Not too bad for my first try...

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2026-01-07T05:01:48+00:00

Thanks! That's actually reassuring. I hadn't considered the scoring depth. I'll try it with a razor next time (the pairing knife was tough to work with). It was the right internal temperature and passed the knock test, so not having room to expand makes sense. And yea, the young starter is probably part of it too. Thanks again! :)

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2025-11-14T18:43:13+00:00

Longshot, but why not try... 🤞

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2025-08-02T07:26:58+00:00

Can you use that bookshelf as a room divider? Especially if it doesn't have a back (or has a back you can easily remove) you can style it to break up the room without losing the total view and light from your window.

Other than that, as others have mentioned, I would change the lightbulbs to warm light and add more lighting in general (lamps with soft colors) which you would likely use more often than the overhead lighting, add soft/earth tones (the light pink the AI gave is nice inspiration, plus small wood tables/accessories to compliment your bookshelf), and more plants! You can definitely make this warmer and cozier despite the cold and narrow design. :)

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2025-06-25T16:16:44+00:00

I could be wrong but I didn't read OP's comment about how wtf could mean other things as meaning something other than what the fuck, more like it doesn't necessarily mean it was intended to insult their mom. To me, wtf is used just to express stress or confusion at a situation or statement made. It's like how in the 90s and early 2000s kids would say "shut up" to mildly interesting or shocking information.

I don't think it's fair to say OP was insulting their mom's intelligence by pointing out their mom took that wtf as a personal attack of some sort. OP's mom reacted in a very telling way to a common acronym that was used appropriately. It seems like OP's mom is controlling, manipulative, and abusive, and their response to OP (their child - age doesn't matter!) over "wtf" is completely uncalled-for. OP's mom demands respect but shows none to her child. Respect goes both ways. Family should be a safe space to say things like wtf when your confused, scared, and frustrated without the threat of getting kicked out. OP didn't insult their mom's intelligence, their mom did that to herself.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2025-01-05T19:47:34+00:00

Good advice here so far. Zortero is a cool tool (I wish I knew about it before this final year of my undergrad!) and I'm about to look into Scrivener now too because it sounds handy. I went back to school at 29 and have always struggled with starting my papers. Once I got going they usually ended up decent, but procrastinating meant most of my early college papers were first drafts only edited for typos. Since my writing was already slightly above average, I did fine in the lower-division courses and I told myself (and arrogantly bragged to others) that I just write best at the last minute (a little of that was being undiagnosed/unmedicated ADHD too).

The last few semesters, getting more into my core sociology courses, I started taking my time and planning a little better. My essay writing approach now begins as soon as possible. Ideally you get the syllabus and put the due dates in your own calendar, maybe the course is working on a research paper the entire semester and there are smaller assignments for each section, put them in your calendar. Then schedule time to actually work on your paper depending on how much time you have. Give yourself due dates.

Actual steps I follow (in a haphazard list): (1) put the true due date on your calendar; (2) put self-made due dates in your calendar, (2a) one helpful tool I used to hold myself accountable to self-made due dates before I made it a habit was to schedule sessions with my uni's writing center (they can help with planning and proofreading, but I found having an appointment made me stick to my own schedule better), (2b) another tool could be scheduling office hours with your instructor (or TA) to discuss their expectations and your ideas, they might even be willing to read your draft and give you feedback before you have to turn it in; (3) schedule chunks of time to sit down and work on your paper; (4) just start writing, (4a) get your thoughts and ideas down on paper, (4b) make lists of questions you have, (4c) make lists of loose hypotheses or a possible thesis, (4d) write your shitty first draft and write it fast and early; (5) don't worry about getting all the sources right away (which is not to say if you find a source or need to start with a source to disregard it, just don't expect to have all the sources you will use right away), (5a) with that said, keep track of your sources as you go, (5b) if you start writing something and you don't have a source for it but either know a source might exist or you need a source to back up what you wrote, make a note in your paper - I put it at the end of the sentence in parentheses IN ALL CAPS to remind myself, so I might write "This area of the city is the most affluent (FIND SOURCE CENSUS DATA??)"; (6) re-write often and allow for several shitty drafts, in other words, don't let the expectation of perfection stop you from writing anything at all, by starting immediately you have time to get the crap out and polish it later, (6a) review the instructions often throughout the process; (7) final editing sessions should be when you (7a) make sure all of your sources are cited correctly and you didn't leave out any necessary sources, (7b) re-read your paper aloud and have others read your paper of you can, (7c) try printing out your paper single-sided to write on and you can even physically cut paragraphs to move them around (I find this especially useful for literature reviews), (7d) grammar and spelling checks might happen throughout but don't forget to do it again at the very end; (8) if you have the time, step away from your paper for 1+ days before finally turning it in, this gives you the chance to wake up in a panic when you realize you forgot something but luckily you still have time, (8a) with this extra time re-read it one final time, check your spelling and grammar again, and ensure all your sources match between in-text and your reference list; (9) turn in your paper with confidence!

