Midweek Recap: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Posted on October 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

Why the past two days have been good:

  • I’m pretty sure I did well on my first ever midterm! It was easier than I anticipated, so I finished it in 20 min. Too bad it was only worth 10% of my KIN 190 (physiology)  mark.
  • I downloaded new music and it makes me happy.
  • I can do a cartwheel almost perfectly now! Yay, gymnastics class!
  • I got all my chemistry lab work done last night.  In less than 4 hours.  Yeah, I’m pretty impressed with me too.
  • I drove to school today, and I snagged the last cheap parking spot this morning. 😀

Why the past two days have been bad:

  • I’m exhausted.  I stayed at school late last night to finish my chemistry lab, and so I didn’t get home until 11.  I’m definitely not getting enough sleep; the dark circles under my eyes feel permanent.
  • I opened up a juice box today, took a sip, and realized it tasted like pineapple.  I’m allergic to pineapples.
  • Also, the job action is confusing me.  I thought we just went through this in highschool…
Something ugly:  
It turns out I completed the wrong pre-lab last night.  Suddenly, I’m not so impressed with myself, the lab professor is not impressed, and I’m realizing why it’s a really bad idea to do your lab work the night before. So for all you chemistry students: CHECK YOUR LAB SCHEDULE!
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First midterm tomorrow!

Posted on October 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m scared. So, so scared.  Help meeeeee.

Panicky Courtney is panicky.

There’s so much stuff that has to be memorized for physiology! Yeah, KIN 190 actually one of those classes where you do some crazy massive memorizing.  A pack of flashcards are your best friend in this case.

Also, I find that drawing things out (hello, muscle contraction) on a giant whiteboard is really helpful, as is studying in groups.  Also, talking through ideas seems to work well.  But don’t whisper to yourself on the bus, as it causes people to give you funny looks (although if you like that sort of thing, I suggest rocking back and forth as well).

Anyways.  Back to cramming studying now!

Ughaughaughaugha.

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Exploring: The Museum of Anthropology

Posted on October 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hola! Have I ever mentioned that I love my classes this term?

Here’s one of the reasons why: My English professor, Gudrun Dreher, took us on a “field trip” to UBC’s Museum of Anthropology! It was a refreshing change from textual analysis in our little classroom in Buchanan D.

The MOA (Museum of Anthropology) can be found in the northern part of campus, on Northwest Marine Drive (past the rose garden).  It’s a beautiful building when you look at it from the back, but when you’re coming in from the front it does’t look like much at all.  There’s some very pretty landscape around the museum, although I don’t understand why there are sprinklers in the middle of the pond.

Inside are a lot of artifacts from different cultures; most notably, Northwest First Nations cultures*.  When I say “a lot”, I really mean a lot.  You could easily spend an entire day looking at the all the displays and reading descriptions.  I’m not a museum person myself, but I actually found that there were a lot of things that attracted my attention.  Those masks were pretty freaky! I want to borrow one for Halloween.

But because it’s an English class, there’s another big assignment we have to do.  Urgh. 

I’m glad she made us go to the MOA, though, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have gone on my own.  Going to the museum is another thing that all UBC students should do (is it just me, or do I do recommendations a lot?).

So when you have time (and I mean when you’re not cramming for midterms), go!

*They have Bill Reid’s Raven and the First Men! It’s one of my favourite sculptures 😀

 

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Day of the Longboat (or oversized canoe!)

Posted on October 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke! Golly, that word sounds weird after a while.

For those you you who haven’t heard about it, Day of the Longboat is a UBC REC event held at Jericho Beach.  Basically, you form a team with whomever you like (I went with a faculty team) and you race against other teams in an oversized canoe.  It’s more fun than I describe it to be, I promise!

Here’s how my day went:

  • I got up at 6am this morning.  Yes, on a Sunday (the horror!).  There was no sun, and the moon was still high in the sky (and it was really, really bright).
  • I drove to Jericho Beach, which took me half an hour.  It was a lovely drive because all the lights along my route were pedestrian lights, and since no-one was out at 7 in the morning… What? Of course I didn’t speed!
  • Paying for parking at the lot was a pain for three reasons:
    • Today, you have to pay for parking; tomorrow, parking is free.
    • $3 an hour.  Seriously, why so outrageous?
    • I had no coins, which meant I scrambled around for twenty minutes looking for people who had change for a $10 bill.
  • I met up with 8 other first-year kinesiology students. Our team name? The Kintagious Kinky Kinners!   …Oh boy, do Kinners love their puns.
  •  We went out in our oversized canoe longboat and paddled hard. I’m pleased to say that there was no capsizing of any sort, although we came close. There was, however, lots of screaming, splashing, cheering, and laughing.
  • We did not come in last place. 😀
  •  We soaked in the (really, super-duper-ultra-hot) hot tub for a bit, and then went out for lunch and cheered and heckled incoming teams from other heats.  There were a lot of kinesiology teams out there, and we cheered for them all!

The KKK: After the race!

What disappointed me (a little): after we finished up, it felt like there wasn’t much to do. There was a feeling of “What now?” once we got out of our lifejackets, and there seemed to be no incentives for us to stick around. (Maybe that’s good, because we all had to study for our physiology midterm).

Still, I’d say Day of the Longboat is one event that all UBC students have to do at least once.  If you’re looking for spirit, you’d find it here!  It’s definitely a team bonding activity, so I’d recommend that you gather a group of friends, or people from your floor, or your faculty. And for goodness’ sake, not that kid you really can’t stand. 

Can’t wait for next year!

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Eating in class (the right way)

Posted on September 27, 2012 | 4 comments

Isn’t it annoying when you’re trying to listen your prof’s lecture, but instead all you can hear are the distinct crackling noises of your neighbour’s candy wrapper? Or even worse— when you’re distracted and embarrassed by the loud growls your own stomach is making?*

Yep! Been there, done that.

So here are some of my tips on how to prevent awkward hunger-situations!

  • Eat breakfast.  And lunch. And dinner.  Skipping meals isn’t good for you, so eat frequently! Your body will thank you later.
  • Bring the right types of food.  That means snack food, not your lunch!  Leave that veggie pizza for break. Granola bars are good, as are small fruits like grapes.
  • Don’t bring anything sticky or stinky to class.  No one wants to smell you and what you’re eating, so don’t bring in those onion pork buns, no matter how yummy they are! And you also probably don’t want fingerprints all over your shiny new laptop, so think about not eating juicy (but sticky!) fruits while you’re taking notes.
  • Don’t bring open drink containers into the lecture hall.  Those pop cans and juice boxes are just spills waiting to happen.  Starbucks and Timmy’s is okay, though, as are water bottles and mugs with lids.  Mmm, steaming hot tea is good in the morning.
  • Unwrap wrappers before class starts, so you don’t disrupt other people’s focus’.  Minimize as much trash as you possibly can, because garbage piles just aren’t that attractive.
  • Stomach growling and there’s no food? In a pinch, clap your arm over the offending organ. It will muffle the sounds.  Making a constipated face at the same time might help, but I can’t guarantee it.

I wonder if this is what goes on inside my torso during my sports sociology class…

*Once, my stomach growled so loud that my friend sitting next to me heard.  She started laughing, and it was embarrassing. But it’s okay because it happened again today in reverse so hah.

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