Twenty Eighth Post

Ahoy!
I did not get enough sleep last night. It was a long night.
I am not really that coherent, but "eighth" is a really weird word.
Also, hypogynous flowers have the petals below the ovary. Epigynous flowers have the petals above. Perigynous means the petals are around the middle of the ovary.
I have random shoots of knowledge in my head now. I remember bits and pieces of everything, but not really enough to say I have a good grasp on anything.
I got to do calculus yesterday- well, today, but before I slept- because my friend couldn't do it and asked me for help. I miss calculus.
This, see, is how boring I am. I think calculus is fun. Fun! FUN!
At least I'm better than the kid who hasn't slept in 72 hours. He stole my seat in biology. I was not happy. But he didn't notice my glare since he was trying to stay awake. He "sees" the shadows moving.
I was going to nap after the biology exam, but I wasn't tired anymore... so I'm just going to keep going until my karate final, at which point I will be on such an adrenaline rush that IT WON'T MATTER.
Then I'll be done with class.
Until September.
I'm just going to go hide under my bed now.

Twenty Seventh Post

I may or may not have mentioned this, but I'm in an english class. It's for a gen-ed that I need to graduate, or I would not be in it. Actually, I'm glad that I am, because I learned that I like science better and that I really don't want to have to deal with the humanities more than I have to.

The class is called "Women Writers". It is taught by a poet (I went to her poetry reading for her new book- she's not bad). Poets- real ones, not "people who have a life and also write some poems"- are not scientists.

I like scientists. I like working through physics problems more than I like dealing with people problems; I prefer mathematical formulas to crowds of people. Biology is my one exception to that, but I'm really more into the cellular and molecular levels. Things that I cannot see with my naked eye but can find scientifically or mathematically...

It's funny, really. I look at the world in a totally new light now, after a year of college. I see the light outside my window- with current I and resistance R- blocking my view of the pine trees- gymnosperms, with three generations in each seed- that sit in the parking lot. I can tell you about the chemical reactions of the batteries in my drawer, and about the effectiveness of the bleach wipes against bacteria. I can move in such a way that, if my hands and feet encountered a person, that person could die. I see all this as a product of the efforts of countless women before me.

I am really not a feminist. The word has extremely negative connotations for me, evoking images of anti-men, bra-burning crazies. I am a very conservative person. I like it when boys open the door for me, and I fully intend to get married someday to a nice man who will safeguard me because that's what men are supposed to do. It's how they're made.

At the same time, I am realising that my being able to go to college and take courses in maths and sciences is the direct result of some crazy women. It's the radicals who make things happen. Were I born in another era, changes would not happen because of me. I have come to respect the radicals, even if I don't agree with their ideas or methods. That's not the point. I have a grudging respect for the fact that because of them, I am able to wear jeans and a t-shirt whenever I want. No skirt if I don't want it. I don't have to take courses that are deemed appropriate for women. I can take any course I want, be anything I want to be when I grow up.

This respect for the radicals is the result of my english class. It's shocking, I know, but the diversity credit really did end up broadening my view of the world.

But now that class is almost over, and all I have to do now is come up with a presentation, write a five-page paper, and read a poem out loud.

There is one thing that I hate more than people, and it's reading my own poems out loud (I am one of those "people who have a life and also write some poems", or would be if I had a life). This may very well be the hardest final of my life.

Okay, so that wasn't a horribly boring post. But my first year of college will be over soon, and I am looking back on it with some nostalgia already.

Twenty Sixth Post

Ah, the joys of a university with a semester system. I get out of school before my high school's prom, for crying out loud.

It's weird.

Granted, I'm just a freshman, but I'm also 16 days away from my last final.

This is a good thing. It signals the last physics final of my life, possibly the last time I ever have to read a poem out loud in front of 25 other people, most of whom I don't really know, and the first of many chemistry finals. I have no doubt that my situation will not improve in the chemistry department, but it really can't get any better than not reading poems out loud and not taking physics.

Scratch that, it can. I could not be in a class with stupid people.

Have I posted about stupid people? I might have. I shan't rant for too long.

But seriously, have you (i.e., the amorphous cloud of readers that doesn't exist, other than some brazilian agency checking to see if my site is "up or down". I think they might have interns, personally. Really, really bored interns.) ever had a class with a stupid person? They are the ones who ask the questions that everyone else quietly answers in their head or by looking in the book. Or that would be answered within ten minutes even if they had not asked. At the 100-level classes, the professors don't actually assume that you know everything. They assume you read the material, which may or may not be true, but they do not assume you are a clairvoyant genius. That, I believe, comes later. For guys, it might come when you get married.

