Passion...

This trimester is so far awesome! The best ever!...(well apart from last semester, that was awesome with the two genetics papers!! Loved that!... But the weekly labs (except for the last 2 cytogenetics ones) kind of ruined my permanent enthusiasm on a weekly basis so that was a shame). On Monday I had evolution at 10am and then studied evolution and worked on my Philadelphia chromosome/CML project in the library for the rest of the day. Oh and also had my media lecture after which I went to print out an article that we have to use for our oral presentation (which is after mid-semester break)!! I like oral presentations but haven’t done any since end of college. That should be exciting! By the way I thought I’d just point out how much I love working on my genetics project!!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesday I had evolution followed by my first my first media tutorial which was ok, didn’t really do much. Then went to library and studied/wrote evolution cue cards/genetics project for the rest of the day. I love my studies this term!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesdays are so nice because I have the whole day to do my own study and then have genetics at 4pm. Spent the whole day working on my CML project writing up everything onto a powerpoint presentation. It was so hard to fit everything onto the slides without too much woffle! But very good practice for conciseness! By the time 4pm came I only had 2 slides left to go! :) Had a great genetics meeting, showed my project and talked about possible projects to do next. All possibilities were so exciting, especially Angelman syndrome! I had to decide which topic to do next but that was absolutely an impossible task!! I love this genetics paper sooo much!!!! …I feel so lucky about how everything worked out… :)

On Thursday and Friday I had evolution and then spent the rest of the day in the library making cue cards for evolution and working on my Charles Darwin assignment. We have to write an essay on an aspect of Charles Darwin’s life so I chose the Concepcion Earthquake. I was going crazy on Friday while e-mailing Geoff about genetics because I just could not decide what topic to do!!! It was driving me insane! I favored the topic about Angelman syndrome and imprinted genes but I still could not decide!!! I told him I was having heaps of trouble and he said I should do imprinted genes and Angelman syndrome!!! Yippeee!!!!!!

Weekend is currently devoted to Charles Darwin and the Conception earthquake assignment… And starting imprinted genes… :)

First Week back...feels like study break!

Well I just had my first week of classes for term 2...but it feels like study break!
I'm already loving term two!!!!
I have 2 lectures on Monday, one on Tuesday, genetics meeting on Wednesday, 1 lecture on Thursday and Friday!
I am doing evolution, media studies and independent study paper in genetics! Really Awesome!
And can you believe it? This semester I have for the first time in my university career;
1. Not a single lab
2.Not a single topic test (assessment all on projects/assignments)
3.Only 1 exam at the end of the year
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel so free!!! It basically all involves just studying/researching in the library for genetics, media and evolution! (and going to class only 1-2hours a day!) I'm loving it sooo much!!!
Evolution is great and so is media!!!...but I'm still enjoying genetics the most!!! :) (high favouritism I know!)
Have almost finished preparing my genetics presentation on the Philadelphia chromosome and CML (chronic myeloid leukemia)!!! I loved researching CML soo much! It's just so fascinating!! I can't wait to do my presentation!

Have been studying evolution heaps too. We have to write an assay on an aspect of Charles Darwin's life or scientific work. Went to the library and got out 6 books on Charles Darwin. Have started reading them...2 down 4 to go!

On Monday I had evolution (10-11am) and media(4-6pm). Was good! In evolution we started with the basics so a lot of it I knew already. Spent the rest of the day studying in the library. Signed up for media tutorial, (Tuesday) evolution workshop (Tuesday). Great! Got media assignments but not due for ages! :)
On Tuesday had evolution and then spent the rest of the day in the library making evolution cue cards and working on genetics.
On Wednesday I spent the whole day in the library except for my genetics meeting at 4pm (yay genetics!).
On Thursday, had evolution and then spent the day in the library again! (I went back to my 9am-6pm habit of studying at uni, like I did during study break!)

Friday was the same as Thursday. Mum and Linda went to Mt Raupehu with Livia for the weekend. Melissa came over and stayed for the weekend! It was soo fun! We had the whole house all to ourselves! And I got heaps of work done on both my philadelphia and Darwin projects! :)
I feel like I have so much freedom now that I'm not taking a lab paper and don't have any lab reports to write each week! Yeaaa!!!! I really need a break from labs! And I have heaps of time to study independently at Uni!!! I love independent study! :) Hence when I said that it feels like study break!

And then tonight we went to the Chinese restaurant for dinner with Melissa's family! So great!
This has been such a great week!

My first Assignment for trimester 2!

Well, the second semester has not even started and I've already got my first assignment for genetics! That's right! I am officially doing the individual study paper! Yesterday, checking my e-mail a gazzilion times I got a reply ...and Dr GR agreed to supervise my independent study! I was soooo thrilled! Although yesterday I resolved to stay home all day (since it was Dad's last day before he left) I kind of broke my resolution and went in to university right away to discuss my independent study stuff. I was soo excited! We brainstormed some ideas for the course and came up with some possible topics for reports. After that I went home to do more brainstorming.

I spent the day at university today, brainstorming ideas for genetics topics. It felt like I was writing my own course outline! And it really is not as easy as it looks! Then I went and discussed the brainstorm ideas with Dr GR. And then I got my first assignment research project! My first assignment involves researching the Philadelphia chromosome and chronic myelogenous leukemia! I'm really excited but really nervous at the same time! I've never done anything like this before! :) And when I've completed all my research for this topic I will be presenting a kind of a seminar! It will be sooo exciting!!!! In total I will be doing 4 projects for genetics this semester! :)

...oh my.......................ahhhhhhhhhhh.....................this is too good to be true!!!!!! .......I just had the guts to look at my genetics grade...... I got an A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I'm going to go and cry from joy................................................ :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Praying that everything will work out...

Well I have finished my exams a week ago so have been on holiday since. At the moment I'm trying to sort out the subjects I'm taking in this upcoming semester, so I went in to uni yesterday to talk to my major co-ordinator. I wanted to change my lab paper to something else and also change my english paper for a media one. Well I had a nice talk and guess what? I might be doing an independent study course this semester! There is this paper called 'directed individual study' and it basically involves doing a bunch of work independently in any area of biology you like! Isn't it great?! So I could do study in anything to do with genetics!!! Just the other week I was complaining about how there are no more undergraduate genetic courses to take ;( The only thing is, I have to find a lecturer who can be my supervisor. So yesterday I spent about an hour composing an e-mail to my genetics lecturer. Now I'm waiting for a reply, keeping my fingers crossed and praying that he'll agree to supervise me!

So next semester I'm taking evolution, media and hopefully (please please please!) the directed individual study project. ...will be checking my e-mail 100 times today!

I checked my results again and got a B+ for media! Now I know all my results for this semester except for molecular genetics which I am too scared to look at! I pray that I can be good enough to get into honours next year...
Dad is leaving for his trip to Russia tomorrow, so he will be away for a month! :( I'm going to really miss him. I really hope he has a better time there than I did.