10:00-10:50 Organic chemistry lecture 12:00-1:50 Neuroanatomy lecture 3:30-5:30 Work 7:00-8:00 Triathlon team meeting When I compare my idea of college as an incoming freshman to the reality of the past five years, I feel so disappointed. Nothing went the way that I had planned. However, I am pleased with my current state and direction. With that mindset, I decided to stop moping about the past and live it up during my last quarter! So, I joined the triathlon team! I have been a member off and on in the past, but I am going for it in this final quarter! Better late than never! No regrets! Exclamation point!
10:00 - 10:50 Organic chemistry lecture 1:00 - 2:15 Neuroanatomy laboratory 3:30 - 5:30 Work I asked a question after lecture, and my professor told me it was a good one! I was pathetically ecstatic for the rest of the morning. I think I am part dog. You know, like the one that freaks out with uncontainable excitement when you so much as glance in their direction?
At work, I was recently asked to help the pathology peeps with slide labels... Be sure to read the following as if it was soaked in sarcasm solution for at least 24 hours.
[Typing]
[Doctor walks in]
Dr. H: Well, hello there! What are you up to today?
Me: Just working on slide labels... It's just so intellectually stimulating, you know?
Dr. H: It really is, isn't it?! Keep this up and we may promote you to taking out the trash!
I love my job. We give each other so much crap. Not too long ago, I did the same...
Coworker: Sam! Check out the yeast in the microscope!
Me: COOL!
[Scramble out of chair to race to the microscope]
[Look in microscope]
Huh...
Me: Yeah, not as cool now that I get to look at brain tissue in neuroanatomy lab.
Dr. H: Yeah, that is the problem with education... It is getting harder to impress you.
Oh, Dr. H. You will always be a badass to me. Next time, find something cooler than a unicellular organism, and it will all be just fine.
GAH. Okay, I epically failed at updating my blog for the past week. Let that be a lesson to you! Don't take 21 units, especially when you are doing two internships and working at the same time. It is exhausting! I will let the following internal monologue describe the time that was not documented...
Crazed Self: I AM GOING TO DIE. I AM SO TIRED. THERE IS TOO MUCH TO DO. I CAN'T FINISH IT ALL.
[Slow blink]
Crazed Self: NO! NO SLEEP FOR YOU. DON'T START THAT CRAP AGAIN. YOU MUST STUDY. [Raise hands to the sky] ALL THE STUDYING!
Lazy Self: But... But... It's cold. Just hop in bed for a little while. Surround yourself in the warmth and fluffiness. Look at Stella. Don't you want to relax like that?
I want to be a beagle in my next life.
Crazed Self: Well, I am cold. I guess I will lie in bed while studying... BUT! I WILL SIT UP, SO THE TEMPTATION TO FALL ASLEEP SHALL NOT CLAIM ME. AT NO POINT WILL MY EYES LEAVE THIS BOOK.
1. I ignored my pride and asked a question after class. Seriously, one of the best little tidbits of advice for anyone in school is to clarify confusions as soon as you realize you did not understand a concept. In the past...
[Unsettling feeling]
Crap.
[Realizes confusion]
Um. Um. Um.
[Dismisses with a wave of the hand]
I'll look it up later.
Don't do this. If you, like me, play host to the leech otherwise known as procrastination, you will not attempt to purge this confusion until the day before the next exam. It is not as much fun as leaving a lecture knowing that you truly comprehended every topic (yes, my definition of fun may need some calibration).
2. We got to dissect sheep brains in neuroanatomy labs!
Disclaimer: All of the sheep lived long, happy lives frolicking in fields with sparrows and butterflies. They died of old age surrounded by loved ones, and they were kind enough to donate their organs in the name of science.
Superior/Dorsal View
Inferior/Ventral View
3. I almost beat my fastest 5K time! I missed it by one second! I blame my running partner; she has been a little sluggish as of late.
I took my first exam of the quarter today! Initially, I was a little bit freaked out, and my professor did not help alleviate the stress. Before he passed out the test, he had a delightful little speech reminding us that the exam was worth 15% of our grade, and if we perform poorly, it will have a large impact on this course, this year, and our careers at this university, etc. (you know... all the stuff you love to hear immediately before a test). I usually try to reduce any anxiety by reminding myself that 15% of one class is really not that big of a deal in the "grand scheme of things", but whatever...
Update: No freaking out was necessary! I did well (despite the fact that I gave up on studying yesterday to watch The Walking Dead).
In neuroanatomy lab, we looked at the brain sections of different animals. We were specifically focusing on the LGN (lateral geniculate nucleus), a thalamic region concerned with vision.
