Random Musings

So we have been here in Ann Arbor for 2+ months now. We have enjoyed the wonderful autumn here in the midwest, though the colors were really vibrant for a couple of days a couple weeks ago. Most colors have fallen and the days are starting to get colder. We did go for a nice walk yesterday and the week before enjoyed a picnic with Chinese takeout (It was a great place right around the corner and we had tons of leftovers for not that much).
My first day on campus, I saw a flier for a psychology for a brain training exercise. Intrigued, I contacted the group and enlisted. The program consisted of a preliminary examination of my intelligence, various reading/pattern recognition/visual exercises. Then, for 4 weeks, I completed a training program at home on the computer. The training consisted of a series of exercises involving memory recall. Each round would display a sequence of blue boxes accompanied by a letter. There were 8 different possible box positions and 8 different letters. Before each sequence, it would be designated n-back, where n was an integer, meaning I had determine if the current box or letter was the same as the ones that occurred n-places back. So, for 1-back, I had to say if the position or letter was the same as the previous, 2-back meant if one was the same as the one before the previous, 3-back was the one before that and so forth.
So, if you followed that, the lower levels were pretty easy; you only had to memorize a sequence of 1 or 2 positions and letters. But when it got to the higher numbers, you were having to keep a running list of 4,5,6, or 7 positions and letters(seven was as high as I got).
After I finished the 4 weeks of that they pulled me back in for a similar series of exercises like at the beginning. This training is supposed to help you develop your memory recall, and increase your cognitive abilities by being able to recall things quicker and easier. A couple things that I have noticed since I started this: I sight read at the piano better because I am more confident in where my hands are and the notes that I just read, I am more confident in remembering if I locked the door before going to bed, and some more general better recall of things that I have done.
I did think that I might have messed up their study because when I did the preliminary exercises, I had nothing else going on in my life and wasn't stressed, but for the ending tests, I had a lot of things going on and couldn't concentrate as well. I do feel, though, that it helped me and if anyone wants to try it out, let me know when we are in town and you can try it out on our laptop.
Today was exciting. We talked in Sacrament meeting and got to have our first week in primary as teachers. It was fun and we will definitely be better prepared next time. For the next couple of weeks, though, we will be rehearsing for the primary program, so we won't have much to do besides keeping everyone in order and singing along with everyone (Our primary is not that large, but it is about the same size as the Relief Society and Priesthood groups).