My Day

If you're wondering "What does Julie do at work?" or "What does Julie actually do?", well, this post is for you.  Here is what my typical day looks like and I've included some sidebars about what my job entails.

6:45     Ride the bus a few blocks (a.k.a. Take a few minutes to read my novel) and then walk to work.

7:15     Arrive at work. Make coffee. Make breakfast (oatmeal). Check emails and Google Reader (for news feeds and blogs). Check news websites for interesting headlines.

It doesn't always have good topics for test items, but I am now obsessed with Daily Infographic. Seriously, go check on the post. It was shocking to me how different the measurements are for a Size 8 at various stores. I thought GAP and Banana Republic would at least be the same but nope, they're different, too!!! 

8:00    Work on developing test items. Our test items are written to measure critical thinking abilities of students in high school and college. The items are often based on current events (not so current that the items will have a short shelf life, though) - this is why I spend time looking at headlines for interesting stories. Some of the test items are Performance Tasks where students are asked to read a few documents (e.g., emails, reports, editorials, political cartoons) and then they write an essay where they make a certain decision (e.g., Should the amusement park be allowed to come to your town? Would you recommend that a certain policy is applied in your school?) We are starting to develop multiple-choice items (at least for me, it's harder to develop these as it's hard to write wrong answers for critical thinking questions) where students read a document and then answer questions (not your basic "plot" questions but questions that make the reader think about the passage).

12:00     Lunch. I usually go to the local market and get a salad.

Doesn't the salad look yummy?! I love the make-it-yourself-salad markets in NYC! (And yes, my desktop is pictures of Cameron and Jack. Who wouldn't want to look at those cute faces everyday?! I update the desktop image whenever I get new pictures of them.)

12:30     Work on current research project. This sometimes involves reading research articles, or it may involve writing a paper, or editing someone else's paper. Other times this means I'm working on code to run data analyses that are needed for the current project.

4:00     Head home. Sometimes I leave earlier, but most days I am gone by 4. I love this aspect of my job! I love that I can come in early - which is when I am most productive - and leave early so that I can spend more time in the evenings with Bobby.

I also usually have a meeting or two. Sometimes the meetings are full staff meetings. Sometimes it's a meeting with the other Measurement Scientists (that's my title, by the way) to discuss our current research projects. Sometimes it's a meeting to discuss the items that we're developing and critique each others work. Sometimes I have no meetings, sometimes I have a full day or full week of meetings. I love that my days are fairly consistent and yet also quite different. I also love that I have multiple responsibilities so if I find myself getting bored or frustrated with one job (e.g., cannot seem to think of wrong answers), I can move onto another one (editing a paper).

5:00   Spend the evening hanging out with Bobby. This often involves us running errands for groceries or other household items, then eating dinner somewhere or going home where Bobby cooks (those are my favorite nights!). Then we sit on the couch and watch TV (usually Big Bang Theory) while I check emails, work on the online class I'm teaching, or prepare for my class at Barnard next semester.

11:00    I'm sometimes in bed at 10, sometimes 11 or 11:30 (depending on whether I watch Daily Show). We do not have cable in the bedroom, so every night I watch West Wing episodes as I fall asleep listening to the sounds of the city.

It may sound boring, but I love my days and I love my job. I also am so excited about adding "teaching at Barnard" to that schedule next semester (two afternoons/evenings a week). Speaking of Barnard, I was on the campus yesterday to fill out paperwork (and then Bobby and I had lunch at our pizza place up there) and I took this picture of the building where I will most likely be teaching next semester. Isn't it pretty?!!

Smile: This past weekend, Bobby and I met up with Kristel (a friend of mine from UMHB) and her husband Travis (Travis had a work conference here so they were both in town for a few days). We went to the infamous Carnegie Deli and then sat and talked at Starbucks. Bobby and I had so much fun catching up with them!!

Extra Smile: Yay for visitors next week!!! My mom and Aunt Mary are coming to spend Christmas in the city with Bobby and I!!