish by Friday (!!)...I can do it! I'm really getting the DPNs DOWN! I'm flying on them, it's really not that hard. Figuring out how the hell to knit on 4 needles was the hard part. Now I think I look cool because I have so many needles.

In other knitting news...I went to Sam's last night for some wine, knitting (of course...I don't go anywhere without my knitting!), and ice skating, and one of her roommates appears out of nowhere with a half-finished scarf and asks for help! None of his other roomies even knew he (yes he, there are male knitters...) was a knitter. I think Sam was freaked out at the sight of people knitting in her living room - or jealous, because she doesn't know how to knit! Now she's determined to "get back on the needle."

Wristwarmer just before making the buttonhole

Wristwarmer just before making the buttonhole
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

I'm almost done! (with one) Now I have to make a buttonhole for the thumb and finish it up. One week to go! :)

The Opening Ceremonies

The Opening Ceremonies
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

I tried casting on with 4 needles, but that got WAY too complicated. I'm now down to 3 needles.

Valentine's Day- Knitting at Frank's

Valentine's Day- Knitting at Frank's
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

yargh! yarn got stuck in a knot. Last time I ever knit without winding it into a ball first!

Avatar of Me!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

I'm 24...does this mean I'm a grownup? I hung out at home doing nothing all day, which was great. I made waffles on my new waffle iron, knit, drank wine, and ate the delicious, glowing cake Colette made me.

Jen's Haul

Jen's Haul
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

I'm so loved! Happy birthday to me!!

yargh. DPNs are tricky. But I'm determined to get it!!

dolls

dolls
Originally uploaded by Colette Denali.

Yes, there IS a doll version of Colette and me.

Knitting Olympics

I'm participating in the Knitting Olympics. You start a project during the opening ceremonies, and finish it by the closing ceremonies. It's my first project on double pointed needles (DPNs for all of you non-knitters...which is like, everyone, since I'm the only knitter besides my mom and grandma that I know) so I'm excited! I got a really soft angora (or was it alpaca) pink and red marled yarn in Chicago a few weeks ago.

There will be photo updates. Wish me luck!

Colette, on the Super Bowl..."Should we make some dip or something?"