Week #1 - Working the System

It has been a week and 2 days since my arrival. I tried to keep my departure on the DL since I don't like telling people my plans in case I change my mind. Which I did several times, but the choice was obvious...I should go where I best could work the system.

How to work the system?

On the condition you don't drink, smoke, party, wear bikinis and surrender basic privacy... You too can find suitable summer living accommodations for 100$ a month. I never did any of that stuff beforehand and sharing a lunchbox sized room is only minor annoyance.

Buying books to study for your summer classes you are taking? PLEASE. I've never bought a textbook in my life. Professor's will try to scare you into buying their 250$ lastest edition. But most libraries have the book on file or any text book on the same topic will have the same basic info.

Finding a job. I only knew how to find dance and Pilates jobs and anything else seemed out of reach.  But, I happen to know the best geographic location to find a job April-July. So I went there.

Within a week of arriving I have a real legitimate job offer.

I guess that's all the system working I can think of. Week #1 was pretty crappy. I spent 900$ at Costco for membership plus four new tires. I sat on a lawn chair near the frozen food isle while they changed my tires for an hour.

I went to a dance concert. I used to love to go to dance concerts a few years ago. There was a performance every week. I never went for the dance performing, more to revel in the regionally specific awkwardness of unequivocal modern dance styles. lol

And the concert lived up to all my expectations. Lots of butt shots, and flailing and all in line with the regionally specific style.

There was a problem of finding someone to attend the concert with. Most of my friends are pregnant, or married. Pregnant people were out. Then I remembered my awesome Puerto Rican friend from freshman year who def makes the top 10 friend list. So we went together and after the concert got snow cones.

I'm taking stats and abnormal psychology. Statistics is really good. If a job related to finding percentages from distribution curves is out there. Hire me. I love solving those type problems.

Abnormal psych is terrible. I almost dropped regular psych a few years ago because I hated it so much. I got an A thankgoondess considering the suffering. I always laugh in my head when people say they are taking Into to psychology, or Psychology 1 and they think they are going to learn how to analyze people. Nope, nope, nope. You don't do that stuff until Abnormal Psych which is like 3 classes farther. And it's still terrible.

Yesterday we finally got out the DSM-V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). I related back to my friend who swears she has OCD.... in fact, according to the DSM-V,  she does not have OCD. Look at me already diagnosing people. 

The particular school I go to is a stickler for "going the extra mile". Going to class and getting goods grades is just the minimum.  For abnormal psychology, we are required to work in the state hospital which is actually the psychiatric hospital. I ended up in the PT department working...I'm mean volunteering... as a Physical Therapy Aide. That's not exactly the field I want to go in but if you stay long term, the hospital will recommend you and all their long time volunteers have 100% placement rate for grad schools.

Coincidentally the job I was offered is at an adolescent psychiatric boarding school nearby. So really I traded out teaching dance 6 days week to working the psychiatric health circuit 6 days a week. But so far no regrets.