Hello everyone!

It has been too long since I’ve blogged, and a lot has happened since Jan 8 2011, wow it’s actually exactly a month since I’ve last blogged.  Ok first of all I changed my schedule around, I am no longer pursuing computer science.  It was around 2 weeks into the course, and I just felt so lost.  The thing that irked me the most is when someone would ask a question using terminology (not taught yet) and discussing things that went far beyond the realm of the course.  I feel bad enough that I can’t get everything as fast as I’d like to, and I think I got over the fact that so many people in that class had programming experience, but I think the professor tended to them more than he did those that had no experience whatsoever.  It didn’t feel like a beginner course for me, and after spending DAYS studying, and still not getting WEEK1/2 stuff, I already knew it was…my time to head on to ssc, click that tab that says registration, click that tab that says Add/Drop courses, and GET OUT OF CPSC110.  My dad is a computer scientist/programmer and I got him to help me but it wasnt enough, to get through this class Id need him daily.  And I thought it’d be teaching intro Java with a textbook, but its changed completely now they’re not really teaching a specific language, but …I won’t even go into it, its too messy for me.

NOW..

Onto classes I’m actually taking.   I decided to stick with the Combined Major in Science, but switch from cpsc to eosc, and i’d only need to take 3 eosc courses to satisfy that portion of my major.  I feel like im constantly switching, but this is safe, and it’s about the most flexible major at UBC, well after Integrated Sciences I think.  I think having more control, and choice with my courses is what I need.  I’ve had two midterms back to back, and one on Sunday(online course) and I can honestly say I’ve slept a lot this week, and I felt good/decent about both, and this doesnt happen to me ever, so this major is probably what I should have done to begin with, Biol 204 will be my biggest regret at UBC i’m sure.  I will give a quick update about each course

Eosc 326

This is one of the eosc courses I must take as part of my combined major, I actually had a wide selection, I only take 3 courses, and this is 1/3 of them.  It’s an online course, I came in about 2 weeks late and had a midterm & lab the following week (together 25%), so I definitely buckled down, and while I gave it a lot of time, I can tell this isn’t a class that can get to be too much to handle.  I’ve done really well on everything so far, my midterm was my highest midterm ever at UBC tied with Chem 123, and my lab was great as well.  Hope to continue, didn’t expect this class to be a GPA booster..but it just might be 🙂

Ihhs 200

I’ve been very sick, so I missed some classes, but so far the professor is still great!  I actually just signed up for UBC Trek Reading Week Program, the orientation is Saturday, but it will be my volunteering that I’m doing for this course.  You can replace a midterm and report with volunteering, so I can’t be mad at that!  The final should be straight forward, and I have to start focusing more in this course!

Chem 205

OMG why didn’t I make a separate post about this course!  I feel like this is about to be a longggg paragraph.  So i’m about to go in on pretty much the whole department thats in Chem 205.  FIRST OF ALL:  Why were you guys unable to send a MASS email that SIMPLY STATED what was on the midterm, what the cutoff was, and what we weren’t responsible for.  Though it’s a section wide midterm, people were being told different things.  We were assigned problem sets, but there were apparent questions that we weren’t responsible for.  The discussion board was MASS confusion, every time I went on it, it was something new.  “OK …umm my prof said we are responsible for Clapeyron”…oh really “my prof said not to worry about it too much”…ok.. “my prof said we arent responsible for some problem set 2 questions” SO THE DISCUSSION BOARD WAS PRETTY MUCH A GIANT HEADACHE.  It’s crunch time, and these kind of trivial matters are just annoying.  When I was studying for the midterm I looked and looked for practice/old midterms, but there were NONE.  If I had JUST ONE I know for sure, I would have done way better because I’d know the format, and get all the little tricky things.. especially in a course like chem 205, once you know the tricks, and your good with equations, your solid.  Nonetheless, I can’t say that I’ve ever been as ‘nonchalant’ about a midterm as I was for this.  Like I didn’t read the webtext..ever..because all those derivatives were too intimidating, so I spent the week prior to the midterm reading/taking notes, but it wasn’t like I was going hardcore.  Fact of the matter is…I know how I am, finals schedules came out, and I will have time for this final.  Its 70%, and 15% are quizzes with TWO attempts 😀  Meaning you can pretty much get perfect every time.  In the grand scheme of things getting an 80 or a 90, or getting a 70 or a 80 is not too big of a deal in the grand scheme.  If I could learn half of Chem 233 in 3 days and beast my final…4 days for Chem 205 should be fine, that 15% on quizzes doesn’t hurt either.

Biol 201

Okay, so this course has taken a “backseat” this week(and last week) because I have other courses with midterms, but I think my prof Bingle has so much swag for a prof! Haha he’s not my favorite prof at UBC, but he has this chill vibe, where it’s like hes very comfortable with the material, so it makes YOU feel comfortable with the material, he teaches so well without even trying!  I’ve went to other sections, and they may have more clickers, or whatnot, but he is just so chill, and explains complicated things in the BEST ways.  I missed a few classes last couple weeks (X_X).  I will NEVER miss a class again, this is a promise to myself.  I also have this eery feeling like this could be my worst grade this semester, so I have to catch up!! ARGHH.

Micb 202

Just had my midterm today, and it was a whopping 34%.  Okay (watch me change my opinion when grades come out lol) I reallly really really really really love the material for this course.  This course is divided into 3 sections: Immunology, Bacterial Diseases, and Virology.  And Immunology was just so interesting!  I think it’s because for once I’m learning about actual people not animals (*cough* Biol 204 *cough*).  And I was at the pace of the class at the beginning, but then started going at my own pace later on, really making sure I knew everything before I moved on.  And I would find myself like saying “damn..” or “wow…” or just Shaking My Head as I read the different topics in Immunology section.  Like how you get bacterial infections, how the innate, and adaptive immune responses rise to action.  It started off being so complicated at the beginning but then it just all seemed simple at the end.  And you learn so much about infections, like HIV.  Do you know that you can have a HIV protein just chilling in one of your cells for years and years…just waiting to attack!  That’s just one of the things.  How a guy with cancer AND HIV got cured by getting a bone marrow transplant from some with a defective CCR5 gene.  How crazy is that, and I always get ideas, like what about this, or what about that.  It just seems like a really important subject, that could do so many things for mankind.  We are moving on to bacterial diseases now, so I don’t know if the interest will continue, but I hope so.
AS FOR THE MIDTERMS.  I have a question for UBC Science Faculty.  What are you guys so AFRAID OF?  Why is the very thought at a B average for a midterm horrifying for you guys?  Why?  Why can’t the average be a B+?  I always thought that too many Science students at UBC are mentally psychotic when it comes to helping their peers, its too competitive, and now that I think about it, what do you expect when the professors or whoever is their boss, cringes at the very thought of students doing well. I undertand first year, fine weed out the med school keeners, but can this end?  That midterm was I would say good, I think I did very well…but when a prof says something like “I really hate x type of questions, but we have to do them or else too many people will do well”….AND? Whats wrong with that? I REALLY hope that this mentality changes 3rd year+ (SOMEONE TELL ME IT DOES)

Okay thats all for today, good bye folks

and btw how ILL is this video!

About binta

UBC First year student. :)

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