go blue amy c

Still Winter...

2008-03-28T14:50:00.002-04:00

I guess I was wrong a few weeks ago when I thought a little warm weather meant that spring was coming. It snowed again last night, and we got at least 6 inches last weekend. Some friends and I had fun playing football in the snow, and then participated in the tradition of going sledding on lunch trays from the cafeteria. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time!! I can’t believe it’s still so cold and snowy. Usually by now the weather is consistently warmer and we’ll have a few days that are nice enough to study outside on the diag, in the arboretum or on the field behind my dorm.

Last weekend was also Easter. In college, I have never gotten to spend the holiday with my family. We don’t get any days off class so there wasn’t enough time to go visit. I got to do some of the usual Easter traditions anyways; I attended Good Friday and Easter Sunday church services and dyed eggs with friends. I haven’t dyed eggs since I was a kid, it was so much fun!! I liked making maize and blue ones.

It seems like I’ve hit the quiet spot before finals set in. There are only 2.5 weeks of class left, but I have almost a week between the end of classes and my first final so there will be lots of time to study. I’ve had a little extra time lately to read some books for fun, hang out with friends, and just do the regular work at a relaxed pace. This weekend I’m looking forward to attending a Women’s Conference at my church.

Looking toward the finish line…

2008-03-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

There’s just a month until finals, and I’m busy trying to gain momentum to finish up the semester strong and figure out what I’m doing after graduation. I’ve been pretty relaxed since spring break, taking it easy. But this week I’ll have 2 exams, one in biomechanics and the other in programming. I’m not too worried about them, but have a lot of studying to do this weekend and some end-of semester group projects to work on. I guess I won’t be doing much more relaxing until the end of April!

Today the weather was beautiful, it’s not quite spring yet but it’s finally starting to feel like spring might actually be coming. There’s a big field right behind my dorm—Palmer Field, which includes tennis courts, basketball courts, a ¼ mile track, and a nice big open field on the inside of the track. The grass isn’t the greatest, and with all the rain we’ve had lately, the field is still patchy with ice and very soggy. Usually when the weather gets nice students from the surrounding dorms pack the field to play sports games, go jogging, and study outside. I was really excited to toss around a frisbee for a while even though the ground is still too treacherous to play a game. I love playing ultimate frisbee and as it warms up I’m looking forward to squeezing in some time to play.

This is the busiest time of year, it seems like most people have exams and projects every week all the way up through finals. Plus, this is when students have to solidify their summer plans, by looking for jobs or internships and a place to live. I’m still waiting to hear back from graduate schools before I make my summer plans, which puts me at a distinct disadvantage in the job market. I’d like to know where I’ll be in the fall so that I can look for jobs around that area. Usually a lot of internship programs are only looking for students who have not yet graduated, so that narrows down my search quite a bit too. I should be hearing back from schools in the next week or two and then can get to work planning my summer. It’s a bit stressful right now, not knowing where I’m going to be or what I’ll be doing after graduation. I tend to like having things all planned out.

Well, I should start studying for those exams next week. The weather is supposed to stay nice this weekend, so if I’m diligent about studying I’ll have some time to play outside.

Spring Break!

2008-02-26T12:41:00.001-05:00

Right now I’m in Arizona enjoying spring break with my family. The weather is beautiful; it’s nice to be away from the cold for a bit. I’ve been spending my time shopping, learning to golf, and seeing relatives. I miss my friends, but it will be hard to go back to Michigan at the end of the week because of the cold and all the school work I have to do.

Last week things were really busy with an exam and lots of assignments due before break. Fortunately I don’t have too many things due right when I get back so I don’t have to study while I’m on vacation. Spring break marks the half way point in the semester so there will be lots to do as the semester comes to an end.

I found out last week that I was accepted for a study abroad tour. In May I will spend two weeks studying the culture and history of Russia while staying in Moscow. We will have lectures both by the University of Michigan professor who is leading the trip and professors in Moscow, as well as excursions to see many of the historically significant sites. I love traveling, and this is a very unique opportunity. I’m so excited to go!

I’m going back outside to enjoy the sunshine!

Midterms and More!

2008-02-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

It’s been a hectic week!! I had two exams on Wednesday, in biomechanics and in programming. I did a fair amount of studying last weekend and early in the week, though it seems I don’t have to study as much as I used to. I think it’s because I have good background knowledge of the material in my classes and have gotten comfortable with college exams. They’re just not stressful anymore. It’s a great feeling that almost makes me want to put off graduation so I can enjoy another semester of classes... then again, maybe not.

