Already we’re into February, and the first week of classes has breezed by. I’m taking three classes this semester: Biochemistry, Developmental Biology, and Game Theory. Plus, I have my senior thesis project at my Brigham and Woman’s Hospital lab still ongoing. Each day ticks closer to the April 27th thesis deadline, and already this week I have had two long meetings with various advisors: first at the Brigham to outline the sheer quantity of work that still remains to be done, and the second with my Wellesley advisor to figure out how on earth I’m going to accomplish it all. I am fairly concerned about my thesis, and beginning to realize why PhD programs take so long…there’s constant troubleshooting for experiments and inevitable delays. One does not simply fit a publication worthy paper into 11 months.
The frazzled meeting notes of a thesising senior…this and syllabi are all the pictures I have of the past week
I love my thesis project and wish I could devote myself full time to it. Just like I wish I could devote myself full time to my other classes, and playing the violin. This seems to be the senior year conundrum. In the right doses, my thesis, classes, and violin would all bring balance to my life without threatening to upset each other. Some days are better than others in this regard.
I want to touch a little more on my other classes, since I tend to reference them frequently but often with very little introduction into their subject matter. Biochemistry first, since that is the one I have at 8:30 in the morning. This is the “introductory” 200 level biochemistry, mercifully without lab. So far, I’m actually really enjoying/understanding what we’re doing. I guess this is one of the perks of being a senior bio major. This trend might not last, but I’m thoroughly enjoying how, when I start to get overwhelmed by the chemistry aspect of the course, it becomes biology again and I understand.
I am also taking the final course in my economics minor, Games of Strategy. It’s an introductory course in Game Theory, which is essentially how people make strategic decisions taking the actions of others into minds. On one hand, I’m taking this course because it’s literally the only econ class that lets me go to the thesis lab. But I think it will still be useful to me. I’m starting to realize how not-so-logical I am by consistently losing our in class games. Hopefully this class will introduce me to a new way of thinking.
Finally, I am taking Developmental Biology. I am super excited about this class, and every session I learn something amazing. We are going to be fertilizing sea urchin eggs so that we can watch the exact moment at which life begins (!!!). And just this morning I learned that there are turkeys and sharks and lizards that can clone themselves. I can’t wait to share some of our lab images with you.
I am pumped for the urchins! Hopefully we can get some cool pics like this one, which shows the various stages of embryo development
Well, I’ve rambled on long enough. Till next week.
Ever lovely yours,
Eleanor