2016
I was able to find 40 participants and yet forgot my passport in Tarragona
by Seckin Kara | Jul 1, 2016 | 0 Comments
When we arrived in Tarragona, we weren't sure if we were going to be able to get all the participant we would need. There were only 2 labs to use and there were 4 of us, and we each needed at least 40 people at a time when everyone was preparing for final exams. But...
Week 4
by all5452 | Jul 1, 2016 | 0 Comments
This week, Pilar decided that I should share participants with Ben. This meant, that I would have upwards to three participants a day depending on how many participants were scheduled for Ben. Since Ben already had quite a few participants, when they did not how up he...
International Time Travel
by bts5242 | Jun 26, 2016 | 0 Comments
There are so many things that I have been able to enjoy while abroad. Practicing my Spanish skills, learning about a different culture, and celebrating another country's holiday are a few examples. Also, being introduced to people as "the Americans" has a nice ring to...
PortAventura World and Miró
by Seckin Kara | Jun 21, 2016 | 0 Comments
The past two weeks have been really great. I've kept a steady yet manageable flow of participants, and I only need 3 more before I hit my minimum of 40. I have 4 more people scheduled this week, but in case two or more don't show up, I have all of next week as buffer...
Week 3
by all5452 | Jun 17, 2016 | 0 Comments
After putting the finishing touches on the verbal fluency task, I tested the entire experiment on one of the professors in the lab to ensure that all the instructions were clear and easy to understand. In addition, I wanted to fix any errors that I missed when I was...
Week 2
by all5452 | Jun 15, 2016 | 0 Comments
After getting into the swing of things, I sat down and began to put the finishing touches on my study. What I was not prepared for was the amount of changes that had to be made. When I arrived here I was already aware that I would have to translate the instructions...
Mid-Trip Retrospective
by Seckin Kara | Jun 14, 2016 | 0 Comments
We've just recently passed the halfway point on our PIRE journey in Tarragona, and since this week was a bit more relaxing, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the month or so that we've been here. I'm really glad I spent so much time setting up my...
Another week, another set of participants, another city
by Seckin Kara | Jun 6, 2016 | 0 Comments
This week was like 4 days of relaxed testing and coding and then 3 days of that scene at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey when the guy goes through the star gate. I only had 7 participants scheduled for this week because they're having final exams and because we've...
I like running participants a lot better than running through Valencia to catch the last train home
by Seckin Kara | May 31, 2016 | 1 Comment
I'm gonna make this post short because the last one was a little longer than I wanted it to be, and I could easily write one twice as long for this week. Three major things happened this week: I ran my first 15 participants, we went to Valencia, and we watched the...
Tarragona: Week 1
by all5452 | May 29, 2016 | 0 Comments
Week 1 SInce it was my first time in Tarragona let alone Europe, I was very nervous because I can't speak Spanish. It took me a couple of days to get used to being in an environment where I was not familiar with the language. However, I quickly got over my...
I may have seen a giant mosaic salamander and climbed the Sagrada Família, but the highlight of my weekend was meeting a Penn State grad (jk it was the gelato)
by Seckin Kara | May 23, 2016 | 2 Comments
A few days ago, while trying to fall asleep, I stared up into the bottom of the top bunk bed for a while and just thought to myself, "Wait so like I'm actually in Spain right now. Like this is Spain. People here use vosotros." Now that I've come out of jet lag and am...
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain
by bts5242 | May 21, 2016 | 1 Comment
It's been a week since arriving in Tarragona and I am in love with Spain already. The first day or two were admittedly not wonderful; navigating through airports and bus stations and train stations with a slight lack of sleep left me a tad cranky. But after sleeping...
I’m still too tired to think of a good title
by Seckin Kara | May 11, 2016 | 2 Comments
I'm honestly surprised that I made it to Tarragona with all of my bags, most of my money, and some of my energy. We read all about how hard it was to be a sailor in the 1500s and how many people died or got scurvy or went crazy, but after we successfully made it...