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| April 2007 »
So it's that time again! We students finally get one week to catch up on homework, studying, and projects. I have been relaxing, spending time with friends and family, and reading. I also plan to do some project work and studying, since I have a midterm the Monday school starts back up again (which sucks a lot). I have been enjoying myself a lot lately and can't believe break is almost half way over. My advice for you is to treasure the time you have with your family and your friends, because it goes by fast!
As a graduating senior, I really treasure my last Spring break! After graduation, I would not know if I will have any more Spring break in the future. I will be going home in San Francisco and get ready for my Dietetic Internship phone interview for Napa State Hospital.
This semester has been a really busy semester for me. In this last semester, I have been working for internship applications, citizenship application, my friend’s wedding, graduation plan, etc. It has been a very efficient semester! The Spring break will be wonderful to take some time off and spend some quality time with my family and friends in San Francisco.
I am going to be prepared for my first phone interview, having some gathering time with my church friends, going out to the beach with my family, and planning for project with my classmate. Even though it is not going to be a month long vacation, it would recharge me for the remaining weeks before I move on to my graduation. I look forward to this break and wish yours will be wonderful!
Spring break is never a very exciting time for me. I usually use break to catch up on work, sleep, and catch a few movies I never got around to seeing. I always look forward to having good, home cooked meals, and enjoying a cup of coffee with old friends. This year I plan to do all of this as usual, but instead of staying in Sacramento for the whole week, I am going on a camping trip along the Northern California coast for the last four days of break. I don’t have the exact itinerary picked out, so perhaps my only real plan will be to be back in Berkeley in time for my 10 o’clock class on Monday. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing break.
As with most undergrads, my spring break will be highlighted by a visit back home and meeting up with friends from high school. I miss the LA area, especially the palm tree-laden streets of Pasadena, fancy rides that inch past me on the congested freeways, inexpensive dim sum, and the thick band of brownish smog that rests upon the county. Of course, attempts will be made at catching up on school work, especially on the loads of reading I have gently pushed aside for this English course I'm taking. A midterm, as well as a research project, will dawn on me after the break. But for now, I'm looking forward to sleeping in a little later than usual and a break from hectic college life. This spring break should be a good one.
Ah, spring break – it's both a good and a bad thing (and in light of that, I will keep this short). Good thing – I get to go home! I can't wait to see my family again, see friends who are also on spring break, and just feel comfortable because it's home. And of course, I get to eat yummy food. Bad thing – I've basically decided to postpone all of my work and studying for this break (not really, but kind of), so I'll be really busy, and can't be distracted. I don't know how much I'll be able to accomplish (memories of last year studying o-chem – wasn't "productive" enough), but I hope I can do a lot because I have more things happening right after spring break this year.
Nothing much exciting is going on during spring break for me, but many people go on trips or service projects. A couple of friends are visiting other friends in the east coast, and others are going to New Orleans to help out with the ongoing relief efforts. Either way, I hope my spring break will be productive, yet at the same time fun. I wish all of you a wonderful spring break!
So how do you prepare for the next round of midterms? I believe all the PALs had really good things to say, and I'll can do is reiterate some of the suggestions they had.
First of all, don't stress out! It's really easy to and maybe I'm not the best person to say this because I tend to freak out and make other people nervous because…well, I have "bad energy" around me. Music, especially classical and instrumental music, is particularly relaxing, and I listen to it while I study so that I will feel calmer and more in focus. Other strategies include remembering to breathe and doing exercises – walking around, dancing, or just giving yourself a break. Sleeping is always good.
If the next midterm is the second of third (or third of fourth, etc), evaluate how well you did on the last midterm, not just the exam itself, but the process of preparing for it. What can you improve, and what study methods do you want to keep? I think I have different ways of studying for different classes, so one way of studying may not apply to another.
Last but not least, whenever everything feels overwhelming, as things often do, just remember you can get through it. The result may or may not be the one you want, but you have survived through the stress.
If you need any suggestions, e-mail any of us, or come to our office hours at Mulford Hall! Also, I've written other blogs relating to midterms, time management, and stress management, so you can definitely check those out.
I think this is the first time where when Spring Break comes around, all I am feeling is the "blahs." Maybe its because I have some pretty harsh professors, where I get a midterm at 8am the Monday we get back from Spring Break. Or maybe its because I got assigned a take-home midterm that is due the week after spring break? Ya those are probably it. I feel as if I have soooo much studying to do, that my professors are like, wow, look at how much time you will have during spring break to do our work! Ugh. Instead, one of my professors put it best, that the reason for spring break IS to party (and relax). As a side note, that professor is the only one who tells us NOT to do studying over spring break.
Now that all of you have heard me complain about the massive amounts of work I must do over spring break, many of you can probably guess my spring break plans. Yes, thats right, I will be here in Berkeley studying and writing away (unfortunately). No, I am not even going home to sunny socal this break, well mainly because I don't get much done with regards to studying when I am at home. I am too distracted by my dog and the tv and just spending time with my family and friends. However, my family did come up a couple weeks ago so that I could see them before the summer (which was really great and good break from the first round of midterms). However, all that I can look forward to at this point is summer break and traveling all over France as soon as finals are over!! Well, I hope all of you have a great spring break, and have much more interesting plans than me!
