GREat!

Guys--I just registered to take the GRE.  As in, graduate school.  Graduate school!  I will admit, a tiny part of me is freaking out right now, but the rest of me is almost excited (well, not for the test exactly, for the school part).  I am such a nerd...

Need...structure...

This is the first year since kindergarten that I won't be starting a new school year/semester in August.  

It's really weird.  

I almost miss it--almost being the operative word there.

Really, I'm just a bit miffed that my nice summer schedule is now going to be all thrown off because everyone else is going to school.  My mom and I can't just sit and watch movies in the afternoon or go shopping.  (That last one is probably a good thing for my bank account, though...)   


Dang.  

Oh well.

In other news, my house is being invaded by crickets.  If the door opens for 30 seconds at night at least 2 of them hop on in and proceed to crawl all over me.  No joke, I've had at least two crickets in the past few days crawl down my arm/various body parts while I've been sitting on the couch minding my own business.  Why get all worked up about that, do you ask?  Well, my friend, in order for a cricket to crawl down my arm, he had to start somewhere above my arm.  Crickets in my hair is not a pleasant mental picture....*shudder*


Eww.  I'm getting grossed out now.  


Just thought you'd all like to know.  :)

Med Chem Math

I know you are all probably sick of hearing about med chem, but this will be the last post on the subject. Hopefully. Probably. We'll see.

Ahem:
310 flash cards
174 pages of notes
42 hours in class
4 problem sets
4 old/practice tests
Several book problems (I forgot to count them)
50 billion hours of studying (I didn't count these either--this is just an estimate)
+4 tests (including a TWENTY-FIVE page final)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 A!!!!

Yes, I got an A in med chem! Hooray! Is it sick that I wanted to count all of this up? (Or at least the flash cards and pages of notes.) Probably. But I did it anyways. I think this is the only class I've taken that I thought from the beginning "I'm going to put in some effort here." I know I've worked in my other classes, but it seemed like I was doing it on a test-by-test, oh-crap-I-probably-need-to-do-this-now basis. Not exactly setting myself up for success there. For this class, I actually tried. Huh--what a concept.

You know, I just looked at my "unofficial" transcript. ***Warning--I'm about to brag a bit more, sorry.*** I only got 1 B and 2 B+'s in my 4 years in college. (And only 2 A-'s.) The rest were A's or A+'s.

How on earth did that happen?

Well, for one, I did do some work, even though most of the time I feel so lazy. (Maybe I should have done that tally for all of my classes...) But really, I know a large part of it is because I have been extremely blessed. I know I've posted about this before, but it's still true. Prayer is an amazing thing. I don't even know how many times I pray before a test, but it always gives me peace. I have received so much help and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for that.

So, I'm officially graduated! Summa cum laude, too. Oh, and with all of my easy classes this semester, I got my cumulative GPA back up to 4.0! (Haha--I haven't even really looked at my GPA until recently. I kind of forgot about it for a while.) So, yay for me and everyone else who has ever gone to school! Keep learning my friends!

Day of Joy and Happiness

Hey guys, guess what?!

I'm DONE!!! No more tests! No more stupid classes! *knock on wood* (In case you were wondering--and I know you all were--med chem was horrendous. But at least it's over!)

That is all.

Final Final Countdown!!

Finals Yet to Complete:
1. Med Chem

Here's my stack of flashcards for the new material that will be on the test (I just finished them):

Yeah, it's kind of at a funky angle. But there's definitely more than 50 in there. And that's just the stack for the new material. I'll show you the complete stack of all my flashcards after finals. When I can laugh about it. Right now it's too depressing. Haha.

Good luck for anyone else still battling finals with me!

Final Countdown (Part 3)

Sorry, I'm a slacker.

Finals Now Completed:
1. Dance
2. Art History
3. Human Development

Finals Left to Complete:
2. Jazz in America
1. Med Chem

Want a sample of what I'm studying for med chem? Here you go--one of my many flashcards.

