Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with study

Sparknotes Blank Study Cards Out of Print / Unavailable?

Jgalt69 — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:36:34 -0800

I've been studying Japanese for several years, and have always used the Sparknotes series of blank study cards - they seem to now be out of print, and I haven't gotten a clear answer from the company if/when they will become available again. I've filled in about 10,000+ of them and really don't want to switch my filing system to another size/style of cards, but manually cutting new ones will take way too long - does anyone know if/when they will become available again, or of an EXACT sized similar set of cards? Thank you.

Where is this paper on economists being wrong I'm remembering?

DyRE — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:04:03 -0800

Some time ago, I came across a paper analyzing the predictions or theories of a number of economists relating to the recent economic troubles. The paper was very detailed (I didn't finish it) but the gist was that every single theory or prediction analyzed was wrong. Anyone know what I'm talking about and where I might find it? Here's some details I hope I'm not misremembering:
- I thought I found it on the blue but a lengthy perusal of the economics tag hasn't yielded fruitful results, nor have my Google searches (economists being wrong is apparently a popular topic).
- I think I came across it within the past couple years. More than a few months ago at least.
- I want to say the number of economists whose ideas were analyzed was around 40, or at least under 100, but I might be wholly wrong on this one.
- There was a bit at the start of the paper that gives the conclusion (they're all wrong). The bulk of the paper was dedicated to individual analyses and it's quite lengthy.

Advice on what to do before/during an interview to assess my Spanish?

EmilyClimbs — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:58:56 -0800

I'm an intermediate Spanish speaker, and I have an interview in a couple days to assess my Spanish level. How can I be as successful as possible, both as far as brushing up/practicing, as well as keeping my nerves under control? After a long break after college, I did a one month Spanish immersion program a few years ago that got me roughly back to the intermediate level that was my high point previously (around a B1 level or maybe somewhere between B1-B2.) Since then, I've tried to keep current/improve mostly by reading, with a modest amount of watching Spanish TV (and keeping up with a big deck of vocab flashcards I made right after), but I've barely spoken at all since then.

At this point, I can generally understand almost everything I read in Spanish (there are often words I don't know but I can almost always figure them out from context.) I can understand most of what I hear either on TV or overhearing people on the subway/etc, although I can definitely get lost from time to time when there's vocabulary I don't know, and I have some trouble following people who speak particularly quickly or have certain particularly strong accents (or if they're speaking quietly, there's background noise, etc.)

So now there's an extended volunteer program I really want to do where they say they require an advanced level of Spanish (just for the purpose of smooth interpersonal communication as far as I know.) I told them I was willing to take intensive Spanish lessons (20 hours+ per week) before I begin and/or alongside the 20 hour/week volunteer commitment, and they asked to do an interview with me to talk and see whether they thought it would work. (It's in Argentina... Argentina-specific language advice is definitely appreciated!)

I feel like my weakest point in speaking is grammar, particularly conjugating verbs. A lot of tenses like present (and the compound tenses/"ir a" future that just build off present) and conditional come basically naturally/automatically, but I sometimes have to hesitate picking between imperfect and preterite in some of the fuzzier cases, and it can take me more time than it should to make sure I'm conjugating preterite right in the 1st and 3rd person singular. And I'm not solid on subjunctive at all... we didn't get to that in my immersion classes, and although I've done some self-study on the conjugation and usage, I haven't practiced it much and I definitely have to think about it.

So what's the best use of a few hours between now and then, and then a couple immediately before the interview? Drilling on the preterite and/or subjunctive? Thinking of sentences I know I'm going to want to say and looking things up to make sure I get the grammar and vocabulary right? Trying to find the fastest Argentinian speech I can to practice listening to? Try to distract myself and ignore Spanish altogether so my nervousness doesn't spiral?

And then during the interview, should I try to use subjunctive, or is that going to have me second-guessing everything I say? How bad does it sound to skip it? (I'm already planning to skip using vos because I'm just not used to it and it seems like it would make me nervous about even the grammar that should be easy for me... unless focusing on a few hours of drilling that instead would give me the most bang for my buck?) What kinds of mistakes or flaws make you think "okay, she needs a bit more studying and practice/immersion, but she'll be fine" and which send the message "she's got a long way to go to be fluent and even with a month of lessons and immersion she'll still be a hassle to communicate with"?