This will be my third spring break. As usual, I am flying back to Irvine with my little black luggage, which is mainly occupied by my notes and books. Yes, midtermsssss right after break. Ah! But think about the bright side, I get a full week to study for my biochemistry and physiology midterms! I plan to take my metabolism reader to Newport Beach to enjoy some soCal sunshine while I figure out which steps produce CO2’s and which enzymes need the help of NAD+ or FAD in citric acid cycle. After every meal, I will remind myself that my cells are working hard to break down the newly entered glucose in my blood stream via glycolysis. When I go swimming or playing basketball, I will think about why I breathe faster and I will anticipate soreness in my muscles because of the accumulation of lactic acids, of course. Last semester at this same time, I was whining about having two midterms right after break, too, except they were bio1a and physics 8b. Life goes on. Welcome, spring break 2007!
Besides becoming an even harder-working Berkeley student, I will become an American this spring break! I am going to the Naturalization Oath Ceremony in LA tomorrow and after that, I will be Taiwanese-American. After six years of living in America, I will be finally “naturalized” from being an alien. I don’t know what that means. Jury duty? Anyway, another exciting change for this break is that on Thursday, my brother will know whether he gets into Berkeley or not! I really hope he joins me next year!
I am currently sitting right next to Gate nine in Oakland Airport. My plan was to come early and hop onto an earlier flight so I could have dinner with my family, like right now. Apparently my flight ticket wasn’t expensive enough to be qualified for a free standby. So I got myself a gourmet burrito and a cup of coffee.
What are your plans for spring break? Try a new sport or try some new dishes. Read some magazines or watch some movies. Hang out with friends and cherish family time. Remember to catch up on sleep and recharge yourself while playing hard and studying hard! Hope y’all have a wonderful and relaxing spring break. See you after break!
Hooray for a breather!
Next week, I plan to catch up on my Zzzzz's as well as with friends and family. My younger brother gets home from UC Davis the same week, so there will be some time for some interesting conversations...I also hope to do a lot of shopping with my friends from high school and watch lots of movies, some of which won this year's Oscar. Whenever I go home, I always enjoy running and biking at Coyote Hills. There are numerous trails to explore and lots of wildlife to see! Unfortunately, I'll have to fit in some studying time during my day, especially since I get to look forward to three midterms the following week. But thats ok, 'cause at least I'll have time to spread out my studying.
FYI, the Fall 2007 schedule comes out today! So if you're confused or have questions about your schedule, come by office hours at Mulford Hall and we'll be happy to help you out!
SPRING BREAK!!! time to relax, catch up on sleep, and catch up on some fun!!! School has been very stressful and the work load is just unbearable! a week at home with family and friends is exactly what i need! even though i do go home often since i live in SF, having the whole week at home is just great! I certainly will try to sleep in, watch a lot of tv, hang out with friends and family, eat out, and just relax. Clear my mind of school for a while! of course i still have some course work to do, but spending a little time on each a day of my break will surely be enough time! i cant wait!!!!! i really need the break to just sit and think! hehe
hope everyone has a greaaaat spring break! be productive, have lots of fun, and be safe! =D
I think I'm in spring break mode already. I can't wait to finally take a break from school and all those midterms.
This spring break, I'm going on a road trip to Oregon with my Christian fellowship. We're going to be staying in cabins along Rogue River and doing all the nature-y things that we CNR people love to do. There'll be lots of hiking, swimming, fishing, star-gazing, eating, playing games and overall fun and bonding. Road trips are so great because you get to have great random (and deep) conversations with your car mates and stop by strange and interesting places/towns too. I'm super excited!
Hope you guys have wonderful breaks too having fun, relaxing at home, or spending time with best friends and family :)
Spring Break is almost here! We have all been working our butts off for our midterms and a lot of us will get some much needed time off. Unfortunately for me, my spring break is sandwiched between midterms (I have two midterms this Friday and another one the Tuesday after) so I’ll be busy studying for a good part of the week.
Just like Jen, though, I’ll be headed to Monterey for a few days just to relax, enjoy the beach and take in some touristy things (aquarium, Cannery Row) with my boyfriend. I haven’t been there for 8 years now so I’m excited to see what’s new.
Then, off to the dentist I go! Wish me luck!!
Drop by our office hours and tell us what you’ll be doing over the break or if you have any cool tips on where to go in Monterey! Have a wonderful Spring Break!
I can’t believe it is already time for Spring Break; it really snuck up on me this year. I’ve been so busy that I am shocked how fast my last semester here at Cal is going by. However, just because I know my undergraduate experience is coming to an end soon and I will miss it greatly, doesn’t mean I’m not ready to enjoy Spring Break!
