Today is Monday, but that's OK, because in about 2 weeks, I get a pretty sweet summer vacation (the last one ever...)! I'm supposed to be studying Microbiology right now but I decided that I'd take a quick break and tell the world what is happening!
This past Saturday, I finally ran the 5k that I've been talking about. It was a real good time. It was in Valparaiso, and there were about 700 people there running the race (that was cool), and it was a really nice day (about 60 degrees and sunny--perfect running weather). Now, I didn't set any land speed records, but I did run it in under 23 minutes, which was good enough for me... One thing that I did notice is that running outside is a lot different than running inside on a track (which is where I've been running for the past few months). I'm not sure what it is, but for some reason, I was a little slower than the 3 mile time a did a couple of weeks ago... Anyway, its a lot warmer now, so I should be able to get outside to run pretty much whenever I want now (as long as I can find the time!). Sadly, I think I was born with the wrong body type, but I really do enjoy running, as crazy as that sounds.
So there you have it. My life in a nutshell. And now I'm off, to memorize everything.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
I wish we could learn like the do in the Matrix
Big news, this is my 70th posting!!!
Now on to exciting things. This has been quite the week so far. We started microbiology, and we also started having class in the afternoon instead of the morning. I have to be honest, I thought that I would like it, but I really don't, even though I'm not really a morning person. We've got nothin until 1pm most days from now thru the end of April, and it really breaks up the day, so I feel like I'm not being quite as productive. Of course maybe its just because I'm not used to it. Regardless, we did have something in the morning today. It was a "Medical Ethics" lecture. Actually it wasn't that bad, it was pretty interesting. That's not to say that it was the greatest lecture I've ever been to, but it was better than hearing about antibacterial drugs, which is what we did this afternoon.
Of course, I've spent the remainder of the day memorizing said drugs. Well, let me repharase that, trying to memorize...
Quick update, my 5k is on the day after tomorrow. I should probably cut this short, I've got a long night ahead of me, and lots left to memorize.
Now on to exciting things. This has been quite the week so far. We started microbiology, and we also started having class in the afternoon instead of the morning. I have to be honest, I thought that I would like it, but I really don't, even though I'm not really a morning person. We've got nothin until 1pm most days from now thru the end of April, and it really breaks up the day, so I feel like I'm not being quite as productive. Of course maybe its just because I'm not used to it. Regardless, we did have something in the morning today. It was a "Medical Ethics" lecture. Actually it wasn't that bad, it was pretty interesting. That's not to say that it was the greatest lecture I've ever been to, but it was better than hearing about antibacterial drugs, which is what we did this afternoon.
Of course, I've spent the remainder of the day memorizing said drugs. Well, let me repharase that, trying to memorize...
Quick update, my 5k is on the day after tomorrow. I should probably cut this short, I've got a long night ahead of me, and lots left to memorize.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Oh no!, Its, its, ...retrospect!!! AAHHH!
And so we come to the end of another weekend. A real one though, not one spent studying or working or doing anything remotely stressful. I watched a lot of basketball, did some relaxing, both by myself and with friends, and had an all-around good time.
I'm just about done with my first year here, and it was a nice night, so I was just sitting on my front porch relaxing, and I had a couple thoughts I thought I would share.
First, I've got it pretty good (not to brag, I just forget that sometimes). In reality, my biggest problems in life right now are things like "oh no, I have to study ALL NIGHT", or "I have to read all of that by WHEN?". And there's nothing stopping me from imagining a whole other set of problems as well. But in reality, it could be SO much worse.
Second, I need to relax... I spend so much time studying and obsessing over my grades, and studying all the time, that, well, its just not healthy. Moreover, I don't think that it helps all that much. I mean of course I need to learn the stuff, but does that last hour spent going over the material for the 18th time really help that much more than if I spent that same hour doing something else like (heaven forbid!) sleeping? I think not. (But of course, I say this now, in one of my "sober moments", at the end of a weekend--its a lot harder to say that the night before an exam)
So in the future, I plan to work had to finish out my last class of first year (I mean its only 3 more weeks, right?), but I don't plan to kill myself with overstudying. Maybe I won't get an "Honors Pass", but then again, maybe I will. What I am going to do is learn as much as I can, as well as I can--not because of a grade, but because it's important.
I'm just about done with my first year here, and it was a nice night, so I was just sitting on my front porch relaxing, and I had a couple thoughts I thought I would share.
First, I've got it pretty good (not to brag, I just forget that sometimes). In reality, my biggest problems in life right now are things like "oh no, I have to study ALL NIGHT", or "I have to read all of that by WHEN?". And there's nothing stopping me from imagining a whole other set of problems as well. But in reality, it could be SO much worse.
