Study Tips

As Fall is in full swing here in Seattle, I thought a selection of study tips might be apropos.

One of the students in the lab that I TA for e-mailed me asking for an approach to her Freshman Chemistry class. Here is what I told her:

Eh. Take it or leave it:)

Love,

Katy

Study Break!

I am currently sitting in a starbucks studying through a textbook for a test on Friday. While studying, I came across this quote with "classroom poster" scrawled in the margin next to it. I think it's important to share these ideas for my classroom. I love this because it not only encourages awareness, but that a person does not amount to the traits that meet the eye.

Plus, this was way more fun to create than creating sentence trees- as a physiologist, this is slightly painful (but interesting and I've learned a lot:D)

Love,

Katy

P.S. This quote is from "The Norwood Builder" in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, 1894

Words to Live By

So. I do this thing where I question the masses about a specific topic. Right now I am really curious how many people LOVE their jobs and if they don't, why are they in the profession their in? I want my students to have the freedom to do what they love. Examples of this in the real world might be a helpful illustration.

All that to say, this pinterest find will someday hang in my classroom:)

Also, When I was writing this post, it seemed a little bare, so I made my favorite quote look cool. That's here too:)

Love,

Katy

P.S. There is a link to my pinterest boards here:)

Teaching Styles

Part of my schedule this year involves a program where I act as a Learning Assistant (LA) to a General Physics course at my school. This involves helping students work through Tutorials which are highly edited and constructed lessons that take students through a system of building a model for different physics concepts. I am not entirely convinced if this type of learning works, but, I'm starting to believe in it a little more every time I teach because of the amazing learning that is going on in these small groups. Which is interesting because I hear more and more frustration from students every day, which tells me it's either working really well, or not at all:) So, my point. I am so excited to continue teaching and see where my thoughts go on this topic. I have awesome colleagues also involved in this and they always inspire me with their interesting thoughts.

P.S. Aren't these elephants adorable? My wonderful roommate took this picture at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma:)

P.S.S. My Mama's birthday is today. And she's cool. And I love her.

Love,
Katy

Happy Halloween!

Today has been great.
I can count on my hand how many times I have ditched class in college and today was one of them:) It felt great. There is something about a clean house that absolutely settles the soul. There are candles everywhere, good friends, good food and carved pumpkins. "Punkins" as my Mom likes to call them- a debate we have been having since I was little. I so enjoy days where rain and everything else make for a cozy evening of movies and being with people I absolutely love. I miss my family tonight, too.

So,

Happy Halloween!

and Happy Birthday to my Mama tomorrow:)

Love,

Katy 

Fall

School. Leaves. Fall colors. Delicious smells. I love everything about this season. In Seattle, Fall has arrived seemingly overnight.

In contrast to previous Falls, this Fall has brought heartbreak, sickness and service to friends in need. A humble reminder that life is funny.

Fall is always a time of viewing the stark difference of my life now to what it was a year or two years ago. I am a Teaching Assistant for a class that I was in my Freshman year of college. Now as a Senior, it is such a joy to watch high schooler's become College students and struggle with all the real life issues (whether or not to study or go play downtown and what it means to be a scientist AND a believer) I struggled with a mere three years ago.

Anyways, I hope everyone gets the opportunity to find the beauty of this season amidst all the struggles that inevitable accompany this time of year.

HAPPY FALL!

photo credit: Pinterest
Love,

Katy

Sunday's

Sunday's mean church. Getting to hang out with two year olds. Napping. And catching up with friends. I love Sunday's. During the school year I try really hard to make Sunday my sabbath day, no school, no stress (click here for an example!), just hanging out with the people I love. The week has a tendency of catching up with me on Sunday and forcing me to slow down and do the things I truly enjoy. Like saying how much I love my life to a friend and then spending the next few hours deciphering how best to deal with the hard stuff. So, enjoy the day as a Sabbath. Take a break, smell the coffee. All that good stuff.

Love,
Katy

P.S. I also love Sunday's for the cheesy afternoon movies that usually involve alien bugs taking over high school students. Just thought I would share this little tidbit:)

Summer Job Update

My job is cool. I love hanging out with kids and exploring Seattle. I don't love whining. Or kids kicking the back of my seat. It's amazing how much I understand my Mom now that I am the one in charge. These are some pictures from the past two weeks. Life is SO good right now:)

1. Seattle is so gorgeous. Even in not so great weather, the water is wonderful.

2. I love sitting on the beach while they play, they are incredibly inquisitive, it's great.

3. We went to the zoo this week and of course checked out the elephants!

4. Movie day! It was thundering (which I desperately miss from Colorado) so we decided to stay in and do a movie day. These were our supplies.

5. We found fish on the beach in the tide pools. So cool.

6. They were so tiny!

7. We also found crab. This was the prettiest.

8. At the zoo we fed the birds, this totally took me back to my childhood. Love it.

So, summer is good. I get to hang out with friends at night and on the weekend and play during the day. Eventually I will figure out a way to curb the whining. I completely suggest nannying to anyone who needs a job. Okay. That's all.

Love,
Katy

Slurpee Heaven

Coke and Wild Cherry. Best. Combo. Ever.

For your sake, I hope you know that reference.

Anyways, today was Slurpee day! So, of course, one of the kids I nanny and I went to get Slurpee's. They were delicious. As I have gotten older, I have grown more fond of silly days like these. For example, Pi day (3.14) is a BIG DEAL in my world. I really hope I'm not the only one. But it's cool if I am.

