Let me tell you something, people. I forgot how damn hard college is. When it's summer time, all you think of is the fun times in college. You know, the leaves falling on the quad, you laying in the grass catching some rays, laughing with professors in class.
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| Ah socialization. |
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I love what I do in college. I love where it's going to take me. I love science, I really do. But sometimes (most of the time, let's be honest here), I wish I loved easier subjects. Holy hamburgers.
I'm majoring in Environmental Science and also doing the Pre-Med track. So for those of you who don't know the extent of how horrific this is, let me elaborate. A general science major has to fulfill 120 credits for his or her major to graduate. This means 15 credits every semester dedicated to your major, each semester. Not to mention the general education requirements Ithaca has so lovingly spilled upon me. Needless to say, being buried in homework from Day 1 is typical.
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| Actual photo of me every night. |
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It has only been a week since I began my second year of science love/hell. I hate it but I love it. I wish I wasn't so completely torn with my feelings about my future. It makes deciding what to do that much more difficult. Alas. Now the point of this post isn't to complain about my workload, it keeps me busy, but it is rather to make everyone understand how hard college is.
It's not just throwing frisbees around the quad, people. It's real work. And by real I mean excruciating. And by excruciating I mean "don't let Eve near sharp objects or else."
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| SHINY! |
I kid, I kid. But seeing as how my entire life is schoolwork and stairs, let me give you a description. I start four of five weekdays up bright and early at 6:00am. Did I mention that it is neither bright, nor early? Well that's because the sun has yet to rise. Wonderful. Anywho, I head on down to breakfast and munch on an omelet and fruit until 7:45 rolls around. Then it's time for Chemistry.
Ah, chemistry. At 8 in the morning.
My morning pick-me-up. I enjoy chemistry. In fact, it's probably what I'll concentrate in. I just get it, at least these first few days. I'm sure that in a week I'll post an entire entry about how I'm lost in chemistry. And posting something about it instead of seeking help would actually hurt me more...
My last chem class was four years ago. God, writing that down makes me feel so old. Sophomore year of high school was the last time I dealt with elements, bonding, and reactions.
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| My brain, Chemistry section. |
Needless to say, I have some refreshing to do. I have a feeling I'll do fine in this class. The 8:00am four times a week is the roughest part though. It's not even like I can waltz on up the trillion stairs back to my room to take a quick nap. Why? Well, I have a class directly after that. And another one right after that. Oh yes children. Going science non-stop from 8:00 to noon is a pure delight. And by delight I mean hell.
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| Basically. |
Right after Chemistry, I move about two doors down to my next class of the day. Called
Earth Systems Science, this is basically a steroid-pumped version of Earth Science. Now I hate to brag, but Earth Science is somewhat of a specialty of mine. Freshman year of high school taught me well, and I'm very familiar with all of our lab equipment. Which is wonderful. Back when I was a lil' tyke, I geeked out on two things: sharks (marine biology in general, really) and minerals. Yeah.
All of my passwords for the computer were different minerals. Not only did I love the fact that nobody would ever guess them (because I'm a perpetual nerd and everyone made their passwords their crush's name back in second grade), but whenever I'd type in my password I just felt so awesome. I would use a pencil and think of the sheet-like structure of graphite.
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| 100% Carbon. 100% AWESOME. 100% my password to get into my Nickelodeon account. |
Needless to say, this class will probably spark some inner mineral love I've been suppressing. I'm afraid to discover this side of me. If I start referencing minerals and rocks later in the year, just go with it. Accept me for who I truly am.
This is the class that I'll have to go outside for, despite the weather. You know, I love being outdoors. I love the smell of rain and I love walking through the occasional forest. I wear bandanas when I hike. But between what I'll have to do this year in Earth Science and the personally-crafted version of hell I endured last fall has definitely made me come to the conclusion that I would much rather work indoors than out. I can't work in the field. I think I would go bananas too quickly.
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| I would actually turn into Tom Cruise. |
So after this class lets out, it's 10:00am and I've already got two sciences under my belt for the day. Alright, let's take a much-needed mental break. Perhaps a nap? Perhaps hanging out with friends for a few?
OH HELL NO.
After that class, I walk up a flight of stairs and walk right on into my two-hour physics class. Oh yes. Physics. 2 hours. PHYSICS.
Hold me. This is the class that I'm the most terrified of. I've been avoiding it since I was cut out of my mother's abdomen. When you're over ten pounds at birth, it's pretty much the only option.
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| Me two days out. Except I'm a girl. And not Asian. |
I've been avoiding physics like the plague. I am a serf and it is an infected rat. I see it everywhere, but I run. I run fast and I run hard. But my time is up, and I've got to bite the damn bullet. Six hours of physics every week until Christmas. Perhaps this will be the best Christmas ever. I should make friends with it now before it becomes too late. So I'm trying to patch our relationship up, mostly with equations involving subscripts and deltas.
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| And this is when I die. |
Alas. So I escape from the prison at noon and go about my life. Until I start homework. Hours and hours and hours of homework. That is all the science I'm taking this semester. You would be crazy if you did more. People think I'm crazy for doing this much as it is. It is my life, folks. You can't run from your life. Or postpone it. Unless you're Dr. Evil and Austin Powers and you freeze yourselves for 30 years.
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| Austin, you have to shave that. I know it's cold in there, but you look like an ape. |
To fill up those lovely general education requirements, I've also enrolled in an art history class. Because we need to take art to graduate. Hmph. Let me tell you, it is a foreign language. In the land of atoms and equations, people all around me are talking about artists and interpreting why they used acrylics instead of oil pastel.
I'm a fish out of water. A scientific fish thrown into a vat of paint. FISH CAN'T BREATHE IN PAINT. AT LEAST NONE THAT I'VE HEARD OF.
It's rough. But this class is ridiculous. Guys, the professor went over Stonehenge and the Pyramids for a collective fifteen minutes, then we spent the
remaining hour watching Ancient Aliens on Netflix.
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| Oh yes. This is no joke. |
This is real life. All in all, this semester is going to be interesting. I'm not sure how mentally sound I'll be anymore. It's already Week 1 and I'm babbling. Motor controls are beginning to weaken. Comprehension of the world around me is fading. To everyone in college, I sincerely salute you. I hope that you find much success this semester. Mine is debatable at the moment.
