Chuck's Tips on Life

Aww. Got this from my bio lab professor today:

Hi Everyone-- I hope you're rested up and ready to make that sprint down the stretch. Keep working and keep your spirits up. Sometimes the pressure towards the semester's end can seem unbearable. Here are some of my tips for dealing with life's stress:

a) Work steadily and wisely. Determine what's most important (or what's worth the most points) and give that your primary attention.

b) Do the best that you can do under the circumstances. DON'T LET OTHERS PUT UNDO PRESSURE ON YOU TO SUCCEED.

c) REMEMBER THAT YOUR SELF-WORTH DOES NOT HINGE ON YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS. Please remember that the people that really matter in your life don't equate your successes or failures with your value as a person.

d) Be at your best. Eat well, sleep well, and maintain a positive attitude. This is the time when bad choices can really affect your performance. AVOID DISTRACTIONS. Don't stay up all night to finish a paper, then be groggy during an exam. Don't get involved in family or roommate or boyfriend/girlfriend problems. THEY CAN WAIT. Deal with those problems over break. Got negative friends? Avoid them until after exams.

e) Focus on what's important. YOU are important. A single course is NOT the end of the world. A single semester is NOT the end of the world. Keep on top of your stress by reminding yourself that 1) you are worth MORE than any of your problems and 2) you can only do your best. Others will just have to learn to adjust to that. They will.

f) And finally, when you feel ready to unravel - seek help. Talk to your professors, because they can often help you come up with a plan that will help you make it through the difficult times. Seek a good counselor. Academic advisors, pastors, and trusted uncles or aunts can help you focus and give you a better sense of self-worth as you go through stress-filled times.

Oxygen=Pit Bull

Our orgo professor just used a pit bulls and meat metaphor to explain oxygen competition over hydrogen...
I love college.

Ooh, ooh, microbiology is useful!

I'm writing my paper for Honors Biology on social amoebae...and I'm coming across stuff I know from microbiology! Woohoo! It hasn't been pointless! YAY! (I never thought microbiology was useless entirely. Just nice to see it have a point for me.)

Aww

Facebook Message from Barb:

Subject: "Jorgen has a question"
Body: "Dear Becca,
I would like to ask if you found King Tut. I miss you and I love you. I was looking at pictures of King Tut. I know that you were in Egypt. Thank you again.
Mom, Dad, Hollan and Jorgen‎"

Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy late Thanksgiving to you all; hope you enjoyed. Mom and Dad came up and we went to Grampa Farnum's on Thursday. The younger cousins all came, and it was good to see all of them. (Including Andrew, who is now in his first semester at MSU but whom I haven't actually seen yet...oops.)
Friday we went to the Bohls' and stayed forever...so Mom and Dad crashed at my place again.
I finished my Anthropology Honors Option Paper on Women and Health in Islam yesterday. Today, the goal is my News & Views Honors Biology Paper on the social evolution of amoeba. Yeehaw!
And then tomorrow will be reading orgo, international relations, and Judaism texts for the coming week. Woohoo!

Argh!

All we did in class today was review the last exam. The answers to which are posted online. ARGH! I am perfectly willing to go to classes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. IF they actually contain some amount of material. ARGH!

Classes Today

We're just reviewing in Microbiology...I came in in case some words of wisdom are being spoken. Nothing major...just running through the lectures again.
In organic chemistry, I'm guessing like 40 of 400 will show up. Alas. I will go to that, as well, in spite of the fact that I get very little from lectures.
Thus far, the main benefit from coming to class was getting up...Pacita was over till like 3:45 this morning, so I was a bit of a bed-hugger this morning...

And they're all off..

Bye bye, friends. Everyone's off home...a bunch of people left yesterday. And more are taking off today. Lindsey left early last night, so I have the condo to myself. Until Mom and Dad come to crash, that is. :)
I get a lovely weekend, mostly at home, writing a paper about Women and Health in the Quran and another on social evolution in amoeba. Woohoo!

A few thoughts to wrap up the evening...

1. I am appalled by how many of my friends do not know that English is not the official language of the United States. Asked a bunch if they thought it should be for a friend's polling project, and way too many of them said they thought it was...tear.
2. The moment when Spock says "Live long and prosper" to the Vulcan Science Academy Council after they tell him his human mother is a disadvantage is one of the best movie moments ever.

And that is all. Good night and good luck.

Movie in Judaism

We watched "Trembling Before G-d," a look at homosexuality in practice and law in Jewish (mostly orthodox) communities this morning. I only cried like nine separate times...
Incidentally, I was wearing my "Legalize Gay" t-shirt today. There was no hiding where I was on the topic for the day...lol.

Reflection Room

Forgot to tell you about this...majorly excited.

Click ME to read an article about the new Reflection Room on campus.

