So, everything is going pretty well here in Arizona.  I like all my classes with the exception of physics lab (bad TA, long story).  I'm staying pretty busy...they give me so much homework that I often feel I don't have time to study!  It's a lot harder here than it was at PBA, which is a good thing because I'm learning so much.  But my 12 credits here keep me much busier than my 21 credits last semester at PBA!!!

My favorite class is cell biology (as it should be since it's my major).  I'm learning vast amounts of information and it's just so interesting.  I'm actually going to start on a research project with one of my cell bio professors.  We're going to be starting a project on ALS.  She's going to teach me all the lab techniques that I will need to use, so she will be working with me a lot in the beginning, then I can eventually be more independent.  This will be my first opportunity to do research, so I'm really excited about it!

Tutoring is going well and I really enjoy being able to help the students.  Last night one of my tutees told me I should be a chem major, so that made me feel good!  (BTW, no I'm not planning to change my major.  Chem is really cool, but I much prefer biology.)  They're even letting me tutor some organic chem, which I'm taking right now, so that's fun- it's all fresh in my mind.  General chem can be a little more challenging because I'm not taking the class right now, so I have to refresh myself.  But after doing 50+ equilibrium problems with students in the past two days I've worked, I'm feeling pretty well refreshed on that!  :) 

I should go...I've got to get to my cell bio class and I have to walk halfway across campus to get there (and walking halfway across campus takes a lot longer than it did at PBA!).

Well, I got accepted at both Stony Brook and the University of Arizona and I've decided to go to the University of Arizona.  Climate was definitely a big deciding factor, although I also prefer Arizona's program to Stony Brook's.  Stony Brook probably has a better name, but who cares?  I'll be happier in Arizona.  I was accepted to the honors program and  I've gotten registered for classes.  Because I applied so late, the physics class that I need to get into is full.  I got into a lab and I'm praying a lecture class will open up because with taking the MCAT in the spring, it's essential that I know physics.  Besides physics, I'll be taking organic chemistry, calculus, and cell biology. 

I also found a place to live, in a house near campus with a couple nursing students.  They aren't into partying and they study a lot, so hopefully it will be a good situation.  On-campus housing was full, plus I'll save money living off campus in the long run.  My mom and I are leaving on August 19th to drive out to AZ and my mom will fly back to FL on the 24th. 

My job is going well and since I work for the podiatrist, I've gotten an opportunity to connect with a cardiologist who has an office nearby.  On Friday I was able to shadow him at the hospital, going to visit patients and watching heart catheterizations, stent placements, and angioplasties.  I'm very interested in cardiology as a possible specialty choice, however I realize that I still have a lot of time to think about it and may change my mind.  There are so many options with medicine and that's one thing I really like about it. 

Nothing else much is going on with me.  My mom is dating a man from Oregon and their relationship is going quite well.  It's kind of difficult with the distance because they don't get to see each other that often, but they talk on the phone a lot and email each other. 

And....I guess that's it for my update!

Well, I'm back in school, as of this past Monday.  I'm loving it and I think this semester is going to be even more fun than last semester.  I'll definitely be busy as I'm taking 21 credits. 

Biology II

I'm sad that I can't have the same professor I had for biology I, because he was such a good teacher.  The professor I have this semester seems really nice though and I'm sure I'll like him too.  I anticipate that the class will be pretty easy, especially if it's anything like last semester.  I know a lot of people in the class, so that's fun too. 

Biology Lab

I'm going to enjoy biology lab this semester even more than I did last semester because we are just dealing with animals now.  I like learning about plants, but I much prefer learning about animals.  We will be dissecting a fetal pig and since I've already dissected a cat in anatomy and physiology, I'm familiar with all the organs, muscles, blood vessels, etc.  We also have fewer lab reports to write this semester, which is a great thing.

Chemistry II

Same professor! Yeah!  I love Dr. Grawe.  He's so hilarious and he makes class fun.  I anticipate it should be about the same level of difficulty as last semester.  He didn't try to scare us this semester like he did last semester.  I guess he knows that all of us who are in the class have already passed chem 1 and are capable of passing chem 2.  I'm really happy because my roommate and I are in the same section this semester.  Last semester we were in separate sections.