Second, I need to relax... I spend so much time studying and obsessing over my grades, and studying all the time, that, well, its just not healthy. Moreover, I don't think that it helps all that much. I mean of course I need to learn the stuff, but does that last hour spent going over the material for the 18th time really help that much more than if I spent that same hour doing something else like (heaven forbid!) sleeping? I think not. (But of course, I say this now, in one of my "sober moments", at the end of a weekend--its a lot harder to say that the night before an exam)
So in the future, I plan to work had to finish out my last class of first year (I mean its only 3 more weeks, right?), but I don't plan to kill myself with overstudying. Maybe I won't get an "Honors Pass", but then again, maybe I will. What I am going to do is learn as much as I can, as well as I can--not because of a grade, but because it's important.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
And the sign said...
There's a few signs near my place that just don't sit well with me. I thought I should share...
Apparently, the permit that you get is a permit to NOT DIE! I'd like to get one of those.
This one bothers just bothers me. There's a giant face on it, and its not reassuring, its acutally kind of unnerving, especially if you're driving by at 2 in the morning...
And on another note...
...in case anyone wants to move in next door!
Apparently, the permit that you get is a permit to NOT DIE! I'd like to get one of those.
This one bothers just bothers me. There's a giant face on it, and its not reassuring, its acutally kind of unnerving, especially if you're driving by at 2 in the morning...
And on another note...
...in case anyone wants to move in next door!
Friday, March 28, 2008
You wouldn't hit a kid with glasses, would you?
Well, today has been quite the day... It all started out with the big Immunology final. No big deal, I just memorized everything, so it shouldn't be a problem, right? Well, I guess it all depends what you mean by not a problem. Did I ace it? No. Did I pass? Yes, without question. Which is really all that matters. Because sme of the things that we had to learn for that test may never come up again. Like which ligand for which receptor is downregulated is what reaction under what expirimental conditions, bla bla bla... lymphocytes...phagocytosis...macromolecules...DNA...Guillain Barre Syndrome...
Well I guess I better really know about Guillain-Barre Syndrome. That could be important.
After the test, I spent some time making my apartment clean again (time well spent). Then I had to do a Standardized Patient Interview this afternoon, which unfortuantely was not the greatest. Apparently performance suffers due to lack of sleep. But you knew that already, right?
After that, I watched some basketball at home, went out and watched some basketball with friends, and had an all-around good time. Good, first and foremost, because there was no studying involved.
So that was my day. In addition, today I became a "maverick non-conformist", deleted Windows from my computer, and installed Ubuntu linux. Because my old computer stopped working properly. So I decided that now was the perfect time to stick it to the man and start running linux, the open source operating system. In fact, I'm using it was we speak to write this post, and it is AMAZING!
By the way, the penguin is the Linux mascot.
Well I guess I better really know about Guillain-Barre Syndrome. That could be important.
After the test, I spent some time making my apartment clean again (time well spent). Then I had to do a Standardized Patient Interview this afternoon, which unfortuantely was not the greatest. Apparently performance suffers due to lack of sleep. But you knew that already, right?
After that, I watched some basketball at home, went out and watched some basketball with friends, and had an all-around good time. Good, first and foremost, because there was no studying involved.
So that was my day. In addition, today I became a "maverick non-conformist", deleted Windows from my computer, and installed Ubuntu linux. Because my old computer stopped working properly. So I decided that now was the perfect time to stick it to the man and start running linux, the open source operating system. In fact, I'm using it was we speak to write this post, and it is AMAZING!
By the way, the penguin is the Linux mascot.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
In some ways, I'm a lot like Forrest Gump
Today has been a day filled with lots of studying, and not a whole lot else. Actually, this whole week has been... same story as always, right? I guess I haven't just been studying, I've been doing some running, in preparation for the 5k that's a week from Saturday.
I've been pleasantly surprised, actually. I mentioned that I wanted to run one this spring to a couple of friends, and they both said they would like to run one as well, and so we decided to see if we could get more of our classmates to run with us, and so we've got quite a few people (i.e. more than just me) who're going to run a 5k together. We're like the medical school cross country team. I've never been on a cross country team before (there's a reason for that...)! So I'm looking forward to that.
Something out of the ordinary did happen this week... so, my school is located "on the campus of the University of Notre Dame", but really its across the road from the main entrance. So there's a pretty well-trafficked street there. That's fairly important to the story.
In addition, there is a group at Notre Dame (some sort of acting group or theatre thing) that's putting on the play "The Vagina Monologues". Well, being the Catholic university that ND is, there was some opposition. The local (arch?)-Bishop said that it was not allowed. But the president of the school gave the group the go-ahead anyway. Anyway, its been the "hot topic" around campus for a couple of weeks. Anyway, there were some people out protesting it on the corner by our building on Tuesday. They were very offended by the play, they see it as "immoral".
