fuzzy acorns!

     I have... not posted in forever. This week hasn't even been that crazy, I guess I just haven't really felt I have had anything worthwhile to post about. I won't bore you with the drab details of my week, but here are some highlights...

It got cooler! It's not anymore, but there were a good two or three days of sweatshirt weather, and some rain that will give you the chills. But whatever. I was super grateful for it because it seems like whenever everything points towards a good rainstorm, it doesn't happen. I still haven't used my umbrella yet though...

It was like this for at least a day before there was some actual rain.

Also, there are cool fuzzy acorns here! They're everywhere. Everywhere. I'll go to sit down in the grass and eat some food or whatever, and there'll be acorns, right where I want to sit!

That'd be them!

What else... I went to an instrumental concert! I was fed dinner three times this week, which you can really only fully appreciate as a college student. I sat up in a tree with other engineering/math/science-y people until past one last night. One of the library books I will swear I renewed was not, and now I have five dollars of fines because they charge a dollar a day and they don't e-mail you saying it's overdue until five days after. That's pretty sneaky of them. It also kinda sucks... But at least it was just one book I suppose, and not, say, five...

I have three tests this upcoming week! Don't let that sneaky exclamation mark fool you. I am only putting on a brave face, and really I am crying inside. Especially since one of them is for organic chemistry. I think so far I have been keeping up pretty well with problems in the books and so forth, but just because I think I'm ready doesn't really mean that I'm necessarily going to do well... AHHHHH. Let this week be over already, please.

Despite the moments when I feel overwhelmed by how much I have to do and don't know how everything will be accomplished, somehow I always find that somehow, everything does work out. I miss New Jersey, my family and everyone else I was close to back home quite a bit, but overall I'm happy here. I can't believe that this semester is already about a third of the way over. Crazy!

this is what happens to my Saturdays...

So... last night I stayed up until 2 a.m. watching How I Met Your Mother. They really need to make the episodes longer, because right now it's wayyy too easy to justify watching another 22 minute episode... six times in a row. But it was okay, because I slept in until past ten. The problem is though, I haven't done anything productive since then. I showered, and then started making origami and that's really all I've done with my day, despite the fact that I really do need to do homework, practice organ/piano, go on campus to work on research because I haven't reached my five hours for the week... 

I love making them, but I hate keeping them. Any takers?

I'm currently waiting for my sister (aka her fiance) to pick me up to go shopping. My cupboard (never realized it was spelled like that...) is pretty bare, as you can see, and I don't have much more in the fridge/freezer. Come, my sister. I am beckoning you.

Yes, there is a Great Value theme going on...

just when I became a hexagon pro...

Orgo started moving really fast all of a sudden. I thought I had a pretty good handle of the material; after all, I was drawing hexagons like a pro! Only to learn that cyclohexanes aren't actually shaped like hexagons (I'll add pictures tomorrow...). Can you imagine my chagrin (hehe I can pretend that I'm a English-minded person) when I discovered that all this time that they had me drawing hexagon after hexagon, they aren't even hexagons? They're actually chair shaped, but they can turn into a boat, but because the boat isn't very stable, cyclohexanes usually switch between two chair conformations. But if they have constituents on the ring, they can actually have isomers, and then switch between the two, and it's all very confusing, as you might have guessed. 

This makes me happy, because I can draw hexagons really, really well

This does not. Chairs and boats are rather confusing. Thank you, chemistry

   
In someway I kind of feel betrayed. I mean, I've known for long enough that for every rule there are exceptions, and then exceptions to the exceptions, but really. Orgo has a way of crushing everything I learned in AP chemistry. Example: methane isn't an acid! Except for it can be. Never mind that the pKa is around 50 (aka it will almost never act as an acid), but it could potentially act as an acid. This phenomena is not unique to chemistry: it also happens in physics, and probably elsewhere too. It's all a big game, trying to figure out what is actually the reality of things (while not being overwhelmed with information).

Speaking of games... I played the career fair game today, even though as a freshman my chances of getting an internship (particularly through a career fair) are pretty slim. I got all dressed up with my sister's pencil skirt that had poor consequences for my shins (and severely restricts the stride of my legs. I will trade for a tie any day), printed out eight resumes, and gave out seven. It was... a little bit intimidating, since most everyone else had a good two or three years of schooling on me, and I don't have any standout experience yet. However, I did receive some lovely free stuff...

