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.
