Taking it Up to Eleven

So when I applied to go overseas for my IQP, I wrote an application essay which talked about how much I wanted an opportunity to focus on just one thing, one project, rather that splitting my attention a dozen different ways to keep up with all my various obligations. I got my wish,  and I’m bored out of my mind.

Kate was out once again today, so we still weren’t able to meet with her and Lucy to discuss our project. Instead, we spent the day working on a presentation that would be made to the rest of our class regarding our revised problem statement, goals, and objectives. We collaborated on a GoogleDoc to write the content in the morning, then booked a conference room to compile and practice the actual presentation in the afternoon.  We were trying to take work that would reasonably only  take us about two hours, and trying to stretch it out over seven. So we spent a lot less time practicing and a lot more time looking at pictures of places throughout New Zealand we might want to visit, and playing with the whiteboard. And when we were practicing, we had an impossible time even pretending to be serious.

Yet for all that, when it came time to give the actual presentation this evening, we were cool, calm, and collected, and completely professional. We spoke with clarity and confidence and took turns answering any questions efficiently and effectively. So I don’t feel too bad that we spent so much of the day goofing off.

I am, however, growing concerned. We’ve been at the museum a full work week now, and I feel as though we have nothing to show for it. While other groups are already well into their projects, I feel like we haven’t even begun. We have done work, but it feels like busywork. The survey we spent all day yesterday revising, we decided not to use after all. The presentation talks about our revised goals and objectives, but for all we know, they will completely change again by this time next week. By the time anyone is able to tell us what we’re supposed to do, will we even have time to do it?

I think we’re at a point that we’re just making up our minds about what to do and doing it, regardless of whether it’s what the museum had in mind. We can’t afford to keep delaying.

At any rate, the presentation did go well, and the rest of the evening went even better. We held an impromptu bake-off: each project team decided on something to bake, went and got the ingredients, then went back to the apartments and baked it. I was impressed that almost every group participated. Our group made white chocolate chip raspberry brownies. The batter was amazing; the brownies themselves didn’t come out that great, mostly, I think, due to the unfamiliar oven which baked them unevenly. They still tasted good, but not as good as some of the cookies the other groups made, or the chocolate chip banana bread which was possibly the best banana bread I’ve ever had. But we made extra to bring to work tomorrow, so I’m not complaining.

Excessive amounts of dessert makes for a good end to the day, however much I didn’t need that much sugar. We decided that next week we’ll do a pot-luck dinner, though we’ll be mixing up the teams so people can get to know other people; I look forward to that. Cooking and baking make for great team-building activities, I think.