An analogy

I'm a bit lacking in multiple areas this morning including: comprehension, sleep, motivation, sleep, focus, sleep... The result? Why an analogy of course! Brace yourself.

Hmmm..I suppose I should give you a bit of prelude before I launch into the analogy. I'll spare you the details and just say that I had multiple bits of agenda and meetings to attend to this weekend, so I was not nearly as productive in the homework area as I should have been. In fact, I simply took a few entirely random guesses on a biochemistry quiz at about 12:30 this morning because it was far less painful than trying to make my brain function and find the answer. I called it a night at approximately 1:32 a.m. and sprung into action again at 5:36 a.m. for volleyball conditioning. Therefore, I blame the following on exhaustion.

My analogy. Let's begin with biochemistry. Hmmm... a brief scan of the pages of notes I should have been taking for the past month tell me that I should have a plethora of knowledge involving the minutest details of amino acids and proteins and enzymes shoved into my brain, including of course, memorization of all 20 amino acid structures and their codes names and polarities and pKa's and 7 different purification methods and energy diagrams, and binding modes...and...well, about all I know is that I should have that stuff in my head. But hey, I thought it was no big deal that I was falling farther and farther and farther behind because the test wasn't supposed to be until after break. But, guess what....yep, we're ahead of schedule, which lucky for me (note the sarcasm) means the test is next week. I was informed of this incredible news upon entering the classroom.

For the following 50 min, I was supposed to be learning about enzyme nomenclature, another area of memorization that seems too impossible to fathom right now. But, instead I stared blankly ahead, not even bothering to turn the pages of my notes to keep up. You see, I was sitting there imagining a floor length closet, with one of those tall doors that has a magnetic sticky thing in the corner and an old fashioned handle, so that you have to yank on the door to get it open and when if finally springs, the door is all wobbly (some doors stick worse than others). You know the kind (well at least I hope so, because frankly, I realize that that was a terrible description, and I have not the slightest idea of how to improve it...if you are lost, just use your imagination). So anyway, during biochem, I'm sitting there imagining myself trying to open this closet door to cram this explosion of new, impossible information in for storage. But, I can't even get the door open. The closet is already so full of chemistry bologna that there are pieces stuck in the door, causing it to jam and the sticking to be even worse. I yank and yank to no avail and all the while, enzyme names and functions are simply smacking the door with barely audible thuds and shattering on the ground. I'm stomping on them in my frantic attempt at opening the door, listening to there pleading cries for memorization, but none of them are saved and they sure as heck don't make it into the closet.

And then a 10 minute break before organic chemistry. I get up and walk around, gathering my strength to open that stupid door. I return and low and behold, one final yank and the door flies open! But, it was tragic you see as, WHOOSH...chemistry bogus flew everywhere! Compare it to word vomit, you can't stop it and it's just messy and senseless...yeah, this was chemistry vomit. A bunch of random facts and structures and names and properties just crumpled in disarray on the floor. As if that weren't problem enough, the sprung free door exploded open with such force that I allowed it to deck me in the face and nearly knock me senseless. In such a state, I stared at the disorganized disaster of my exploded closet and made a very weak attempt to find the pieces of information Dr. Wu was talking about (we were reviewing, so the stuff had probably been in the closet vomit somewhere). About midway through class, I dropped my pencil and simply stared. Sadly, I now have to pick up that disaster and organize it before Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., when in reality I have only this really strong urge to simply pack it all up and ship it to good will. It could make for an interesting exam...

If you are confused, please do not ask questions as I am buried in a pile of chemistry rubbish. If you are seeking to help me in my predicament, send sleep donations my way. If you are wise, you will say a prayer or two for me as I also need to write a story for my Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction class....and well, you've just read my analogy. The story might be rather frightening and ridiculous.

The end.

A Calendar of Homework...

Here I sit at 11:48 p.m, entirely too awake beings I have to be up in less than six hours so that I can be at volleyball conditioning at 6:00 a.m. ughh.

I should go to bed, but my week is already messed up because we DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOL TODAY!! WOOHOO!! While nearly the entire campus went home for the 3-day weekend, I hung around here in hopes of putting a serious dent in my pile of homework and scholarship and summer job applications. What is incredibly sad is that I left campus only twice in these 3 days off from school (well if you don't count my daily jog), once to eat at Mexico Veijo on Saturday night with Brittany, my valentine (:P) and last night to go to HyVee for a box of graham crackers and a movie. I spent entirely too much time working on homework, and I am still up at this hour trying to get stuff done. I think it's safe to say I might be a little in over my head this semester. Oh well, I guess I'll just test this whole sleep debt theory and see if I can't in fact hit bankrupt.