And how do I keep calm and do my best during the interview? I'm an anxious and self-conscious person generally (and kind of a perfectionist), and I really want to do this program, so that adds to the pressure. Any tricks to keep from overthinking words that should come automatically? How important is it to keep talking fluidly versus pausing to get the word right, and if I need to keep talking, how do I quiet the voice in my head that says "That's wrong, you idiot, you sound stupid?"

Thanks so much for any advice.

I have some questions about studying abroad

earthquakeglue — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:39:35 -0800

Has anyone ever studied abroad before? I've been looking into studying abroad in Japan (in the near future senior year of college). I'm planning on majoring in history and minoring in japanese, and i'd like to stay for a year; but i'm having trouble finding the right answers to all my questions.

01.Have any of you studied abroad? How long did you stay? Was it worth it, and would you do it again?

02.If i go to a country where the main language isn't English and i don't speak that language will i have any problems?

03.Is it safe to walk around at night or travel alone? Any scams, etc..i should be wary of?

04.Should you get a job while abroad? How easy is it to get one fairly quick?
A.If you didn't get a job, and you stayed longer than 2-3 months was it hard to get by?

05.Will my cell phone work in another country?

06.Can you get loans,etc...to pay for some of the cost?

07.What was the housing situation like?
A.In some of the ones i've looked at you'd have to pay monthly rent, and utilities which for Japan equaled out to $70 and $99 us dollars a month + the cost of books and groceries.

08.Will i be able to open a bank account in Japan since i doubt my credit cards would work there without charging a fee?

Bar Exam Playlist

allthingsconsidered — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:49:59 -0800

I am putting together a playlist for bar exam preparations. I am looking for songs that will help ease the pain of studying and have compiled a few from a range of genres. What else can I add to this to make it the ultimate inspirational list of songs? Here are some that I have already chosen: Isley Brothers - Work to Do Jay Z - 99 Problems LL Cool J - Mama said knock you out Beyonce - Run the World (girls) David Bowie - Under Pressure ODB - Got your money Fugees - Killing me softly

Tell me about teacher stereotypes

b33j — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:08:49 -0800

I want to know what typical ideas of typical teachers the public has. My posting history will show that I'm doing a Grad Dip in Research Studies (within the field of Education). My first (tiny) project is about learning about qualitative and quantitative research methods. Because I will have to survey friends & acquaintances (on advice of lecturer) and (as a result) not be able to publish any results of my data, I will be looking at teacher stereotypes rather than the area I'm doing my dissertation on, which is "evolving preservice teacher identity". I still need to justify my research referencing previous studies, and I have found some decent material about stereotypes in the media and stereotypes in literature, and perceptions of teachers themselves and attitudes of students. I have also found great stuff on how parent-teacher relationships affect student learning outcomes.

However, I'm struggling to find research on public opinion on teachers, and the more I get sucked into the vortex that is Google Scholar, the more I am wondering why this is so. So, I've marked this for a future research project with my mentor (an academic with resources who gives me amazing freedom).

So thought process is this for my current and future research:
1. public perception of teachers-->influences parent opinion-->influences relationship with teachers-->influences student outcomes.
2. public perception of teachers-->influences parent opinion-->influences student opinion-->influences relationship with teachers-->influences student outcomes
3. public perception of teachers-->influences preservice teacher opinion-->influences teacher identity development-->influences teacher self-efficacy-->influences student outcomes

So your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to

a. tell me your ideas or other people's ideas about typical teachers (I'm not looking for opinions of bad teachers).
b. find any published material: newspaper, journal article, book, blog, whatever: on people's opinions of typical teachers
c. suggest a useful place or way to research this topic.

[Disclaimer 1: you are not doing my homework/assignment. My homework is to survey friends/relatives on a topic that I am interested, code the data for the lecturer to run through SPSS, and write a report on that data, following conventional standards etc. Disclaimer 2: You are not doing my work either, I will have to put together a research proposal to my academic before she'll pay for further work to be done. Disclaimer 3: If you find heaps of interesting stuff and I get distracted - as I am wont to with my ADHD, and polymath preferences, from my studies and work, that's okay, I won't blame you.]

TL;DR: tell me your ideas, opinion, perception about what a typical teacher (not "bad", "typical" or "average") is, looks like or does.

