I survived the week from hell.
This past week was one of the most stressful weeks I've ever been through. On Monday I had two exams, Tuesday another exam, and on Thursday one more. It would've been completely doable if they had just had been different exams. I really think that I could've done a whole lot better if it were, say, testing instead of graphics.
But now it's over. I still have two exams left, but my next one isn't until next Thursday. Plenty of time to recuperate and study.
I took the day off today. I restocked on groceries, vacuumed the top floor, main floor, and all of the stairs, reformatted my laptop, and played some FFXI (of course). I'm going home tomorrow and returning on Sunday, and then getting back to it. I'm really looking forward to spending time with my mom and recharging my batteries. I think I deserve it.
April 17, 2010
April 9, 2010
Stress
How can you tell that you're stressed about exams? You dream about it.
The dream I had was kind of weird. It wasn't your typical sleeping-though-your-alarm-and-missing-your-exam dream. I dreamt that I was awake and fully aware that I had an exam then, but I just didn't go. For some reason I remember looking at the clock and noticing that it was 3:00, and then beginning to feel guilty for not going to the exam. I woke up in a panic, only to realize it was Friday and that there was nothing to worry about.
Until I remembered that exams are coming up, and this coming week is awful. Once Thursday is over, everything is going to be so much better.
The dream I had was kind of weird. It wasn't your typical sleeping-though-your-alarm-and-missing-your-exam dream. I dreamt that I was awake and fully aware that I had an exam then, but I just didn't go. For some reason I remember looking at the clock and noticing that it was 3:00, and then beginning to feel guilty for not going to the exam. I woke up in a panic, only to realize it was Friday and that there was nothing to worry about.
Until I remembered that exams are coming up, and this coming week is awful. Once Thursday is over, everything is going to be so much better.
March 14, 2010
Driving
I got a car! :)
I picked it up from the dealer yesterday and have been driving it around to get back into the swing of things. Previously, the only time I've driven was when I came home for the weekend, and that wasn't very often. (There's absolutely nothing to do in Ridgeway when it's cold, so you have to be able to drive to Niagara Falls or somewhere else nearby.)
I'm bringing it to Hamilton next weekend, once my mom is satisfied that I'm okay with driving it. It sucks, but I'm willing to work with her terms when she was a huge help with getting this car!
I picked it up from the dealer yesterday and have been driving it around to get back into the swing of things. Previously, the only time I've driven was when I came home for the weekend, and that wasn't very often. (There's absolutely nothing to do in Ridgeway when it's cold, so you have to be able to drive to Niagara Falls or somewhere else nearby.)
I'm bringing it to Hamilton next weekend, once my mom is satisfied that I'm okay with driving it. It sucks, but I'm willing to work with her terms when she was a huge help with getting this car!
February 21, 2010
Website
On Tuesday I found an email in my inbox from OSCAR - I landed a job interview with OUAC! I was so excited because this is a job I'd really love to land. I knew that they were looking for web development experience so I decided to practice. I did make Hydromantis' website two summers ago, but it only used HTML and CSS. OUAC was looking for more.
It was really lucky that I started reading through a PHP and MySQL book a couple weeks earlier. Over Tuesday and Wednesday I started writing the practice programs out of the book, and then started writing my own website.
It's kind of hard to think of a reason to make a database. I wanted to come up with something that would actually be useful and would be something that I would want to keep updating and improving. After some thought, I decided to make a website that would replace my Linkshell's spreadsheet. They're currently using a Google spreadsheet to keep track of attendance, points, and details on each run including who paid for it, what we got out of it, and the Linkshell roster. It's a well put-together spreadsheet, but it's just not as easy as it could be with a website.
I got started on Wednesday and finished up that evening with my very first functioning database and PHP site. It's ugly and plain, but it has basic functions and it works. Unfortunately I can't share it with you because I don't have any security on the site that prevents anyone from adding info to the site. Right now you can add new members to the site and view all members in alphabetical order. Although it's not much, I feel like it's a big achievement - now that I've got the site communicating properly with the database, it's just a matter of setting up a way to log in and various pages that show all the different stats.
Thanks to my practice with the database, I think the interview went pretty well. I could only answer 2 of 6 of the database questions they asked, but I think that's pretty good for not listing SQL on my resume at all. Now I just have to wait until Wednesday to see if I got the job...
It was really lucky that I started reading through a PHP and MySQL book a couple weeks earlier. Over Tuesday and Wednesday I started writing the practice programs out of the book, and then started writing my own website.