I decided to keep my break fairly low key since I am in need of some down time. Luckily, I only work one day so I will have plenty of time for “me time.” I am excited to see my three best friends from back home (I live with one now, but it’s been a while since all four of us have been in the same place at the same time). One of them is graduating from beauty school, so I am thrilled to help her celebrate. I am also looking forward to hanging out at home with my family and my puppy.
I also have a mini-vacation planned. I’m from Northern California, yet I have never been to Monterey! So my friend and I are planning a weekend trip down to Monterey with our boyfriends. It should be a wonderful getaway; last year we planned a similar weekend to San Diego/Mexico and it ended up being a blast. We plan on going to the aquarium (of course!), to Carmel and to Pebble Beach for some good old sunshine.
Basically I plan on spending my Spring Break around fun people, beautiful scenery and good food! Come by office hours to tell us about your Spring Break plans. I’m sure everyone is busy with midterms, papers, etc right now, but don’t fret – Spring Break is just around the corner!
Spring Break, not for me!! Well it's a break from school, but I don't get to go anywhere. Even if I didn't have anything to do, I wouldn't have money to go anywhere. So what I get to do for a whole week is spend time with my niece and nephews (who are all super fun and adorable)! I get to sleep in, see my boyfriend, hang out with my family, and I'm going to treat myself to a massage!! Yay!!! I'm so exicted!
This Spring Break I decided not to put in hours at my job because I've had such a stressful semester I thought being able to relax at home would do me some good.
I love coming home anyways. I only live about half an hour from Berkeley, so I come home as often as possible. So being able to stay home for the whole week is a treat!! Not only is it a break from school, but it also marks the fact that there are only about 6 weeks left in the semester and about 8 weeks till commencement! Lots of things are going on and lots of things still need to be done! Oh how these things sneek up on you... everything happens so fast you don't even realize it. But that's life and for this week of Spring Break I will do my best to enjoy it!
So the second round of midterms is or will be coming up for most of us, either right before spring break or immediately after. To prepare for this, here are a few pieces of two sense I have up my sleeve.
Don't let a mediocre performance on a previous midterm bog you down. If you did well on your first midterm, great! Tackle the next one with the same grace. But if things did not go as well as you'd hoped, try to figure out why: did you not have enough time to study? Was the material too difficult? Was your study environment too distracting? Was the test more difficult or structured much differently than you had anticipated? It's important that you identify "what went wrong" so that you can rectify it. Plan several weeks in advance for studying, seek out some tutoring at the SLC or at office hours, study away from your noisy dorm room at libraries or cafes, and understand the kinds of questions and pointers your professors focus on. Remember that profs love to see improvement, and some may actually give you the benefit of the doubt if your subsequent midterm grades go up.
If you find yourself becoming really stressed over upcoming midterms, try to find a way to "destress." Exercise is an excellent way! You can also hang out with friends and resurrect your inner social being. Again, plan ahead so that you'll have time to balance both schoolwork and fun.
Hope this helps! If you've got anything you want to discuss about midterms or other aspects of college, drop by office hours located in Mulford Hall.
Midterms can be a pain, but there are a few things you can do to make your life easier before, during and after exams. After about the first week of school, when you have finally weeded out what classes you are going to take for the semester, it is a good idea to check out how your midterms are spaced out. If you have three during the fifth week of school, you will want to anticipate this and start studying early. Also, going to office hours and clarifying topics you don’t understand during the week they were presented is much more effective than having a laundry list of concerns during the review session. This allows some time for the information to settle and makes your studying right before the exam more like a review and less like a night of cramming.
However, we all get caught up in campus activities and weekly assignments, and sometimes it isn’t easy to make it to office hours or even keep up with readings. If you are in a situation where you are cramming for a test, I think the best way to approach it is to make a list of priority topics, and then go through it until you understand everything on the list. Kind of understanding something, especially for math and science classes, usually doesn’t help me much. Remember to get up, walk around, stretch, and eat something good while you are studying. And of course, get a good night’s rest before the exam. This will help more than anything!
Finally, one thing I learned the hard way as a freshman is that unlike some classes in high school, there is no break after an exam. The course keeps on going, and while it is good to do a little celebrating when exams are over, be sure you don’t fall behind! Hope this advice is useful and good luck with your midterms!
Well, midterms this semester were crazy!! It hit me like a train wreck!! I was so stressed out, but I got through it LUCKILY!! This was the 2nd round of midterms for most of my classes, so I kind of new what to expect. But for one of my classes, I felt totally clueless. But I think I was making a big deal out of nothing. I honestly was frustrated, but I did my best and I think that's what matters. I'm just glad I can move on to the next task and not have to worry about it anymore.
Midterms can be crazy, especially when you have a lot of other things going on as well. I think dealing with midterms well has to do with time management (which I still need to work on). I think I just got behind in my own time management because I had interviews for pharmacy school, on top of my school work and my two jobs. I'm just glad everything is done with, at least for a couple weeks!