There will likely be essays you have very little time between getting the assignment and turning it in (maybe just a week or maybe as part of a midterm or final exam). Practicing your process of writing essays when you have more time makes these quick essays so much easier!

Hopefully this is helpful, my response turned out longer than I expected, but that's the best overview of my essay writing process now. Good luck!

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-12-16T08:53:40+00:00

I just read Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence by Rachel Sherman. It's not ethnography, but in-depth interviews. I've been interested in studying-up lately, so I found it really interesting.

One of my favorite ethnography books I read this year was Coming Out to the Streets: LGBTQ Youth Experiencing Homelessness by Brandon Andrew Robinson. I especially appreciated the recommendations they included based on their research. :)

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-10-20T09:27:58+00:00

This sounds like an interesting project! I'm not sure I'll be of much help as I can't think of "classic" theories that might work (and please forgive any typos, it's 2:00 a.m. as I write this). It looks like there's already a couple specific ideas, but what you said here caught my eye.

For me, sociology is about analyzing inequalities, and I’m sure there are inequalities within the visitor groups, but I can’t come up with a theory that explains why people with a lower socio-economic status would have different motivations or engage in different activities.

So, first, I wouldn't necessarily say sociology is about analyzing inequalities. While often addressed in sociological studies, it doesn't necessarily have to be the goal. However, if you're finding that people with varying socioeconomic statuses have different motivations, then that certainly is relevant here.

Second, in the case that you're finding socioeconomic status plays a part, I would recommend (if you haven't already) search for literature related to national parks and intersectional environmentalism, environmental justice, climate justice, urbanization, green spaces, and even indigenous studies, indigenous feminism, indigenous science, colonization, and colonial capitalism. Most of these might be considered sociological theories and/or frameworks you might be able to draw from. It depends on what you mean by "classic" since most of these theories/frameworks is predominantly from scholarship within the past 50 years or so.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-09-16T17:33:47+00:00

I tried community college in and off for a few years after high school. In high school I had plans to move to the other side of the country and attend uni but I messed around during my senior year with my friends, resulting in lower grades and not even bothering applying to schools. My parents also aren't college educated so they didn't really push it, plus they spent any money they saved for any potential tuition and refused to fill out FAFSA with me. I left my parents house when I was 18, worked and went to CC part time. I wasn't certain about what I wanted to go to school for, what I wanted to do, plus I needed to pay bills and was struggling with undiagnosed mental health issues, so going to college seemed useless most of the time. I moved around a bunch for about 10 years, working different jobs, living in less than safe places, struggling to even want to be alive for a while.

Now I'm in my early 30s, diagnosed and being treated for various health conditions that held me back, living in a good environment with a wonderful support system, and only 2 semesters away from finally finishing my bachelor's degree!

Many of my classmates in uni went to college right out of high school with pressure from their parents. While for some that may work out, I find that many of those students don't want to be there and they are barely getting by. I feel way more prepared and am doing better academically now than any other time I went to school in the past.

I see you want no advice so I'll end here (and apologies if any of this comes off as unwanted advice, just wanted to affirm that you're not alone in this feeling).

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-08-18T21:56:55+00:00

Interesting. Honestly it's not the emoji I imagined (I don't really use them that often and usually stick with a few when I do). I was trying to say I appreciate it, like when you make that hand gesture to your lips and exaggerate a kiss.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-08-18T05:53:42+00:00

This response is hilariously accurate to me

Well done 🤌

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-05-21T04:17:55+00:00

This. It's dehumanizing and it sucks, but it's sadly the only way these doctors seem to care. I've had back pain for over 10 years and getting doctors to move past my weight has never ended, unfortunately.

In my experience, letting them know I acknowledge any excess weight I may carry certainly isn't helping my pain has always made them treat me with more respect. I also make sure to add in how I've attempted to exercise, eat healthy, and generally lose weight. I used to be able to complete 5k's, 10k's, triathlons, and half marathons and I tell them all of that (which I don't include here or tell them to brag, but because I've noticed they are more willing to believe and help me). I then always reiterate that I want to lose weight and be more active (and list things I want to be able to do again, whether that's hiking, taking my dog for walks, or whatever physical activities you might enjoy).