In our exercise, the biggest obstacle was determining where the LGN is actually located in each animal. Unfortunately for us, the location varies by species, so we needed to consult an atlas for each one (I have a new respect for veterinarians). Check out the layering. It gets more complex and curved as you progress from the rat to the monkey, which is due to the increased folding of the brain. Layers are clearly visible, and they represent the alternating input from each eye.
LGN of a Rat
LGN of a Cat
LGN of a Monkey
For those who are not histologically inclined, check out this human brain! It kind of looks like a zombie gnawed on the top a little bit...
In my motivation lecture, we learned about a phenomenon called choice overload. It refers to the demotivating behavior caused by the presence of too many choices...
Student: Is that like... when I have so much homework that I don't even want to start?
Professor: Exactly! You think, "Well, I have eight-hundred things to do and all of them sound really hard, so I am not going to do any of them!"
After lab, I raced home to get a snack, drop off my school stuff, and get ready for work. My traitorous eyes had another plan...
[Slow blink]
...
[Slow blink]
....
[Look at bed]
...
[Slow blink]
Ten minutes from that moment, I needed to leave for work, but my determination to study for that remaining time dissipated quickly. I climbed into bed and closed my eyes. I did not actually fall asleep, but it was so nice to just curl up in a ridiculous number of blankets with the afternoon sun peeking through the blinds.
6:30-7:00 Club executive meeting (leadership team only)
7:00-8:00 Club meeting (all members)
After my club meeting, I was listening to other members reflect on past classes. A nervous second year was taking it all in, and his confidence dwindling with every word. When we all parted, I headed towards my car. "Second Year" was heading that way as well, so we started talking. Disapproving of the scare tactics of others, I decided that "Second Year" could use a little bit of a motivational speech, so I imparted some of my wisdom. 1. Avoid the following attitude "I HAVE TO GET A's for the rest of my undergraduate career or else I have no chance of getting into medical school." It will hinder (steric hindrance? -- shut up, o-chem!) the process, and more importantly, it is not true. Everyone makes mistakes. If you are determined enough, you will get where you want to go. There are many options. 2. Understand the system. Talk to advisors and read the fine print. You do not have to take organic chemistry, physics, and biology in the same year. Yes, most people do, but if you can move things around to make it easier on yourself, do it! This is not high school; you have much greater freedom in regard to choosing your schedule. 3. Beware of pre-med advisors. Yes, they know a considerable amount about the process. Utilize them, but do not take everything they say to heart. Remember that they see every first-year, bright-eyed biology major with an over abundance of optimism. It is their job to inform all of us about the obstacles, competition, statistics, and other scary things. Do not get discouraged! My brother's advisor told him to give up at one point,and he is in his first year of medical school. BOOYAH. 4. Stop stressing. Enjoy your years as an undergraduate. Even if you take a little more than six years to get though the program, time flies. Before you know it, you will be in your last quarter.
My organic chemistry professor is hilarious. Today, he went through several reactions and the many complications associated with each. At one point, he paused to assess our level of comfort with the material he presented.
Profesor: [Hesitates] Everybody okay?
[Class is silent]
Professor: [Shakes his head] Silly question...[Resumes lecture]
I have the same professor for my motivation and psychopharmacology class, and I am pretty sure that she may become one of my favorites at UCSB. Normally, I despise having classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays because they are an hour and fifteen minutes in length (as opposed to the fifty minute lectures held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). However, this professor is so cool that she manages to keep my attention for the entire length of both classes (one of which is at 8:00 AM).
In this morning's motivation lecture, we discussed delayed gratification and "the marshmallow test", in which a child was given the option of eating one marshmallow immediately or waiting with a promise of another marshmallow. I had not seen a video detailing this experiment, so I browsed YouTube to find a good one.
Warning: Extremely cute!
In the original study, the test was performed on two- and four-year-olds. Almost all of the former were unable to wait the 15 minutes to receive a second marshmallow. Contrastingly, approximately half of the four year olds were successful and were rewarded with a second marshmallow. What is the significance of the difference between four-year-olds? In a follow-up study, it was shown that the children who demonstrated self-control in this test were more likely to get good grades, stay out of trouble, etc...
I wonder what I would have done. My self-control really depends on the circumstances. As a vegetarian who loves meat, I think I have pretty good self-control. However, when it comes to chocolate, I am a lost cause (which is why I was only vegan for ten days... stupid homemade brownies).