Actually there was a pretty general consensus among the people in the medical school that these protesters were being ridiculous. One of the graduate students that I know was leaving early, and he stopped and talked to a few of the protesters on his way out and one of them (oddly enough named Matt), told him that they were from Pennsylvania and they were protesting because they felt that the play was immoral and vulgar and shouldn't be put on, especially not at a well-known Catholic university.
Well, I guess I didn't realize that it was such a big deal. First of all, I never really knew what "The Vagina Monologues" was. I looked it up and got the general feel of what it was about. I guess (after just reading the plot synopsis) I just didn't see what all the fuss is about. I mean, obviously I'm all for morality and personal responsibility and doing what's right and all of that. I'd be interested to hear what you all think... (i.e leave comments!)
In other news, the local high school told Hillary Clinton that she couldn't come speak there on Friday... that was a GREAT idea. Nothing like NOT participating in politics...
I've been pleasantly surprised, actually. I mentioned that I wanted to run one this spring to a couple of friends, and they both said they would like to run one as well, and so we decided to see if we could get more of our classmates to run with us, and so we've got quite a few people (i.e. more than just me) who're going to run a 5k together. We're like the medical school cross country team. I've never been on a cross country team before (there's a reason for that...)! So I'm looking forward to that.
Something out of the ordinary did happen this week... so, my school is located "on the campus of the University of Notre Dame", but really its across the road from the main entrance. So there's a pretty well-trafficked street there. That's fairly important to the story.
In addition, there is a group at Notre Dame (some sort of acting group or theatre thing) that's putting on the play "The Vagina Monologues". Well, being the Catholic university that ND is, there was some opposition. The local (arch?)-Bishop said that it was not allowed. But the president of the school gave the group the go-ahead anyway. Anyway, its been the "hot topic" around campus for a couple of weeks. Anyway, there were some people out protesting it on the corner by our building on Tuesday. They were very offended by the play, they see it as "immoral".
Actually there was a pretty general consensus among the people in the medical school that these protesters were being ridiculous. One of the graduate students that I know was leaving early, and he stopped and talked to a few of the protesters on his way out and one of them (oddly enough named Matt), told him that they were from Pennsylvania and they were protesting because they felt that the play was immoral and vulgar and shouldn't be put on, especially not at a well-known Catholic university.
Well, I guess I didn't realize that it was such a big deal. First of all, I never really knew what "The Vagina Monologues" was. I looked it up and got the general feel of what it was about. I guess (after just reading the plot synopsis) I just didn't see what all the fuss is about. I mean, obviously I'm all for morality and personal responsibility and doing what's right and all of that. I'd be interested to hear what you all think... (i.e leave comments!)
In other news, the local high school told Hillary Clinton that she couldn't come speak there on Friday... that was a GREAT idea. Nothing like NOT participating in politics...
Monday, March 24, 2008
I've created My(own)SQL!!! (actually I haven't)
I had a quiz this morning. It was no big deal though. Just 20 questions, multiple choice. Not that grades really matter... I just spent all weekend studying for it. Actually, I know how I did already, because right after we took it, we then went over all the questions as a class and what the right answers were and everything. Unfortunately, I didn't count how many I missed, so I don't REALLY know how I did. Again, it's not like grades actually matter or anything.
After that, I went for a jog over at the fieldhouse. Then I spent a lot of time studying this afternoon. This evening, I decided that I wanted to try to be an IT professional and make my computers work. Well, really just the old one. It went crazy. So that's what I'm doing as we speak. Backing up files, and hopefully reinstalling the operating system. I just hope I get EVERYTHING backed up that I would ever need.
On a related note, I bought this big external hard drive at Best Buy (it was on clearance) so I could do all this "backing up", and it said on a sticker on the packaging "500 Glorious Gigabytes"! Which I thought was funny.
For the record, I DO realize that backing up files doesn't make you an IT professional. For that you have to do things like talk about proxies and "server downtime"... And get paid for it!
After that, I went for a jog over at the fieldhouse. Then I spent a lot of time studying this afternoon. This evening, I decided that I wanted to try to be an IT professional and make my computers work. Well, really just the old one. It went crazy. So that's what I'm doing as we speak. Backing up files, and hopefully reinstalling the operating system. I just hope I get EVERYTHING backed up that I would ever need.
On a related note, I bought this big external hard drive at Best Buy (it was on clearance) so I could do all this "backing up", and it said on a sticker on the packaging "500 Glorious Gigabytes"! Which I thought was funny.
For the record, I DO realize that backing up files doesn't make you an IT professional. For that you have to do things like talk about proxies and "server downtime"... And get paid for it!
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