Breathalyzers (Day 4)

Schedule

8:00-9:15 Motivation lecture

11:00-12:15 Psychopharmacology lecture

2:00-3:15 Cognitive neuroscience lecture

3:30-5:30 Work

7:00-8:00 Club meeting

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.

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.