Christmas Time

Christmas is such an inspirational holiday. A time to sit back and relax with the family & old friends to reminisce about the past. I find it really remarkable that for these few weeks each year, people from all across the country travel miles and miles by plane or by car to be with their family. From a purely logical perspective, this kind of journey would not make sense. Without human emotions like love, these journeys would be unheard of. But, there is love.

Love really binds human society and has created this world we all share together. I do believe humans are animals, but there just seems to be too much goodwill for us to be organisms just like every other life form on this planet. Is there some sort of force out there that is greater than man itself? I do not know. I have never considered myself an especially religious person, but things like this really make me wonder. Darwinian natural selection could have created human society as we know it today, but that seems almost too perfect, doesn't it? Sure, our society is not without faults; however, what gave us the ability -- as a single species -- to essentially take over the entire world?

I hope that everyone is enjoying break! In a few weeks, it will be time to get back into gear...

Days of Relaxation

It is kind of crazy how quickly people can change from being extremely busy to completely unproductive. And at least for me, when I am busy, I always look forward to doing nothing; at the same time, when I am doing nothing, I look forward to having something to do. Quite a weird concept I guess. These past few days of winter break have been completely relaxation. I think I have gotten 10+ hours of sleep each night and have done nothing useful at all. I have eaten a ton of food, too. I think in the next few days, I want to try to start doing some more useful things. I should probably start working on the violin music that my teacher assigned me for break. She gave me like five etudes and two new pieces ("you aren't going to have anything to do over break, right?" / "sure...").

In the past few days, I have started getting my grades back from my first semester of college, and I have to say I am satisfied. I didn't get the perfect 4.0 that all pre-meds aim for, but regardless, I am happy. Some of my friends have already begun to replan their futures, and I am glad that I do not have to do that at this point. I got almost all A's except for my political science seminar. It's not like I slacked off in that class either; I didn't get accustomed to college writing fast enough. I was kind of unhappy for a little while, but I am over it now. A 3.8+ GPA in college is nothing to be ashamed about.

Hope everyone is having a great break!

I Survived (somewhat)!

Nathan said...

Are you a freshman taking orgo? How?

Good luck on the finals! My exams week ended yesterday at 8:30 AM

Yeah, I received AP credit for chemistry so I placed into organic chemistry as a freshman. I know that many people suggest that premeds retake general chemistry to solidify this knowledge, but I decided to try something more challenging. I had a decent chemistry background so it hasn't been too bad so far.

As of a few hours ago, I am officially done with the first semester of my freshmen year of college. Everything went decently; nothing was too horrible. Of course, I could have done better in a few things here and there, but that just leaves room for improvement next semester.

I was browsing Youtube and found this really interesting thing called the Youtube Symphony Orchestra. Basically, it's some sort of project in which musicians audition online to "play" with the Youtube Symphony Orchestra (YTSO). I am not really sure how the whole performance is going to work out, but it seems like a very interesting concept. Tan Dun (composer of the themes of Hero and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) wrote a special piece for this event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqiro1kdRlw. Since I do not have anything major planned to accomplish over break, I may give this a go. The piece is kind of catchy; for some reason, I feel like I have heard theme before... (around the 4:00 mark). For more information, the website is www.youtube.com/symphony.

I am going home tomorrow. I am so excited for a month of relaxation!

Surviving the First Half

I feel like I am at some sort of intense, academic study camp. Everyone is cooped up in their room studying. The study lounges are overflowing with people. My dorm has 24/7 quiet hours from now until the end of exams. I am not even going to try to go to the library; I am sure every single desk/table will be occupied. I don't feel stressed. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Generally, I consider myself to work well under pressure, but it's hard to gauge that kind of thing because it is so subjective. Anyway, I will definitely be hard at work in the next few days for my three finals. I am not too worried about my Music Theory stuff, but definitely more worried about my orgo and linguistics finals.

The concepts in orgo aren't too bad, but sometimes, the mechanisms catch me off guard. It's a new concept of problem solving that takes some getting used to. Also, the problems involving predicting products can be quite tricky, because there are so many facets to consider, including both stereoselectivity and regioselectivity. I will probably end up going through all of the suggested problems before my final on Tuesday. Well, this entry was quite a bit more rambly than usual. I will definitely be more cohesive once break begins!