Tangential Note
When did 8:00 AM class become such a horrid thing? In elementary school, class began at 8:25 AM (or something like that... my driver/mom was always running late). In junior high, my "zero period" choir class began at 7:00 AM (of course, that did not last long after I learned that I would have to sing in front of people... crazy talk, I know). Even after that, class began promptly at 8:00 AM. In high school, I had to rise even earlier to attend morning water polo practices. If you think an 8:00 AM lecture is unappealing, imagine jumping into a body of water at 6:30 AM... *Sigh* Those were the days...
10:00-10:50 Organic chemistry lecture (reviewed study guide for exam instead and obtained notes from a classmate)
11:00-12:30 Make-up final exam
1:00-2:50 Neuroanatomy lab
3:30-5:30 Work
I finished my last incomplete class today! For the past three years, I had at least one incomplete looming over me. With my last one out of the way, I can completely concentrate on my current classes. I am ecstatic. I am a little behind at the moment because I was not allowing myself to devote much time to the current quarter until I finished the incomplete class; I hoped that the increase in stress would hasten the process. It worked!
I managed to squeeze in an episode of Castle, so it was all good... That said, I am definitely looking forward to falling into bed this evening.
I am trying to transition my sleeping schedule from that of a night owl to that of a morning lark. Yesterday, I went to bed at 9:00 PM and set my alarm for 4:30 AM. I managed to fall asleep early, but my alarm was not successful in its attempt to wake me. This is how it usually goes (yesterday was no exception)...
[First alarm rings]
Ughhhh. Must. Kill. Noisy. Thing.
[Second alarm rings]
*SMACK* Ninja!
[Third alarm rings]
Crap. I'm going to be late.
Better luck next time? Fingers crossed (although ten hours of sleep was quite wonderful).
Fun Fact from Psychopharmacology
Breathalyzers are adequate measures of blood alcohol level because the amount of ethanol in your breath is equal to the amount in your blood. The blood concentration of other drugs, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannot be accurately obtained in this manner. What differs between these two drugs that allows the use of breathalyzers in the case of ethanol? These two drugs are distributed within the body in different ways. Ethanol distribution has a monoexponential fall over time; the drug is distributed quickly and equally throughout the body. On the other hand, THC has a biexponential fall over time. Initially, the drug is distributed into lipophilic ("lipid loving") tissues like the brain with its myelinated axons. Afterwards, it is metabolized in another (longer-lasting) phase.
About an hour into my neuroanatomy lecture, I had an unsettling realization: this is going to be hard. I knew that twenty-one units would be tough, but I did not discern that I would be taking three of the hardest courses on campus (along with two others). Fortunately, the three hardest classes also happen to be my favorites, and I have been looking forward to them. They do not seem to be terribly complicated, but I am expected to know an overwhelming amount of information (I guess that is good preparation for medical school). It is imperative that I do not fall behind... Let's do this.
I am taking twenty-one units of awesomeness. Care to hear about them?
CHEM 109C Organic Chemistry (4 units)
I am excited to cover the chapters on carbohydrates, amino acids/peptides/proteins, coenzymes, lipids, and nucleic acids. Sounds bio-ish, doesn't it?
PSY 123 Cognitive Neuroscience (4 units)
As I took cognitive psychology last quarter, I have a pretty good foundation for this class. This class differs in that it approaches cognition from a biological perspective. I look forward to going into depth about the various methods of investigation, including single-cell recordings, neuroimaging, electrophysiological recordings, and brain stimulation.
PSY 122 Motivation (4 units)
Maybe I will learn how to regain my motivation to do well in my final quarter when my existential side inevitably rears its ugly head...
Existential Sam: Why are you working so hard? It's pointless. We are all going to die.
Optimistic/Live-in-the-Moment Sam: SHHHHHHHHHHH
PSY 169L Laboratory in Neuroanatomy (5 units)
I love neuroanatomy. The task of differentiating between regions of the brain is extremely daunting (it's all squiggly!), but it is exciting to be able to do so with confidence. I have learned a great deal from past classes, but I look forward to continuing my exploration.
PSY 133 Psychopharmacology (4 units)
Neurotransmitters, pre- and post-synaptic drug actions, disorders ranging from psychosis to depression, and pharmacological treatments? Sounds like Christmas!
Classes began today. As a result, I kept assuming that it was Monday, inevitably leading to some confusion.
Me: Why aren't you at yoga?
[Grammy looks at me like I am crazy]
Later...
Me: Here's the schedule for tomorrow.[Hand schedule to Boss Lady, who doesn't work on Fridays]
[Boss Lady looks at me like I am crazy]
See the common theme?