Isn't it pretty? Yes, I drew that. And yes, it took forever to get right. I'd like to think that drawing all of these retarded compounds is helping with my artistic skills.

Bwahahaha! Oh boy, I crack myself up. You wouldn't believe how ugly a hexagon could be, trust me...

I'm so close! Now I just need to keep forcing myself to study. Stack of flashcards, here I come...

Final Countdown (Part 2)

Here's where we stand:

Finals Completed:
1. Dance--A+ woohoo!

Finals Yet to Complete:
4. Art History
3. Human Development
2. Jazz in America (online)
1. Med Chem *super shiver*

Today has been rough. Studying, my retarded emotions...you get the picture. (Or at least you can use your imagination. Haha.) So now I'm going to go drown my sorrows in free Joe's BBQ. Hopefully. :)

Dr. Carpenstein out.

It's the Final Countdown!

(For all of you now thinking of Zach, here you go.)

I've decided that I'm going to countdown all of my finals. Here. On my blog. (As well as in my head, of course.) That way, you can all share in my excitement. Can you feel it yet?

As of today, I have 5 "finals" left (only 2 are actually comprehensive):

5. Dance (meh--comprehensive, but it's just dance)
4. Art History
3. Human Development
2. Jazz in America (online)
1. Med Chem *shiver*

Yeah, can you guess which other one's comprehensive? At least I have a lot of time to study...

I am almost graduated!!!! YAY!

Blessings Galore

Oh man. So, yesterday was...difficult. You really don't need all the details, just take my word on it. I had a big nasty test in med chem and was not feeling that great about it--I felt like I was making up most of my answers and made the mistake of looking at my notes immediately after (as I booked it to my next class). Yeah, probably not going to do that again. Other stuff happened, blah blah blah, whatever. Not so great to begin with, but the day got better as it went along.

Today, I was at work and ran out of actual work to do. So, I decided to see if grades were up yet (that's one nice thing about Skibo: [*cough cough cough* Excuse me for a minute, "Skibo" and "nice" so close together is a bit difficult to process] he gets things graded and returned pretty quickly). They were. And I actually did much better than I thought I would! Just for a point of reference, I got the same score on this test that I did on the first one. That score was also around (or maybe just higher) than the highest score I got when I had Skibo for o chem. So, I was pretty stoked about it. Then I decided to double check the grading curve on the syllabus (for med chem), just for kicks and giggles.

Guess what? I think he changed the curve! Because instead of being just below that elusive A-, I now have an actual A. How did that happen?! I feel seriously so blessed. It almost makes me feel like I don't deserve it, for all the complaining I do. But I guess I have put in some effort, so maybe I do. I am so grateful for the Lord and all of His help in my schooling. It may sound weird, but it's true. There is no way that I could have had the success I've had without some major help.

Oh, and today has been AWESOME besides that. I got to come home and break out all of our old toy kitchen stuff with my nephews. I got to lounge about at work, which made me feel guilty, but was really nice regardless. I balanced my checkbook in about 5 minutes. And the weather right now is gorgeous. I love clouds!

All in all, today more than makes up for the stress and challenges of yesterday. Thank goodness for the gospel and the Lord. I don't know where I would be without them!

A happy day to you all!

Look at what I've got!

(Imagine that title in a sing-song voice)

Haha! (say that kind-of like "Aha!", but with an extra "h") I get honor cords! I thought they were only for the actual "Honors" students who do way more work than is necessa--I mean *ahem* like a challenge. But I guess I qualify. :) And just think of how nice they'll look as a window treatment...

Just so you all know, I'm getting ridiculously excited about graduation. I think I've just realized how much work I've put into this whole college thing. And I'm almost done! (Hopefully.) Yay for me!

Blech

I'm really sick of chemistry right now. (Can you guess what's coming up on Wednesday?) Just thought you'd all like to know. :)

In other news, I got a pretty awesome graduation countdown thing over there. -->
You should check it out. Thanks Katy!

Excuse me?!

