There's a reason uncontrollable noise is used as a stressor in health psychology research. I've never been so agitated as I've been over the past week. Plus, I'm constantly distracted by "loud" noises, especially in noisy environments, which causes me to lose my train of thought and create awkward pauses in the middle of my sentences. The hearing aids should come with a warning: Sources of noises are not as close as they sound. Speaking of which, woman in the hallway on your cell phone, I do not want to know your plans for dinner tonight. Seriously.
This didn't help either:
"can i use wikipedia as a source for my paper? im having a hard time finding good sources."
This came from an e-mail message from a senior who has (supposedly) spent all semester creating a reading list of the current scholarly literature in a particular area of psychology for an advanced topics course. The paper should be 25-30 pages in length and should serve as a critical review of the extant literature in the discipline on the topic. It should include not only summary of the recent scholarly literature, but a synthesis of current views expressed by theorists and methods used by researchers in the field and an evaluation of conceptual approaches, methodology, and practical application. Is Wikipedia an appropriate source? Sweet fancy Moses. My response: "Are you seriously asking me if you can use Wikipedia as a source? For a critical review paper? Please tell me you're joking." See? Irritable.
And then:
Student: Is the exam over chapters 13 and 14 or chapters 14 and 15? Because at the top of the review sheet, it says 13 and 14, and then later it says 14 and 15.
The Banality: Well, the review sheet and syllabus say that the exam will cover the chapters on abnormal psychology and therapies. Which chapters are those?
Student: 13 and 14
The Banality: OK, so it's 13 and 14 then.
Student: Yeah, but it says 13 and 14 in one place and 14 and 15 in another place, and chapter 15 is over social psychology.
The Banality: Social psychology was covered on the last exam.
Student: Right, but on the review sheet . . .
The Banality: Well, as it says on the review sheet, the exam will cover the topics of abnormal psychology and therapies. And the review sheet lists the questions that will be covered on the exam. And those questions cover abnormal psychology and therapies. So, that means you'll need to read whatever chapters will help you answer those questions. The chapters on abnormal psychology and therapies. I think those chapters are even called, "Abnormal Psychology" and "Therapies."
Student: Right. I just didn't know which chapters they were because it says 13 and 14 in one place and 14 and 15 in another.
The Banality: Is this really confusing to you or are you just trying to point out the typo that I made in that one place on the review sheet?
Student: I just wanted to be sure.
I'm going home.
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5 comments:
Ummmm...so is it over chapter 13 and 14, or 14 and 15?
Just kidding.
Please excuse my ignorance on the subject of hearing aids (although my day is coming--I totally f'ed up my ears bartending in a loud bar for too long), but I always thought they had a volume? Of course, I suppose it probably defeats the purpose if you turn it down to the level you're accustomed to.
Yes, people DO talk really loud, often on cell phones in places where I don't really want to hear their conversations. Although I just generally hate public use of cell phones--I'm writing about it in my blog soon.
And, finally, although I understand that Wikipedia issue, it still rocks. I love that I can find information, however questionalbe it might be, about anything.
Hope you feel better soon.
I feel your pain. Been there, done that. Makes for great blogging, though!
About that noise...I'm with you. I'm constantly surprised when I really notice how noisy the world can be.
Case in point: We just got back from a trip to San Francisco with a stop at the Monterey aquarium. While standing in front of the 2-story fishtank, I was just enraptured by the movement of a school of sardines, of all things. They shimmered and moved as one macroorganism, and I was just in heaven...except I was amazingly tense while I was watching it. I stopped for a moment and remembered to be mindful of the present moment, and BAM -- I suddenly realized that the place sounded like a torture chamber. Children -- mine included -- were howling at the top of their lungs at how cool the fish were. Reflecting off the glass, it was somewhat akin to standing directly behind a 747 during takeoff. I had to get out RIGHT THEN. In retrospect it was too loud to miss, but for some reason I've apparently acclimatized to a tremendous amount of noise. It's sad.
Hope you're less irritable soon. Is there a filter control on the hearing aid so you can purposefully drown out some of the more annoying ambient noises?
"Is there a filter control on the hearing aid so you can purposefully drown out some of the more annoying ambient noises?"
And students?
Yeah, I heart Wikipedia, too.
I would love some serious filtering of students.
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