So I'm a Senior in a Freshman class, kind of lame, I know, but I actually really enjoy it. Coming in to college, I wanted to be a medical doctor so I took all my hard science classes early on; therefore, I would be left with "easier" classes my senior year. This plan is working perfectly, it's just I don't know if I want to be an M.D. anymore.
I know I'm a senior and should have a grasp on such things like my future, but whatever. I've been looking at Ph.D. programs for Chemistry or Pharmacology/Toxicology and they all seem very interesting. I've come to the realization that money does not equal happiness, but it's easier to be unhappy in a Lexus as opposed to my 2002 truck with a missing front bumper. Anyway, I like people so teaching at the collegiate level is very appealing, but teachers even professors don't make all that much. But like I said earlier, money isn't everything. I would like to teach an upper level college class that students must have in order to graduate, so what I say goes.
You all are Freshmen and Sophomores, so I encourage you not to be one sided (like I was) when it comes to picking a career. When I first showed interest in the medical field, my parents really pushed me to do that route, but I'm having second thoughts. I should have realized a long time ago that it is MY career, not my parents' careers. Go to career fairs, even if they don't fit your major exactly. I hear stories of people getting accepted into medical school with majors like history. Go out on a limb because you never know what my spark your interest. Do something you're passionate about, that way what you do the rest of your life won't seem like work.
Since I recently had these hesitations with med school, I need to get a move on applying for grad school. I need to take the GRE, get letters of recommendation, and update my resume, cover letter, etc. Hopefully everything will turn out fine and I can actually be a benefit to society instead of a permanent college student, which honestly doesn't seem that bad.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Life as an RA
I think I've told you all, but in case I haven't, I'm an RA in Slusher Hall (Floor 11). This makes my third year as an RA and the second as Senior RA (SRA). The only additional work I have to do as SRA is work with hall council as well as make the duty schedule for the building. There are 18 RAs in Slusher Tower and Wing, so you can imagine how hectic scheduling duty must be for everyone. One plus of being SRA is I can put myself on duty when I know it won't be a bad night. So before I hate on being a normal RA, let me tell you some of the bonuses.
First and most importantly, I have FREE room and board. This is a huge benefit which has allowed me to study abroad and enjoy trips I wouldn't have normally got to go on. Second, in addition to the stipend, I get paid. No, it's not a lot, but it is really nice to see a paycheck twice a month, no matter how little it may be. Third, I get a room to myself. My girlfriend is a big fan of this benefit. However, next year this benefit will be gone. Finally, I gain skills such as leadership, community building, blah, blah, blah.
So now, let me tell you the negatives. Living is Slusher is loud. It's really bad on the weekends, but even on the weekdays it's pretty bad. The walls seem paper thin so going to sleep is actually a chore. Next, Slusher goes from hot to cold in 4.6 seconds. From August to now, it is hot. From now until about April, it is freezing in my room. Luckily it heats up again in May. There is no A/C, so my box fans have been on full blast since August. However, I woke up this morning and it was 55 degrees in my room. We do have heat, but it won't be turned on until the average temperature drops below a certain point for a certain amount of days. The most aggravating aspect of being an RA is ignorant, immature Freshmen (sorry guys). The last time I was on duty, I was walking through the Wing at 9 pm. In the middle of the hallway there is a guy drinking a Bud Light. Not in a Red Solo Cup or a coozie, just the bright blue can. My duty partner and I stopped and asked why he was so irresponsible and naturally he gave us attitude, so we called the police and he ended up getting arrested because he was carrying a fake ID and lied to the cop about pretty much everything.
I understand you want to have fun and make memories and friends, but be responsible. I was a Freshman once, but I like to think I have my head on right, so I was smart about partying. That guy could have stayed in the room and he would have never gotten caught. If you stay in your room with somewhat low music, the RAs will not question it. By now, the RAs know who goes out and who stays in, so don't think you're sneaky. We know you drink in your room, so be extra careful and look after each other.
I know I ranted about the negatives, but being an RA is actually not that bad. I've met a lot of great people, not only my residents, but my staff as well. Staff meetings are usually pretty chill and it's a good time to catch up with everybody. If you are interested in becoming an RA, mandatory info sessions are happening this month as well as November.
First and most importantly, I have FREE room and board. This is a huge benefit which has allowed me to study abroad and enjoy trips I wouldn't have normally got to go on. Second, in addition to the stipend, I get paid. No, it's not a lot, but it is really nice to see a paycheck twice a month, no matter how little it may be. Third, I get a room to myself. My girlfriend is a big fan of this benefit. However, next year this benefit will be gone. Finally, I gain skills such as leadership, community building, blah, blah, blah.
