Appendicular Skeleton

I've survived first week of AP I. Next, I find out if I survive the first of the weekly quizzes. Today in lab, we learned 126 bones of the 208 in the human body. This is the Appendicular portion of the skeleton. That would be everything except the cranial, thoracic, and vertebral portions, which would be the Axial skeleton. It sounds difficult, but broken down, it's not that hard. Since left and right are the same, we only needed to know 63. We'll learn the other 80 in the next couple of labs. Being visual, this is easier for me. So far. :)

Celebration + Lecture

Got my English Comp I grade: A !! Despite knowing I had at least an A-, the final exam's grade left things questionable. As I have mentioned: I don't do well writing essays in a timed environment. I have no idea what I got on the final exam, but the final grade is all that I care about at this point. I just hope I can continue this trend into the science classes. Which leads me to...

Tonight was also my first AP I lecture class. It was long and without breaks (unless you chose to leave the room briefly). But the positive side of that was, we got out an hour earlier! It was a lot of material, sometimes more in depth than I thought needed; other times, incredibly simple. I have a good feeling about the class, but I'll know better after the first tests. Every week there will be a quiz for the lecture class and another for the lab. Oof. But at least there will be no cumulative exam (except for the practical lab exam). So far, so good!

AP I - Day 1

My first AP I class (lab) was tonight. Lecture is M/W, lab is T/Th. And I am going to be geeky and say, "I really like it". It was a full class (about 24 students) and I feel fortunate to get a really good professor. We're also lucky that he teaches the lecture, so it will make things consistent.

Talking to other students, they told me he is really good. I agree! What I like about the professor is that he is very clear and concise, has some humor, doesn't just "lecture", makes the class interesting and go by relatively quickly (it *is* a 4-hr, class after all), and truly wants the students to do well. He is strict (will take 5 pts off your grade if your cell phone rings, you get an F if you miss more than 1 class) but has an excellent memory and says he will know all of our names within the week. And while lecturing in lab, he specifically says "write this down", and proceeds to rattle off specific information that you better know. He's not trying to make learning difficult or be mysterious of what will be tested.

Today's class was primarily the policies, but we also had a run-down of how to use the compound light microscope, how to measure field of vision, and learned anatomical positioning. We also got out 30 mins early. Granted, it's the first class and lecture remains to be seen tomorrow night, but I think he'll make it a good class. I can exhale a little. Just a little. :)

Down side: book/lab book cost me $270 combined. And I still have to buy a lab coat. Up side: they will also be used for AP II class.

New Medical Book

I've picked up a new book to read: My Stroke of Insight. Actually, it's been around since 2007 and in softcover for a year. It's a fascinating account of a neuroscientist's own experience of a rare form of stroke. I admit when I first saw her on TED, I sort of thought she was a quack as she talks like she's on some hallucinogenic towards the end. It sort of begs the question of whether such drugs affect similar left areas of the brain. I couldn't really see the fuss over her, and therefore, didn't try. My experience with strokes was limited to a one-time situation where I accompanied a neighbor to the ER for back pain. He had had a mild stroke several weeks before, and I admit I wasn't very empathetic to his confusion. I had assumed he had fully "recovered" having returned from the hospital.

But since doing the volunteer work and seeing patients who are recovering post-stroke, as well as knowing some more people who have had a stroke, I was drawn back to read Dr. Jill Taylor's book. And I'm glad I did. I had hoped to finish it before class starts tomorrow, (it's a quick read) but haven't had the time. I will hopefully finish it in the next day or two.

I highly recommend everyone to read it. It's not too technical and really amazing to read about the actual stroke in progress and her recovery process. At the end, she offers a list of things a stroke victim should assess, as well as a list of 40 things stroke victims need while recovering. Very useful information for those in health care. I remember reading a passage before her brain surgery to remove the clot that had formed, and she tried to keep awake to experience it all. It reminded me of when I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled out during high school. They put me under, and I was determined to observe the whole experience of going under. The last thing I remember before waking up was saying to everyone, "I see two of all of you".

The way she describes her experience (in the book and video), also seems reminiscent of how people describe near-death experiences. I wonder if a similar event, originating in the brain, happens just before death to give the impression of being "one with the universe" as Dr. Taylor describes it. Food for thought.

Update: There's a pretty good 4-part video (or audio, if you prefer) interview of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor by Oprah on iTunes. It's a little less "LSD-like" and a good summary of her book and insight. Scroll down to about listing #104-112.

Volunteer Break

Today was my last day of ALL volunteer work until late August. I can't believe I've been doing this for the past 6 months straight! While I enjoyed the work and people I worked with, I won't miss the 6am weekend alarm. Now, I've got a short break that, in retrospect, is much needed. I'm someone who would rather plough through the difficult things before enjoying a break. Like when I was enlisted to mow the lawn at home, I would rather finish it all at once, rather than take a break and get a cold glass of water. However, I realize I may burn out this way. And though I have a break, it really isn't a true break: summer class session 1 starts in 2 days.

Working a full-time job plus 4-hr classes, 4 days a week, mandated as much studying time as possible. While excited, I realize these upcoming science classes are the real test of my abilities, perseverance, aptitude, organization, etc. English Comp I was my warm-up, but can I hack it in science classes? I have my doubts, but try to shove them away and not dwell on it. I need to believe it and not think anything less. Nonetheless, I'm uber anxious in anticipation. My Korean friend, who I wrote about earlier, once told me my nerves will settle after I know how the professor tests and what to expect. She said I'll find someone in the class who will naturally gravitate towards me in being a "study buddy". I think she's right. I noticed it even in my English Comp class. I naturally gravitated towards 2 particular students, and they, to me. If we had needed to study with each other, we'd have likely chosen each other.

So my last day of freedom is tomorrow. And I have to clean this apartment to declutter my mind and stay organized.

Best Jobs in America Chart

I came across this chart, listing the best jobs in America. Check out #2!

I also came across this online article about the Best/Worst Master's Degrees. Guess which one is mentioned first.