So, beings I'm a bum and sit around and do waaaaaay too much homework, that's pretty much all I have to talk about tonight. I spent the ENTIRE, yes, ENTIRE afternoon Sunday working on chemistry. yuck!!! In somewhere around 5 hours, I wrote two lab reports and literally suffered through two weekly quizzes (they are more intense than they sound). And, what's really sad is that I relied completely on my notes and couldn't tell you how to do any of those problems if I looked at them again....should make for some stressful studying next week when test time rolls around.

Tonight, I have to keep reminding myself that it is Monday night (I don't do well with these schedule changes) I prepared for an essay test in Christianity in the Modern World. We have the essay questions and are allowed one 3 by 5 index card, one side only, full of as many notes as we can cram, for each essay. I sort of wrote out my entire essays and then decided to see what they would look like in size 4 font. I can read them, but a magnifying glass probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Depending on how brave I am feeling tomorrow, I might actually bring in my size 4 font cards. There are no rules against it. I'll have my entire essays and probably a nice headache to go along with it.... we shall see. :P

Time is simply flying and I'm so busy with homework this semester that I barely have time to comprehend that it is doing so. It's February something and I'm lost in my own calendar of 22 credit hours and volleyball....speaking of which, the time for practice is growing ominously close and I need to end this piece and go to bed. Good night!!!

Another Week has Slipped Away

My prediction proved accurate, as this past week was truly hectic indeed. It is now Sunday afternoon and my week of grad school interviews, homecoming, and the beginning of spring volleyball is officially over. ......AND I AM TIRED!

Well, to recap, I'll begin with volleyball. Our spring season officially started last week with 6:00 a.m. practice on Monday morning. I was sufficiently cranky and irritable for the rest of the day beings I am used to staying up late on Sunday nights to finish all of my homework and not having to get up at 5:30 a.m. We did testing all week in sprints, jumps, and lifts. That means that this week the conditioning and pumping iron officially begins. I'm even more tired just thinking about it. On the plus side, we only have to get up at 6:00 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays for conditioning. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Sunday evenings will be dedicated to lifting. And, speaking of Sunday evenings, we are actually playing from 5:30 to 7:00 this evening, so I desperately need to 1) wake up! and 2) get cracking on my to do list to accommodate for that missed homework time.

Homecoming: The week began with a Homecoming mass in the chapel on Sunday. Free ice skating was a big hit on Monday night. I have gone ice skating a total of 3 times in my life (once each year here for homecoming) and every year, I manage to maneuver some pretty intense wipe-outs. This year I somehow pulled a face-first plunge into the ice, allowing my left shoulder to catch the full brunt of the impact. Let's just say I had a slightly dysfunctional shoulder for the next couple of days. It was worth it though. Skating was a blast and a great break from the monotony of homework. On Tuesday night, a serious of inflatable games were brought to the gym. I made a very brief appearance as I was in class until 8:45 and then had a crazy list of to-dos. I was gone for Thursday night and Fridays festivities (dodgeball tournament, $3 movie night at the cinema, homecoming meal, coronation, hypnotist....yep, all of the good stuff) as I went home for my interviews, but I made it back in time for the basketball games and the formal dance last night. The dance was great fun. In fact, I didn't leave the floor once in the three hours I was there and I have painfully blistered feet and achy legs to remind me of that this morning. It was a truly fun time with friends.

Finally, my interviews. Well, for starters, I should say interview. I cancelled my interview at Iowa on Saturday. Why? To make a long story short, 1) had I gone and been accepted, I would have had to take a summer class, which I had no desire to do and 2) I had a mental breakthrough/breakdown/revelation and concluded that my heart is really not into becoming a pharmacist. In fact, I very nearly loathe chemistry. So anyway, so as not to ramble, I did go to my interview at Creighton on Friday and am now directionless and contemplating my future again....and curious as to my possible acceptance. It's rather unsettling, so I will not dwell on the matter.

And that brings me to today, the first day of a new week. Time is simply flying and I am never feeling caught up on homework. Sundays are actually never much fun because procrastination has to end for another week. And so I must go. Have a great week, get plenty of sleep for me, and be happy! :)