Can't wait for midterms to come around again! YEAH RIGHT!! Hope you all were able to get through yours and good luck on the ones to come!! For anymore insight into what the PALs think about midterms just check out the MIDTERMS category on the right side of the page!
It's midterm season once again and now that I am a senior, I should have more expertise in this subject. But to be honest, midterm seasons at CAL are some of the most difficult times to weather through. And I still have trouble myself with achieving that perfect balance, but I do have some advice from my experience to share with you. I feel that the most important thing is to start early. No matter what, review the notes from your classes that day and rewrite a few things that you were unclear on. Jot down your questions and go to office hours!! This way, you will keep up with the material and rest assured that your understanding of the concepts are thorough and complete. The additional interaction with the professors may also open new opportunites for you. This applies to both before and after your midterms: Review the information you did not understand and go to office hours for further clarification.
You may find additional pointers from my midterm blog post last semester.
So immediately after starting to think about what are my favorite things, I broke out into the song "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music." So I think I will start off by writing my own version of that song, so here it goes (and just to let you know by no means will I sing this for you if you come to my office hours..) :
Sushi, Falafel, Cheesecake and Chocolate,
Sushi, and Sukiaki from Kirala and Man Puku,
Falafel and Shiskobab from La Mediteraneae,
These are a few of my favorite foods...
McDreamy and McSteamy on Grey's Anatomy,
A typical "chick show", Sex and the City,
Jack, Caryn, and Will and Grace,
These are a few of my favorite TV shows...
The Sound of Music and Empire Records,
Life Is Beautiful, Garden State, and Almost Famous,
Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Shrek,
These are a few of my favorite movies...
Classical Music when im studying,
Rock, Rap, and Hip-Hop,
Nirvana and Coldplay and the wallflowers,
These are a few of my favorite types of music...
When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad
So come to my office hours and we can talk about these things, but again, I won't sing it for you :)
Most of us have come to realize that midterms don’t only occur midway through the term, often we have several “mid” terms for one class so it is important to stay on top of the material. Whether we like it or not, it’s midterm season again (or always for some of us), so how about some tips on how to study?
1. If possible, it’s best to try to stay on top of the material throughout the semester so you don’t feel rushed when it’s time to study for the midterm. If not, start going over the material early enough so you don’t have to cram (unless that’s the only way you can study). Studies have shown that people remember the material much better if it’s learned over a longer period of time, thus, helping you do better on this midterm, possibly the cumulative final as well and most importantly it will stick with you longer.
2. Plan it out! Time management is an important skill needed for studying for midterms. I suggest reading my previous blog called “Time Management – An Essential Skill” for tips on how to manage your time. If you have more than one midterm to study for make sure to plan it out so you have enough time to fit it all in. Alternating between classes is a good idea because it gives you a break from the material to let it sink in and also so you can come back to it with a fresh mind later.
3. Save time to do something fun in between studying. It’s important to take time off and relax or do something you enjoy; this will help keep you energized to study. Even if it’s just an hour break to go enjoy the sunny weather, a half hour break to watch your favorite T.V. show or saving time to hangout with your friends, make sure to save some you time.
4. Now that you have some tips on how to prepare for the midterm, here are some tips on how to take the midterm:
A. Get plenty of sleep the night before.
B. Eat breakfast the day of the midterm.
C. Enter the test feeling confident (even if you think you should have studied
more); the worst thing you can do for yourself is to be nervous during the test.
D. If you don’t know an answer, skip that question and come back to it; just because
you don’t know that particular question doesn’t mean you won’t know the rest, so don’t
freak out!
E. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you need clarification.
F. Keep an eye on the clock so you can get through the entire test and hopefully
double check it.
G. Stay positive throughout the test.
If midterms really stress you out I suggest taking a look at my previous blog called “Feeling Stressed?” It may help you get through midterm season with a little more ease. If you feel like sharing your midterm experiences, study habits, or have any questions please come by office hours. Good luck and remember to stay positive!
So its midterms round #2! most of you might be bummed out from the 1st rounds of midterm but don't let that affect your work on the 2nd rounds of midterm! try to relax by doing a few of your favorite things. Study a little ahead of time so by the time midterms are here again, you wouldnt have to pull those all nighters and stay up waay late! procrastination is not the key because your body will just suffer from lack of sleep, stress, and abnormal eating habits! of course from a nutrition and health standard those are all bad! hehe
thus, keep up with your notes and work and make sure to ask questions whenever you spot something you are unclear of. If studying with small groups help, make sure to gather up with friends or join a study group so that you can learn and catch up on material learned in class!
Make sure to get a lot of sleep prior to the midterm and set your alarm to wake up in time to get ready and go to class so that you are not rushing the whole time. and most importantly, eat breakfast so that glucose goes to your brain for good functioning =) breakfast is good and healthy so dont skip breakfast!!
before the midterm, you can even snack on some chocolate to give you that extra boost! =) i, personally, love to eat chocolate before exams...its an excuse for me to indulge on chocolate guiltfree =P
Are you feeling apprehensive about your upcoming midterm exams? Well settle down, my friends. I have a suggestion. You are going to fail. So why study? Ah, freedom, relief from stress. Seeing that this might not fly with you, I have an alternative.
