Hello Blog!
Long time no see! I hope everyone had a restful and joyous holiday season! I spent lots of time with my family and friends, baked many batches of cookies, rediscovered the Goodreads app, tried out a new hobby or two, and of course, got some much needed sleep. It was honestly the perfect amount of break. I had enough time off to fully decompress, so by the time it was a couple days before FDOC, I was really excited to start classes again!
Things started off strongly when I was reunited with my friends the night before FDOC. We hadn’t seen each other in-person for over a month, so naturally, we held a Powerpoint night. We each made funny Powerpoints complete with pictures, dramatic transitions, and hilarious commentary and presented them to each other on our projector (one of my personal dorm must-haves). There was, of course, lots of audience participation. It was a really fun way to catch up!
But then, it was time to get serious. My FDOC started with a 9am organic chemistry lab for 3.5 hours. My roommate also has quite a few 8:30am classes this semester, so as a duo we are operating on an early bedtime schedule. We bid our friends adieu and headed to sleep.
As it turns out, 9am organic chemistry labs on Monday are not the most popular! There are only 4 people in my section, which is actually really nice because we all got to know each other and I can ask my lab professor as many questions as I want. I’ve been playing with my schedule a bit this week, shopping for classes, begging professors to let me into very cool 300-level seminars already at capacity, etc. etc. but I’ll have a more solidified update next week. A class I’m currently really excited about is Nanoscience, which is obviously a STEM course, but the class is focused on reading scientific literature and seminar-style discussions. It’s taught by a professor who specializes in nanoscience research, and his lab is actually right next to the lab I work in!
Finally, a blog post about FWOC wouldn’t be complete without a paragraph about Google Calendar. I really love the first week of classes when I get to enter everything from the syllabus for each class into my Google Calendar and assignments app. It helps make me feel very organized and prepared, which is important for starting 4 entirely new classes after a long break! It also helps me fall back into more fun routines like when to practice cello and carillon, where to grab a meal with friends, and when to schedule study sessions for the new semester. I am Google Calendar’s number one fan.
Until next time,
Jade <3