As excited as I was, however, I had many other assignments and responsibilities in between the time it was assigned and the time it was due. I knew I had a lot to do this week, so I spread out all of the work in my free time and finished the bulk of the assignment a few days early like any other responsible adult. SIKE. I did not do it early. Yes, I explored the website and downloaded the application, taking 20 screenshots along the way, but did I actually attempt to learn how to use it until the night before? NO! Of course not! What kind of college student would I be if I did that!? In reality, I wish I could have done it before. I really was excited about it and I had letting stress build on me. However, there is just so much work in this program and worrying about what needs to be done the next day, that there is mostly a one-day turn-around period.
Anyway, the time had finally come where I could do my "fun home-work" of the night and make my hand-out for Evernote. I love creating scrapbooks, and collages so I figured I would love to make this hand-out. However, when it started to go bad, I should have kept my chin up, because after that it was about to go really bad. I started out using Microsoft Word, the ideal and most boring program to do just about any assignment necessary. It was going alright for a while. I inserted two screenshots, had a fancy heading, the whole shebang. I inserted my third screenshot, one of the big ones, and it would not resize. I drag-and-dropped the bottom right-hand corner until I was just banging on the computer asking it "Why won't you work!" I "quit" Microsoft Word. I opened it and tried again, nothing. I restarted the computer, nothing. I googled it. I read five different forum posts about what to do when your drag-and-drop feature starts working. I shut off my computer, took out the battery, waited a couple minutes (Okay maybe it was less than one) and started it up again. Couldn't do it. I had this conversation with my friend in Australia.
I did software updates. I ran a software to fix any technical problems and restart the programs that had any bugs. I did everything to believe that the problem could be fixed by myself and a number of other "friends" online. I could not just sit and believe that my trackpad would have to be replaced, as Veronica so graciously pointed out. I know this seems like a lot for the drag and drop feature but as my status read, such a small thing can cause such a huge problem. You can't move windows, resize them, drag pictures into a document, resize them, move arrows or circle around a document or resize them, etc.
If you don't already know, I am not the type of person that will just not turn an assignment in due to "technical difficulties." I set an alarm for 4:30, double-checked the UGLI hours, and went to bed. Waking up this morning was not as bad as one would expect, but I will let you know how I feel after working with hormonal and quick-tempered 10 year olds for four hours. In the end, after running from my front door to my car so that no kid-nappers could get me when it is pitch black outside and Ann Arbor is sleeping, running from my car to the library amidst the dead silence of what is soon to be a 90 degree stampede at Art fair, getting locked out of the UGLI for 20 minutes because the secretary couldn't see me banging on the windows and because I didn't know how to use the card swiper, attempting to use my previously (and still currently) least favorite program of ALL TIME (Textedit) and failing, and attempting again with pages and succeeding, I feel content. The daily struggles of a semi-native, semi-immigrant student just trying to get by in the world of technology.
I can sympathize with you. Every once in a while one of the keys on my keyboard sticks (I think it's the CTRL key). It makes every click do something besides what it is supposed to do. I can't close windows. I can't type text. I panic until I can figure out a way to restart the machine (which somehow magically fixes everything). It's amazing the stress these little boxes can cause us. Hope you get some rest this weekend.
ReplyDeleteLet me commiserate. I have felt somewhat tech savvy for a little while. An expert? No, not at all. But, competent, at the very least. And, in my past teaching experience(s), I increasingly used technology successfully. Did I have some technical difficulties of my own? Yes. Sometimes at school? Yes. But I just rolled with the punches, so to speak. So now, why should I get frustrated with technology?
ReplyDeleteIn the past two weeks, I had issues with adware. All that I was trying to do was to find an alternative to QuickTime because I couldn't get it to work. I thought that I had found something (a few things actually) to use instead, but then I discovered that all of my browsers had the same default that I didn't choose. So, I had my adware/malware scan going, my anti-virus scan going, and then visited some forums on my phone to make sure that I could set things back in order. So far, so good. But, I was up into the wee hours of the morning. ( I love that word, wee. My Nana used to use it.) And, I wasn't able to accomplish much because what I had wanted to do, mostly, I needed to do on the computer, where I had my files stored. All while trying not to disturb my wife who had to testify in court the next morning. Plus, I commute with a drive that is at least 35-40 minutes with good traffic. So, I needed some sleep, and got some. There is little option. Otherwise, my drive to Ann Arbor or back might be treacherous.
This past week also provided me with a few more tech issues, but they were, thankfully, resolved. As someone who works hard because it's my personality, and someone who likes to succeed and get A's, I had to re-prioritize. Some things just didn't get done. Some things were submitted late, with an email of explanation, but no supposition on my part that it would be deemed a legitimate excuse. If you truly know me, you know that that kind of stuff normally bothers me, but some things are just not as important as others.
I agree, interacting with "hormonal and quick-tempered" youngsters can be a challenge, but seeing them and the potential that they represent and have; seeing you, our fellow interns, and kissing my wife hello--even if she is tired from a long day of examining bodies of people who met with some tragic end, from infancy to sixty or so--kissing her hello while she's still asleep, and then working thereafter late into the wee hours of morning, knowing that she's sleeping alone in bed for a few hours until I get there, only to wake up a few hours later to get ready for school or work; knowing that my decision to sleep rather than not (in order to get more work done) allows me to see my fellow MACers and Roadrunners when I leave in the morning and my wife when I come home at night ... that's worth it.
Thanks for not giving up on your work, and thanks for keeping a smile on your face at Scarlett! I have extra reason to get out of bed because of that!
I laugh at your misery. But don't worry, I was up just as late (and early) getting it done with you. I think you can remember that. I also had Evernote. At first, I tried to make the handout on Evernote. Man, that was a mistake. Evernote is not designed to be a word processor that's for sure. Great for planning and great for notes but not for making handouts. I had lots of trouble with my Mac as well. I was just learning how to use it in word and that was extremely frustrating for how much sleep I had or lacked. But I figured it out and I'm sure you did too.
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