Engage yourself during class. I have this one professor who speaks so elevated and talks about things as if we already had background knowledge of those things. So, I ask questions when I think of them. This might slow down the class. But you should think of it as bringing the class down to the optimal speed. Teachers should explain concepts they mention in lecture before going on to the next concept. What good does it do us to just hear the name of the concept without knowing what it means? This is a strategy one should implement throughout the semester. Thus if you don’t know your stuff now, you’re not going to know it for tomorrow’s exam. So just not even worry about it.
However, do remember that your brain has recorded all the information you picked up during lecture and what you read from your books and notes. It’s all there. Have confidence in yourself. Do your best and I’ll be proud of you.
Go Bears! Beat the Midterms!
Midterms - Preparing for the next Round (a revisited topic;
or can be "Tips on Studying effectively" from Julie)
I know some of you have midterms right before spring break. It’s a good thing, right? C’mon, SPRING BREAK is almost here! Excited? I am!
For the second midterm, you need to learn from mistakes in the first midterm and improve your studying habits and strategy. Don’t worry, it’s never too late. It doesn’t matter if you got a C, a B, an A, or even an A+, you should reflect through what needs to be improved in turns of studying for your particular class. Maybe now you know that your professors like calculation-based questions more; maybe you found out that there were mostly conceptual questions; maybe from the first paper you learned that your GSI prefers more detailed supporting evidences… you get the idea. So based on your previous experience, you can modify tactics for the second exam.
Don’t give up if you scored below average or a C-. You might be the person who set the curve in second midterm, the professor might just give out 40% of the class A’s, the professor might see your improvements throughout semesters and grand you an A, or just remember, there is still the final for most of the time.
Continue your great work if you got a great score. Remember how you prepared for the first midterms/paper. But don’t slack off! The second midterm might be harder.
Also, be sure to look over the syllabus and revisit the % distributions for each assignment and midterm.
And remember, always give yourself some break. You deserve it.
Studying for midterms?!?!?! Don’t they seem never-ending? My main trouble is to actually start studying, and once I (finally) get the ball rolling, it seems to go relatively smoothly. Here are a few tips that I have found to be incredibly helpful for studying:
1) Organize the material. There may be tons of information we have to pack into our heads but one thing I found to be incredibly effective is to figure out how the various topics relate to each other. Once I find the links and get the large picture, it’s easier to study the details.
2) Alternate between classes. If I have more than one midterm in a day, or within a few days of each other, like I have coming up (next Friday), I find that studying for a few hours for one class, then switching, helps me keep me focused. I tend to get bored and my mind wanders so I have to keep things fresh.
3) Don’t worry about others. Don’t worry too much how other students will do on the midterm—this will just make you more nervous. Try to focus on doing your personal best and try to stay calm.
I hope these tips help! Come by our office hours and tell us how you study! GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MIDTERMS!!!!
Come check out these events sponsored by the PALs and PAL associated organizations!!
Check out more upcoming events happening on the CNR Calendar online!!
Research Poster presentations:
Do’s and Don’ts
Monday March 12, 2007
12:15pm
230-D Stephens Hall
1st CNR Undergraduate
Student Council Meeting
Tuesday March 13, 2007
5-6pm
260 Mulford (Student Resource Center)
CNR Movie Night:
Fern Gully: the last rainforest
Wednesday March 14, 2007
5pm
260 Mulford (Student Resource Center)
There’ll Be A BEAN FEED too!!
Music is one of my passions in life. I have played some sort of instrument ever since I can remember, and finally settled on the saxophone in fifth grade. Since then, I have played in various wind and jazz ensembles, and have cheered on the Bears as a member of the Cal Band. When I am not playing music, I usually have something on to listen to. I really enjoy jazz and like going to jazz clubs when I can find the time. One of my favorite activities of the summer is going to the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, dancing, and listening to jazz on a warm summer night. I also like blue grass, rock, and classic rock, and try to go to music festivals and concerts as often as I can.
Aside from the occasional Daily Show episode, I find myself watching way more movies than TV shows. More than anything, I like unusual, quirky movies that often fall into the independent and foreign film categories. I like seeing what independent film makers can do with a tight budget, and the little snippets of different cultures in foreign films captivate me. Some of my favorites are the Red Violin, Amelie, Little Miss Sunshine, and the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Finally, I have to say that I feel very lucky to live in a place like Berkeley that has so many cheap, good restaurants right at my doorstep. I really appreciate good food, and find myself eating Thai, Japanese, Italian and Mexican food quite frequently. I also try to eat healthy and avoid fast food when I can. One of my favorite places to eat in Berkeley is Thai Brunch. This usually takes people a while to discover, so I will make sure you can enjoy it as much as you can before you graduate! It is every Sunday at the Thai Temple on Russell Street between Shattuck and MLK, and eating here is a great way to enjoy a Sunday morning. Please stop by my office hours and let me know if you know of any other great little known places around Berkeley to grab some food.