Ahem.

Also, sorry about that parenthetical paragraph in the middle of my sentence. But it's after 23:00 on a tuesday night, and this week is only going to get longer. Deal with it.

Speaking of longer week, a leadership class containing a close friend from church and school who now goes here is running an awareness/money raising event for Haiti. "Goats and Magic and Get Hungry For Haiti!" or something to that effect. I am participating in the two-day fast (Get Hungry) and going to the magic show because I don't actually do anything on Friday nights. The fast is from Wednesday lunch- if it cuts me off before my english toffee latte and raspberry scone, there will be consequences- to Friday dinner. Nothing from the dining hall, the cafe, or the coffee shop. Luckily, I have been stocking up on orange juice. I can live on it for limited amounts of time. And they're giving us rice.

Very civil of them, really. If they're going to take away meal plans, the least they can do is give me rice. I am decidedly fond of rice, especially with properly-done stir fry or in decent fried rice. But plain rice will suffice in lieu of food.

Likewise, they're giving us Starbucks ®, ™, ©, or whatever should follow a company branding. Not really sure, but I don't want them to sue me. I have no money. But I suspect that its just black coffee, which, I may have stated on a previous post, gives me a hangover. No need to get into that.

Really, what I need to get into is writing a paper that is due in a week and a half, doing a research project that is due in a week, or preparing for any number of classes in the morning. (For the record, I already did and gave up on physics homework)

With that in mind, I will cease typing my heart out to the cold, uncaring internet.

Cheers.

Twenty Fifth Post

The last semester of this year is nearly half way done. I'm a little bewildered by this, since friends at other schools are on quarters and shan't be out until mid to late June. I, on the other hand, will be out in mid May. Wow.

This of course means that I have to actually finish things up earlier than my other-school counterparts. I plan to convince my parents to invest in scone-making ingredients, since scones are my favourite breakfast foods. I think I'll have a harder time convincing them to get an espresso machine so that I can have my white chocolate mochas and raspberry lattes, though.

(cue heavy sigh)

It will be nice to be home, away from the girl-drama that has overtaken my hall. I myself am caught up in a bit of it, with an irritating boy who refuses to leave me alone dogging my footsteps. I use dogging here as an insult; a look at my profile will reveal my profile picture to be a cat. That is because I love cats and hate dogs.

In any case, I'm conflicted about the whole going home thing. I will definitely miss my friends and the pre-paid coffee and scones, but I will not miss the current misery bug that seems to be going around.

To all you quarter students, I pity you. And almost envy you, since you're done with quarters at breaks. However, I have class in 9 hours and must get some rest. Abschied.

Twenty Fourth Post

Today started off as one of those days. In every class, there were irritating questions asked by the usual people. Usually I can deal with it- it's sometimes amusing, even- but today it was just wildly irritating. I proceeded to be late for work, and was merrily expecting to be late for my advising appointment- required to register for next year's classes- which would likewise make me late for my last class. However, I had a very nice meeting, and managed to get to class on time. It was a good, informative meeting, too. Class was even interesting.

Likewise, I was expecting to be pestered by visitors. I solved that problem by taking a nap.

Twenty Third Post

Spring break is over. Classes have begun.

None of my plants died over break; my roommate and I weren't fined for forgetting something on the check out sheet...

Weirdly, it snowed today. While the sun was shining. I should probably also mention for any southern hemisphere readers that I live in the northern hemisphere and it is spring here.

Really, it's a bit odd when you walk outside to be greeted by the blinding daystar... and snow. the whole of campus was wandering around, squinting at the sky, and trying to catch snowflakes. I think the high schoolers (many high schools are currently on break and thus visit us) were disturbed by this...

Twenty Second Post

Spring Break!

I am well into my spring break, actually.

And no, I'm not off on some exotic adventure.

I'm at home.

Sitting on the couch.

Because all my friends are still in school.

In any case, I can make lots of cookies...

Honestly, it was time for break. I could feel the readiness of the student body. Heck, I was ready. I had three exams- one for each lab class- last week. I was very much done with school for a while. And, thanks to the exams that made my life something of a hell, I don't have homework over break!

I like break.