My blunders were not restricted to the uncertainty regarding the day. I apparently wrote the wrong room number on my schedule. In the past, I would record my classes into an agenda, digital calendar, or nearby Post-It (depending on what I fancied at the time) prior to the start of each quarter. I would check the time and room numbers at least three times to ensure that I made no errors. Despite this extra effort, I still lacked confidence in my transcribing abilities, so I would access the school site on my phone and check the information immediately before I entered the lecture hall. This time, I did not check the information (I blame SSRIs and their efficacy in the treatment of OCD).
I arrived early, so I was able to choose a dark seat in the back (as I am a vampire and despise light). I sent a few emails and did a little work on my computer while waiting for class to start. Approximately ten minutes before the class was to begin, the professor entered and attempted to locate his lecture slides. I looked up at the projector, curious as to what was lurking within his computer. A few titles caught my eye...
"Horror1"
"Horror2"
"Screaming"
"The Walking Dead"
Huh.
That's odd...
I guess neuroscientists are allowed to have other interests.
Content with my rationalization, I went back to my work. When he finally got the PowerPoint up, I noticed the title "Flesh and Blood", which was accompanied with a still from the movie Psycho and the cover of Twilight.
Is he messing with us?
Maybe he is trying to get us excit-
The professor began his lecture. "The readings for this class are titled 'Horror' and..."
Crap.
I'm in the wrong class.
Luckily, the location of my actual class was only next door. I recovered quickly and took a seat. I reached in my bag to find my notebook. My bag seems to have the storage capacity of Hermione's hexed purse in The Deathly Hallows whenever I cannot find something, so placed it on my lap to facilitate the search. My hand swept from side to side. Nope. Not there. Well done, Sam. You lost your notebook, too.
Ah, multiple choice problems. How I will miss you so! If I could stay a student forever, I would. I absolutely love it. As excited as I am for what is to come, I do not want to forget what it is like to be an undergraduate. For the next three and a half months, I will use this blog to document my final quarter. It may not be as cool as my brother's blog, in which he records his daily shenanigans in medical school, but I will give it a shot!
"Nooooo more pencilsssss, nooooo more boooooks, nooooo more teacher's dirtyyyyy loooooks!"
Um, Sam... Summer is over. NOT FOR ME! I finished summer session, and I have a week off before I start fall quarter. Yipppppeeeee! Don't get me wrong. I love school. Not a single week has elapsed since I completed summer session, and I have already started to prepare for the upcoming quarter. With some of the course websites up and running, I was able to read the syllabi, enter important dates into my calendar, and compile a list of required books (it's like the one from Hogwarts but less magical). I am tempted to buy and read my textbooks before the courses even begin. However, I thought I would resist my masochistic side and take this time to appreciate all the things that are difficult to do with a demanding course load: 1. Sleep. Enough said. 2. Just lie in bed in the early morning with no blaring alarm to kil- ahem... turn off. It is nice to rise with the sun. 3. Lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. I do this frequently for study breaks, usually thinking to myself, "I wish I didn't have so much to do. I could just lie here for as long as I want." Of course, when I actually have free time, I never get the urge to do this, but I will oblige Delirious-From-Finals-Sam.
[Lies on floor and stares at ceiling]
...
[Approximately two seconds later]
...
"Yup. This is boring."
4. Leave work to actually go home and relax. My co-workers often tease me for my measly ten hours a week, but when you add classes and a few internships, it really adds up to much more than the typical forty hours a week. When they clock out, they are free to do what they like. When I clock out, I need to chip away at my ever increasing mountain of work. 5. Work out. Hypothetically speaking... Oh, wait! I did work out! I went stand-up paddling yesterday, and my (lack of) abs are still aching to prove it. Six-pack, here I come. 6. Read books of the fiction variety. I recently finished The Spectacular Now. 7. Watch television and movies. Oh wait, I guess I do that during the school year as well. All the good shows just have to run during the academic year. Six days until Castle! 8. Stay up late because I want to, not because I have to. 9. Rejoice in the return of optimism and self-confidence. Large work loads, unrelenting fatigue, and unfavorable odds tend to scare them away... Poor little guys. 10. Learn new things because even when I leave the classroom, I will remain a humble student.
I asked my not-so-old man (he got carded at dinner!) to accompany me to theFun. concert, featuring Tegan and Sara, last Saturday. He was a good sport and joined me even though he was only vaguely familiar with their music. Him: What's with the dot? Me: It's a period. Him: So, are they called "Fun Period"? Me: No, it's just Fun. Then, the Fun. puns commenced...
