No Regrets (Day 23)

Schedule

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!

Dogs and Crap (Day 22)

Schedule

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? 

Hmm... 
I feel as though I am being watched.

[Look down]

Dog:OHMYGOSH!HI!ILOVEYOUSOMUCH.
THANKYOUFORLOOKINGATME.

[Wag tail]

[Spin around] 

[Raise paw]

[Wag tail]

Yup. Moving on...

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.

Return of the Blink (Day 16 - Day 21)

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.

[Slow blink]

...

[Four hours later]

[Yaaaaaawn]

...

[Eyes dart to clock]

Crazed Self: DAMMIT!

BRAINZZZZZZZZ.... and Other Stuff (Day 15)

Schedule

10:00-10:50 Organic chemistry lecture

1:00-2:30 Neuroanatomy lab

2:45-4:45 Work

5:00-6:00 Psychopharmacology review session

Today was awesome for three reasons:

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.

Stella!

Awesome Exhaustion (Day 14)

Schedule

8:00-9:15 Motivation lecture

10:00-10:45 Research conference call

11:00-12:15 Psychopharmacology lecture

2:00-3:15 Cognitive neuroscience

3:30-5:30 Work

6:30-7:00 Club executive meeting (leadership team only)

7:00-8:00 Club meeting (all members)

Today

was

exhausting

...

but awesome!

First Exam! (Day 13)

Schedule

10:00-10:50 Organic chemistry lecture

12:00-1:50 Neuroanatomy lecture

3:30-5:30 Work

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).

Visualizing the LGN (Day 12)

Schedule

10:00-10:50 Organic chemistry lecture

1:00-2:50 Neuroanatomy lab

3:30-5:30 Work

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...

Bucket o' Brain