I also got a shoulder bag, which I probably will never use...

just keep swimming

Today was quite crazy. I left my apartment a little after seven this morning, and didn't get back until just past eight tonight. I went to a "breakfast and mingle" for chemical engineers and recruiters and it was super intimidating, because not only was I one of the youngest people there with pretty much no experience whatsoever, but I also lack the skills to know how to talk to people who could potentially hire me. But whatever, free food! And then after my morning classes ended I went to have someone look at my resume (which is, well... not convincing, to say the least), which ended up taking longer than I expected and I was late for the weekly forum, even though I told someone I'd meet them there.

Take that, and repeat it throughout the day. Trying to do stats problems that the teacher didn't really explain how to do (and dealing with integrals involving infinity that my calc II teacher didn't teach...). Learning about my research project which is basically bunches of computer programs that I don't know how to work with. Showing up for a club opening social a half an hour late just to take a cookie and leave. Doing homework, and then doing more homework.

And then, it's stuff like that that reminds me why life is good:

That's my eraser that I swore was gone forever yesterday.

It says, "beautiful" (!!!)

Still have homework I need to do, and I have two tests coming up this week that I need to start studying for, but, I feel hopeful about this week. All I have to do is keep my head above water, and I'll be okay. Well, happy Tuesday everyone!

...and then I passed out

     Despite the title of this post, let me assure you that life has been going well. I met with my research mentor and learned what project I'm on. It's studying wildlands fire by burning small samples (i.e. leaves) and then extending that information to create more accurate models for firefighters to use. Right now I'm really only completing safety training (online, boo) and reading papers (many of them, and up to 96 pages). But I am super excited to start, especially since I learned I get paid! Happy day. I also got to go to the WE@BYU retreat for women engineers, and that was really fun. Generally speaking, my life has been pretty busy lately, and today has been no exception.

     Now, to the title of today's (or rather, tonight's) post. In my writing class, we had to write a "letter to the editor," and it took me forever to come up with a decent topic that would appeal to the audience and that I would be able to talk about. Finally, I decided to write about how BYU should have more blood drives. I hadn't seen one on campus, and I tried really hard to find out information about blood drives on campus, but with no luck. So I concluded that I was right: BYU didn't hold enough blood drives, and thus my letter to the editor came into being. And I submitted it, and that was good.

Just three days later (that would be today), I'm in the Wilk (student center), and I see signs for a blood drive. Following my initial thought of oh no, my paper is all wrong! I conclude that I must donate, especially since they turned my blood away this summer (because NY is super picky about what blood they will take, I suppose). So I go, and everything is fantastic. And I really mean that. After all, they gave me a free t-shirt!

My blood actually is blue, in case you were wondering

It takes maybe ten minutes for my blood to be drawn, and I don't feel dizzy at all afterwards. But because I'm pretty cautious, I sit down for a couple of minutes and partake of the free food and drink they have. And then I'm back to my regular stuff. I practice organ, go to the library to print something, adventure to my locker (such a good idea to get one), and then wander over to the Eyring science center for my physics lab. Everything is going fine, and then I feel somewhat lightheaded, and then my mind goes off to some crazy land, far, far away from the physics lab, and next thing I know I'm picking myself off the physics floor.

I'm not really sure why it happened, because I really did take care of myself after donating, but it was a super weird experience. And pretty embarrassing, because here I am, the shortest girl in a physics lab filled with mostly guys, trying to prove to myself and everyone else that I can handle everything I'm trying to juggle and that I'm just as capable as an engineer as all the other people in my major despite the fact that I might not look it, and then I go and pass out on the floor. I really am strong, I swear.

Really, I'm fine though. Although I will always accept food offered to me.

time to remember

First off, I'd like to recognize the anniversary of the falling of the twin towers eleven years ago yesterday. Although yesterday, not today, was 9/11, I still think it's important to remember, no matter what the day. I think sometimes I (and perhaps others, too) tend to get caught up in the so many things that are going wrong in America, such as high taxes, crooked politicians, etc., that I forget to remember all the great people who make up this country. Today as I was heading to campus for an engineering meeting (I actually made it this time!), I came right when the flag was being lowered. The national anthem was being played and everyone stopped, hand over heart. That was a powerful reminder to me that although there are so many different factors which can divide this country, there is also a very strong uniting force among all these people of different backgrounds, beliefs, customs, languages, capacities, etc.

Also, it's my brother's birthday on Friday! He's turning eight (these pictures are pretty old, thus the braces), and I'm super excited for him to be baptized. I really miss this guy.