Ok, I just found out that at least 3 of my finals are at...wait for it...7:30 a.m.! Are you kidding me?! Two of them aren't even finals, they're just Unit 4 tests and will take a whopping 30 minutes. Really, ASU? Just giving me some fond memories to remember you by?

Argh. Sorry for complaining. Just had to get that out.

Hope you're all having a good day! :)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

Scene: My dance classroom, before class has started. Me and my dance peeps are standing in our usual circle talking. (By the way, "K" will stand for one of my friends. Just so you're not confused.)

K: [turning to me] Do you have a mirror?
Me: Um...[thinking through the contents of my backpack] no.
(Here I think, "Ok, I know there are mirrors in the bathroom. Maybe I should suggest that.")
Me: [about to suggest the bathroom mirror theory] Wait a second--those two walls over there are covered in mirrors! Maybe you should, you know, go use them.

It made me laugh that it took that long for one of us to notice the abundance of mirrors in the room. Yeah, we're smart.

Adventures in Public Transportation!

Here you go: yet another bus story to add to my...ahem...impressive collection.

Scene: Monday morning at the bus stop on Rural and Southern. It is cold and rainy and I am hunched up in a ball waiting for the bus. I am not reading a book--as I usually would be--because I don't want to get it wet. (And yes, that is important.) A guy walks up, looks at me, and decides to start a conversation.