Preparing for the second round of midterms can either be a positive or negative experience. These two different experiences can result depending on whether the first round of midterms went well or not and whether one is motivated during spring break. Last year, I spent my entire spring break in Berkeley preparing for my midterms. During that time, it wasn't the most enjoyable experience but the reward I gained by scoring well on my midterms made by spring break studying justified.
I believe that the second round of midterms are the most important as this determines your grade going into the final. If the first midterm went well, this is a chance to solidify your grade but if your first midterm didn't go well, this is a change to bring it up and be within striking distance of a desired grade with a good final exam score. As a result of the second midterm being more important, more stress and anxiety may result. My suggestion to remedy this is to begin studying earlier. Studying early allows me to go through the material at a suitable pace and formulate questions which I couldn't normally do if I didn't study early.
Music: I like singing and dancing with my friends. Just this past Sunday, some of my friends and a few of their friends gathered at the WWI Memorial Oak Grove on campus and sang devotional songs. The trees give off such high energy, which energized our voices and our drum-playing. I also like to watch my buddies sing at open mic nights around Berkeley.
Movies: I rarely watch t.v. or go to the movies. The last movie I saw in the theater was Blood Diamonds with Leonardo DiCaprio. I like movies that have a socio-environmental message, make you think about things you hadn't thought about, or demonstrate the ingenuity of people (i.e. Catch Me if You Can, coincidentally also with DiCaprio). My favorite movies are Back to the Future, Pleasantville, and The Wizard of Oz. I enjoy watching any black and white film, especially slap-stick comedies. The Pacific Film Archive (PFA) is a great cultural campus resource. I've seen great films there, including The Beatles' Hard Day's Night and Ich moechte kein Mann sein (a silent film).
T.V. Shows: I rarely watch television, because it sucks away your intelligence. Corporate money-makers flash images on television that make you rely on their messages, and make you rely less on thinking for yourself. Disney, McDonanld's, and ABC are one of the many corporate conglomerates in the entertainment world. What are their motives? If Disney did something bad, do you think ABC is going to report it on their nightly news? Anyway, there are better and more important things one could do with one's time. When all is said and done, when I'm on break back home, I enjoy taking the time to watch I Love Lucy and M.A.S.H.--the classics. I like the Simpsons too, for a good laugh and thought-provoking innuendos.
Food: Italian, Mexican, and Indian. Did you know that traditional Mexican food is mainly vegetarian? Meat has been put into many dishes to appease the meat-eating, non-Mexican population. Being part Mexican, I'd always thought meat was traditional. In some dishes it is, but not all. And some things, like burritos, are not really Mexican dishes. I like traditional Indian food, which is also vegetarian. According to Vedic tradition, it is an offense to Lord Krishna to eat meat. How can we blindlessly, carelessly kill animals (albeit indirectly) and think we can live in peace among our fellow human beings?
Hi everyone! How is school? How were/are the midterms? Don’t forget to relax and always take a break from studying! Today I’m going to list out some of my favorite shows, music, and food!
First, I’ll tell you my current favorite show. I love Grey’s Anatomy! It’s a medical drama describing five surgery interns’ complicated relationships, their excitement, stress, ups and downs as rookie surgeons, and some ethical/debatable issues in healthcare and medicine. Seriously, this show is such a lacrimal gland stimulator. I cry during every episode! Oh, and did you know that you can watch full episodes for the entire season online at http://dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing? Many other shows such as Desperate Housewife and Ugly Betty are on there. Go check it out if you have time!
Next is my favorite music. I like all kinds of music and I listen to them under different conditions! When I’m studying or writing a paper, I listen to classical music. My favorite composer is Tchaikovsky. When my roommate isn’t home, I listen to Taiwanese pop music and I sing loudly along with them. Taiwanese pops are also the kinds I sing in Music Tunnel, a Kareoke place in El Cerritos 99 Ranch Plaza. When I’m very high spirited, I listen to America pop songs. However, they tend to stuck in my head for a while every time I listen to them. The one goes on in my head now is: Fergalicious definition… It's so delicious… It's so delicious… you know what I'm talking about.
All right, my favorite food. I love grilled salmon soaked in miso sauce, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar over night. Oh-so-good. But ever since I learned that some salmons contain high level of mercury, my favorite food now includes different kinds of salads. One kind of salad that attracts me so much is Buckhorn Grill’s Yik Yak Oriental Salad, which is “An oriental salad with south of the border flair! A crisp mix of greens and cabbages, jicama, snowpeas, water chestnuts, red pepper, cilantro, and toasted almonds tossed in a sweet and spciy sesame dressing.” If you guys have time to go shopping or movies in Emeryville or SF, you can try this salad at Buckhorn Grill. The F bus goes to both Emeryville and SF. To get back from Emeryville, you can take the 57 across from Ikea. Or you can take the Emeryville go around to McArthur Bart Station and then take the Richmond line back to Downtown Berkeley. It only takes 15 minutes by bart!