Stuff I have finished:

-linguistics paper
-orgo quiz
-music theory dictation final
-political science paper
-violin juries

Stuff left:

-linguistics final
-orgo final
-music theory written final
-music theory sight-singing/piano final

Just four things left!

Procrastinating...

If you guys leave me comments with questions, I will definitely answer them.

Static Bursts said...

Are you taking Music Theory I? I'm doing my Music Theory HW right now using the TB "Tonal Harmony."

Sight-singing is wicked fun with Josh Bonn.

I am taking Music Theory I right now. What level theory are you taking right now? Tonal harmony sounds very complicated; I don't think we are going to cover that this semester. Sight-singing is...an interesting experience...

I am thinking about recording my jury violin piece and putting it up for you all to hear. Does anyone want to listen?

Finals Week

I feel so...inefficient and unproductive.

Finals are in less than a week and I feel like everyone is studying around me while I am still lounging around & wasting my time. I sure hope that I am not setting myself up for failure. The only good thing is that I have done pretty well on all of my other exams this semester so I don't have to do exceptional on my finals to make up for anything; I just have to keep things the way they are. I went to the library a few days ago to check out a book and there were a TON of people there. When I was walking around to find my book, practically every single one of those study corrals was occupied. It was crazy.

Stuff I have finished:

-linguistics paper
-orgo quiz
-music theory dictation final

Stuff left:

-political science paper (ALMOST DONE!)
-violin juries
-linguistics final
-orgo final
-music theory written final
-music theory sight-singing/piano final

I am going to be very glad when this semester is over. It will feel good to have survived the transition between high school and college. I am still trying to figure out what to do this winter break. I have tried to contact hospitals near my home town to see if I can volunteer for them during the break, but almost none of them have been open to the idea. Hopefully, I can come up with something useful.

The American Dream

I recently read the novel What Makes Sammy Run. It is an interesting piece and very similar to Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in terms of what it implies about the American Dream. It is quite intriguing. Sammy is portrayed as the successful American Hollywood star, rising from nothing to incredible fame and renown. After reading this book and discussing it in class, I wonder if the American Dream is truly an illusion.

The American Dream arose in the early 1900's, a concept that America -- as the land of opportunity -- provided the means for anyone to achieve their goals of success. Many immigrants came to this country during this period of time, hoping to fill this role. They heard incredible stories about how the roads were paved with gold in America. Only in America. However, they did not realize that beneath this thin layer of gold was...nothing. Known as the Gilded Age, this period was characterized by an illusion of wealth. Opportunities seem to be prevalent but were in fact very limited. Some of the immigrants coming to this new country were crushed by a life very different from what they expected.

Nowadays, the American Dream still exists. It is the dream that we all possess -- a dream to become rich and maybe (if we're lucky) even famous. While we are certainly not in a gilded age anymore (not much gold is left...), I think there is definitely a way for almost anyone to gain success. Sure, I will not try to assert that anyone can go from rags to riches. The stories of the lucky ones that do are incredible. However, given hard work and good luck, most people will be able to achieve their goals. It's what America is made for. So, what is the point of this? I am not sure. In a way, I am living the American Dream, working hard in hopes of entering medical school after these next four (now, three and a half) years.

I sure hope it isn't an illusion..

End of Semester One

It is very odd realizing that my first semester of college is coming to an end really soon. I have less than two weeks left of class and then finals to finish off this semester. It feels really weird to say that I have been in college for a whole semester already. While it does feel like I have been here for a long time, it also feels like I just got here. What a paradoxical idea. I can already tell that the time is just going to fly by. At the end of this semester, I will have completed one-eighth of my college education!

So, let's see what is left before I complete my first semester:

-political science paper
-violin juries
-linguistics paper
-linguistics final
-orgo quiz
-orgo final
-music theory written final
-music theory sight-singing/piano final
-music theory dictation final

Bring it on.

Turkey Day!