Fun Weekend

'Twas a great weekend. Friday I had a few meetings, the Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, and then an overnight RING retreat at Justin's house (during which I ran away for a bit and hung at Kelsey's house). Saturday finished the retreat, hung out with Emily a bit, worked on my term paper for international relations, and Megan came over. She brought "Star Trek!" I have watched/listened to it or at least part of it somewhere around six times...
This morning was church and we had the bell choir play and a mini-orchestra and timpani play with us during the anthem...and a FANTASTIC postlude. Great morning.
Sunday after did some chores around campus, wrote more paper, refereed scoring during Bailey's Quidditch game, had a couple of brief meetings or presentations, watched "Singin' in the Rain" with Lindsey, and finished a draft of my term paper (which my lucky parents now get to edit, if they so choose).
And now, one more round of "Star Trek: the Best Bits" before bed. Yay!
I love life. I love you. I hope you love life. : )

Fun in Microbiology

Just had a good day in Microbiology...we did epidemiology. I like epidemiology. It has a point. Unlike certain other topics in micriobiology...lol.

Good Organic Chemistry Quiz!

I have just completed a very successful organic chemistry quiz. I may honestly have 20/20ed that. Yay!

Oh, that felt beautiful

I just added REL 480 and dropped MMG 302!!!
Becca=floating on moon.

ZOOLOGY!!!

I've found it! Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Here are the classes I get to take for this BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC, PERFECT major:
ZOL 341 Fundamental Genetics
ZOL 355 Ecology
ZOL 355L Ecology Laboratory
ZOL 455 Evolution (W)
ZOL 328 Comparative Anatomy Bio Vertebrates (W)
ZOL 313 Animal Behavior

And some combo of:
ZOL 310 Psych/Bio Human Sexuality
ZOL 415 Tom's Class! (Evolution and Behavior with my current honors bio prof whom I love)
ZOL 434 Evolutionary Paleobiology
ZOL 448 Evolutionary Develop Bio
ZOL 457 Foundations Evolutionary Bio
ZOL 320 Developmental Biology
ZOL 402 Neurobiology
ZOL 430 Neuroendocrine
ZOL 849 Evolutionary Biology
ZOL 822 Topics in Evol Bio

Becca=INCREDIBLY happy she found this. Never would have thought to look under Zoology...but this is seriously what I find really fun and cool. And tonight, Fukuyama showed that I could actually bridge it with my International Relations and Peace and Justice. I LOVE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But maybe?

Zoology Major with a focus on Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology? It might happen, folks. Anything's up for grabs, here.

Not fair!

They have an Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior GRADUATE program at MSU. But not an undergrad. Excuse me! I want!

Fukuyama Lecture 1

I'm sitting in an amazing lecture about the evolution of social politics and interactions. We talked a lot about chimpanzees and biology in a poli-sci lecture.

I LOVE COLLEGE!!

(Can I please major in social evolution?)

FYI

I am now planning to do a BS in Human Biology rather than Microbiology. The courses interest me more and will be more helpful in doing public health rather than lab rat antibiotics and stuff, something I find fascinating but don't want to do myself.

HOLD THE PRESSES!
I made a credit-calculation error. Switching majors would only save me 1 credit. So maybe I'm not. Argh. I dunno...

Fukuyama is Coming!

Fukuyama, who wrote "The End of History" (in which he argues that, in one sense, history is done with...the ideological war is won with liberalism as the victor) is coming to MSU today as part of the LeFrak Forum on "Religion and Modernity." We've got a fancy reception at Cowle's House tonight, followed by a lecture. Tomorrow I get a small group student discussion with him, and then another lecture tomorrow night. We've read a few passages of his in MC 220 (International Relations: Security), so I'm looking forward to being able to talk with him from a slightly-informed viewpoint.

No Bio

We don't have honors biology lecture this week; they are instead offering walk-in term paper clinics. This is lovely, as it gives me time to actually write said paper...along with all the other term papers. This is unfortunate because it means I am missing my weekly double doses of Tom Getty hilarity. Sadness...

In other news, I'm officially 3.0ing microbiology...if I even do that well. Those questions are ridiculous. Hopefully I will manage to memorize absolutely every fact for the final, I guess.

Quidditch!

I have just watched a game of Quidditch. I kid you not. It's really quite fabulous. Lena was the Snitch...she dresses up in gold and has wings as a headband. The Snitch is handled like Capture the Flag - he or she has a sock or flag tucked into the waistband and the Seekers must get it. The Snitch is able to run all around, off the pitch, so they're truly "seeking" the Snitch. And the other players run around with broomsticks between their legs, trying to score goals. Like basketball. But totally better.
The capture of the Snitch ends the game, but isn't a totally ludicrous number of points, so goal-scoring actually matters.

Peace and Justice Lock-In

We did a peace and justice lock-in at University UMC last night. The Conference Council on Youth Ministries joined us. It went incredibly well, and I got to see a bunch of people from the Conference I hadn't seen in a while!
YAY!

Oh, What a Week

The week of four exams is over...kinda. The four exams are over, anyways. Once again, I didn't do so well in microbiology or organic chemistry. This is what happens when a right-brained person tries to take on left-brained activities...