It's kind of hard to think of a reason to make a database. I wanted to come up with something that would actually be useful and would be something that I would want to keep updating and improving. After some thought, I decided to make a website that would replace my Linkshell's spreadsheet. They're currently using a Google spreadsheet to keep track of attendance, points, and details on each run including who paid for it, what we got out of it, and the Linkshell roster. It's a well put-together spreadsheet, but it's just not as easy as it could be with a website.
I got started on Wednesday and finished up that evening with my very first functioning database and PHP site. It's ugly and plain, but it has basic functions and it works. Unfortunately I can't share it with you because I don't have any security on the site that prevents anyone from adding info to the site. Right now you can add new members to the site and view all members in alphabetical order. Although it's not much, I feel like it's a big achievement - now that I've got the site communicating properly with the database, it's just a matter of setting up a way to log in and various pages that show all the different stats.
Thanks to my practice with the database, I think the interview went pretty well. I could only answer 2 of 6 of the database questions they asked, but I think that's pretty good for not listing SQL on my resume at all. Now I just have to wait until Wednesday to see if I got the job...
January 28, 2010
Shots
Before Christmas break I decided it was finally time to catch up on some really important immunizations. As a baby, I had a strange reaction to my second round of shots - I cried for two days straight but didn't have a fever or anything to indicate that I was sick, other than the totally uncharacteristic crying. My mom decided that I would not get the rest of my shots to be safe.
I went and saw a doctor on campus and told her about how I reacted and how I'd really like to be immunized for certain things, especially meningitis. She was extremely helpful and asked for any written information that I might have on my immunizations. Unfortunately, when I went home my mom and I discovered that the only immunization record I had, a little yellow card, had been lost. My mom wrote up a note about my reaction and what she could remember about my shots.
This morning I got a phone call from the doctor who is helping me figure out the entire situation. She said that if I had experienced a fever or seizure as a reaction, then she wouldn't have been that worried. Sounds weird, doesn't it? Apparently those are common reactions and when you react like that, it's easier to figure everything out. She then said that my reaction was very uncommon, so there is definitely cause for worry. I have now been referred to a doctor at the McMaster hospital, who is the president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Sounds fancy. She's eventually going to contact me about her plans.
The first doctor guesses that this is what will happen: First I'll need a blood test to figure out if I am actually immune to anything from the baby shots because I never finished getting them all. The blood test will also determine if I have developed a natural immunity to anything else. I had no idea that could even happen. Once they know what I'm susceptible to, they'll decide when and how to give me the shots that I want. I'm most likely going to have to hang out at the McMaster hospital for a day in a "clean room" so they can monitor me after I'm given the shots. Then I'll never get threatening letters in the mail again about not having certain shots! Yay!
I'm really terrified about this blood test though. I have a thing with veins. I haven't had a blood test since I was two years old, and I still remember it being terrifying. It's a really unreasonable fear, though. Ugh, I feel queasy just thinking about it.
I went and saw a doctor on campus and told her about how I reacted and how I'd really like to be immunized for certain things, especially meningitis. She was extremely helpful and asked for any written information that I might have on my immunizations. Unfortunately, when I went home my mom and I discovered that the only immunization record I had, a little yellow card, had been lost. My mom wrote up a note about my reaction and what she could remember about my shots.
This morning I got a phone call from the doctor who is helping me figure out the entire situation. She said that if I had experienced a fever or seizure as a reaction, then she wouldn't have been that worried. Sounds weird, doesn't it? Apparently those are common reactions and when you react like that, it's easier to figure everything out. She then said that my reaction was very uncommon, so there is definitely cause for worry. I have now been referred to a doctor at the McMaster hospital, who is the president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Sounds fancy. She's eventually going to contact me about her plans.
The first doctor guesses that this is what will happen: First I'll need a blood test to figure out if I am actually immune to anything from the baby shots because I never finished getting them all. The blood test will also determine if I have developed a natural immunity to anything else. I had no idea that could even happen. Once they know what I'm susceptible to, they'll decide when and how to give me the shots that I want. I'm most likely going to have to hang out at the McMaster hospital for a day in a "clean room" so they can monitor me after I'm given the shots. Then I'll never get threatening letters in the mail again about not having certain shots! Yay!
I'm really terrified about this blood test though. I have a thing with veins. I haven't had a blood test since I was two years old, and I still remember it being terrifying. It's a really unreasonable fear, though. Ugh, I feel queasy just thinking about it.
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