   
If you have been reading this blog (which no one really has, and I kinda like it that way...) you might have gotten the impression that I distance myself as much as possible from people. That's really not true. I have many people I absolutely adore (and miss, now that I'm so very far away!), but I don't particularly like writing about people because I don't like being written about, and I wouldn't ever want to write about someone who would be uncomfortable with that.

Just one final thought for tonight...

http://xkcd.com/212 

okay, so I'm a leeetle bit obsessed

I may have mentioned this before, but I kinda have this thing for physics going for me right now (despite the fact that my physics class is super boring right now because it's all, direction vectors! and oh hey, acceleration! blegh). But I started to read this book by Walter Lewin, who is physics professor at MIT, and can I say that I really wish I was taking his class right now? You can tell that he absolutely loves what he's studying, and it's all so very interesting! I don't know about you, but I know how rainbows work, and why you're slightly shorter when you're standing up, or why the scale goes berserk when you stand on your tiptoes when you're weighing yourself. Also, light travels slower in water, but speed travels faster. Interesting. He has all of his lectures online here for his physics II class (electricity and magnetism) if you're interested; hopefully I'll have the time to eventually watch those because I probably won't get to take an actual class on it in college (and besides, how can I resist?).

I really, really, really want to have the same kind of passion for learning that he has

   
Somewhat more related to my life, but I finally learned about my research! I got paired with a professor in the chemical engineering department who does a lot of research on combustion. I'm not sure which project I'll get to work on yet, but I am super excited, although I can sense that I'm going to have to do some proving of myself as to be a help, not a burden, to the group. So excited!

Just so you know that I actually do have life outside of nerdy science/math/engineering stuff, here's proof:

See?

I made this instead of doing homework (if you want to make one, you can learn how here), and I also watched Little Rascals which is really funny/cute and ate brownies with my FHE (family home evening) group. AND, my procrastination skills are top-notch (case-in-point), as demonstrated by the fact that I'm writing this blog post...

cutting corners

I have a really bad habit of cutting corners all the time. Since I live decently far off campus, every time I go onto campus I envision the point from where I am to campus as a straight line, and then I adjust for cars, roads, buildings, and sometimes people. But I don't just strive the most direct path, I adjust to create the most efficient path, taking into account the energy that each path will require to expend, and time.

I guess the rest of campus concurs with me... My apologies, BYU grass

Good for you, you might say. Except for maybe not so much, because sometimes my tendency to cut corners extends beyond trampling the grass, or partially jay walking from crossing the street at a slant. For example, in my Book of Mormon class we have to read the first half of the book in two weeks, and our professor said the chapter headings weren't technically part of the text... so I haven't read any of them. And then in all my classes I can never seem to do any of the homework before the night it's due, or sometimes even the day of, if it's something that doesn't have to be handed in during the class period. And my food? Yeah, definitely not up to snuff. I really do need to do better to stay on top of things... and to do them the right way, not just half-way or part way. 

Also, my habit of calculating the possible benefits and detriments to each path has led me to the realization that to every situation there are way more factors than you can see at the initial glance. Sticking with the example of getting to point A to point B in the most efficient manner, one might decide to cut through the grass, because the distance that way is shortest. But is it the most effective path? Because after all, the grass offers much more resistance than the sidewalk does, so it probably takes longer and requires more energy. And there's always the risk that the sprinklers were just on so you might slip or at the very least your new shoes will get soaked. So really, is it worth it? I don't know. Honestly, I'd probably be better off walking to campus like a regular person. 

On a somewhat unrelated note, my organic chemistry class (so far) is awesome. My professor is absolutely obsessed with explosions and I love it. Every class period we usually get at least two explosions, although this time it was something cooler... the reaction of sulfuric acid and sugar. Watch the last minute or so of this video. The smoke you see coming off is carbon dioxide. Chemistry is so neat!

aarrrghhhhhh

     Not too long ago, I attempted to go to "Dr. Solen's Last Lecture." He's one of the engineering professors here at BYU who is, presumably, retiring, and thus the "Last Lecture." My sources told me that the aforementioned lecture was at four o'clock in the Clyde building, which totally makes sense because the Clyde building is where everything engineering is. So I get there, and I'm all excited, and I find a seat. I look around, and I gradually catch on that this is not a lecture... but a class. For visual arts! But fine, I say to myself, I'll stay and broaden my horizons, or however you want to phrase it. I guess they have a different person talk every week, so I got the privilege of listening to guy talk about illustrating in the most gravelly and uninteresting voice ever. I honestly couldn't tell that he enjoyed what he did, but I might assume that he did... And then here's me:

Drawn by someone much more artistically talented than I

     But it's fine. I mean, really, how many times am I going to get this opportunity? Once in a lifetime opportunity, right? Except for 4:50, the time when I assumed the class would end, comes and goes. And I tell myself, I'll leave at quarter after five if it's not over by then. And then, miracle of miracles, the powerpoint presentation ends, and he's onto questions! Surely it will only be a few painful minutes more. What lies. Each answer is a dreadful, drawn-out response, and I silently cry to myself because my SWE (society of women engineers) opening social is supposed to be at five, and it's already past that, and I'm stuck in a room full of liberal arts-minded people as the sole voice of reason (being the engineering major and such). Thankfully, after twenty minutes of (almost) scratching my eyes out, the TA stands up, and keeps the lecturer from yet one more pointless five minute response that potentially would have put me to sleep had I not been so on-edge. Hurrah, it's over, and I'm only a half an hour late for my engineering thing! So I rush out of the room, neglecting my sister, who just so happened to be in that class (poor thing), to find my like-minded engineering people, except... they are no where to be found. Thus flew away my chances at free food and good company. Whyyyyy college, why. 

Drawn by the aforementioned person

     Alas, alas shall be my cry. Similarly, I missed my engineering mentoring meeting that included free ice cream because I was finishing a group homework for engineering. Why must free food hate me? And I really, really want to do all of these fun engineering things too, they are just not really working out for me at the current moment...

sweatshirt weather please!

Now that school has started and Labor day has passed, I'm anxious for fall to come. Maybe I'm crazy, but I've been walking to and from campus everyday, which usually takes me about twenty minutes each way. With the heat and my backpack, my back is generally turned into a sweaty mess, which is... undesirable, to say the least. Even without my back out of the question, I'm really looking forward to is the sidewalks full of crunchy, colorful leaves, snow-covered mountains, comfy sweatshirts, and of course cuddling up under my t-shirt quilt (on my poorly made bed, because I'm on the top bunk).

But, on the other hand, summer weather can be really fun. Yesterday I went boating with my sister, her fiance and some others, and it was super intense getting whipped around until you can't hold on any longer and fall off the tube (or banana boat, as it may be). I also tried wake boarding, and I got up... mostly, but I never got to standing position. All-in-all it was the best labor day I've had in years, but... I'm kinda burnt now and I'm sore; it hurts just to turn my neck and I have a pretty decent bruise on my right arm. Let's have some sweatshirt weather, please!

school at long last

I've been putting off posting on here, because although so much has happened, I'm not really sure how I feel about everything yet, but I suppose close to 1am would be a good time for a blog post (college does crazy things to your sleep schedule).

Orientation last week was tons of fun, and I met lots of people (the majority of whom I don't remember names of now), but to be quite honest it was a little bit overwhelming, and it made me anxious because all of the things that will probably be routine for me in a month or so were foreign and unknown, and without classes starting I couldn't exactly determine where my favorite places to think/people watch/study and so forth were to be.

Classes started this past Monday, and I was really grateful for that. Nothing like classes starting to help you get in the swing of things. Other than the class change in between statistics and freshman writing (it's a mad house getting out of the JKB... Wednesday I was stuck trying to get out of the building for at least seven minutes, and then I had to move myself allllll the way across campus to the Maeser building. In three minutes. It didn't really work out. Perhaps I should have tested out Rachel's philosophy from The Poisonwood Bible; just stick out your elbows and float along with the crowd. Maybe I'm too short for that, I don't know.), I really like my schedule (although maybe not the fact that my organ class is at 8am. That is somewhat unfortunate). None of my classes seem like they are going to be terribly difficult, and I'm particularly excited for organic chemistry (which I'm sure you'd be able to tell from the way that my knee always bounces when I sit down for class, and how I haven't introduced myself to anyone, and how I take the most scrupulous notes in the history of man...) because my teacher is somewhat obsessed with fire, and we always have at least two demos (involving fire) every class period. Chemistry is so cool!

I've learned a lot this past week, at least from the college life perspective. I learned how to use the washers and dryers (they take foreverrrr), how to use my ID card, and what it can be used for, how to print stuff out, how to make friends (okay fine, still working on that), how to find my way around, how to use practice rooms for piano, how to check stuff out of the library... I of course had to find the science section and get the nerdiest books. I also bought some pretty nerdy books that were on sale at the bookstore, so I guess now is just the challenge to be able to find time to read all of them.

I don't know when I discovered that physics was super cool and became enamorated with it, but I really do enjoy reading books about the universe and so forth, although I wouldn't ever switch to become a physics major. Maybe I'll minor in astronomy...