So sorry to have disappeared for a couple of weeks, but [yadda yadda yadda] life happens!
Last week, immediately upon returning from spring break, I had a Quantitative Methods midterm for which I’d studied for quite awhile. That preparation didn’t completely assuage my nerves but getting on with the test did, as I was relieved to find that thanks to preparing, I didn’t encounter any nasty surprises. That old tip really is true in my experience: when it’s time to begin, just start moving your pen/pencil and working that test. (Why I mention this in a blog whose likely readers are nearly professional test-takers is beyond me, but for those of us mainly educated in the Pleistocene era, testing is not so innate a process).
On the matter of Quant, I feel it is important to report back regularly because (no doubt for a number of reasons) this is a course about which I’m asked many questions. My earlier sense of Quant stands: if you keep current with the reading and homework (or, certainly, within a couple of days’ time, realistically) you will find that the course moves quite logically and things really will make sense even if you haven’t seen this material before. We’re also completing some basic SPSS exercises as a part of the course, which likewise have thus far been more fun than not, and hopefully useful as well. I’m not sure that this material or SPSS work will end up rendering me any sort of expert, but for a novice they work well as enough of an introduction such that your “numbers work” in policy will be much more coherent.
As Quant proceeds, my other course this term has embarked on a group project (quelle surprise!) for a client, so as usual I don’t think I can say too much about that aside from this: compared with Policy Lab, the amount of time we have to complete this feels astonishingly long. Now that we’re nearing the more creative portion of the work I’m excited to come up with some terrific marketing materials with my colleagues.
Also this week, it’s time to select classes again. (I KNOW. This semester is flying by nicely, no?)
I’ll be writing more about that later this week, because doing so dovetails with discussing imminent changes at Milano. For the moment? It is back to other business for me, and Quant this evening. Also, as goes my job search, in the words of another unemployed blogger, I’m really looking forward to heading into a job where I want to be very soon. Fingers crossed. (I’m continuing with other more proactive job hunting techniques, but you know what I mean!)