A study which shows that people unite against a common enemy?

dontjumplarry — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:54:19 -0800

Over on reddit, a commenter said that they once read a "social science study" which showed that people are more likely to rally in support of a cause when there's a common enemy to hate. It supposedly showed how when people were given the opportunity to unite and campaign for a positive cause, they showed little interest; but that the presence of a hostil opponent motivated the group to unite and rally against it. Can anyone think of a study along those lines?

How to study math

Hey Judas! — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:44:51 -0800

What is the best way to manage time while studying for upper-division undergraduate math classes that are proof-based/STEM classes in general? I entered college as a social science major and I ended up a pure mathematics major with a minor in computer science. I'm taking my first proof-based upper-division courses this semester and I'm having trouble staying afloat.

I have the bad habit of cramming. I will often neglect other classes and just study for one class for every free hour of the days leading up to an exam, then repeat the process all over again next week for another class. This has worked so far, but I just recently realized what a waste it is. I have absolutely no free time to do anything other than cram and do homework.

I spent all weekend studying for my real analysis class and I really started to understand, and even enjoy, the material. Going through my notes, I can't believe how amazing some of the stuff we've learned so far is. I also can't believe it took me so long to realize that my cramming is seriously detrimental, not only to my grades and knowledge, but to my enjoyment of the material. Now that the classes are challenging and interesting, I really want to learn instead of just do well on tests. It is such a waste of time and money to cram for exams rather than actually learn.

My only hangup is I have absolutely no idea how to transition from cramming/memorizing for tests to studying the correct way. My mindset has always been study for Monday classes on Sunday, Tuesday classes on Monday, etc.. I want to spend a set amount of time each day studying for each class. I also want to set aside time for hobbies, reading or studying other material. My spring break starts next Friday and I plan on catching up completely so I can finish the semester using this studying method.

I do not necessarily need advice on HOW to study for these types of classes (cross referencing proofs with other textbooks, doing extra problems and asking for clarification from profs/TAs works for me). I just need advice on how to implement the "study a little every day" method I always see suggested. Has anyone actually used this studying method and has it actually worked? Does anyone have any tips on how to manage my time to fit an hour for each class every day?

I would also specifically like to hear from math/STEM majors about your study schedule and study methods (be as specific as you want). I would appreciate hearing how someone in the same types of classes goes about studying. Thanks for any advice!

Help my wife choose a Patisserie School

ranglin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:26:07 -0800

My wife has recently been given the chance to follow one of her dreams and go to school to learn how to make pastries and cakes via a generous financial situation, so we are seeking the hive minds help to find a good patisserie course that she could take. The only limitations are that I want to go with her and due to my job, she can probably only do a maximum of 2 - 3 months, so a course that's longer than that would be a no-go. However, she is willing to travel (and relishes the idea), so please suggest any school you like, regardless of the location. Related to this, she is currently considering going to Paris (obviously), but is worried about the language barrier, so any comments on that side would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks all!

Name my university learning blog

Paragon — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 18:28:33 -0800

Looking for a descriptive and short name for a blog about university study. Save me from bad puns and opaque acronyms! I'm starting up a blog for students at my university. The focus will be on study skills, assignment and thesis writing, and university events and resources relating to those topics.

Because it's an official blog it has to have a fairly vanilla name, but that usually translates to odd acronyms, puns, and/or neologisms, and I'd like to avoid those if possible. I'm looking for something short (2-4 words), descriptive, and memorable.

Names incorporating "learning" or "study" are especially welcome. Something similar to "The Learning Nation" would work well (except there's already a blog by that name).

Music to sooth a weary mind

DoubleLune — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:46:44 -0800

Help me find good study music -- aka bands that sound like the Lumineers. When I study in public places, I like to have my headphones on very quietly to block out the noise and help me concentrate. But the only full album that does it for me is the Lumineers (oh how I love them). The problem is that I love them too much, and now listening to the album over and over is distracting.

So I'd like to find some music that has a similar quality so that I have more options. I generally prefer songs with lyrics, but no lyrics is okay too. I'd prefer full albums, but individual songs work too.

The qualities that help me concentrate: chill, smooth, pleasing, no sudden loud or blaring lyrics/instruments, vocal tone.

