Skip to main content
By A

Today's status can be summed up in a few words: it is HOT! 91 degrees and it "feels like" 94!  Thank goodness for the window unit a/c I have in my room.  As for the rest of my apartment, all I can say is—ugh it is hot as hell (excuse my language).  Last year, I spent half of the summer without a/c (which was horrible not only because I felt hot and sticky constantly, but also because I was covered in hives for a couple of weeks—that's a whole different story and made the heat pretty much unbearable!) so I had to get a little creative in my methods of staying cool. 

 

I'll start out with a story from earlier this summer in June when a heat wave decided to pass through the Chicago and I had not installed my a/c at that point.  I wanted to get some work done (read some articles, etc.)  So, given my love for coffee, a coffee shop was the first idea that came to mind.  However, I was sick of going to Starbucks and had vowed that this summer I would make it a goal to try independent coffee shops (i.e. not Starbucks or Caribou).  There was one I'd past a few times called Beans and Bagels, so that was the chosen "cool off" location.  I even called them to make sure they had a/c (a little ridiculous, I know) and they claimed they did.  Well, when I got there, it did not feel much better than my apartment!  As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed and still hot.  Point of my story?  Coffee shops are a great place to go to do some school work, talk with friends, listen to music or even watch a movie on your lap top when it is hot out, but be careful that you choose a place that actually has working a/c!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

By A
It was suggested that I write do series on how to write a research paper.  I will add a new step each week. Step 1: Choosing a Topic You cannot begin to write a research paper without a topic.  Choosing a topic may seem like a simple task, but it is sometimes a complicated process.  As undergraduates, you are typically assigned to write a review of the research in a particular area, such as psychological disorders or genetic diseases.  Pick something that interests you!  For some, writing papers is a tedious task.  Picking an enjoyable topic rather than choosing an easy topic, such as one in which you know a lot of information exists (e.g. a topic the media covers regularly) may make the process more interesting.   When you have no idea what topic to choose, talk to your professor/instructor or flip through your book to get an idea.  Once you have chosen a general area as your focus (it could be as general as "depression" or "Huntington's disease"), perform a G...
28 comments
Read more
By A
How to write a research paper: Step 2: Searching the literature The next step is gathering information. It helps to choose specific key words that directly relate to your topic.  These are the words you will use to search for in Google Scholar or whichever search engine/database you plan to use.  The IIT library website provides access to numerous databases in various subjects.  If you are unsure about which database is right for your research question, talk to your professor/instructor, a librarian, or one of the tutors at the ARC (they may have prior experience).  Choose keywords directly from your research question. Many search engines allow you to search multiple words at once. For instance, if my question was, what is the difference between depressive symptoms in Eastern versus Western cultures?, I may choose to enter, "depression," and "Eastern culture." Entering "depression" by itself would provide too many results.  Specificity is key; however, bei...
1 comment
Read more