Guy: You going to school?
Me: Yup.
G: ASU?
M: Yup.
G: You're, what, a freshman?
M: No, I'm actually a senior.
G: [shocked] Really?! No way!
M: Yeah, I graduate in a few months.
G: Wow. So how old are you? Like--21?
M: Yeah. I'm impressed. People usually think I'm 16.
G: I'm really good at guessing ages. And that's not such a bad thing. That means when you're older you'll still look YOUNG! (Yeah, he was excited about that part.)
M: Oh, I'm not complaining. I think it's funny.
G: Guess how old I am.
M: Really? I'm horrible at this. ...Can I give you a range, or does it have to be a number? [I'm thinking either 17 or 20]
G: A number. Come one, just guess.
M: Umm...20?
G: Really close! I'm actually 21--the same as you!
[He sounds much too excited about that similarity as we board the bus. For some reason, I sit in a seat with an open one right beside it. *facepalm*]
G: So, do you have any family, boyfrien--I mean, brothers nearby?
M: Yeah, I have 3 brothers.
G: Oh, cool. Yeah I'm the youngest in my family. It's pretty big.
M: How big?
G: I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers.
M: Oh, I have 2 sisters and 3 brothers. But I'm #5. [trying to downplay the similarity]
G: Hey, I'm #5 in my family too!
M: [puzzled look] Didn't you say you were the youngest?
G: I'm the youngest on my mom's side, but not on my dad's. I like to say that to confuse people.
M: Oh..cool...
[Somehow, he brings up that he's going to boot camp to be in the Marines in 4 months.]
M: Marines, huh? That's intense.
G: Yeah. I can't wait to get my uniform. I'm going to wear it to the mall and watch all of the girls hit on me. You know how all girls say they like a guy in uniform.
M: Oh. Nice.
G: Yeah, I don't really have problems getting girls to like me. I have lots of girls who are friends, but not a girlfriend. I just sit and listen to them. They really like that. I probably have like 10 e-mails waiting for me at home from girls who want to talk.
M: Great...so, where are you headed? [trying to be polite]
G: Oh, I'm going home. I just got off work, so I'm just gonna go home and crash.
M: That sounds nice.
G: You could come with me. [hurriedly] Oh, just kidding. Not really.
M: Yeah, I can't. I've got too many classes today.
G: Oh. That's too bad. I'm a really good cuddler.
M: Oh...
G: I'm going to guess that you're single?
M: [not sure if I should be offended or not] Yes, I am.
G: I don't see why. You're very beautiful. You have very pretty eyes--they're the first thing I noticed about you.
M: Thanks.
G: You know, the really bad thing about being single is that you don't have anyone to hold you. You know, when you're sad and just need to cry, there's no one whose shoulder you can cry on.
M: Um, well I haven't had much experience in that department, so I think I'm OK.
G: Wait, I'm going to assume that you've never had a boyfriend?
M: No, I haven't.
G: Why? Were you just not interested, or...?
M: No, it just never worked out that way. Whatever.
G: Oh. So, what do you like to do?
M: I'm boring. ...Umm, I like to read.
G: Well, we kind of have something in common. If only it weren't for video games.
M: Yeah. I usually prefer to watch video games rather than play them. [Obviously was not thinking about that one]
G: [getting excited] Really? I have a bunch of video games at my house. You would probably really like them. I have all kinds of games: action games, adventure games, games where you can do anything you want, like walk up a blow a guy's head off!
M: Oh...ok...
G: So, do you have a cell phone?
M: Yep.
G: Just "yep"?
M: Yep.
G: OK...
M: It's kind of buried at the moment. [In my pocket being squished by my backpack counts as buried, right?]
[Silence for a few feet]
G: So, do you drink?
M: Nope.
G: Oh, I would say that I don't either, except I did once. But it was only as a promise to a friend. I promised I would drink with him once. I didn't get drunk or anything. I just had some rum. You know, Coke and rum is actually pretty good!
M: Oh. Well, I stay away from that stuff.
G: I usually do, too. Except for that one time. You know, I didn't want to break my promise. I like to keep my promises. The only time that I would break a promise would be if I promised a friend that I would do something with him and then promised my girlfriend that I would do something with her. I would break the promise with my friend and go with the girlfriend.
M: Oh. [What does he want me to say, "Good for you?"]
G: Yeah. So, would you be OK with giving me your number so I can text you or call you later?
M: You know, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to say no. No offense to you...
G: Oh, that's OK. That's OK. You're a bit hesitant. [Yeah, since I don't even know your name, buddy.]
M: Yeah.
[I know there was something else here, but I can't remember. Use your imagination.]
G: My name's Jeremy, by the way.
M: Mine's Jenny.
G: Really? That's one of my favorite names for a girl! I've always loved that name! You know, when I got to be old enough to think about these things, I decided that I wanted to name one of my daughters Jenny.
M: Oh...
G: My mom wanted to name me either Jeremy or John or Justin.
M: She likes "J"-names, huh?
G: No, none of my other siblings have "J"-names.
M: So she just really wanted you to be a "J"?
G: Yeah. You know, Jeremy and Jenny are kind of similar.
M: Yeah, I guess they are. [I can see the bus stop from here. Sadly, we have to wait for the light rail before I can get off.]
G: Are you German?
M: Um, a little bit, I think. Somewhere back there with some other stuff.
G: Oh, so you're a mutt?
M: Uh, I wouldn't put it like that. Just European, you know.
G: I'm full-blooded German...
M: Nice...
G: But can I speak German? Nein.
M: [weak smile]
G: That means "no" in German.
M: Yeah, I got that.
G: I like to do that to people to confuse them. Tell them that I don't know any German in German.
M: Yeah, haha... [Luckily we're pulling into the station now]
G: So, do you have a MySpace or MyYearBook page?
M: No, I don't, sorry. [getting up to leave]
G: Oh. Well, have a good day!
M: Thanks, you too. [I hastily make my exit and am left to process that marvelous conversation. Starting with a text to Rhonda...]

And there you have it, folks. Sorry it was so long, but the entire conversation just needed to be documented. Hooray for bus...adventures... (or at least the awesome stories I get from them!)

Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!

I got to learn how to do this today.

(Sort of. Only picture it as a lot more dramatic. And with actual people.)

[clapping hands] Isn't it awesome?! I'm so excited!

And I'm going to be really sore tomorrow, but it's totally worth it.

Oh boy

Ok, sorry people. I know I've already posted a lot today, but this could not be kept to myself. Tonight, I've been working on my online class and my teacher posted a paper for us to read. At least that's what I'm assuming he wants. There's no description of it (such as "Here's a chapter from this book" or "Here's a paper from Such-and-Such, a master in music history..."). Just a link. And a horrible, horrible paper. Seriously, tears were rolling down my face as I read this paper. I almost couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. Here are a few excerpts for you to savor along with me.