So now, let me tell you the negatives. Living is Slusher is loud. It's really bad on the weekends, but even on the weekdays it's pretty bad. The walls seem paper thin so going to sleep is actually a chore. Next, Slusher goes from hot to cold in 4.6 seconds. From August to now, it is hot. From now until about April, it is freezing in my room. Luckily it heats up again in May. There is no A/C, so my box fans have been on full blast since August. However, I woke up this morning and it was 55 degrees in my room. We do have heat, but it won't be turned on until the average temperature drops below a certain point for a certain amount of days. The most aggravating aspect of being an RA is ignorant, immature Freshmen (sorry guys). The last time I was on duty, I was walking through the Wing at 9 pm. In the middle of the hallway there is a guy drinking a Bud Light. Not in a Red Solo Cup or a coozie, just the bright blue can. My duty partner and I stopped and asked why he was so irresponsible and naturally he gave us attitude, so we called the police and he ended up getting arrested because he was carrying a fake ID and lied to the cop about pretty much everything.
I understand you want to have fun and make memories and friends, but be responsible. I was a Freshman once, but I like to think I have my head on right, so I was smart about partying. That guy could have stayed in the room and he would have never gotten caught. If you stay in your room with somewhat low music, the RAs will not question it. By now, the RAs know who goes out and who stays in, so don't think you're sneaky. We know you drink in your room, so be extra careful and look after each other.
I know I ranted about the negatives, but being an RA is actually not that bad. I've met a lot of great people, not only my residents, but my staff as well. Staff meetings are usually pretty chill and it's a good time to catch up with everybody. If you are interested in becoming an RA, mandatory info sessions are happening this month as well as November.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Prom Sucks
For some prom is a lovely opportunity to show off your date, your outfit, and your overall swag. For some prom is a very memorable experience that will be in your memory for a lifetime. However, prom was exactly the opposite for me.
Let's start with Junior year. I had been seeing this girl since around October and it was prom season so I decided to ask her to prom in early March so she would have time to get her dress. Unfortunately, we split up before prom, but decided to go anyway. It was so miserable and awkward. From the car ride there to the car ride back, I kept thinking how miserable I was and how I wanted to leave her on the side of the road. I didn't do that, of course, but on to my next prom. Since I'm from a small town, I was asked by a girl from my rival high school to go to her prom. She was a Senior and I was still a Junior. She was a very sweet girl and very pleasant about being around, so you may ask what the big deal is. She was the big deal...literally. All girls need some loving, the ugly ones, the fat ones, and a combination of both and she fit that perfectly. Like I said, she was so nice and this was in fact my most enjoyable prom, but still not what I had in mind. After both of these proms, we went straight there and straight back home. No after prom fun.
Now that I'm a Senior I was determined to not let my prom suck, but I managed to also screw this one up somehow. Once again I was asked to go to prom with a girl from the same rival high school, but this time she was a total dime piece. Brown hair and brown eyes, she was truly spicy. Here comes the but. But, her high school's prom and my high school's prom were on the same night in the same place. We figured we would split time at both and then after we would go hang with her friends because I'm a gentleman with ambition of seeing more than her brown hair and brown eyes. However, as soon as we got to prom, she ran away with her friends and the next time I saw her was to drive her to where her friends were wanting to hang out. Thinking I could still save the night, I played it off like ditching me was no big thing and told her how nice she looked, blah blah freakin' blah. When we got to our destination, she told me she would be back in 3 hours and to be waiting for her. This made Adam sad, so I called my mommy and she told me how special I was for the next 3 hours. I took her home in complete silence, she slammed the door behind her when she got out, and I literally ran every stop light on the way from her house to mine in pure disgust. Luckily I didn't get a ticket because there are no cops in my town, especially at 4am.
I couldn't make these stories up folks. These are real, first hand accounts of high school prom and I guess it's cool that mine sucked so hard because telling my story is usually in stark contrast to everyone's lovey dovey prom story. Anyway, I hope you all had nice proms that were certainly better than mine!
Let's start with Junior year. I had been seeing this girl since around October and it was prom season so I decided to ask her to prom in early March so she would have time to get her dress. Unfortunately, we split up before prom, but decided to go anyway. It was so miserable and awkward. From the car ride there to the car ride back, I kept thinking how miserable I was and how I wanted to leave her on the side of the road. I didn't do that, of course, but on to my next prom. Since I'm from a small town, I was asked by a girl from my rival high school to go to her prom. She was a Senior and I was still a Junior. She was a very sweet girl and very pleasant about being around, so you may ask what the big deal is. She was the big deal...literally. All girls need some loving, the ugly ones, the fat ones, and a combination of both and she fit that perfectly. Like I said, she was so nice and this was in fact my most enjoyable prom, but still not what I had in mind. After both of these proms, we went straight there and straight back home. No after prom fun.
Now that I'm a Senior I was determined to not let my prom suck, but I managed to also screw this one up somehow. Once again I was asked to go to prom with a girl from the same rival high school, but this time she was a total dime piece. Brown hair and brown eyes, she was truly spicy. Here comes the but. But, her high school's prom and my high school's prom were on the same night in the same place. We figured we would split time at both and then after we would go hang with her friends because I'm a gentleman with ambition of seeing more than her brown hair and brown eyes. However, as soon as we got to prom, she ran away with her friends and the next time I saw her was to drive her to where her friends were wanting to hang out. Thinking I could still save the night, I played it off like ditching me was no big thing and told her how nice she looked, blah blah freakin' blah. When we got to our destination, she told me she would be back in 3 hours and to be waiting for her. This made Adam sad, so I called my mommy and she told me how special I was for the next 3 hours. I took her home in complete silence, she slammed the door behind her when she got out, and I literally ran every stop light on the way from her house to mine in pure disgust. Luckily I didn't get a ticket because there are no cops in my town, especially at 4am.