Chemistry Lab

Okay, so I'll admit my roommate and I were a little nervous about lab this semester because our lab professor last semester, Mr. Baker, was so sweet.  He was like a teddy bear and no matter what mistakes people made, he was so kind about it.  His class was very easy and he only had quizzes- no exams or lab reports.  I've heard bad stories about the prof we have this semester, so I was a little uneasy about it.  But much to my relief, when we went into lab on Monday, Mr. Baker was training our new professor on how to teach the class!  He seems like a pretty nice guy.  Plus, he let us out after only 10 minutes!  (We just went through the syllabus.)

Microbiology

Talk about scare tactics!  This professor came in on the first day of class, and seeing that there were many more people there than had registered for the class, she remarked that it was a very probable thing that they would get into the class since she was sure so many people were going to drop it in the first week.  Then she proceeded to tell us that her class was the hardest class we would have this semester and we would have to study 12-15 hours per week for it.  The whole first period was basically telling us how to study for her class if we want to succeed.  Fortunately, I have learned that the scare tactics are common among professors and are meant to scare away those in the class who plan to sit back, take it easy, and get an A.  I don't feel intimidated.  The great news about this class is that if we have an A when finals come around, we are exempt from taking the comprehensive final.  I really respect this professor ( I find that the harder a class is, the more I enjoy it and the more I respect the professor).  I think it's so good that she emphasizes really learning and applying the material as opposed to cramming for an exam, regurgitating the material, and forgetting it within two days.  This is going to be a great class!

Micro Lab

We have the same professor for the lab and the class.  I haven't been to the lab yet, but we are required to wear lab coats, which makes me feel like a real scientist! :)  In lab, we are going to be given a microorganism that we don't know the identity of and we will do a number of tests on it to determine what it is.  We have two guesses and if we get it wrong, we fail the class and the lab.  I'm sure we'll be doing other things in lab too, but I don't know what yet.  I do know that if we ask questions that we are supposed to know the answers to, we automatically get 10 points deducted from our grade.  There are lots of other infractions for which we can get points taken away as well.

Health Psychology

I am so glad I'm taking this class!  This is one of the most awesome professors ever!  He's really into alternative health and he'll be lecturing on taking responsibility for your own health, the dangers of prescription drugs, the immune system, healthful eating and unhealthful eating, weight control, the free radical theory of aging, vitamin supplements and the importance of finding proper supplements (because most of them are garbage, including Centrum- sorry, Centrum), and tons of other interesting topics.  He was saying in class that a lot of times when biology majors are in his class, they are very hostile and will argue with him the whole time.  After class, I went up to talk to him and told him that I am a biology major and that I am so excited about his class because I agree with everything he said and I'm really interested in alternative health.  I also told him that I used to work at Hippocrates Health Institute and he told me that he went there for the three week program!  He loves Hippocrates and agrees with their philosophy on health!  It's so cool that he is teaching it to the students at PBA!  This class is a prerequisite for psychology majors (I'm taking it as an elective), but I think it ought to be a prerequisite for everyone!

Humanities II

This professor is different and rather comical.  Instead of handing out a syllabus on the first day of class, he came in, took role, and began reading out of Boethius.  Talk about dry!  That book could probably put any insomniac to sleep!  As it turns out, this professor is really into philosophy, so his humanities class is strikingly similar to a philosophy class.  Fortunately, today he taught out of the humanities book, which was 100 times more interesting than Boethius.  The bad thing about this class is that you have to have a 95 to get an A.  I MUCH prefer the 90/80/70/60 scale of grading (who wouldn't?).  It shouldn't be a problem though.  I've heard he's not too hard on grading.  I have to do a presentation on a piece of literature from the time period we are studying (right now we're on the fall of the Roman empire).  We have a book that we can use to choose an exerpt from a book of that time, but we have to submit our top choices to the professor and he will ultimately do the assigning.  A lot of the pieces look really dry, but I am hoping to get St. Augustine's works The City of God and Confessions.  My second choice would be Eusebius and my third choice is something by St. Thomas Aquinas. 

Trigonometry

Finally, beloved math!  (That was a joke).  We do have a really nice professor who brings us chocolate and broccoli on test days since they supposedly stimulate the brain.  And even nicer is the fact that she gives us a page, the front of which is filled with formulas and the back of which we may us to write whatever we want and we are allowed to us it on tests.  And just as nice are the online open-book quizzes which have no time limit.  We do have to have a 93 to get an A, but I can deal with that in light of the aforementioned benefits!

So that's a short summary of my life right now.  Unfortunately, I have 8:00 classes every day.  I got spoiled with the 9:00 classes last semester!