Time to ring some bells

The LAS orientation class requires a service project. Near the beginning of the semester, I reached out to one local ministry to hopefully do some computer-related work for them, but due to scheduling conflicts I was unable to make it to any of their training/orientation sessions, which are required before doing the work. As the end of the semester is rapidly approaching, I started pursuing a fallback plan. This Saturday, I will be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, serving two shifts for a total of four hours. Next week I will find at least one more shift.

Lab work is official

Today I stopped by the research lab to pick up the MCB 290 academic credit form, now signed by both parties. I had expected to do 2 credit hours (10 hours per week in the lab), but the professor decided to have me do 1 credit hour instead (usually 5 hours per week). That is probably a good thing considering that my spring schedule even without the lab is more vigorous than my schedule for this semester. I then stopped by the MCB office to get the form processed, after which I received the CRN for which to register. When I came back to the dorm, I put the pseudo-course in the registration system, making the arrangement fully official.

Back in business

I returned from the Thanksgiving break to campus this Sunday. There's no shortage of work to do: I immediately prepared my notebook for the chemistry lab on Monday and did the biology pre-lecture as soon as it became available. There are two chemistry worksheets due this Thursday and a chemistry exam on Wednesday for which I've been reading the book quite a bit. I have a reflection paper for the LAS orientation class mostly written; I will finish that up tomorrow. Quite a bit is going on, but it's nice to be back to work with things to accomplish.

Packing up for home

Today I made most of the preparations for leaving for home tomorrow. I removed most class-related items from my backpack, filling it instead with just a textbook I need to study, a few clothes (to make sure I have enough at home for the week), and some of the high quantity of extra snacks I've accumulated. Before I go, I'll wash all the pending laundry, unplug my appliances, empty the trash and recycling, rinse out the coffee maker, and pack up my laptop. I'll arrive back home in the afternoon, then I have a full week off!

Break coming soon

Tonight I took the third exam for my calculus class. It was significantly easier than the previous; at a leisurely pace I finished with several minutes to spare. Results might come out tomorrow night; otherwise they should be ready by the end of the week.

That exam is the last noteworthy work item I have before going on Thanksgiving break for a week. Usually I would have one class on Friday, but it is cancelled due to us having the exam tonight, so I have Friday completely free. I'm pretty sure I will return home then and will stay for the week. It will definitely be nice to have a break after 12 weeks of class.

Found a lab

Through the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, I heard about an opening for an undergraduate researcher in a lab on campus. I did some reading on the faculty profile page for the lab's professor and was excited to find that the lab's work is related to genetics, which is my area of interest. A story of moderate length made short: today I received an offer to that lab! I will start work in the spring. It will be an opportunity for me to learn about real-world lab procedures, apply my computing experience to another discipline, and hopefully contribute to science.

Second round of exams done

Today I took the second midterm exam for IB 150. This unit was on genetics and inheritance, which I thoroughly enjoy, so I felt very good about the exam. This Monday was the second chemistry exam, which felt like a disaster (and evidently was for some because the instructor said he plans to curve it), but apparently I scored a 96% before the curve. That was a pleasant surprise. This concludes the second round of exams; the third will begin in two weeks with another calculus exam.