I couldn't make these stories up folks. These are real, first hand accounts of high school prom and I guess it's cool that mine sucked so hard because telling my story is usually in stark contrast to everyone's lovey dovey prom story. Anyway, I hope you all had nice proms that were certainly better than mine!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
I'm the next Johnny Depp
So I am a Senior Biochemistry major and Chemistry and History minor and the only planned course for a Biochem senior is a 4000 level class called Physical Chemistry or, as we in the business like to say, PCHEM. Even though it is a two semester course, it's very nice to only have one class to take. This allows my schedule to be very open so I can take a lot of bull crap, I mean joke, I mean easier classes. Not saying 1st Year Writing is one of these, but it is a refreshing difference to the hard sciences. Also, I am one class away from completing my History minor. As you all know, or about to because of Course Request, Virginia Tech requires their students to fulfill a Curriculum for Liberal Education, or CLE. All this being said, I must schedule PCHEM and one more history course for next semester, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I'd like to focus on an Area 2 class, which to me are the weirder classes offered at VT, which will complete my CLE. The class is called Introduction to Acting.
When I think of actors, I think of Hollywood, fame, fortune, drugs, scandal, all the good stuff, but this course is NOT that. I thought the class would be us read a play or watch a scene from a movie and then do our best to reenact that scene. Think again! Most of our class time, which is 75 minutes all together, is spent waiting around as our instructor calls role. Once this has been accomplished, we push our chairs aside and do an exercise called "Take a Walk." We simply walk around the room and our instructor will give us different prompts such as "make no eye contact" or "walk like someone you admire who's in the room." All very weird things to do, but we press through. That's the entire class right there. It's a very strange class and it makes me wonder are all actors and actresses as off the wall as my instructor? Probably so, but weird or not, Jennifer Anniston is still easy to look at.
I've given you a lot of negatives, but the class isn't 100% bad. The walking may get annoying, but a few times, the instructor has had us lay down belly-up on the ground. Once we were lying down, he took us on a "journey" of our lives and had us imagine certain images from our past. You may be asking yourself, does this guy drop acid before every class and while I think the answer is yes, it calmed the heck out of me and really hope we can do it again. Also within the past two weeks, we received our first acting assignment which I'm pumped all the way up about. It is a two person play in which one person is a doctor and the other is a disgruntled patient who refuses to pay the medical bill. It's a really short play (not even 5 minutes), but there are two showings; in one I am the doctor and the other I am the angry patient. Like I said, I'm so excited. I'm probably going to get discovered and shoot straight to the limelight. Good knowing you guys.
I'm just kidding about getting discovered and forgetting you all, but the class isn't what it seems. But hey, if you are passionate about acting, go for it. Every now and again, a local director will come in asking if people would like to be in a crowd scene for a play which is pretty neat and every great actor must start somewhere. Or, if you're like me, were just curious and wanted and easier class. Either way, don't expect agents wanting to sign you for a Hollywood blockbuster, but you can expect a different class in which you can really express yourself.
When I think of actors, I think of Hollywood, fame, fortune, drugs, scandal, all the good stuff, but this course is NOT that. I thought the class would be us read a play or watch a scene from a movie and then do our best to reenact that scene. Think again! Most of our class time, which is 75 minutes all together, is spent waiting around as our instructor calls role. Once this has been accomplished, we push our chairs aside and do an exercise called "Take a Walk." We simply walk around the room and our instructor will give us different prompts such as "make no eye contact" or "walk like someone you admire who's in the room." All very weird things to do, but we press through. That's the entire class right there. It's a very strange class and it makes me wonder are all actors and actresses as off the wall as my instructor? Probably so, but weird or not, Jennifer Anniston is still easy to look at.
I've given you a lot of negatives, but the class isn't 100% bad. The walking may get annoying, but a few times, the instructor has had us lay down belly-up on the ground. Once we were lying down, he took us on a "journey" of our lives and had us imagine certain images from our past. You may be asking yourself, does this guy drop acid before every class and while I think the answer is yes, it calmed the heck out of me and really hope we can do it again. Also within the past two weeks, we received our first acting assignment which I'm pumped all the way up about. It is a two person play in which one person is a doctor and the other is a disgruntled patient who refuses to pay the medical bill. It's a really short play (not even 5 minutes), but there are two showings; in one I am the doctor and the other I am the angry patient. Like I said, I'm so excited. I'm probably going to get discovered and shoot straight to the limelight. Good knowing you guys.
I'm just kidding about getting discovered and forgetting you all, but the class isn't what it seems. But hey, if you are passionate about acting, go for it. Every now and again, a local director will come in asking if people would like to be in a crowd scene for a play which is pretty neat and every great actor must start somewhere. Or, if you're like me, were just curious and wanted and easier class. Either way, don't expect agents wanting to sign you for a Hollywood blockbuster, but you can expect a different class in which you can really express yourself.
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