Using ten days to prepare for an online course, then acing it?

mdonley — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:08:17 -0800

I’m about to start a six-month-long online course that I'd like to do really well on. The next ten days are very quiet at work. How can I use this time to help myself prepare, given that I’ll need to be in the office for part of each of the ten days...and then keep up with the course while going back to full-time teaching? After the ten days are up, it’s back to the normal 35-40 hours of planning/teaching/grading/meetings/etc. a week, on top of the 15-20 hours for the course a week. But I really do have no other significant responsibilities for the next ten days, except to prepare for the course and organize myself, and I’m sort of at a loss over how to best do this. I do need to come into the office for at least a few hours a day.

Here's what I've thought about so far. I'd love to hear what worked for you!

- Do I need to train up to use Moodle, the course platform? I don't want to spend an hour messing around the day the first assignment is due trying to find a "submit" button or something.

- I can do some pre-reading from the reading list, but I don't have a syllabus/list of assignments yet. How can I make this time effective?

- I’m doing the dry-erase-marker wall calendar thing to organize everything at home.

- Batch-cooking and freezer meals?

- Should I back up my coursework on Dropbox/online somewhere, or pick up an external hard drive?

- Put bills/transit pass onto auto-pay/direct debit; make a little weekly housework schedule to follow.

- The course will take up every spare moment of my vacation time for 2013, but I'll still have normal weekends and public holidays. How can I best maintain my sanity/balance and thrive from the challenge, rather than be exhausted by it?

Big unanswerables until we start: how responsive the course coordinators are, how astute my fellow students (only 11 other participants!) will be, how to make asynchronous conversations work well. Any advice on these (or other!) during-the-actual-course matters would be great as well.

Thanks in advance!

Community bike shop impact studies?

aniola — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:06:57 -0800

Are there any studies on community bike shop impact studies on adult personal & economic self-sufficiency? Saw this question unanswered on a community bike shop listserve and was curious.

PhD students: Where, when and how do you study?

FuckingAwesome — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:49:18 -0800

PhD students: Where, when and how do you study? Hi everyone, I've just started a PhD at the University of Greenwich London and am getting into the swing of things, trying to do put in 8 hours of work a day (9-6 or 11-8).

I am currently working from my girlfriends place and occasionally in the British Library as both are closer than my university library and I am in the process of moving.

I was wondering, out of interest, where other PhD students work? Also tell me a bit about your work routine / regime.

Cheers,

Advice sought for Classical music to listen to when studying

TRUELOTUS — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:55:55 -0800

Advice sought for upbeat Classical music to listen to when studying. I seem to really enjoy the violin and the cello. I like some of Yo-Yo Ma and the Red Violin soundtrack. But, I do not like the classical music that is depressing and too slow -like some of the baroque. I am looking for the type of classical music one would hear in ballet. The kind that inspires and lifts you up, and makes you happy...that is simply beautiful. Do you know what I mean Hive Mind? Thanks!! So please give me a playlist

Safety issues in Quito, Ecuador

DMelanogaster — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 05:59:29 -0800

My son is applying to a Junior Semester Abroad program in Ecuador for next fall semester. I am reading that Quito has become more dangerous than it was when we went there on a family vacation 6 years ago, and I am nervous for his safety. I'm looking for first-hand information and advice about how to stay as safe as possible. I'm quite alarmed at reports of people getting into taxis and finding out that the driver is in cahoots with a gang, who then stops the taxi and demands a ransom from the passenger.

There also seems to be a lot of street crime.

My son will be staying with a host family and then getting to and from classes and anywhere else alone most of the time, I would imagine.

He really wants to go to this program, sponsored by an excellent college (but not his college). Although he himself is a bit concerned about these safety issues, he says that he really wants to go to Ecuador (he loved it when we went there when he was younger, but he was with us (his parents) and nobody told us then that people were hauled out of taxis and robbed (this was in 2006)).

He is about to take his fourth semester of college Spanish and, although he is certainly not fluent, I think his facility with the language will be good enough to get by in most situations. Ethnically he does not resemble any native Ecuadorian I've ever seen. On the other hand, we are from New York City, and not the safest area, either. He's grown up knowing how to navigate subways and "scope out" people who might not have his best interests in mind. But Manhattan is not Ecuador.

Has anyone had experience living in Quito or visiting recently? What were the safety issues? Do you regret going? Is this program a bad idea at this time? (I have suggested a Madrid alternative, sponsored by his college, but this does not interest him.)

I've told him he can ask the program to get him in contact with students who have completed the program so that he can get first-hand reports and ask questions, but is this realistic?