"In New York the area known as Black Bohemia, artists, musicians, writer would gather to be seen and hired. White would also go there to interact with this jazz community." Who is this mysterious "White"? No one knows...

"Storyville was closed when the department of the navy established their facility in New Orleans. The lifestyle that was forced to developed due to segregation efforts war still to successfully risky for the government officials." What the heck is this even supposed to mean? How can you misspell something this badly?

"Kansas City in from the late 1800s was in the path of migrating musicians. Most of the live music headed west passed through there. Vaudeville, Burlesque, minstrel shows a circuses played it many venues." That last sentence is my favorite. "A circuses." Seriously?!

"The idea that musicians who were involved with drugs would be most comfortable with others that shared their addiction was evident. This sharing of the common experience is often a desirable activity in team building exercises today. Drugs happen to be one of the extreme options." You heard 'em, folks. If you really want to build a team, give them all lots of drugs!

Maybe I just have a twisted sense of humor, but I thought this paper was hilarious. Hard to understand (hopefully it won't be on the test), but it definitely made my night. Hope you enjoyed it, too!

Dr. Carpenstein out.

A Poem of Apology

Ahemahemahem:

Dearest bed, please don't take it personally
That I haven't been using you much, for you see
Lately you've seemed to be so far away
To my sleep-deprived brain at the end of the day.
It's not for the comfort of couch or of floor
That I sleep there. (In fact, they have made me quite sore.)
You are the comfiest pallet by far
Nestled beneath all my glow-in-the-dark stars!
More use in the future I cannot guarantee,
But for now, please accept my heartfelt apology.

Semester 8, Day 2

Well, day 2 of school has come and gone. It's been a long day. Good, but long. I have to say, it's been a long time since I've been outside before the sun comes up. But, if you want to get to an 8:30 class on time and you're taking the bus, that's what it takes. At least it was easier to tell when the bus was close by. (Thank you orange route information on the top of the bus!)

First off, I got to learn about drugs. No, really. My big chemistry class for the semester (in fact, my only major-required class) is medicinal chemistry. And it just happens to be taught by one of my *favorite* (note the sarcasm) teachers: Skibo. (In class I may refer to him as Professor or Dr. Skibo, but in my mind, he has no such title.) I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with him (again, in my mind--I don't think I can be mean to him in person. I'd be too scared.). Ok, so maybe he's not really that intimidating, but his classes are hard. I had him for o chem my sophomore year. Let's just say I have never been as happy--or worked so hard--to get a B in my life. But, I'm determined that this class is going to be awesome. Really, how many people get to go to class and learn about meth and cocaine? (Those were definitely in our slides today. No joke.) I'm actually really excited to learn all of this stuff. Now, I may need to be reminded of this excitement, oh, around February 21st, but maybe I'll actually keep up with the reading and "optional" homework assignments this time. Maybe.

Enough about that. Today, I also went to my ballroom dancing class for the first time. "Wait, ballroom and med chem?" you say. Oh yes, my friends. This is what happens when you take no elective classes for 7 semesters and suddenly have 9 credit hours of electives to fill. And you're me. I come up with some weird combinations. Food, clothes, class schedules, you name it. Anyways, I was super worried about this class. I know, probably silly, but the thought of taking a dance class at ASU with absolutely no one I knew was a bit scary. Oh, and the syllabus made it sound like it was going to be this really intense class. (It said we would have to draw out notations of each dance step. Psh.) Turns out, the class is AWESOME! I had so much fun--I don't think I've laughed that much in a long time. My partners probably thought I was crazy (actually, I'm pretty sure one did for a while), but I had fun. Hooray for a classroom full of people who have no idea of what they're doing!

Well, I hope I haven't bored you all to death. I'm sure I'll have all sorts of great stories for you once my classes really get going. Good luck to everyone starting out a new semester! (Or job or something else. You know.)

Dr. Carpenstein out.