Today I experienced a mini-intervention.  Given, I was in the process of consuming my eighth cup of coffee, but sometimes caffeine is the only answer available.  Or  42.  Sometimes I feel like I need a caffeine IV to keep going and this month I’ve needed it more than ever.  I’ve had one interview, two research papers, two lab reports, and four exams in the span of two weeks, and I’ve never operated on less sleep.   Mines is a true test of mental stamina. 

Second semester has wasted no time in building momentum.  I had expected BELS 301 lab to be easier than Chemistry II lab, given that quant lab is the only lab course anyone ever complains about here - and it was pretty easy to swing an A in that ;).  I was mistaken about BELS.  Three hundred level courses aren’t just a step up; they’re a whole different league.  I came to this realization somewhere between the 11 page report on catalase and the 20 page paper on Aquaporin.  

Exams are just as tough as I remember, and twice as intimidating.  Getting into the physics exam is similar to getting through airport security; calculators, baggy clothes, hats, cell phones, ipods, jackets, and watches have to be checked in at the front of the room after you make it past the TA’s at the door whose job is to make sure ID’s match faces and to make sure you’re on “the List” of students who are supposed to be in the room.  Econ exams are tough because one or all of the multiple choice answers may be correct, but you have to choose the “most right” answer.  It seems that every exam is followed by a mass exodus to Digger Den– apparently tests are a recipe for hunger.  

In response to my growing level of responsibility, I have succumbed to one of the most popular campus pastimes – videogames.  After 18 years without playing, I am amazed I managed to avoid it for so long.  The first thing my roomie and I did after the physics exam was demand that our friends on the second floor set up Call of Duty – it’s an excellent way to vent frustration.  There are some wonderful places on campus where, with the help of a projector and some HDMI cables, we can play with 6 foot screens for up to four people.  With larger groups, video games evolve into study-for-whichever-exam-is-next/eat-everything-in-the-immediate-vicinity/shooting-things-to-blow-off-steam-and-build-teamwork parties.  What’s more, playing helps everyone to better appreciate the vector parameterization used in computer programs. That’s right.  Real world applications of Calculus.

The ladies chillin' on the couch...

While the fellas work the kitchen