Planning, Packing, Organizing
So I’m heading off to my first interview on Sunday - a bit nervous but also exciting! However, before then I have so much to do! Being a senior isn’t as easy as many would have you believe… First off, there’s my class schedule!
Doesn’t look too bad, and I love having Tues/Thurs afternoons off. I actually had to drop my first class EVER here at Caltech this term - Ch 242a (Chemical Synthesis). It was one of those classes that just takes a lot of time, but is really cool. And with 4 other classes + interviews…it wasn’t going to happen. But no worries, I checked with the registrar and there won’t be any problems with me graduating! Another good thing about my schedule is that there are only 2 sets a week! I sometimes reminisce about the days of Core (my girlfriend is a sophomore and I frequently remind her), when I had 3-4 sets due a week, and then I relax a bit :).
So now although I have finished my official work for the week, the work never really ends for this busy senior! I’ve turned my focus to three things (as you would expect from the title): planning, packing, and organizing.
Planning: There are so many logistics that go into an interview! From flight plans to getting to LAX to getting to the school from wherever I land, there’s a lot that I can think about. And knowing me, seeing that mountain makes me overwhelmed! And though I have that knot-in-stomach feeling that I’m going to forget something major (like my flight number!), I have to look at this just like every other challenge I’ve had here at Caltech: by PLANNING and MAKING SCHEDULES! It’s what I do best, and to that end I am making a “rap sheet” for each school with all my flights, how to get everywhere, important phone numbers, and some research I’ve done on it. Let’s just say it takes a lot of time, but I’m pretty proud of the product! And most importantly, it keeps me cool, calm, and collected.
Organizing: In addition to all this talk about interviews, you have to remember that the coursework doesn’t stop! Next week won’t be too bad - one set and reading half of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, but I can’t fall behind on them! So although I’m done with my work for THIS week, it’s never too early to get started on next week’s (except if you’re a frosh, in which case **PASS/FAIL FROSH!!**). But enough about that, I don’t need to bore you with the details of anatomy/physiology or Mark Twain.
So Sunday begins my trek over to Chi-town! My first interview is at the University of Chicago: Pritzker School of Medicine. Let’s just hope my flight gets there on time!