What can he do to make his semester as safe as possible?

Parlez vous éducation?

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:53:09 -0800

I am in Seattle. I'd like to learn French, to the point where I could (in 6 months, say) carry on a rough conversation with someone in Québec or France. I have knowledge of a few words but would essentially be starting from scratch. With which group/center/school should I take classes, but most importantly: why? (In other words, what would make that class better than those offered through alternatives?)

A pair of grad school admission questions. Recomendation request, now? How are my psyc GRE scores?

Che boludo! — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:28:32 -0800

Two parter to grad school admission. 1. With the semester ending last week, yet Xmas upon us, is it the best possible time or worst possible time to ask a professor for a recommendation? I have a deadline of Feb. 15th to join her program and until March for another couple programs I will apply to.

2. Help me interpret my GRE psychology subject score. I had posted this back in November regarding scores. and I was shooting for a bare minimum 700 (approx 80 percentile) (I had a terrible allergy attack the morning of the test which I'm sure hurt my score.) 670 (66th percentile) was my score. Fairly mediocre, here is the scoring guide. However I scored in the 96th percentile on the social psyc subscore and 59th in the experimental subscore. I know the subject exam is considered one of the best predictors of graduate school performance and according to this I seem to show promise on the social side. Will admissions take into account my extremely high subscore or just the less than stellar total?

Thanks all!

How can I make a living as a student, but not in school?

youcancallmeal — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:02:47 -0800

When I was in college, I really loved writing papers and now I find that I miss the chance to study small topics in depth. How could I make that into a career? I have a BA in Political Science and if I thought I could get a job after, I'd go for a PhD. Outside of academia, what are my options?

(Don't say 'Get a blog'. I like having external guidance and pressure for these sorts of things. I'd love it as a job, but not so much as an end just for my own amusement.)

I can't get my brain working to prepare for the GRE quantitative! AARRGGGHHHHH!

Che boludo! — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:31:58 -0800

How best to reabsorb all the math and tricks of the quantitative section of the GRE? I'm getting close to taking the GRE. Unfortunately I have been procrastinating a bit on the quantitative study. Mostly this is due to the fact I'm having trouble taking in and processing all the math at one time. It's been almost 20 years since I have seen most of this and it was all learned over a lengthy period of time the first time around. I'm feeling a little spun and annoyed by it all.

I took a practice test and did horribly and I mean HORRIBLY on the quantitative! I have several prep books but they just don't seem to be doing the trick. I know it is recommended to do as many practice tests and problems as possible, but I'm still stuck getting the rules all back into my head so I can't even seem to perform well on the practice questions.

Any ideas or recommendations? Unfortunately tutoring is not an option.

I do extremely well on the verbal section of the practice tests. I'm not a dummy. This makes it even more frustrating to so poorly on the other part.

Statistical analysis for a prospective cohort study with quantifiable outcomes?

legospaceman — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:57:32 -0800

What kind of statistical analysis would I use to compare the outcomes of a prospective cohort study, one with an intervention and one as the control? Sorry, more specifically, my friend and I are performing a prospective cohort study where there are two groups of 15 athletes, and the goal is to provide one (randomized) cohort with an intervention that we think will prevent injuries; we are then going to compare outcomes by giving everyone in the intervention and the control group a validated test that is a good predictor for injuries. The test output is quantifiable, it will be either a single number for each subject, or a set of 3-5 numbers. Once we have test results for both groups, what kind of analysis would make the most sense to use?

Just to be clear, we are not tracking injuries, so there is no 'survival' time as in clinical trials. We are simply using the validated test as a proxy to extrapolate likelihood for injury. The test numbers are the outcome. Is there some specific justification we can provide for our (quite low) n, aside from the fact that this is just what we consider doable at this point?

Normally for something like this I would sit down and try to read more on the internet, but we're short on time as we unexpectedly have to submit this for IRB approval with an organization by tomorrow.

College senior still trying to figure out what I should work towards.

Seeking Direction — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:24:05 -0800

Still feeling like a failure, despite all the help I get - what am I missing? I'm a senior (fourth year) in college, 21, and male. I've posted here before about my academic frustrations, and I don't mean to sound helpless, but I can't shake these feelings of failure.

So I'm in my last year, completing my bachelor's degree at a "well-reknowned" school - should be feeling excited, right? Hardly.