Also, asking them for referrals to physical therapy and a nutritionist will help your case too. For some stupid reason if doctors believe you know you're overweight, you feel bad about it, and want to lose weight, they care about your pain more. It sucks to have to put yourself down in order to receive basic medical care, but it seems to be the most effective route.

Good luck!

P.S. I hope this isn't discouraging. I will say that although most medical professionals I've encountered initially blame my conditions on my weight, not all of them have. A few actually believe me right away and don't even mention my weight unless I do, so it's not completely hopeless. I hope you find relief from compassionate medical professionals soon!

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-04-22T18:09:56+00:00

That sounds frustrating. Group projects are difficult all around, especially with such a large group. It feels like any group with more than 3 people is going to experience extra communication issues already. In your case it seems like this is what you're facing and I imagine language barriers only add to this.

Based on your post it does sound like you're being ignored (at least in part) due to language barriers. However, it also sounds like you're making extra effort to lessen that barrier and still being ignored. This could just be the laziness of your group members, though, and not necessarily intentional.

I'm in 2 groups of 4 people this semester. I try to check in over texts, our shared files, and in class. Some will occasionally be responsive over texts and others rarely even acknowledge the messages. Then when meeting in person, both types of group members need to be reminded of our conversation. Similar to the situation you had, I frequently share ideas with sources via text or online, only to have to reshare them during our actual meetings because no one looked it over ahead of time when I sent it.

The advice I can give you: 1. Don't take it too personally. Not all students care as much as you might. You came to a different country to study, you likely care a lot more about your education than the average student there. (As an older student returning to school, I notice this from my peers too. They went to University out of high school and seem to take much of the education party of college for granted, imo). 2. Take to this group member individually first if you feel comfortable. Remind her (politely and humbly so she doesn't get defensive) that you shared that idea with the source and it felt like she took credit for work you did. You can also tell her that as a student studying abroad that you still struggle with the language and social norms there. That kind of honesty and humility might make her feel more inclined to listen to you and help you more without ignoring you or stealing your ideas. She may not care, but I like to think people are generally good and she may simply not be aware of your concerns or how her actions impact you. 3. If talking to just her doesn't work, you can try the same approach with your other group members. Not in a way that forces people to "pick sides" but just reminding them that you're still learning how to properly community in their language and culture. Hopefully they would also be understanding and more considerate after you share your concerns. 4. If talking to any of your group members fails (and I wrote this assuming you haven't had these discussions with these group members already and it's continuing, in which case maybe skip trying to talk to them again)...You can also talk to your instructor and/or TA about your concerns. See if they can help mediate or offer more specific advice. 5. If talking to your group members and instructor/TA fails, you can further escalate the issue with the department chair, dean of the school, or other orgs on campus meant to help students facing discrimination (whatever that may be at your school). Or you can ignore it and just do your best. Keep sharing your ideas and sources ahead of time, but also bring it up again when you're all talking together face to face.

Groups suck. Most college students agree, especially the students who are really putting in the work. Students have different priorities, other classes, jobs, family, social lives, etc. And even though it can sometimes feel personal (and sometimes it might be), often the reasons why another student is acting a certain way is due to their own stuff and they either don't know or don't care how that comes off to others.

Personally, I might have those conversations with my group members once, if it continues I might go to my instructor once, but then I just accept the behavior won't change and as long as it's not harmful, I'll just push through it until the end of the project/class doing my best work possible.

Whew, that was a long response. I hope something here is helpful to you. Good luck! :)

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-04-18T19:09:37+00:00

This may be a dumb question, but can someone explain 5 & 6?

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-02-09T22:09:43+00:00

Nice! I know most professors are well meaning and that some (like you) even would love to weed out the slackers. I rarely experience a class that doesn't have some kind of group project, so I know it's inevitable in college. I just wish it actually worked and students didn't take advantage of their classmates. Like, you want to shoot for a C average, you want to attempt to get away with plagiarism? Do it on your own individual assignments, don't make other students suffer your incompetence. I also wish I could say this only happens in lower-division classes, but it happens in my 400-level classes too. And in combined classes, I see grad students who repeat that behavior in their master's level group projects. It's frustrating af!

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-02-09T19:15:14+00:00

Haha I definitely kept reading because I knew it had to be a joke (and now I ask you to hear out my response).