Please tell me if you guys find any salad place that’s good~
Have a nice week!
Hey guys! So this is a fun topic to write about. My favorite movie would have to be the one I saw yesterday, 300. It is an action-packed flick about courage, honor, and loyalty with stunning graphics and a bit of history as well. Although I am easily satisfied with movies, moments from this movie really touch me and without putting up any spoilers, I highly recommend that you go see it. I went to the Metreon in hopes of seeing it a la imax, but unfortunately, tickets were sold out by the time I arrived...I recommend you make reservations early!
I have a bunch of other movies I very much enjoy (too many to name). My favorite TV shows happen to be Grey's Anatomy and American Idol. I've been keeping up with both shows since season 1, and very much enjoy the scenes and dialogue from the former. I also love hearing the talent in American Idol, and I think Kelly Clarkson is awesome! My favorite music varies so much depending on my mood...one band that I have stuck with throughout the years has been Audioslave. I went to go see Celine Dion live in Las Vegas a few years back, and that was mind-blowing (3rd row seats! woot). As far as favorite food, I made a post awhile back with all my favorite places to eat.
As far as my role model, I know this is typical to say, but I truly feel that my parents are my role models for me. I admire my dad's calmness, logic, and patience and my mom's acuteness, quickness, and thoroughness. Both have been a huge influence in my life and will continue to be so. I am lucky to have parents who I can count on any time, any day. And if you are reading this, mom and dad, I love you! :o)
Both parents have been excellent mentors in my life. My mom- a sacrificial, selfless mother who continually puts her children first. My dad- a level headed, logical and encouraging father. Among four kids, it would seem difficult to divide time and attention to myself and to my three brothers. However, they have treated me and my siblings as individuals, without comparing each person against one another. They have successfully managed to nurture each one of us; encouraging our strengths and helping us improve upon our weaknesses. To me, they are the examples of what parents ought to be- loving and committed to their children and to one another.
So I’m sure everyone has his or her favorites. My favorites, I have to say, all have some sort or romantic theme associated to it because I happen to be a romantic at heart. But being at Cal, I have really begun to expand my likes and dislikes. So here goes!
Movies
Casablanca is an all time favorite. I don’t know exactly why, but the music and the complexity of the love during WWII, it’s just a favorite. However, I don’t know how many times I can watch that movie because it is bittersweet. The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast some of my Disney favorites, The Incredibles is really awesome. And although it’s actually a BBC miniseries, I completely love their version of Pride and Prejudice. I’m sorry, but the movie doesn’t quite compare. I hope that while I’m at Cal I will take advantage of the movies the Pacific Film Archive show, especially during the Asian American Film Festivals and International Film Festivals.
Books
As revealed in the last section, I’m pretty sure it’s obvious that my favorite book of all time is Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I just completely love the dialogue and the characters. I try to reread it every other year. Another favorite has to be The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, who is a Knight Professor of Journalism at Cal. The book covers the history of four plants: apple, tulip, marijuana, and potato. I have to thank Professor Zambryski for introducing this book to me. I have yet to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and I can’t wait. Recently, there was an event at UCB where the CEO of Whole Foods and Michael Pollan held a discussion about the future of food. I have yet to watch the entire podcast, but here it is to anyone who is interested.
Music
I try not to “fangirl,” but I kind of do it for one particular artist – Josh Groban. I’m not going to go into why I completely love his music (besides having a wonderful voice). I love classical music, but I don’t know enough of it to remember the composer of a piece and the titles (symphonies, concertos, etc.). Secret Garden (they wrote “You Raise Me Up”) is a wonderful instrumental group I love, and Hayley Westenra is also a classical trained singer with an amazing clear voice. I also enjoy pop, oldies, R&B, jazz, new age, instrumental, country, etc. Actually, anyone with any suggestions, let me know because I love listening to new music. (Oh, and anyone who enjoys instrumental music with a “world” feel to it, check out Cirque du Soleil –the music is awesome).
Food
Hmmm…food. I just love food, period. My favorite will always be Italian, but again, I love trying out new cuisines, and most of the time, home food is the best. Just yesterday I finally tried Zachary’s, which is definitely a must around Berkeley. I also have a fondness for noodle soups…
I think I just about rambled on and on. Anyway, come by office hours to discuss some of your favorites!
My favorite class at Cal has definitely been Bio 1B field studies section! Best class ever! We got to go outside and do field work and walk around in the streams and collect insect samples rather then sitting in a stuffy room for 4 hours to look at phylogeny work sheets! :(
Through the field studies section I really starting forming my critical thinking skills. Truly, Ecologists are the unsung geniuses in the realm of science. They do really intense work, and are not as well respected as doctors or pharamcists or cellular biologists. BUT they should be just as respected if not more! For instance, if you are looking to restore an urban stream there are so many factors that must be taken into account. You have to look a flow, temperature, algal bloom, tree trajectories, macro invertebreate communities, geomorphology, and so much more. Essentially you are a "doctor" for the stream, except this time your "patient" can't say, "Oh it hurts here, right under the north fork step pool." It is extremely complicated, but I enjoy ecology very much because it is the most challenging type of science to me. To be honest I think Microbiology and Organic Chemistry are easier than Ecology, but I guess I am just drawn to a challenge. Anyways, you all should take the Bio 1B field studies section because it really helps you develop your analytical skills, and is truly life altering!