I've had several health problems (perhaps thyroid related - still working on getting in touch with the right doctors). I have a learning need (recently diagnosed), which is receiving attention just fine, actually.

Since I had absolutely NO clue what I wanted to study, I decided to take the "default" path others had encouraged me to do - pre-med and a biology major. Problem is, I HATE studying biology. Hate it, hate it, and did I forget - hate it!

I should clarify - I don't actually hate the subject matter, instead being more or less apathetic about it, but the "mindless zombie memorization" instead of a concept/application-based approach has really posed a problem to me. Granted, not every single class is like this, but many were.

I seem to have a personality clash with fellow "pre-meds" in my bio classes.

Oh yeah, and I've come close to serious injury in labs. Not for me!

My school doesn't have a true advising system, either - so again, NO guidance whatsoever!

(Note: I'm not going to name the school, since its fanboys/fangirls - of which there are plenty - are going to spew vitriol.)

Now, I'm actually quite interested in psychology and environmental studies. So, essentially, I'd like to switch fields, but HOW? My GPA still isn't too hot.

Yes, I'm seeing a therapist and meeting with people specializing in my learning need, but there's only so much they can do.

All I really know about myself is that my Myers-Briggs personality type is INTP. (If Myers-Briggs is to be believed at all, of course.) Of course, everything I read about this type points to "procrastination" and "absent-minded" tendencies, and there seem to be relatively few INTP's with notable achievements. (No offense to anyone.)

I'm supposed to be good at "intellectual" stuff - but "intellectualism" is a crock of baloney, in my opinion. What the h-e-double hockey sticks is it supposed to achieve, anyway?

So, in summary, rocky past academically, don't like my current concentration, only a loose idea (environmental studies, psychology) of what I want to do with myself.

Yes, I want to further my education - but if the pre-meds are going to be the same people as in medical schools (and co-workers if I become a doctor) - I don't want too much to do with them.

It feels like everyone else - even if they have the most humble job in the world - has a stronger sense of direction and just "knowing" what they want.

Where do I begin? I know I belong somewhere academically and career-wise?

Okay technically I lied.

shakespeherian — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:08:46 -0800

Milgram Experiment: Give me examples of other psychological experiments which involved false pretenses. I've seen this question, but that seems to have a lot more to do with ethics and isn't really what I'm after. Mostly I'm curious about psuedo-gaslighting on behalf of research.

Is Ritalin working on me?

ahtlast93 — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 11:52:51 -0800

I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD, at 22, and prescribed Ritalin. I am unsure to which extent it's supposed to be helping me, but I do notice subtle differences in my day to day life, like my place suddenly not getting messy anymore. While I notice I managed to get more done (school work) since starting it, I still have a hard time sitting down and just going ahead with projects. I study graphic design, so things are usually quite mental, and need time to develop, but I am wondering if it's really helping? Occasionally it feels like it's slowing me down too much. Should I suggest my psychiatrist to try another drug? (Adderall is not an option, I am curious about dexedrine)

Trying to find the best option to get more Photoshop savvy

PussKillian — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:29:07 -0800

What sort of course should I be looking at to hone my Photoshop skills? My job frequently calls on me to work with images slated for publication. Currently, I have a basic working knowledge of Photoshop (just enough to be dangerous), mostly self-taught with a couple of basic tutorials scattered in as well.

I'm looking for a way to get better at honing my eye and my skills so that I can fix color issues, master curves, crop more accurately, get a handle on the whole transform thing where you square up slightly uneven edges, soften reflections that snuck in during the photography process, and touch up things like a strip of yellowing discoloration along the edge of a piece that was framed badly at some point. Right now, much of this is handled by the photographer who shoots our work, but it would be great if I could do more of it. (I could probably demand a newer version of Photoshop, too...that would be nice.)

The university I work for offers Photoshop tutorials, but they're not really centered around what I need. They're kind of "I put the dog in the middle of the beach scene and add a flower and put text in a circle and voila, funny birthday card" kind of things. I attend them when I can because they're free, but they usually don't really result in my skills improving much. The local community college has courses that might be appropriate, but they're part of a program of study to produce graphic designers, and don't really fit my schedule. I might fare better looking within my own university, but I'm really not sure if all these intro-to-Graphic-Design things are what I want. Maybe I should be looking at online tutorials, or something?

Any suggestions? I feel like I've been looking very intently in all the wrong places.