"This is going to be Fun."
"I love Fun."
"Fun. is awesome."
"That was so much Fun."
... and so on. It was Fun. Okay, that was the last one.
Before heading over to the concert, we stopped for dinner at the Sojourner Cafe. I love this place. As a vegetarian, I am usually limited to a few choices (and most of them are salads) at restaurants. The Sojourner is a self-proclaimed "veggie cafe"; I was overwhelmed with all the possibilities. When we got to the concert, I was more than a little panicked. Our seats were not together, and we were going to need to negotiate with some people in order to sit next to each other. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that everyone was extremely obliging, and a few seemed to be in the same boat.
The View from the Santa Barbara Bowl
Tegan and Sara opened, and they were incredible. I first heard their music while watching Grey's Anatomy, which featured a number of their songs from their album So Jealous. However, they almost exclusively played songs from their new album, Heartthrob. It is so different from their first album, but I am absolutely obsessed with it, especially after hearing them live.
"Now I'm All Messed Up" by Tegan and Sara
They also happened to be hilarious. Tegan was trying to convince the crowd that she was determined to move to Santa Barbara and we were now her home town crowd. She went on about looking for houses and how beautiful it was in Santa Barbara until Sara finally interrupted her, "I would just like you all to know that Tegan has already told at least two lies tonight."
Tegan and Sara absolutely crushed it!
They were a tough act to follow, but Fun. managed. The crowd was insane, and they were extraordinary. I was really stoked that they began with "Some Nights (Intro)".
"Some Nights (Intro)" by Fun.
They played almost every song on their second album Some Nights and a few from their first album called Aim and Ignite. I highly recommend both!
Confetti Canons!
Every member was extremely talented, but the lead singer, Nate, was incredible. I am still perplexed by the amount of energy that man possessed. He sang as well as a Broadway singer while running and jumping all over the stage.
Crazy!
Like Tegan and Sara, the members of Fun. were hilarious, and I will give you the gist of one particularly funny tangent. As this happened a week ago and I do not have perfect memory, they are not exact quotes; I am just paraphrasing... Jack: I just wanted to explain that I am not making fashion statement by "one-gloving" it. I crashed on my motorcycle. [Crowd chuckles.] Jack: No, it was pretty serious- Nate: Dude, it was a scooter.[Crowd laughs. One guy "boos".] Jack: Did somebody just "boo" me? [Scans the crowd.] It was you! [Points to guy.] Why are you laughing at me, Chopper Guy? My scooter does the same thing as your motorcycle. It goes just as fast. Nate: Yeah, except you weren't. You were going too slow and it fell over. Jack: Hey, it's harder to go slow! After Jack continued to explain why he was not a total loser for crashing a scooter, he described his mother's reaction, which involved a crazed panic, Betadine, and some foul language. Basically, his mom sounds awesome... Nate: That is actually a perfect segue into our next- Andrew: No, it was a SCOOTER.
Fun. was fun. (Okay, that was the last one, I swear.)
Music? Beethoven. Today consisted mostly of studying, and it will probably remain that way for the next couple of weeks. Yay! [Insert forced smile here.] To satisfy my ridiculously short attention span(1), I listened to a wide variety of music. However, the majority has lyrics, which proves to make reading difficult(2). To remedy that matter, I played some classical music that I studied in my music appreciation class. Apparently that did not appease my difficulty focusing as I cannot stop obsessing over the brilliance that is Beethoven.
My inner hipster proclaims that it is so "mainstream" to declare Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as my favorite, but whatever... it is amazing (especially the third movement).
Tangential Notes
(1) No, I do not have ADHD; I may exaggerate at times... Interestingly, people often assume that individuals with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) cannot pay attention when, in fact, the opposite is true. In my cognitive psychology class, I learned that attention is often compared to a spotlight. When one pays attention to a particular object, their attentional spotlight is directed towards it. ADHD actually manifests in the patient's inability to focus their attentional spotlight. In other words, these individuals attempt to pay attention to too many things at once by rapidly switching between stimuli.
(2) To my dismay, listening to music or watching TV while studying is indeed to one's disadvantage. This is due to the irrelevant speech effect, in which the rehearsal of words (silently in one's mind) is impacted by externally presented verbal information. However, there is a loophole! The interference only occurs if the information is of the same type. I listened to Beethoven's 5th (an absurd number of times), so it was in no danger of impeding my learning. However, if I had listened to Beethoven's 9th instead, which has lyrics, the interference would be present once again. It is so unfair... I do not even understand German!