Today is Thanksgiving! A day of giving thanks to all of the things in life that you are thankful for. It is also a day when you have to detach yourself from all of you perceived "problems" and realize how lucky you are as a human to be alive and well. I consider myself very lucky to be where I am today (not in any sort of self-important way).

1. I am thankful for my family. They have been so incredibly supportive of me throughout my entire life and I truly would not be where I am today without their love and help. I guess that sounds really cliche, but it is true. Sometimes, cliche things are cliche just because they are true.

2. I am thankful for my friends. I am very grateful for all of your support and am glad to have gotten to know all of you. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most and I hope that I have been able to reciprocate your genuine friendship. To my friends from high school, I am sorry that I have not been able to keep in contact with all of you as much as we promised we would. I am very relieved that you understand this. To my friends from college, I am so glad we met and can only hope that these past few months are just the beginning of what will be an incredible experience.

3. And you, readers of my blog. Thank you for reading these random ramblings. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Life This Week

Oxymercuration-reduction
Hydroboration-oxidation
Hydrogenation
Erythro
Threo
Meso
Peracids
Seventh Chords
Augmented
Diminished
Triads
Intervals
SATB
Transposing
Crossing voices
NMR
Bromonium
Epoxidation
Oxidation
Reduction
Stereochemistry
Nucleophilicity
Basicity

Let it be over.

My Peers

It's weird thinking that the same people that you study with, that you spend your free time with, that you walk around campus passing are some of the people that you will be competing against for professional school slots (like medical school). My school has a very high proportion of budding physicians (at least during freshmen year), but I am glad that there is not excess competitiveness between everyone here. It feels wholly against human nature to repress self-interest by helping others, but it's important to remember that ultimately, things work out how they are meant to work out. Of course, there will always be those people who never want to help others and do everything for their own benefit. Hopefully, they will always be in the minority.

While we may be competing for individual slots, we are all working together to make our world a better place. This may sound cliche, but it is true. When our generation becomes the leaders of society, we must -- as a whole -- be capable of advancing society. We cannot do that as individuals; we must band together. When your classmates ask you a question, take it as a compliment to your ability. And, help them.

Note: This post was not meant to be didactic; I am simply reflecting on a quite frustrating experience I had today with a not-so-compliant classmate.

Dreams

What is the purpose of dreams and goals?

Throughout our lives, we can set goals for ourselves. These goals can be easily attained or quite impossible to attain. As a premed, I hear many people around me set goals for themselves regarding which medical school they wish to attend -- their dream schools, so to speak. Perhaps, by setting up standards for ourselves, we simply breed potential disappointment when the dream goes unfulfilled. Some may say that these dreams simply help us appreciate goals just that much more when they are achieved; however, do we really enjoy them more if we do not plan them? Every human loves surprises, being surprised, surprising others. How come we don't like being surprised about our futures?

I know I wish I could see into the future, see what is to come in my life. But, that'd ruin the whole fun of it, right? Part of living is being wary of what may be. These surprises can result in the whole gamut of emotions (from depression to elation), but I think this is what makes life as rich as it is. Many people say that sadness exists to define happiness and vice versa. I would have to say that I agree.

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

(A Dream Deferred - Langston Hughes)

About a Spy

I finished reading John le Carre's novel "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" today for my political science seminar. It was a fast read, not life-changing, but still good nonetheless. I am not sure if I agree with Time's placement of this novel within the all-time top 100 list though. While it was a quite suspenseful and revolutionary novel for its insight into the espionage of the Cold War era, I do not think it merited quite as much attention as it should have. But, who am I to judge books anyway..

(plot spoiler)

I found Alec Leamas to be a respectable character, willing to remain loyal to his agency to the end even when they witheld the truth from him. He seemed to detach his individuality from the overall goals of his agency and his country; in doing so, he was better able to serve. It is ironic to me that despite this unfaltering loyalty, Leamas ends up dead along the fence, apparently betrayed by someone (the reader is left to guess). Perhaps, that was le Carre's point: that espionage is a dangerous, brutal, and ultimately inexplicable game. A cold game.

