End of Term Rant + Update

Yes, I finished experimentation-- well, undergraduate experimentation-- for my thesis. I've come to the conclusion that undergrads are pretty useless subjects. It's pretty pathetic how even psychology students just don't care about research. So I ended up with 16 OK subjects out of about 25 who actually took part. About 5 of them didn't turn off their cell phones even when I repeatedly told them to turn the damn things off, and halfway through a block of trials I'd hear "My humps! My humps my humps my humps! My lovely lady lumps! Check it out!" or whatever equally ridiculous song is playing right now and people insist on making their ringtone.

And I swear to god... I had the most nightmarish subject one day, who had the WORST attitude... She sighed and scoffed and didn't pay attention the whole time, and ruined the data completely... so I insisted she come in and do the whole thing all over again or she wouldn't get her credits. Anyway, I felt a little better when Hannah told me she got stuck with the SAME girl, and had just as many problems with her. So... this chick wasn't just having an "off day", she's just unpleasant all the time.

But seriously... Don't sign up if you don't want to do in-lab participation! Do you KNOW how many online studies there are? I don't want to see your mean FACE.

And I gotta tell ya-- Friday was my last day in lab. I was expecting 5 people to show up. And guess what? Only 2 did. When my last participant was leaving I told her how happy I was she actually showed. Then she informed me the reason everyone else didn't come was because they had already gotten all the research participation credits they needed and were just using my study as a backup since the credit requirement deadline was that day.

Well, what the idiot undergrads didn't realize, was that even if you get all the credits you need, the system doesn't allow you to go OVER the requirement, no matter how many studies you take. So when I deduct TWO CREDITS from your total because you didn't show up, then you don't reach your requirement. SUCKS to be you. And two credits is a lot in the EPR world. The stupid heads didn't figure this out until after the fact, of course. Then they e-mailed me and said, "Please, isn't there a time I can come in to make it up?" I replied with a passive aggressive, "Nope. The experiment is over. Enjoy your break."

SUCKAS.

So is experimentation over? No. But I will not test undergrads for the rest of the year. I can't RELY on those losers to give me good data. I must have been insane to put my thesis in the hands of a few rotten brats who didn't want to be there.

So who will I test? Reliable subjects who come to me out of the goodness of their hearts. Postgraduates. Friends. It doesn't matter, because my experiment is psychophysical and anyone with a functioning brain can do it. But I will have to get that done in May when I get back to England because tomorrow--

I'm going home!

Yes, I'm all packe up and ready to go. Jana gave me a pile of books and clothes to bring back for her, and I hope my bag doesn't weigh too much with all of it. She's bringing a handy scale over today to double check. My room is cleaner than it's ever been because of all the organizing/packing. I have to make sure I don't forget anything important, after all.

I'm a little bit afraid about the state of my room in Ohio, though. My cat has taken it over and I'm sure it'll be just covered in litter, toys, puke spots my mother missed, and hair.

Mum, if you're reading this... how would you like to vaccuum/refresh my room today as a welcome home present? Lavah?

As far as term coursework goes... the only thing that we were actually graded on before spring break was a presentation on the random experiments we did. I'm sure I did great, except I forgot to explain half my methods out of fear. Nobody caught it except the HOC, who wrote on his review form "how did you measure error rates?"-- whoopsie. You would know, if I had told you.

I am going to be giving a real presentation at the Experimental Psychological Society in July on my thesis work. Before then, I hope to get some prescription stage fright medication, which Hannah says exists. I just don't know how I'll be able to do well without it. I've tried everything. I memorize my presentations, I practice them more than anyone I know, I have learned to speak clearly, loudly, slowly, without "ums" or "ers"... yet I can't control the quaver in my voice, my shaking hands, I can't calm my heart rate no matter how many deep breaths I take, no matter what I tell myself, no matter how much I consciously relax my muscles. I can't will myself to be unafraid. So I will go to the doctor in May and ask for a prescription, which should be free in this country.

It's the only thing I can think of. My fears are completely irrational. I even start to get nervous when I practice in front of Jana, or my friends. WHY? WHY? It doesn't make any sense. I don't drink caffeine anymore. I can comfortably speak up in class during a lecture. I just can't give a presentation.

The worst part is, I WANT people to listen to what I have to say! I know people like my research. After my presentation, I got loads of questions about source monitoring, and one person even asked me to e-mail them with more information. People like what I study, and I want to be able to explain it to them without FREAKING OUT. Drugs. I will try. Maybe I can get a prescription before BPS and try them out for my poster presentation in May. If they work at that time, then I'll be OK for EPS in July.

So what are my plans for when I get home?
1) Sleep. Will do this if my bed is not dusty. If it is, I will be cranky. Just warning you.
2) Get situated-- take a couple days to lounge, watch the tube, get into the right time zone.
3) Play with friends! Yippee hooraaaayy!
4) Work on essays. Yep. I have a lot to write, still. A lot. I haven't even started my mock studentship proposal. I am only halfway through my experiment write-up. And I still have about five straight days of work in editing/wrapping up my literature review (7300 words, yeah!). My goal is to get everything done before I come back April 27th. I hope to work on those essays every week, and I've made weekly goals for myself, I'm not gonna lie. I am serious about getting those done at home.

Oh yeah, 5) eat Papa John's pizza. This is a MUST, pizza is such CRAP here.
6) buy things that I can't get or are too expensive in the UK:
Need to replenish my Victoria's Secret stuff
Need to buy floss/toothbrush
Perhaps go to the dentist while I'm at it...
Go to Delia's, hell ya-- excited to see what new jeans they have

7) go to the Creationist Museum. I bet Mum and I can do that on our way down to North Carolina!

OK, that's really it. Otherwise, I'm excited to hang out with my cat... and my friends of course... I must visit Borders and Yours Truly a few times, and I've informed Laura my intentions to crash at her, Justin's, and Cthulhu's awesome apartment at least once. Parte!