Morning Sickness=Good for Baby

Today in Honors Biology: Embryonic Development!
There's speculation that morning sickness during pregnancy is an adaptive trait that allows any microbes or chemicals that would be bad for the baby to get out of the body. Data suggests that women with greater morning sickness have fewer miscarriages.

So, prenatal advice with Tom Getty: Don't try to suppress it, "let it out."

Fun in Judaism!

I got to read the Writ of Excommunication of Spinoza today in class. FUN!

The Senhores of the Mahamad make it
known that they have long since been cognizant
of the wrong opinions and behavior of
Baruch d'Espinoza, and tried various means
and promises to dissuade him from his evil
ways. But as they effected no improvement,
obtaining on the contrary more information
every day of the horrible heresies which he
practised and taught and of the monstrous
actions which he performed, and as they
had many trustworthy witnesses who in the
presence of the same Espinoza reported and
testified against him and convicted him; and
11fter all this had been investigated in the
presence of the rabbis, they decided with the
consent of these that the same ESpinoza
should be excommunicated and separated
(rom the people of Israel, as they now excommunicate
him with the following ban:
After the judgment of the Angels, and
with that of the Saints, we excommunicate,
expel and curse and damn Baruch
d'Espinoza with the consent of God,
Blessed be He, and with the consent of
this holy congregation [kahal kadosh] in
front of the holy Scrolls with the 613
precepts which are written therein, with
the anathema with which Joshua banned
Jericho, with the curse with which Elisha
cursed the youths, and with all the
curses which are written in the Law.
Cursed be he by day, and cursed be he
by night; cursed be he when he lies
down, and cursed be he when he rises
up; cursed be he when he goes out, and
cursed be he when he comes in. The
Lord will not pardon him; the anger and
wrath of the Lord will rage against this
man, and bring him all the curses which
are written in the Book of the Law, and
the Lord will destroy his name from
under the Heavens, and the Lord will
separate him to his injury from all the
tribes of Israel with all the curses of
the firmament, which are written in the
Book of the Law. But you who cleave to
the Lord your God are blessed.
We order that nobody should communicate
with him orally or in writing, or show him
any favor, or stay with him under the same
root, or come within four ells of him, or read
anything composed or written by him.

Orgo Exam 2

Today was our second exam in organic chemistry...this one was longer (as in more problems) and harder than the last one. I think I did a fair job studying, though, and wouldn't have done much better if I had prepped differently. Everyone else seemed panicked by it, so I think the class average is going to be much lower, and I think I did somewhere around as well as I did last time. We shall see, though.

Today was also the biology exam, which was laughably easy.

Hey There

This weekend has been all sortsa fun...I've studied, went to meetings, attended the Pastoral School Graduation, and studied some more. Watched some movies too. Life is good. : )

Bio

More fun in bio...we totally just had a picture of Spock and Kirk in our lecture sides. YES!

Med School

I think I'm not going to med school, by the way. Or maybe I will, but I'll be a DO, not an MD. We've been looking a lot at the medicalization of stuff in my Women and Health class. Maybe I'll be a medical anthropologist...it's fun. : )

Israel in the Summer

Had an informational meeting today about the summer study abroad program happening in Israel. And...a faculty member of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities is doing a two-week environmental study course just before the Jewish Studies through Madison, which his wife runs. I know Eric through the Chautauqua and know Yael by reputation. Eric's starts June 9; Yael's June 27. It's another four credits worth of tuition and an additional program fee, but I get a larger scholarship automatically from the Jewish Studies department. And with Eric's program, we travel all around Israel instead of just all around Jerusalem. So. Yeah. I think that might be happening. I'm hoping to count Eric's session as an international development course...that would be good.

BS 148H Quiz

So...our pre-lecture quiz today was most definitely on what happens to testicular size and function under excessive exogenous hormone levels.
Crudely put, I just explained why men on steroids have tiny balls in class.
I love college.

MC 220 Midterm

3.7. YAY!

MMG 301 Quotation

Fantastic Definition: "synthetic chemical compound that does not naturally occur in nature." Are they naturally occurring in the synthetic world? Heehee.

He Loves Me!

So...Pollock told me and Mark to stay after REL 310 today. I, of course, spent five minutes fearing the worst. The worst turned out to be a request to join his Philosophy of Religion class in the spring...
Not that I can take it, of course. But it feels good to be loved.

REL 310 Paper

Becca=happy. Religious studies paper #2=98%. Haha, world!
Comment at the end: "This paper is too long! - Only because that's the only thing I can really think to complain about here."
So there, world.
(I'm particularly happy about this because we had a bit of a spat on Wednesday about my typing during a class movie. I was (usually) typing notes on the movie...) Of course, he graded this before the movie. But whatever.

All Saint's Day

Happy All Saint's Day, darlings. My trio during Communion went well; I didn't seriously screw the other two up. The choir sang an arrangement of "Amazing Grace" that was incredibly powerful and also went well. I had Matt's name read during the Role Call of the Saints...and managed not to bawl all through the anthem, which they of course scheduled immediately after reading the list of names.