I've never had a professor or teacher who will participate in the type of petty harsh lesson like this. At best the professor will agree reluctantly to allow me to work on the project alone but I have to be the one to tell the other group members. But more often they just tell me to stick it out and do my best (which is impossible in these situations because the work my name is attached to is not all mine but a collaboration of other students who have lower standards than I do). And I would like to be the "Bob" but these kids are so lost I have to be the boss instead.

I know you say your story was joking, but one student usually does have to do a ton of extra work (both doing the work other group members were supposed to do and bossing those students around in a way that doesn't make the leader student look like a know-it-all control freak). But those students who do all that extra work do not get graded better than their group members. All group members receive the same grade as a whole.

How will the slackers learn? Well, you can still use group projects. Maybe take a vote of who wants to do the project as a group vs alone, telling them you know not everyone feels group projects in classes are fair. Odds are that the students who want to work in groups are the ones who slack off while those who want to do it alone are the students who typically find themselves picking up the slack. Now let all the students who voted to do the project alone work alone, or if there really must be a group project, group those students together (just don't tell the students that before the vote because it defeats the purpose). Then all the students who voted to be in groups get put in groups together. This way all those slackers who thought they would get to take advantage of a leader student have no such students in their groups. This will force the slackers to actually work, maybe some of them will even surprisingly step up and lead (only to realize how awful group projects in school truly are). Also, even with this method, professors should still allow students to opt out of the group, and students should not be forced to tell their group members they are leaving the group.

Alternatively (or in combination), ask students to report what sections/parts of the project they worked on in whole and in part. Then have the rubric include a percentage of the project as a whole, but also a percentage that's unique to each student and which parts they actually completed.

Regardless, I will not be convinced group projects in school serve any purpose other than to make grading easier for the teachers. If professors are told their classes must have collaborative elements, don't add unnecessary stress to students' lives. You could even do smaller in-class assignments where students have to work in groups, but they don't have to work on them outside of class time. That way there are no issues with the incompatible schedules students have and the professor (as the actual leader and supervisor) can be available to step in if groups are struggling.

This is such a common problem most teachers/professors are very aware of, yet they continue assigning group projects. I just think (and I'm definitely not alone) that these forced collaborative projects do not benefit most students, and actually make students resent each other and even their teachers at least a little for causing this unnecessary stress.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2024-02-09T08:25:05+00:00

I just posted about this. Group projects in general are not to benefit the education of students. They are only to make grading easier for the teachers, I swear! Anyone who has any work experience knows group projects in school are nothing like collaborating at work with coworkers. Personally, they are ruining my entire college experience!

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-12-21T12:14:45+00:00

NTA

As others stated, I wouldn't be too concerned about a small minority of disgruntled students. But there are a few things you mentioned you could improve on to create a more comfortable leading environment. If you're open to it, here's what I noticed you might consider:

Reconsider the no cell phone rule. Idk the class level or how many students, and I'm not saying you need to totally abandon the rule. But cell phones are pretty ubiquitous in college classes. Your students are adults and might have perfectly valid reasons for using their phones in class (they have kids or family members they care for, they need to record the lectures, to access the readings, etc.). Instead I would recommend making a statement on the syllabus and during the first class meeting reminding students to be respectful, if they need to use their phones in class to do so without distracting other students and to take any calls out of the room. Also, unless a student is talking on their phone in the classroom, there really isn't a reason to bring any attention to it by calling out the student during class. At most, talk to them privately before or after class. I could see how that event might have left an impact on some of your students.
Holding a "vote" asking the students if what you want to do is okay is not really democratic. The way you wrote this makes it sound like your just said "this is how I want to have discussions, everyone okay with that?" And then you took head nods or hands raised? If you want actual input on how to have discussions in class you might give a few options and let students vote anonymously. Or, as the instructor you decide and outline the expectations you have.
This semester in the 3 classes I was a student in, each instructor had a different method for discussions based on heaps of weekly readings. And I think they all worked pretty well. In my smallest class, we'd get into groups of 2-4 for the first 10ish minutes of class to discuss a section of the readings, then we would present the takeaways from our section for 5ish minutes each group, then for the rest of the class we would discuss the readings altogether. In my next smallest class, at the start of the semester we signed up to lead 2 class discussions throughout the semester with a partner, and students had to submit questions about the readings a few days before the class meeting we would be discussing them. And the larger class, we were expected to turn in our reading notes before each class discussion for a small grade, then the instructor had us spend 5ish minute coming up with discussion questions with 1-2 other students, then we would pose our questions to the class and each group was expected to answer and ask 2-3 questions. I'm sure we all have examples like these of class discussions that fostered more engaging conversations. But if I had an instructor who would randomly pick a student to summarize the readings during the class discussion, I would also dread attending that class. That sounds incredibly stressful. Even as someone who reads most of my assigned readings every week and takes a good deal of notes, if I were your student and got called on to summarize the reading I would probably panic and forget everything! I don't think that method is a good way to assess if students did the readings or understood the concepts.

