Uh oh... (Day 3)

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.

Twenty-One Units to Go (Day 2)

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!

Great Start... Or Not (Day 1)

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.

My Last Quarter

I began my final quarter of my undergraduate education today!

Internal Pessimist: Assuming everything goes right...

Me: Zip it.

Directions: Complete the following sentence.

I feel __________.

A. Sad

B. Excited

C. Hopeful

D. Scared

E. All of the above

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!

School's Out for Summer

"School's Out" by Alice Cooper

"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.

Father-Daughter Date Night

I asked my not-so-old man (he got carded at dinner!) to accompany me to the Fun. 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.)

Reuniting with Beethoven

Computer? Check.

Textbook? Check.

Glasses? Check.

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!

You've got (awesome) mail.

I received a package this morning, but I could not remember what I ordered. While opening it, I glanced at the return address. "DFTBA Records". Huh...

WAIT. 

YESSSSS!

DFTBA!

A few months ago, I donated to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries DVD Kickstarter. Each backer was rewarded with a gift based on the donation amount. Today, I received my gift... It's so pretty!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Edition of Pride and Prejudice

DFTBA

As I was feeling a little under the weather today, I decided to spend the day browsing the endless entertainment of YouTube. This decision was guilt-ridden, and I will borrow J.R.R. Tolkien's creepy, yet endearing character, Smeagol/Gollum, to express my inner turmoil.

Camera Angle 1: You watched baby hedgehog videos all day, didn't you? Didn't you, Precious?!

Camera Angle 2: No! *choke up phlegm* We swears!

No, I did not watch baby hedgehog videos all day... That was so last week. 

Warning: By watching this video,
 you are in danger of a cuteness overdose.

Instead, I watched some videos by the wonderfully awesome Vlog Brothers, otherwise known as John and Hank Green. I was introduced to these guys by my brother, his girlfriend, and their roommate during my latest trip to New York. They were repeatedly throwing around words like "vlog" and "nerdfighter", using "DFTBA" as their catch phrase, and flashing some pretty odd gang signs. I could explain all of this, but I will let these guys tell you for themselves.

Puppy-sized elephants?

Shortly after, I decided to read John Green's book, The Fault in Our Stars, and watch Hank Green's The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. After obsessing over both of these works of genius, I decided that I could resist their pull no longer. I am a proud nerdfighter. DFTBA

Tangential Note

As much as I love using videos on my blog, I am in the process of battling an irrational fear that these will be removed from the host site in the future. 

Imagine this: a poor unsuspecting reader (or spam site) will come across my post. To their dismay, they encounter a message reading, "This video was removed by the user." I know, the horror is overwhelming. 

It is similar to the feeling experienced when you have something stuck in your teeth but no one tells you about it... So, be cool and just hit the feedback button (located somewhere around here) if these videos are taken off YouTube. Nerdfighter out.

Kind People and Unexpected Delays

Yesterday morning, I had a follow-up service appointment for my car. When I walked into the office, I immediately recognized one of the employees; he helped me a few weeks ago when my car endured an extensive check-up. I asked him if I was to wait in the same lounge, and he quizzically replied, "Are you going to hang out in there all day again?" After he reminded me that they had a shuttle service, I chuckled and said, "I brought two books this time. I'm good."

When my car was serviced a few weeks prior, I was told to expect a two hour wait. It took over five hours. Fortunately, I had the forethought to bring my computer and a textbook. I sat down in their comfortable chairs, donned my headphones, and went to work.

Though I was not expecting such a long delay, I did not mind the wait. I finished more work than I would have if I had simply gone home; there were few distractions to divert my attention. Despite my repeated assurances, the employees felt bad that I was stuck there due to unforeseen circumstances on their part. They periodically gave me updates, asked if I needed anything, and sincerely thanked me for my patience (see? I do have patience). Prompted by my horrendous volunteer uniform and my large neuroscience textbook, one employee asked me about my career goals. At the end of the day, she wished me luck with my future endeavors.

Such interactions are seared into my memory. It looked as if it was going to be a bad day; I was forced to spend a cherished Saturday cooped up in a waiting room. By maintaining a positive attitude, I got through it with a genuine smile on my face. Those people made an impression on me, and it was nice to see that they remembered me when I returned a few weeks later.