This morning we went into work early to turn in the car by 8:30. We didn't make it until 9am because traffic was horrendous. We spent the morning working on condensing notes from the instructor interviews and focus groups. We then started working on the final draft of our survey. At lunch, we went to the diner across the street again. I had spinach risotto-stuffed chicken with scalloped potatoes. It was really good, probably the best meal I've had there yet.
After lunch, I fooled around with excel for a while trying to figure out pivot tables so I could use them to compare demographics next week and easily select people to interview this week. By the time I figured it out, I got an email from HR and to my surprise they had finished compiling the data I had asked for early. I worked on selecting samples using a combination of pivot tables and the random number generator function. Basically, with a sample size of approximately 250-260 people and 20 regions there needs to be 13 samples per a region. The percentages we got from HR about gender and age give 2 females and 11 males per a region and from there it's broken down into how many people per an age group. The first thing I did was make a table representing the age group distribution. I then used the random number generator function to pick two age groups that I would take the females for. Then using the pivot table I seperated all the females in those age groups and using the random number function I was able to select one femal from each group. I then filled the rest of the age group quotas with males using the same random number generator function. This created a relatively random, stratified sample. After I did this for several regions it was getting late, so we did a final run through and review of our survey, made sure we had all the materials we would need for our meeting the next day with the MTDs, and we took the car home.
When I got home, I had some dinner (just some pasta). I had a meeting at 7:30 with my advisers. They are so useless. They have no clue what our project is about and they have no idea what they're doing. It's so frustrating because they're the ones who are grading us. We've been writing our methodology by the book according to the examples posted online. They tell us at the meeting that our methodology just isn't right and it needs to be totally re-written. We absolutely do not have the time for that. We're getting behind just doing the project let alone writing the paper. We're a short handed group and yet our project requires some of the most work of any project at this center. I don't know what we're going to do. Some how we're going to have to revise it or they'll flip. It's really frustrating, I have no idea when we're going to do it.
I spent the rest of the night working on sample selection and doing laundry in preparation for my trip this weekend to Adeliade and Kangaroo Island. At least tomorrow is the last day of the week and I have a four day weekend coming. Apparently Adeliade is dead zone when it comes to social life, which is ok with me because I'm mostly going there to hike. Well I've got to go, you'll prolly hear from me again on Monday or Tuesday.
6 comments:
Ok Casey I feel like i speak for everyone who reads your thing when I know one cares about how your using random number generators to get your data. If I was interested in random number generates I would walk around with dice. Also we know your advisers suck you have told us in every blog. What we want to know about is the car and maybe kangaroo island. Your were doing so good before what happened? Where did you get the car from? Did you steal from the CFA company if so i suggest you get it painted its pretty identifiable. Also why would you get such a small car? How are you going to pick up more Australian hot mama's in that thing? Also we want to know the top speed, I am sure your mom and steph want to know how safe it is for when you going out drinking and then drive home... and of course Steve is going to want to know the MPG not LPK (thats litter per kilometer). And sorry I left such a long comment everyone but he needs help.
and if you don't know it maybe you could do something useful whit your random number generator and make one up
what the hell is that suppose to be? i've driven go carts that have more beef than that thing.
ps we went canoing the other day, water was very cold, we flipped the canoe, and ben ended up with a bloody face. LESSON LEARNED: WEAR A HELMET
Kangaroo island is coming. The car was assigned to us by the CFA. We did not get to pick the car. Don't know the top speed or LPK. If you think that car is weak you should see some of the other cars around here. We're all done using the car. They've taken it back and we're back to using the tram to get to work.
next car you get pull the VIN for us and i'll look up the specs
umm so funny story, this week in my intro to stats class I was just talking about how pointless all the sampling methods and all of the random number stuff was and how I'm never going to use anything that I've learned in this class. And yet to understand this blog, I kind of had to and I did. Weird.
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