WATCH OUT UNIVERSITY, THIS BITCH IS BACK IN SCHOOL
So I'm completely inactive for two months and now I'm making an epic post.
I decided on going back to school to take a shortened bachelor of science in cognitive science with the possibility of moving on to a master's program in the next year or so. I've been poked into investigating the field by a few friends who thought that my interests might lie that way. So for the last few months I've been all hermit-like and reading. I even brought out my glasses so that I could look even more nerd-like. So I'm really, really sorry if it seems like I'm ignoring everyone. I'll admit I kind of am, but I'll come out there sooner or later. I thought about what my motivations were, and I think I've narrowed it down.
It was a tough choice between that, archaeology (I like stuff that's been around long enough to be dead HAR HAR), and earth sciences/planetary geology (I think most of you would be glad that you haven't gotten me to talk at length about igneous rocks, pyroclastic surges, and tephra) but cognitive science really stood out as the right choice. I think that a lot of the field is still being developed and much of the knowledge is still in flux, with theories changing everyday unlike archaeology, which is a very well-established field. (Though I'm sure there's still plenty more to find...) Earth sciences, while still very, very cool, I'm not sure would hold my interest for a long while. (Just watch, we'll discover a planet with unusual tectonic properties and then I'll be kicking myself in the butt). Also, Jasmine might remember us doing a science project on split-brain perception in a middle school science fair.(It was awesome, the best project that year, but the teacher didn't get it at all so we didn't win, poo.) Well I'm going back to kind of the same thing. ;)
So I went to talk to the supervisor of studies for the cognitive sciences program at UTSC, and so far he's offered me a kind of volunteer position at his lab. I'm going to be working on a computer-based judge for the Turing test, and I'm also going to McMaster's conference on perception and cognitive psychology, paid for by UTSC. Isn't that awesome?
As for grad school, so far, I have Concordia and Carleton who are interested in taking me into their Master's programs in interdisciplinary studies as soon as I get the GRE done and some basic psychology and computer science under my belt. So next year I'll try applying and see what that brings me.
This isn't to say that there aren't a few hurdles that I have to go through. As of right now, the cognitive science program at UTSC is being discontinued due to lack of interest (I really got into it too late ugh ugh) and also without being accepted into that program, I can't take many of the computer courses that are required by grad schools to be able to conduct research. At least, not without high school math. I'm meeting with a program advisor next week to discuss options there. I might end up taking a psychology specialist or psychology/computer science mix to satisfy background knowledge requirements for a research grad.
I'm not worried though. I know where I want to go, the rest will happen. I'll make sure of it.
I decided on going back to school to take a shortened bachelor of science in cognitive science with the possibility of moving on to a master's program in the next year or so. I've been poked into investigating the field by a few friends who thought that my interests might lie that way. So for the last few months I've been all hermit-like and reading. I even brought out my glasses so that I could look even more nerd-like. So I'm really, really sorry if it seems like I'm ignoring everyone. I'll admit I kind of am, but I'll come out there sooner or later. I thought about what my motivations were, and I think I've narrowed it down.
It was a tough choice between that, archaeology (I like stuff that's been around long enough to be dead HAR HAR), and earth sciences/planetary geology (I think most of you would be glad that you haven't gotten me to talk at length about igneous rocks, pyroclastic surges, and tephra) but cognitive science really stood out as the right choice. I think that a lot of the field is still being developed and much of the knowledge is still in flux, with theories changing everyday unlike archaeology, which is a very well-established field. (Though I'm sure there's still plenty more to find...) Earth sciences, while still very, very cool, I'm not sure would hold my interest for a long while. (Just watch, we'll discover a planet with unusual tectonic properties and then I'll be kicking myself in the butt). Also, Jasmine might remember us doing a science project on split-brain perception in a middle school science fair.(It was awesome, the best project that year, but the teacher didn't get it at all so we didn't win, poo.) Well I'm going back to kind of the same thing. ;)
So I went to talk to the supervisor of studies for the cognitive sciences program at UTSC, and so far he's offered me a kind of volunteer position at his lab. I'm going to be working on a computer-based judge for the Turing test, and I'm also going to McMaster's conference on perception and cognitive psychology, paid for by UTSC. Isn't that awesome?
As for grad school, so far, I have Concordia and Carleton who are interested in taking me into their Master's programs in interdisciplinary studies as soon as I get the GRE done and some basic psychology and computer science under my belt. So next year I'll try applying and see what that brings me.
This isn't to say that there aren't a few hurdles that I have to go through. As of right now, the cognitive science program at UTSC is being discontinued due to lack of interest (I really got into it too late ugh ugh) and also without being accepted into that program, I can't take many of the computer courses that are required by grad schools to be able to conduct research. At least, not without high school math. I'm meeting with a program advisor next week to discuss options there. I might end up taking a psychology specialist or psychology/computer science mix to satisfy background knowledge requirements for a research grad.
I'm not worried though. I know where I want to go, the rest will happen. I'll make sure of it.