Summer Employment and Best Texts Ever, Pt. 1 & 2

Hello everybody! Happy summer time! Although choosing to continue my education, rather than goof around or find work, was a particularly difficult decision, I do have the added bonus of getting some summers off. As the summer was approaching, it was appearing as if I wasn't going to be able to find work. I had really wanted to work with preschoolers, teaching them both academic and social skills in their transition to kindergarten. Unfortunately, I didn't get an interview at all, which I thought (frankly) was a bit shocking. I'm probably a bit too overqualified to work with young children... so I was chalking it up to the fact that they received a flood of applications. When my academic adviser followed up with the potential employers, however, they basically said that I was too honest with my application, and that the fact that I mentioned that I wanted to have a couple of nights and weekends to myself didn't give them the best impression of me.

This was going to inspire a long-winded post about how I thought some college and graduate school education didn't seem to be worthwhile, if perfectly qualified people weren't getting jobs they likely should be able to get... but sometimes things work out for a reason.

With the end of the academic term approaching, it looked like I was going to have to choose between a) taking more classes or b) trying my hand to find some sort of job outside of my field. The first choice didn't seem too appealing, as I was mentally drained by my past term (never have such good grades ever felt worthwhile... I took 16 credits but it felt like 20). The second choice didn't feel promising either... I feel like it is very difficult to get a job outside of any sort of social contact (I've only really had to do it once), and Oregon's unemployment rate is about 12% (putting it behind Nevada and California, I believe). Fortunately, I applied for a research assistant position for the summer. They gave me an interview, and they told me that I was one of two people that they interviewed for the position and they were only looking to hire one of us. And then, two days later, I was told that they hired both of us. PHEW.

The project that I'm going to be working on is very intriguing for me both personally and academically. The project is entitled the Middle School Intervention Project, and we are generally evaluating how middle schools are providing reading services and interventions for their students, and if that is related to both academic improvement and academic engagement (e.g. how attached students become to their school, if the students become more involved, etc.). The other component of the project is that there are decision making teams that help select which services students may be receive... If the teams make decisions based on direct data of student performance, it is believed that this will also lead to improved academic performance, as the students are receiving appropriate support/help/training. Anyways, I find this project to be really interesting, and I had a solid first day, outside of feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the project that I was handed, feeling like a deer in the headlights, and a lost puppy, all at once. But... I think I'll catch on quick, as I get to play with a data set and help produce a report from it. Should be interesting work during a hopefully chill summer!


Also, two texts that I want to pass on:

June 10, 6:30 P.M. (-ish)
Isaac: I am! And I am drunk!

Celebrating the fact that he was done with his comprehensive exams...


June 18, 8:36 P.M.
Olivia: We are singing flight of the chinchords to you

Wishing I had been in Vermont this weekend.