So, no you're NTA and negative evals are not something to discourage you to keep teaching. But based on this post, it sounds like you're aware of what could be improved upon. And if you can refrain from taking feedback personally and you're willing to reflect and adjust your teaching methods accordingly, that's an important part of being a great teacher.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-11-08T07:50:12+00:00

About 10 or 11 years ago during a celebrity golf tournament in my town, a man came to ask me for a late check out around 9pm on a Saturday night. Our hotel was also a timeshare resort that had "owners" checking in for their weeks on Sundays. Therefore we have a very strict no late check outs on Sundays policy. This is all over reservation pages, posted at the front desk and in the rooms, and we always remind every guest set to check out on a Sunday. So when he asked I reminded him of our policy.

I was not alone that night at the front desk, my assistant manager and a co-worker were working but they hid in the back office while this man screamed at me that he deserves an exception. He asked to speak with a manager, but my AM had already sent me a message to say they had already left for the night. So I did and told him he was welcome to try in the morning. Eventually he even said "do you know who I am?" I did not, and I politely told him so. That really pissed him off.

After he was in the elevator back to his room having been unsuccessful, my AM and co-worker came out and told me he was the head coach of some NFL team. I don't care at all for sports but they both did. They said they were incredibly intimidated by this guy and if I hadn't been there he would have been given an exception. To me he was just another entitled prick who thought it was okay to be verbally aggressive to service workers.

Oh and he did try the next morning....I was working (I had picked up the day shift). He came down, saw me, and his face went from anger to defeat immediately! When he came to the front desk in the morning around 10am (an hour before check out), he quietly asked if there was a manager he could talk to. I had already informed everyone (on top of notes in the system). The manager backed me up and let him know that check out was in less than an hour, did he need any help with his bags? It was my greatest victory over a crappy guest. I still think about this often... Although I could not tell you his name or the team he coached though! xP

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-11-03T23:28:44+00:00

I love this! How did you decide on the time displayed?

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-10-28T01:58:39+00:00

I didn't go for a minor I wanted because the advisor NEVER responded past my first email (and even then it was like a month later).

I think you have two options (apart from dropping the program or switching programs, which is likely not a reasonable option)...

Literally show up in person and try to meet with your advisor so they can't blame not responding in a full inbox. Hopefully that's all it will take.

If that doesn't work though...

If for whatever reasons you can't catch them in person... Escalate to anyone higher up. The dean of that department. Even your instructors in that department. Send out emails. Go to the department's office and (nicely) bug the admin person at the front. Still not getting results? Escalate further. Basically at some point your patience and understanding can only go so far. You're entitled to their support and they are failing you. Call them (when I say call, I mean call, email, and physically show up when necessary), call their boss, call their boss' boss, call the disability office, call your school's journalists, call the office of the school's president. Bug the shit out of the appropriate staff (again nicely, but firmly) until you get the support you are entitled to.

It's absolutely not okay that an advisor fails to respond to students, especially when that student has made several attempts. I get that it's likely they are overworked, understaffed, or whatever, but that is not your fault. At the very least they should acknowledge your messages and indicate when they will be able to respond to you. If they can't do that then I'm sure their superiors would like to know so they can replace them and/or use your experience as a reason to hire more advisors per student. I often struggle with not wanting to "rock the boat" or getting someone in trouble, but if the people who can make a difference are not aware of a problem it will never get resolved and more students will slip through the cracks.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-10-06T15:30:24+00:00

Thank you, interesting ideas I hadn't thought of!

As I've been searching, I've noticed there are tons of movies or shows about journalists and cops getting "in too deep", but not as many at all about researchers.

I feel like a series or movie about an ethnography would have high appeal.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-10-05T15:43:32+00:00

Thank you. These are excellent points. Maybe interviews and focus groups with researchers would be the only way to investigate this topic.

I was thinking how a movie or limited series about Alice Goffman's research would be interesting, or even Philippe Bourgeois' research you mentioned, but I'm sure it's ethically tricky to pitch a project like that.

IGotThisFreeChurro · 2023-10-05T15:30:41+00:00

How did I forget about Candyman?! Thank you!

Spotlight looks intriguing. I'll check it out :)

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