My programming exam was a little stressful, however, but only because of the weather. I had class on North Campus that ended 30 minutes before my exam, so I expected to have plenty of time to get to the exam. But with all the freezing rain and snow on Wednesday, the roads had iced over while I was in class and traffic wasn’t moving! I thought I was going to miss my exam because the busses couldn’t get through traffic, so I ended up walking from North Campus to Central Campus and made it only a few minutes late. Once I calmed down a little and started the exam everything went fine though.

I got my scores back already for both exams and did great! That made a nice start to my weekend. Because my weekend starts on Thursday, I’ve had time to relax and get some work done. Thursday afternoons I’m taking a workout class at the Central Campus Recreation Building (CCRB), one of the gyms on campus. There are semester long classes that meet once a week that students and faculty can take for a small fee and are tons of fun. This semester I’m taking a class called Killer Kore, which does an aerobic, abs, and lower back workout. I’ve taken classes with the same teacher the last two years and she’s incredible. It’s a fun way to stay in shape and get motivated to go to the gym. They also offer dance classes, martial arts, swimming, and strength and conditioning classes. I also did a few loads of laundry and met to work on a group project for my environment class.

I think the rest of the weekend will be pretty relaxed. I don’t have too much homework, and am planning some fun activities, like a movie night with my friends. I’m also counting down to spring break… only 13 days until I get to visit my parents in sunny Arizona!

Back to School!

2008-01-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

The first few weeks of the semester have flown by! I had a nice, relaxing break, but could have used a little more time off. I got to spend a few days vacationing in sunny Florida and saw lots of beautiful fish while snorkeling and scuba diving! I love the ocean, so this was a very rewarding post-finals treat! Then it was back to the cold in Wisconsin to spend some much needed time with my family. It was great to be home with my parents and my brother since I don’t get to see them often.

After being away from campus for a few days, I really missed my friends and all the opportunities we have to hang out. I’ve found that Ann Arbor seems more like home to me than my real home because I’ve spent so much time here the last few years and have so many great friendships here. When I returned to school for the new semester, it was nice to have a few days without classes or homework so that I could just enjoy being here. We watched movies and went shopping and had a great time catching up on what everyone had done over the break!

My graduate school applications are finally completed and classes are in full swing with midterms coming up next week already. My classes this semester include:
- Environment 376, which is about environmental ethics
- Movement Science 330, the biomechanics of human movement
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 182, introductory programming - Biomedical Engineering 500, a lecture series about current research topics in biomedical engineering

They seem to be a lot more work than my classes last semester because I have a lot of problem sets and homework to do. I don’t like them quite as much either, but I’m hoping that once I get more into the material I’ll enjoy them more. I’m excited to know the basics of programming and have learned how to work on programs but we’re still working up to building our own. I’m also hoping that I enjoy my biomechanics class more. Right now we’re reviewing physics and learning the basic mechanics of human movement; I’m looking forward to putting that together to describe the movement of specific muscles and joint systems.

Last week I attended a Kinesiology Seminar Series presentation by Professor Zernicke, who is working to launch a new research center focused on musculoskeletal injury prevention and rehabilitation. I’m really excited about the goals of the research center and the work that Dr. Zernicke presented in the research of the functional adaptation of bone. I’m really glad that I was able to see this seminar as it is an area of research that I’m very interested in. There are so many opportunities at U of M to hear about and work on innovative research, one of the outstanding attributes of this university.

Well, I’m off to brave to cold on my way to class and then have to start studying for my exams next week!

Done With Finals!!

2007-12-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

This semester has gone by so fast! I feel like I moved back to campus just a few weeks ago to start classes and now they’re done already! I finished up my final exams yesterday and am very glad to be done. I had 2 exams last week and 3 this week, so I’ve been busy studying for the past few weeks and am ready to relax. Because I’ve been through finals so many times now, they’re a lot less stressful than when I started out. Throughout college I’ve definitely learned how to study better and what study techniques work best for me. As a result, finals aren’t so daunting anymore and I don’t have to spend as much time cramming for exams.

