like a boss!
This past week has made me feel so.. “pro”, I guess. Or, to float by a lonely island, “like a boss!” It started with Sunday and Monday being full of, you guessed it, BME. I should probably get used to that feeling. But yes, those days were spent doing hours of work on our presentation, delivered Monday afternoon; and one of my presentations went straight to the head of the BME department for undergrads. Knowing me, I’d assume I’d crumble like a dry leaf and faint flat to the ground out of utter dread for public speaking, but for some reason I’m finding I’m getting better at it. Maybe it was because my partner, whom I don’t entirely love being partners with, had obvious struggles with public speaking. The evil side of me may or may not have been fueled off that competitive edge. I’m leaning more towards the former.
Anyways, the next morning was my earliest morning here yet: 6-freaking-AM. Seriously. I can’t even recall the last time I woke up before 9AM willingly; and even those times it’s a struggle over whether or not my 10AM class is worth going to (if often wasn’t). But 6AM. Damn. Although I have to say, it was entirely and undeniably worth it. Because I got to watch my first ever surgery! It was, in two words: disgustingly fascinating. Througout the course of the case I got glimpses at the diaphram and the left lung WHILE THEY WERE WORKING. Ridiculous. Not to mention we were standing probably a mere three feet away the entire time, so I got to see all the equipment and procedures used as well. And it made me feel even more bosslike since I’m just a lowly freshman undergrad. When nurses and anethesiologists and others walked into the OR wondering what the small crowd (3) was there for, some people guessed “med students” or “residents,” which just made me smile. I mean, where else could I have gotten this experience? Where else would there be a hospital right next to my dorm building, AND where else would I have a direct connection with the head of the surgery department? Call me bold, but I’d venture a guess of “no where.” So even though I had to wake up at some ungodly hour even before the sun did, I’d say it was 5000% worth it.
Then Wednesday morning comes along, which was the day of the Calc II final. And my TA proceded to be a total douche and made me hand in a 100% blank answer sheet. That was horrifying, but luckily the professor was infinitely nicer than the douche TA and didn’t take off any points for it. Thus, I got a solidly above-average grade on the midterm, finished 78/204 in a class of a bunch of people who have learned the material already, and passed my first ever college course with a B (which coincidentally was also my hardest of this semester). Baller status!
Lastly, Thursday and Friday. I finished up my ‘being-researched-on-for-an-experiment-at-the-med-campus’ thing today, for a grand total of $80. But I think I would’ve done it for free. It was interesting (watching my hand twitch from some sort of messages being sent to my brain), mildly entertaining at times (behavioral test GAMES woot!), and got me comfortable with taking public transportation to and from the med campus. I’m not sure how soon I’d sign up for another one, but at this point, that was fun and well worth it. And to think of all the Christmas presents I can buy with this money!
So while I think back to all my hometown friends, and how their weeks were probably spent either cramming for finals or getting hammered, it makes me smile to think that maybe I’m getting a little bit more out of the ridiculous tuition we all pay to attend ‘higher education’. I remember when I told my best friend my schedule for this upcoming week, she responded about how all she had going on at the time was writing a paper, and then the rest of her time was spent hanging out with friends. And while I have nothing against that at all—in fact sometimes I wish I had more time to just let loose and chill—I like the feeling of being busy; taking part in things that are more relevant than just abstract learning and memorization in the classroom; doing things I would never have had the opportunity to do back at home; and overall expanding my horizons in a way that a college education is supposed to.
And did I mention it also makes me feel like a boss?
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