My favorite class at UC Berkeley is IB 140, human sexuality. I learned so many things in this class! There are many classes that we need to take at Berkeley that are not relevant to our daily lives, but IB140 is definitely not one of them. Each lecture our teacher covered topics that were practical in our real life.
Do you know all the safe sex products? Do you know all the terminology that people use to describe extreme sexual activities? Do you understand your reproductive system and your sexual responses? This class helped me explore these issues and seek the answers to those questions. At the end of the semester, the teacher assigned a latex project which required us to use any latex-related safe sex product to create something. My partner and I made the "safe-sex panty" by using condoms, gloves, and dental dams. The project exposed me to the existence of a variety of products, and I got an opportunity to have a feel for them. I have never enjoyed any class quite like I enjoyed IB 140. Therefore, I highly recommend taking this class, if for any reason, to expand your knowledge of sexuality!
In my life I have had many mentors from all different backgrounds and experiences. While my academic mentors have been very helpful, I feel that my most important is my grandma. Even though she has not had a "formal education" she has taught me much about life and how to be a good person.
When I was younger I used to go with her to her work and help her at the sewing factory. After work we would go home and she would teach me alot about Cantonese language, culture, and food. Once a month we would sit and make wontons and she would tell me stories of her childhood and how she got to America. Through her stories I learned about the ethics of hard work, and what to value in life. My grandma always told me that the most important thing is to be happy and healthy and then my education and professional goals will fall into place. So far she has been right...I mean I am here at Berkeley, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, pursuing a degree in Molecular Environmental Biology, and enjoying every minute of it!
Going to school in the Bay Area has its major advantages. For instance, I can get Italian, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, American, or Mexican food all within a couple of blocks. Where else can I do that? Berkeley is an amazing city for finding little places to go between classes and for late night coffee runs. I can’t say where my favorite place is because there are so many!
What I can say is that my favorite band, Rancid, indeed comes from Berkeley! They are incredibly talented and every album has a completely different sound. They have been around for a long time, but still haven’t gotten too big—I can still go see them at the Warfield in San Francisco. The lead singer was raised in Albany, where I’m from, and it’s cool to listen to him singing about the same places I go to too.
As for my favorite tv shows and movies, I have tons. Right now I’m all about medical shows: Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Nip/Tuck…. I like how Scrubs can go from incredible hilarity to instant sadness within seconds. House is great too, I always know that whatever I think is happening, it’s really just the opposite. They pull the craziest things on that show!
I think I would describe my movie taste as eclectic. My favorites range from Amelie to Mary Poppins to the Shawshank Redemption. I think it just depends on what mood I’m in at the time. Right now, I’m really into Little Miss Sunshine. My roommate introduced me to the movie and it is so funny. It’s about a dysfunctional family who takes a roadtrip so that the daughter can compete in a beauty pageant. The little girl is so cute and the heroin snorting grandfather is so crass and funny.
Whatever mood I’m in, whatever time it is in the day, I know I can watch something, listen to something, or eat something that fits the bill. Come by to our office hours and tell us your favorites!
When I don't have to prepare for a midterm or when I have some free time, I often feel the urge to destress. Below are a few things that I like to do to help relax and rejuvenate myself after a midterm or stressful day.
~ Read a novel over the weekend. Some of my favorite authors are Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte, Amy Tan. I like to read books that leave you with a new perspective on life and the intricate relationships between people in general.
~ Catch up on some of my favorite television shows on abc.com which include brothers and sisters, grey's anatomy, and desperate housewives. I enjoy listening to witty, engaging conversations and I recommend these shows to anyone who wants to find some low key entertainment at home.
~ Shopping in SF! Although some may find it lavish or wasteful, it can be a good form of stress and anger management if exercised with moderation. The key is not to lose your consciousness while enjoying a nice day on which you can dote on yourself a little:)
~New Cuisines, delicious food. Personally, I believe that to look and feel beautiful on the outside, we have to glow from within. And that may come from helping others, or spending time with family and friends. But wholesome, satisfying food is an essential factor to our health. So, in order to accomplish all that we seek from life, we must maintain it. There's no better reason to eat well:)
~Take a long walk by Golden Gate Bridge. When I feel the need to calm my nerves or to clear my mind, I love to come here and take in deep breathes of the fresh bay air. The serenity of the wind and sound of the waves revitalizes me. Time spent in such ambiences convinces me that the simple pleasures of life are what make life beautiful :)
To conclude, I encourage everyone to take some time to explore and enjoy the bay area. Although studying and learning are important, we should always be sure to balance it out with some fun.
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