I realize it has been quite a while since I posted, I'm either busy doing something really fantastic or doing nothing at all. lol. I have finished week 1 of classes and am now beginning week 2. I have said it before and I will say it again: This semester is going to be rough!
Comparative Animal Physiology:
This was the class that I was most excited for. Unfortunately, I think I am going to be let down. Right now we are learning about how stress affects the neural and endocrine system which is not at all interesting. For this class in particular, I was really excited about the practical. I was expecting something different. I haven't had my first prac yet, but the main professor told us we would be dissecting a squid at some point. I am somewhat disappointed. I don't know why, but I expected to be dissecting a lot of new different animals. I read the prac manual for our first lab and it is all about statistics. I really hope this class turns into something I am interested in, but I feel like it isn't going to.
Ecology:
Shockingly, this has been the one class that I haven't been bored out of mind or completely lost in. I'm not usually a fan of ecology, but for some reason today's lecture flew by! It was actually interesting! I really hope that it stays that way. The class has 4 professors, and the one who is lecturing now is a huge beetle fan. He went to the rainforest in Borneo and used fog machines to kill bugs in the canopy and then he recorded them. He used to work for a Natural History Museum in England. He was in charge of the beetle section. Now, I know this doesn't sound really interesting, but he discovered several new species of beetles! It took him and his colleague something like 2 or 3 years to classify all of the insects that fell out of the canopy. I found this really crazy. He told us today that out of all the animals on the planet 3/4 are insects, and 1/4 of that is strictly beetles. That's a shit ton of bettles. Our first prac is a field trip to Yarra Bend Park, I haven't read the manual yet to know what we are doing, but I am pretty sure I have to write a report on it. Way to jump right into this semester! Also, sometime before Thursday I need to figure out how to get there.
Genetics and the Evolution of Life:
I have no idea what is going on in this class because I have only been to the first lecture. I know. Mistake on my part. But they are at 8am!! Jesus, that's early. Right now this is the class that is most demanding. There is a lot of outside work I have to do, so I have been justifying not going to the lecture because I have to reteach myself mitosis and meiosis. The first day I went the professor basically continued on from last semester with a very, very small bridge connecting the two of them. So, because I wasn't here last semester I'm lost. I have some homework due by Friday which is what I have been working on instead of attending lectures. (I'm just being honest. lol. Skipping class has gotten me this far, but I am starting to think it isn't going to work here.) I am going to catch myself up and then start attending.
Genes and Genomes:
Pardon my french, but what. the. hell? This professor barely even gave an introduction and then started lecturing. I don't have the foggiest what she is talking about. No clue, whatsoever. So I don't really have much to say on this subject. The end.
I am going to have to change a lot about my M.O. to get by this semester. I just feel so overwhelmed! Even though I didn't used to agree, professors in the states practically baby you. Here they really place everything on you. You do most of the work outside of class. And that is my problem. I am such a procrastinator! I do everything at the last minute, AND IT WORKS! I am proud of my gpa, but I have to tell you, I don't know how I got it! This semester I am really going to have to buckle down to get by. That is going to be the hardest lesson I learn here. And guess what? I am procrastinating reading for this assignment by writing this blog.
I'm screwed.
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