Unfortunately I can’t fully enjoy my freedom yet because I have to finish up graduate school applications. I’m applying to do graduate work in biomedical engineering. Why am I changing from biology to biomedical engineering? Through research experience in the biomedical engineering department here at Michigan and a summer internship in bioengineering at the University of Washington, I learned that this field fits my particular research interests and career goals. I am passionate about doing research that will directly benefit people’s healthcare and quality of life, and love the multidisciplinary approach this field uses to tackle those issues.

This weekend I’ll be packing traveling home to Wisconsin to spend my time off with my family. I’m looking forward to sleeping in and not having to worry about assignments or studying. I’ll probably spend most of my break reading, snowboarding, and hanging out with my family. No matter how good it feels to relax, I know I’ll miss my friends and will be excited to return to campus after just a few days of being home.

Happy Holidays!

Intro to me!

2007-11-28T17:25:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! My name is Amy and I’m a senior Biology major here at U of M. Going beyond what is already apparent in my bio, let me tell you a bit more about myself.

Where do I live?
This is my fourth year living in Couzens Hall, a dorm on the hill area of central campus. I absolutely love living in the dorm because I’m so close to hundreds of other students so there’s always someone new to meet, people to hang out with, and people that I can study with or ask questions about my homework. The best thing about living here is that I have a group of close friends who are like family to me living only a few floors away at the farthest (I’m from out of state so I don’t get to see my real family very often)!

What classes am I taking?

This is my second to last semester here at U of M, so I’ve gotten most of the required classes out of the way and have a pretty light schedule. Right now I’m taking Biology 207, Introductory Microbiology, to finish up the requirements for my major. I don’t really get excited about bacteria and viruses so I don’t like this class very much. The lab section is a bit more interesting because we get to grow different kinds of bacteria and learn how to do the practical applications of microbiology. There was even one lab where we got to make our own yogurt using the microorganisms and techniques we learned about!

The other required course I’m taking this semester is Linguistics 374, Language and Culture. This counts for some of my humanities distribution credits in LSA. Professor Lemon, who teaches this course, is an excellent professor who knows how to make the often challenging material both engaging and comprehensible. Unfortunately, there is a ton of reading every week.

My third course this semester is one about my favorite subject… anatomy! I’m taking Kinetic Anatomy, Movement Science 230, through the School of Kinesiology. I absolutely love the class, as the material we’re learning is all the bones and muscles of the human body and how they relate to movement. This course also has a lab section in which we work on identification of bones and muscles on replicas and models as well as plastinated cadavers. It’s so cool!

What campus organizations am I involved in?
The main thing I’m involved with is New Life Church, a non-denominational Christian church (http://www.nlcweb.org/). When I came to campus my freshman year one of my priorities was finding a church, and through flyers around campus, welcome week activities that showcased the different student organizations, and talking to other students I got information on many of the campus Christian groups. I went to church services and meetings to check out a few of them and settled on New Life Church because it had messages that were very relevant to young adults, was very welcoming, and had lots of opportunities to get involved. Through New Life, I’ve found a community of students who share my faith, met my best friends, joined a Bible study, attended retreats, and started a mentorship program with high school students.

Another group I’m in is called K-grams (www.umich.edu/~smile). This is an organization that pairs up college students as pen pals with elementary school classes in the area. It’s a ton of fun writing and decorating letters for the elementary students who love to get letters. My pen pal colors me the most adorable pictures! It's exciting to know that I'm making a difference in in someone's life, just by writing letters!

Some other groups I’ve been involved in over the years include: Move in Makers, a group of student volunteers that help move students into the dorms in the fall. You’ll see them when you move in, and they’ll make the process a whole lot easier. I did this all four years because I enjoyed welcoming the students to school who would be living in my dorm; it was a great chance to meet people and make friends.

I was also a member of the U of M Synchronized Swimming Team my freshman year (http://umich.edu/~synchro/). I swam competitively in high school and wanted to stick with a team sport. This was an incredibly fun one to try! The season spanned the whole academic year and was too much of a time commitment for me to continue doing in later years, but I’m so glad I tried it out for one year.

When I was a freshman, I was also considered being pre-med, so I joined a pre-health fraternity in order to meet other people preparing to go to med school, learn about what it takes to get in, and hear health professionals come in and talk about their jobs. I found out that med school and the lifestyle of a doctor was not for me! I’m so glad that I joined this organization and found that out as a freshman, so I had plenty of time to explore other career opportunities.

That’s all for now! I have a lot of great experiences to talk about but a lot of exams to study for tonight!