Living Large

Music: Everytime We Touch- Cascada
Mood: Relaxed

This week, like last week, has been pretty good. I think it's partly because I've worked far ahead in some of my classes so I haven't been stressed doing homework late a night. Also, the weather has been amazing. Though it wasn't sunny like last week, it's been cool and refreshing. I've actually been able to wear jeans and long-sleeve shirts/sweaters! I've also been going to the gym for longer now, which is nice, but it stinks having to leave to go to a meeting or an obligation and finding myself eating in class or in meetings after the gym. I feel like 1.5 hours isn't enough time, especially after factoring in changing and everything. I have been, however, trying to eat a bit healthier (for lunch at least). JCL has powerbars (with 10g of protein). I usually grab one of those and then make my own salad at JCL (spinach, mushrooms, chicken or tuna, and balsamic vinegar). Yumm! Unfortunately, for dinner and post-dinner, my eating habits haven't been so good. I ate like half a pint of icecream last night. Oh well, it's okay to indulge once an a while (ie. every other night).

Besides just enjoying the week, I'm still trying to plan my study abroad. I'm going to STA Travel today to work out airfare. I want to fly to seattle first to visit my brother for a couple days, then go to HKG, and then on my return from HKG, stop in San Fran for a couple days as well. Since my dates are flexible, it's hard to buy that type of ticket online, so I'm going to check with STA to see what they have to offer this afternoon. Also, I've been working on course equivalences some more for HKUST. I got FIN 357H approved for HKUST (I'll just have to write a 5 pg paper and take some comprehension test to get the honors credit). I'm also taking OM 335 abroad and then some accounting class that I need for corporate finance track. (I was thinking about taking Intermediate abroad, but then I decided against that because I wanted to be able to enjoy HKG as well.) I'm also taking 2 upper-division literature classes abroad as well for Plan II. Plan II has approved these to classes, but they haven't officially confirmed this, since the two classes abroad will count for the same course (ANS 372), so I'm trying to figure out if it'll count for the 2 classes I need or if they'll only let me claim one. Study abroad is a Go, and I'm super excited. I don't think it'll set in until I actually buy my ticket and prepare to go abroad.

Yesterday, I also deposited my tax refund! Which means money in the bank! I have a WaMu checking and an savings (which is earning baout 3.25% APY), so I transferred money into that savings account as well. Based on the market though, I'm thinking about opening up some mutual funds and doing some investing. I mean, 3.25% is okay, but I was earning 5% when I first opened it. I'd rather be investing than having my money just sit there. So I want to try to find some time to research on different funds and indices to see what's the best and what I should do. Any advice?

Oh, for my Dallas housing for my summer internship. The girl at SMU just signed her apartment to sublease to someone else, and so my friends and I are still looking for places now. We're going up to Dallas on saturday to see this one place and hopefully that'll work out for us. I'm just ready to having housing in Dallas and not have to worry about it. With my house/family in the Honors Business Association, we're also going to San Antonio tomorrow evening for dinner along the riverwalk. I'm kind of excited about that and can't wait.

Well, I need to study for my spanish test which I have tomorrow, so I don't have to study tonight. Then I'm off to group cycling at 12:10 and then PSY class at 2, then STA travel. I've got Mortar Board initiation at 5:30 and then I'm free afterwards. I orderd the Die Hard trilogy and X-men trilogy (2 of my favorite triolgies) on bn.com the other day for like $30 for both, so I'm hoping to watch one tonight.

Oh lastly, as ya'll know, I do research with Prof. Ethan Burris in Management. Here's a shameless plug about a research study we're doing next Tuesday- Thursday between 11 and 5. Be sure to sign up with a friend if you're interested in making $10!

We're conducting research studies next week Tuesday-Thursday (April 22 to 24th)
between 11 and 5. If you've already participated in research with Dr. Burris or
myself, you are ineligible to participate. You will be contacted separately for
the lottery prize.

Researchers at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin would like you to participate in a study examining group decision making.If you choose to participate, you must also bring a friend with you. We will offer a $10 cash prize plus win $150 for top performing groups, and one of several $100 or $50 prizes. Your friend also is eligible for the case prizes.

Please go to http://mccombsmanagement.sona-systems.com to sign up for the study. You must create a new account by signing up under the "Burris Group Study" class. This is a fake class that I created just for this study. Then, you can sign up for a timeslot in the study. When you sign up, please have your friend sign up too so I can get an accurate count of people participating (since I need a minimum number of people to form a group).

The study will be at Room 6.499 on the sixth floor of the GSB at McCombs. This study is running at the same time as the "Judgments and Decisions" study, so please make sure you participate in the correct study (the other one is not for pay). Please wait in the hallway outside of the room and someone will come out to greet you and take you to the right place. Please let us know if you must cancel your appointment. If you have any questions, please email ethan.burris@mccombs.utexas.edu
or eric.hui@bba06.mccombs.utexas.edu.