**My Blog-- Week 4**

Missed me? I missed you too! Week four was VERY interesting! Can't wait to tell you ALL about it! Okay so HI!!! I am back for more on the weekly scoop here at UNCC!As usual I will start by Monday. I was an early bird that day. I got to work earlier than usual and started looking up code and trying to modify my old code as well. At 12 p.m., we all went to lunch as usual. ((Did I mention that we all go out to lunch together every day? It's awesome and fun!)) After coming back from lunch, I met with Dr. Barnes about some concerns I thought I had. She was very supportive and talking to her was a big relief! We also talked about Graduate School. ((One of my biggest concerns at the moment)). I always try to ask what graduate school is like and what should I consider when applying to different schools. She explained how grad school works and she answered all my questions! ((Big Relief!!)) So I walked to the lab happy and enthusiastic.

Evie told us ((Jasmine and I)) that on Tuesday we are going to a fieldtrip to NC State where we will be presenting CSDTs ((Culturally Situated Design Tools)) to young school kids. It was a little worrying I will not lie since I have not been in a setting like that where I was teaching computer related subjects to the younger crowd. You might think it is easy since they are younger but the truth is it is actually harder. So the rest of my Monday was spent looking up java code and getting familiar with CSDTs.

Tuesday came around and we were at the game lab early to meet with Evie. We left UNCC early enough to be in Raleigh time. Plan was, we get there around 11:30, we go to lunch, and then by 12:30 p.m. we set up the computers in a lab for the presentation to start at 1 p.m. Yeah well...It didn’t work that way! The address and directions they gave us where off and we were lost. Someone from NC State had to come out and find us. ((Yeah that was NO fun!)) We got there at 12:30, started setting up for the presentation and got started as soon as the first crowd of students walked in ((6-8 graders)). The first presentation was an hour long. Evie was the one that presented the topic and talked about it on the big screen. We were her helpers. In case had a question, we were right there to sit with them and explain it. Then the next hour yet walked in a younger crowd! Yes! A lot younger ((3-5 graders)). I am still amazed to how much fun that experience was. Fun enough that I am planning to take this idea back with me to Youngstown State and implemented it in our department. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!! We drove a LONG way home after that and as soon as I walked in my room, I watched a movie and fell asleep watching it =)

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Woke up Wednesday morning all refreshed looking forward to a new exciting day! I walked in the lab, sat on my chair, turned my computer on and started my daily work. Before I knew it, it was 12! ((Yay I was staaaaarving!)) After lunch the REU and DMP students all headed to the Health and Human Services building for a seminar held by Dr. Raja and Dr. Wilson. ((Very intelligent people)). I got to talk to Dr. Wilson afterwards and I set an appointment with her at 2:30 p.m. the next day so we can talk about her research and, again, about grad school. Went back to the lab and finished up some work and headed home. A couple of REU students asked me if I wanted to go play tennis with them. I sure did! It was a lot of fun! We played for a few hours. When I got home I took a shower and relaxed, and enjoyed the rest of my evening.

PRESENTATIONS DAY!! Yes! Its Thursday alright! Yup! I got up early enough and I was at the lab at 7:30a.m. putting the presentation together. ADVICE!! NEVER DO A PRESENTATION UNPREPARED! My presentation went alright just not as good as I would have liked it to be. I did not look over my slides before presenting so my thoughts were a little scattered. I read the Literature review and wrote about it as well. Click here to view my presentation. There were seven of us presenting, and the presentations lasted 2 hours! Well, see.. we carried out discussions and laughed between presentations so….. But all in all, it was alright. After that we sat back down and did more work. Evie showed us dome old code that she wanted us to look over and document so we were messing with that the rest of that afternoon. I went home that day and got in my room and watched some “Heros” episodes on ‘nbc’ then Lauren ((my friend living across the hall from my apartment)) came over and we sat and talked then went to Baskin Robins for some ice cream! YUM! That was good! My day ended not long after I got home.

It is Friday today. I was here at 9 in the morning. Jasamine and Kent ((another REU student)) were already in the lab. I guess they were the early birds today! I sat and looked over the new code Evie gave us yesterday and I am still looking over it. Documenting is not an easy task when the code you’re documenting is not yours! But it is very important to have any work documented. We went out to Panera Bread for lunch. That was fun! Then here we are, back in the lab for another 3 hours. Some REU students suggested we go bowling today. Personally, Bowling is alright nut I am just not in the mood. YES! I understand it’s the weekend! But…ehh…naaa I’ll pass. I need to catch up on some sleep. I am really tired! So..Let me get back to work and get some done before the weekend.

Okie Dokie! Here is where I leave you guys until next week! My weekend is going to be fun! I don’t know how but we always find ways to have fun! Bowling might not sound so bad after I go home. We will see! Take care of yourselves and each other and don’t miss me too much. Bye for now =)