SP13 Signups and Misc.

Secret Pal 13 signups opened up yesterday so I signed up again. I'm sitting out as a hostess this round (I seem to do that every other round or so) but I couldn't miss being a participant again. There are some important changes to the rules this time that I think will make the experience even better for everyone. First, there are now three options for the $ commitment over the 3 months: $30, $60 or $90. As I'm a sweater knitter, and I also always give lots of stuff from my stash above and beyond the $ commitment, I like the addition of the $90 group. I've never expected to get back more than the standard $60 in value and look at it more as an opportunity to get to know a new person/make a new friend, but it would be fun to get sweater-size quantities of yarn again (hi Kimberly!! loving the alpaca!) I guess I got super-spoiled this last round. I knit with all kinds of good stuff that I get a good deal on (I don't like "cheap" stuff, but I'm good at finding great values for my $) and if I get another sweater knitter as my pal, I can get one or two (maybe three, if Elann runs some good specials) sweater-size quantities of yarn out of that $90 by smart shopping.

Ok, that was all still the first change. The second change is "no more one big package at the end". This was the bane of my existence as a hostess, as you wouldn't know until the end if someone was going to "flake" or not on their commitment. So I think this will make for a better SP for everyone. If someone isn't sending out packages, they can be removed right away and another pal substituted.

I also like that they ask how often you blog in this round's signups. This will help to match people who blog all the time with others like themselves, wherever possible (sometimes it's not always possible because of other constraints like allergies and requests for same-country pals) and conversely match people who blog the minimum amount (once a week) with others who adhere to that schedule.

One other (minor) change is that the participant fee, instituted last time, has gone up to $5. This fee goes to an "angel fund" to take care of people who need angels (if they can't switch out pals - let's say the "flaking" or other legitimate life event preventing SP participation happens after the 2nd package and so there's no one really to substitute in.) If there's money left over, it gets donated to charity.

All of these things are discussed on the blog and in the rules when you sign up. Again, there is a limit of 300 participants this round, so if you're interested, go on over and sign up as soon as you can as the 300 spots usually fill up quickly.

Anyway, on to a new topic. The midterm last night was OK - 80% of it was multiple choice questions, which weren't super easy but I feel pretty confident about my answers. However, the essay? Was from hell. We had to draw something from some obscure slide three weeks ago (a multiple part diagram, that we hardly discussed in class - maybe we blew by it in two minutes) for two companies and compare the two. Um, no. I don't care how much I studied, I still wouldn't have been able to draw that stupid diagram. So I think I got partial credit as I wrote out an answer (a page long) that compared and contrasted two companies with opposite strategies - I picked the retail industry and used Nordstrom and Wal-Mart as examples of a differentiator and cost leadership strategy, respectively. I talked about where they provided value to customers but didn't actually *draw* the stupid value chain.

It was some kind of diagram (kind of like the happy-crap diagrams that consultants come in and show you when they're trying to get your company to engage them for some sort of supply-chain re-engineering - I've been on the receiving end of such pitches before) with a million different company functions/departments on it, and I couldn't remember which departments were on it (and truthfully? didn't care.) So I'm sure I'm getting dinged for not actually drawing the stupid thing. I figured if I tried to draw it and included things that obviously weren't on it, it would be even more obvious that I didn't know what the stupid thing looked like. I know no one else knew how to draw it either because there were a million people going up to the professor asking her what she was looking for with the question (I sit in the front row so I could hear them asking.) I knew what she wanted, I just knew I didn't have one piece of it, so I figured why ask? Maybe they thought they'd get some sort of clue from her, but that didn't happen. She pretty much just repeated the instructions, which were clearly written.

Anyway.....it's Thursday and I'm ready to be done with this week. My group for this class is starting to slack after I stepped back to let them step up, so I have to take control in that area again. I decided I don't think I'm going to participate in the graduation ceremony. All of my friends pretty much already graduated, and I don't really have any connection to the people who are still here, so I don't much see the point of driving an hour west to the main campus to participate in a ceremony that doesn't mean that much to me - the last night of class will say "You're DONE!" to me loud and clear!

Comments

[Jeanine]

That midterm sounded ok up until you mentioned the diagram. I'm SURE you still did ok. Well since you're not going to the ceremony, I would hope you will have some time of "celebration" for all your hard work. Yanno, food, wine, yarn, fabric...

[Jenny]

I think Jim should throw you a party!

[chrispy]

WOW midterms already. This fall is flying past. I'm sure you did great.

SP13 sounds awesome. I wish I had not just narrowed down my swaps, I allow myself to participate in because this might have made me love SP again.

[chrispy]

WOW midterms already. This fall is flying past. I'm sure you did great.

SP13 sounds awesome. I wish I had not just narrowed down my swaps, I allow myself to participate in because this might have made me love SP again.

[chrispy]

WOW midterms already. This fall is flying past. I'm sure you did great.

SP13 sounds awesome. I wish I had not just narrowed down my swaps, I allow myself to participate in because this might have made me love SP again.

[Kim]

Yes, and I'm hostessing this round. So I may send up emergency messages to you for help!!

[Carol]

I hate it when profs do that kind of crap. I once had one that put a question on the midterm that was unanswerable. On purpose. WTF???

[Amanda]

That last class was just horrible to get through because, well, it was the last class. I don't remember my prof giving us an essay for the midterm--all MC. But I remember it being a pain just because I could care less at that point. Just think, 8 more weeks and you are done!!

[Lara]

Thanks for the info on SP 13. I did this only once and had a great experience with the person sending me packages. I think I am going to go ahead and sign up again!