Classes are going well. I feel pretty confident that my grades are staying high.
Especially in Psychology.
Rat Lab is awesome.
Mimisu, my cute little partner
He's pretty smart. I'll have more pictures later.
I don't know how much I can say about the lab at this point, since we just started our first experiment (although, Mimi is doing so well, I can start recording data on him next lab--YAY!).
My Psych class is pretty cool, too. I mean it's routine
Go over homework. Talk about Chapter. Answer any questions people have. Quiz. Leave.
But it's fun. Sometimes we get into neat discussions.
On Thursday, we talked about the difference in having language communications and having reinforcers that make animals do something. Coco, the gorilla, may not actually be talking--so says Professor Combs--she may have just learned that by making the sign 'banana' (which the people working with her taught her) that she gets a banana. She may not even know that the sign means banana in a type of language.
I'm not sure I agree with this, but I suppose I don't have any evidence for a counterpoint.
I was thinking, maybe I could even minor in Psychology, as well Elementary Education. It would really help with my major, I think, because then I would better understand and even work better with children with disorders.
I'm not sure yet, though. I have to see how much I enjoy Psych at the end of the semester.
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As for my Communication Disorders class, it's still pretty boring. But I don't really care because it's a Speech Path class!
A few interesting things have been associated with this class, though. :)
Stephen Tasko, a Speech Therapist (and a Bronco Alum), came in to talk to us about how to maintain a healthy voice. This has a lot to do with our vocal folds. Our vocal folds are not pretty, so I haven't added a photo in the blog. If you're curious...Google search with caution.
They don't bother me for a few reasons:
1. They're natural
2. I'll have to work with them as a Speech Pathologist, might as well get used to them now
3. They're kind of interesting
Anyhow, Dr. Tasko brought in a camera, just like they use in clinics to check out your Vocal Folds, to show us his. A lot of my classmates were grossed out by the folds (and the fact that you could see way down his trachea!), but like I said, I thought it was really interesting.
Maybe I'm weird.
A couple other cool things (sort of) is that I have two papers to write. Writing the papers is the not-so-cool part. But what they are about is what's neat-o.
So, for the first one we were given a book list from which we had to pick one, read it, and write about the disorder in it (after research), then write about the impact of the disorder on the book's main character's life, as well positive and negative interactions with professionals. After that, all I have to do is say what insights I've gained and how it is similar or different from what we learned in class.
I read the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, yes it is really all lower-case.
It's a fictional tale about a boy named Christopher who has Autism. He finds the dog of a woman who lives across the street, but it has been killed. He decides to write a book (the curious incident of the dog in the night-time) about it--his para-professional tells him to--and all these crazy things happen.
It was a really good read and it really helped me understand what Autism is like. As a Speech Path, I will be working with lots of children with Autism, so I'm glad for that.
Honestly, I think I may read some of the other books on the list, just because.
For the second paper, I have to interview a Speech Pathologist and then write about the interview and how it fits (or doesn't) with what we learned in class, as well as how the experience influenced my interest in the profession.
It's not due until April, but seeing as Nicole, my sister, is a Speech Pathologist (in an Elementary School, no less) it seemed silly not to interview her. Because she is a lucky resource and she's doing exactly what I want to do once I finish Grad School...in my next life. Just kidding.
Anyway, she was so happy to help when I asked if I could interview her some time that she had me call her later that week (which is great, I'm not complaining by any means).
SO, my interview is done and now all I have to do is write the paper.
I haven't yet because, well:
1. I still need to write the paper about the book I read for the same class
2. I have a ton of other homework
3. It's not due until April
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My life is pretty much class, eat, homework, sleep, repeat. But that's alright because Lindsey and I sit together in my room and do homework together. Or I do homework and she watches Gossip Girl. Whichever.
We have lunch together Mondays and Wednesdays, and I have lunch with Emily and Liz (the girls down the hall that we watch Pretty Little Liars with) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
That's nice, but it's about all I can say as far as having a social life. Which is alright with me. To me, College is about my higher education, not about being ridiculous and doing whatever (ahem, other people on my floor). I do admit, without Linds in here a lot of the time, I may have gone crazy (in the sense that I would have lost my mind, not become a stupid college kid). But I have her, so I have nothing to worry about. <3