Classical Music

Classical music is really incredible. Because the meaning is implicit rather than explicit it makes you think. There are no lyrics to guide your thoughts or to facilitate understanding. The meaning is what you, as an individual, make of it. So what if you interpret it slightly differently than someone else? That is the purpose of music. Music can evoke happiness, sadness, anger, patriotism. Anything. The magic of it is this open-endedness. Sure, some classical music may not strick a chord (no pun intended) with you. That's fine; just listen to something else. Some may not appreciate the stunning dissonant chords of Stravinsky (I find it...unique...). Some may not like the exceeding eloquence of Haydn (sometimes, it's a little too light-hearted for me). Some may not like the passionate harmonies of Tchaikovsky (my favorite). But, no matter what, there is a kind of classical music that will resonate with your soul.

Music embodies human emotions. Popular music with lyrics cannot transcend cultural boundaries. The music's explicit meaning is only perceivable through the language medium. However, classical music can permeate all human society. Bach in the U.S. is the same Bach in France, the same Bach in Russia. To me, that is simply magical. Where else can you find a language so universal? An aural language that every human can understand no matter what other languages he/she speaks?

Just music.

Markovnikov's Rule

Markovnikov. What a cool name.

Yes, this is organic chemistry. I have my third and last exam before the final in about a week. I am kind of really scared, but hopefully, I can pull through. We are covering so many topics this time around: a boatload of mechanisms (SN1 and SN2) along with the stereochemistry of these reactions and NMR. What a fun combination... Fortunately, I do not have too much other stuff to deal with at this moment. My other classes have been pretty sparse in terms of assigned work, but that will probably change soon. I have a music theory exam coming up as well with fun sight singing, score notation, chords, etc. Joy.

I registered for my spring semester classes just recently and I am lucky to have gotten into all of the classes that I wanted to. I decided to take a five course overload so I can learn more about things that I would otherwise never get to learn (nerdy, I know). My classes are: spanish, biology, orgo, music theory, and sociology. It should be a fun, challenging combination of things. Along with orchestra and chamber music, it'll be a time crunch, but I feel like I work better, or at least more efficiently, when I have more things to do.

Jonathan

How We Think

Recently, in my linguistics class, we discussed the concept of the Whorfian Hypothesis (also known as the linguistic relativity hypothesis). The basic premise of this theory is that as humans, our linguistic paradigm -- that is, the language we use -- reflects our perception of the world around us. For example, in different cultures, there are different numbers of words available to describe colors. A dark blue versus a light blue in American culture can be represented as two completely separate colors in another culture (not just two shades of one color). Moreover, who determined that pink is separate from red and not just "light red?" Minor differences such as these make me wonder if some aspects of this linguistic theory are indeed true. Of course, it would be ludicrous to argue that individuals speaking different languages perceive their worlds completely differently, but perhaps there is more than meets the eye.

When learning new languages, there are always those words/concepts that lack a proper translation into another language. In many of these cases, multiple words in one language are needed to express the precise definition of the word in a different language. Does this lack of a word indicate a different thinking process? Words are formed in order to fulfill the needs of society; hence, if a certain word has not been formed, is its meaning trivial within that culture?

Jonathan

An Introduction

Hello and thanks for visiting my blog!

My name is Jonathan and I am currently a freshman in college. I have matriculated as a music major with aspirations of attending medical school after graduation. I do not attend a music conservatory, but the amount of playing/practicing is still pretty high. While this may seem like an odd combination of passions (music and medicine), I plan on making it work for me even though people tell me that it isn't possible or it isn't "worth it." With the vast number of aspiring doctors all over this country, the world does not need me to become another biology premed student. It might be hard to cram all of the necessary courses into four years, but I always like a good challenge. I intend on using this blog to record my journey -- the ups, the downs, and everything in between.

My first semester has been going pretty well so far. I am taking organic chemistry, intro music theory, a political science seminar, and linguistics. It is quite an odd array of courses, I know, but isn't that what college is all about? In the next four years, I want to explore all of my interests so I can get a better understanding of my life and who I want to be as an adult. Many people have told me that the undergraduate years are the best years of your life and I intend to make the most of it.

Jonathan