Love,


Katy


P.S. I love summer and friends and not doing school and having a job and all wonderful things like that. Just sayin'. 

Conversations.

I literally just had one of the best conversations I've had in a long time with one of my new roommates. Life, love and drama fuel conversations like flames to a paper. (Don't worry about the analogy, I'm a scientist, this is what we do!)

It's important to remember that nothing is ever as it seems. This photo from the Fourth taken by my remarkable friend Katelyn reminds me of just that.
Check her out at her very own blog here.

My new house finally feels like home. 

Love,

Katy

First Dates

So. Dating is weird. I'm finally 21 which means I can go out with  anyone, anywhere. It's cool.

However, the guy I went out with on Saturday was a no-go. Sometimes the vibe isn't there, and it wasn't. My girlfriends and I have been talking about gut feelings a lot lately, and this idea kept creeping into my thoughts. I took that as a sign. There wasn't anything particularly wrong about this guy, just not for me. No harm, no foul.

OH. And I learned something. I don't feel like I have to date everyone that is interested. And that is something even cooler about being 21.

The upside of the date was this super cool double shot glass I got from beer fest. One more example of 21-year-old perks!

Love,


Katy

The Trip from Hell

So, I was in Denver. My hometown. With my wonderful Mama. The place that was and is currently burning. So the trip was not as wonderful as expected. This trip can basically be split into four different parts. 

1. Traveling...

This is our luggage for two people over five days. We are such girls!          

We started my 21 trip off right with a Bloody Mary and a Rum and Coke.

2. Colorado Springs with my cousin and her two boys (where the fire was)

All of the cloud looking stuff in these photos is actually smoke. 

There was constant news coverage of the Waldo Canyon fire that threatened my Cousin's house.

Some of these pictures are tragically beautiful.  

 It almost looks peaceful...

This is taken from my Cousin's parents house on the opposite side of the highway from where she lives.  We literally watched the mountainside burn. The orange glow is flames. 

The smoke spread for miles. 

3. The Wedding of one of our friends. It was a beautiful wedding, they seem very happy. Oh. And this is my beautiful Mama. She's cool. 

4. Seeing people from Colorado

Which was hard because some of the relationships left in Colorado need a lot of work. More on that later:)

The one redeeming aspect of this trip was the many meals at El Tepehuan. My family has been going to this restaurant since before I was born. I like to tell people the salsa in this picture runs in my veins:) mmmm. Everyone needs a restaurant like this:)

Thanks for listening to me whine about my trip. Sorry about that.

Love,

Katy

High Five for Friday!

Well. I am obviously new to this whole blog thing, but I have loved reading these particular posts so I decided to link up today!

1. Fourth of July in Seattle was sooo cool. I will post about that soon. One of my favorite people took some amazing photos I can't wait to share!

2. I moved into my new house officially!

3. My family got a new kitty. We share a name. It's a little awkward. But she's cute:)

4. I went to Bath and Body works and spent a gift card I have had for years. It was satisfying.


5. The sun has been out in Seattle since I got here on Wednesday. Nothing beats that!

I hope your weekend is wonderful and I may or may not have a dating story to share on
Monday:) <--- That's what we call a teaser:)

Love,


Katy

Off to Denver!

Hello!

My beautiful Mama and I are taking a trip this week to Denver, CO where I grew up. We are so excited to eat at our favorite restaurants and shop and chat for a whole week. When I get back I will post our trip in Instagram (my new favorite app!) photos. Have a great week and I am so excited for my next post. In the meantime, check out my pinterest boards. have fun browsing!



Love, 


Katy

Saturday's

Get ready, I'm about to geek out. Usually I spend my Saturday's, especially in the morning, not in my warm bed but in coffee shops around Seattle. The one I usually go to was closed:( but my standby starbucks did the trick. This is what was created from my time this morning. I think it's supercool, the general populous will probably disagree, but I'm okay with that:)

This is a concept map I made for my Cellular Biology test on Monday. Enjoy!

Love,

Katy

What I Do

I mentioned I am a student in my last post. Let me talk a little bit about that. I attend a university here in Seattle and I study two things. The first is physiology. The chemistry, biology and wonderfulness about the way creatures work. I also study teaching. The chemistry, biology and wonderfulness about the way high school students work:).
Teaching is in my bones. I've been obsessed this week with blogs teachers write. I cannot wait for the day I can post about my high school classes. For now, I'm going to have to settle for the students I work with as a Teaching Assistant.
As this year closes I look around the Bio Lab and see my baby freshman have turned into sophomores, practically overnight. This is why I love everything about what I do, this transformation and growth that occurs when you watch people grow up.

Crazy, huh?

Love,


Katy

P.S. I am nannying for the summer, so that's cool, too.

Where I live

Seattle. The rainy city. This is where I live. As a student, I spend most of my days in coffee shops, working on homework, papers and other things students do- (translation: procrastinate and think about life:))
Speaking of thinking about life, I turn 21 years old in a week. Holy cow. I kind of have a thing for birthdays. A sort of magic comes around once a year for everyone where thoughts of past, present, and future collide into a panic for some and a dream for others. I'm not sure what this year brings for me. I'll keep you posted.

Have a wonderful day!

Love,


Katy


P.S. This is a photo I pinned on pinterest this week. Adorable. 
http://tinyurl.com/7kx6d8g