Gears are finally moving!

          Hi everyone! So after months and months of being a "real" adult, I finally feel like my life is going somewhere. Finally studying for the GRE on a more regular basis. Although, I will say it's hard when the Kaplan study book is riddled with errors. Also something exciting at work, I got offered a full time position!!! I have been waiting for this opportunity for such a long time, well since December, but still having health insurance would be nice. I can finally go see an optometrist and get new glasses! Hahaha. However, now I'm stuck with the decision to apply in the fall or work another full year before applying. It's hard for me because if I apply in the fall I fell like I'm leaving my job so early. If I don't apply in the fall and postpone it for another year, then I'm going to be old by the time I get into graduate school! Decisions, decisions...

Studying? Say What?

          So another month has gone by without a post. I'm hopeless. However, I am studying for the GRE!!!! (It's actually not as exciting as I make it out to be). Right now just piling on vocabulary words because I heard memorizing the dictionary is not enough. Like honestly, half of these words I have never been exposed to and they think testing me on these words will show them my true academic ability to succeed? Come on now. I have never been a fan of standardized testing for numerous reasons. The first being that it doesn't tell you whether a student is test smart or genuinely smart. Secondly, the price for this test is obscured. Third being that only ETS administers the GRE (anyone see monopoly here). I don't know about you, but this just seems like a big company looking to make it rich off students. However, regardless of my detest for this abominable test, I still need to study for it.
           So what I have I been doing exactly? Well first I've been trying to learn ever word in the English language (not literally, but pretty close). Secondly, I have been doing luminosity. Luminosity doesn't quite live up to it's claims (considering all the literature they ever cite as slightly off topic to what they are doing), however, some aspects of the site seem to have some application to life and the GRE (like doing math fast). Now the only problem with all this is I don't have a schedule. I'll study for a day and then again 2 weeks later. Right now, I'm working on a weekly study schedule then bumping it up to every few days, every other day, and eventually everyday. If you work, you know it's hard trying to do other activities when you are so drained by the end. However, I am determined! I'll keep you updated on my progress, hopefully sooner than a month.

Until next time...
-Cindy

Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

          It's a new year, so time for a new blog post! Yes, I may be 2 months into the new year before posting a new post, but I have been extremely busy working, eating, sleeping, and then repeating the process over and over. Where have I been working? Well, after my whole ordeal with finding a job, I finally got one and kept it! (Keeping it is the key here.) I work at a school as a part-time behavior technician. You may be asking "what is a behavior technician?", well basically I am an ABA therapist for children on the autism spectrum disorder. However, I am not actually an ABA therapist as I do not have the higher education to be certified as one. I just implement ABA therapy (discrete trial) under supervision. I won't be releasing any details about the school, location, or the children I work with, so please don't ask.
          I actually started at the beginning of December of 2013 and was in training for 2 weeks. Once I passed my competency, the school went on a 2 week winter vacation! So my first actual day on the job was January 2. The first week was rough. I had a brand new child the first day, and let me tell you, when a child doesn't know you well and you don't know the child well, it leads to a rough day. You know what else leads to a rough day? When the child you have been working with since the beginning is testing you because your trainer is no longer there. So the first week was rough. Now, I thought it would let up, but no. Just about every other week, I sub for a new child. Believe me when I say I love the hours, but like I said before things get rough when the child doesn't know you. So my regular children must be easy now right? Haha, no. No matter how much rapport you build with a child, there will always be bad days.
          So with all this working, where do I find time for studying? I don't, I just go home nap, eat, and sleep! Haha, just kidding. I do what I can. I try to learn new vocabulary words weekly. I found a great stack of 4,000 words to learn for the GREs. Although somehow I think I might be better off memorizing the dictionary. I also have been trying to refresh my psychology knowledge for the psychology GREs. So far, I have read through the learning chapter in my Princeton Review. That means, I still have a long way left to go. Speaking of which, I should probably do that right now! If you are studying for the GREs, I would love to know how you are doing! We can struggle through it together! Hopefully, I will update this blog more often so you can be more informed!

Until next time...
-Cindy