Sneakpeak from Within

Next week marks the beginning of my seventh of twelve finals weeks. It is my first time taking final exams here at Northwestern, and as I think about the looming exams and projects due, I can’t help but feel like a freshmen all over again, at UCLA, sitting there being terrified of the one (yes, one) final exam I had during my first fall quarter in college. It was my math 3B exam and I had all week to study for it since the test was on Thursday. I remember sitting in the lecture hall in Humanities (A29 or something?) and staring out in front of me, the exam sitting there waiting to be filled in. By the time I had gotten off the plane and walked around the Apple store at Valley Fair, my exam score had come in. I didn’t fare too badly.

Thinking of this, I am terrified of walking into my first final exam here at Northwestern next Monday at 9 AM. I shouldn’t be worried but yet I am. I have done this so many, many times already. What can be different about these next four exams next week?

Regardless of whatever this fear is, I wanted to share a bit from inside the lab. I snapped some photos using my phone when I had downtime during lab and thought some of these images were really cool. Hope you all enjoy them as much as I enjoyed performing the tests 🙂

Test tube rack — eluting DNA

Imaged protein gel

Making protein gels

Running a protein gel

Sterile technique

Playing with fire

Plating E. Coli

Resuspending a cell pellet

One Book One Northwestern Day in Chicago

As part of the One Book One Northwestern program, new students were invited to participate in a day out in the greater Chicagoland area. The book that we were asked to read this year explored the various neighborhoods of Chicago.

On a whim, I decided to take this chance — 7 hours away from my academics — to take a look at what there is to offer in Chicago. And I am so glad that I did. The group I was placed in went to Fuller Park, in the southern part of Chicago. The topic of our adventure today was Leadership and Community Development. In this, we visited a place called Eden Place, where it is an oasis within the city. Fuller Park is bordered by the highway and a newly built train wall.

Driving through the city, I noticed how rundown the place was. It is so different to be in a less fortunate community. The community is in need of further development and much help. This has been a truly humbling experience, to be able to see a less fortunate part of Chicago, to know that there is so much of a disparity even within Evanston and the greater Chicago area.

But more than that, today was a day of learning and self discovery. More than anything, it has been a chance to learn about the city that I am going to be calling my home for the next two years, or maybe even more.

I spent the day in a small community in Southern Chicago. I got to meet some amazing professors and a prominent leader in the Fuller Park community. Things can be rough, but sometimes the brightest diamonds are the ones found in the roughest of areas.

Here are some pictures to share from my day, though:

Animals raised at Eden Place:

          

 Houses along the main street in Fuller Park

 All kinds of tomatoes grown at Eden Place

Science

I love this path that I have chosen but at times it is one of the most stressful aspects of my life. Sometimes I wish I didn’t choose to go down this path but at the end of the day, I am so glad I did.

All I hope is that everything works out. All this effort I am putting into finding a research lab to join, reaching out for help, and joining campus organizations might be taking away from my academics but I hope it is enhancing who I am as a student and individual.

I can only get out what I put in, so I must believe that these hours and hours of research and communication I worth it in the long run.

Working. Researching. Pursuing.

Sights of Lake Michigan

Just wanted to share some sights from my morning run along the shores of Lake Michigan:

Start of WildCat Welcome

Today marks the first day I became an offices WildCat! We marched under the arch, the gateway to campus on a gloomy yet peaceful morning. We stood as a class of 2016 and transfer class on Deering Meadow as President Morty and a couple other speakers addressed us as the rain started to fall.

After listening to the marching band play, we sang the fight song and learned how to do the “claw” in preparation for the Big 10 game tomorrow. And lastly we took a class photo (though I must admit, I felt a bit out of place representing the class of 2014).

It is a jammed pack week. There isn’t much down time. And I have to say, I am overwhelmed and exhausted by everything going on. Though, while I am on this high, I have to admit to myself that this is a fantastic experience and it still feels unreal that I am here.

Cheers!

Northwestern University Arch

Weinberg Convocation

Quick Update!

In Chicago! The city is absolutely gorgeous. I saw the skyline as we were descending into the Windy City. As windy it is. 20 to 25 mph winds, and landing equates to turbulence all the way down.

But so far, everybody has been extremely generous. I had to get a shuttle and from the help desk to the lady sitting next to me on the plane to the shuttle driver, everybody is very nice and willing to help.

Nothing much is different, yet. The gas is a bit more expensive and the plates are different but other than that, the streets are lined with trees and filled with cars. One thing I did notice is once we passed over the Rockie Mountains, the geography became flat! I guess that’s what happens when you live in the NorCal/west coast bubble.

For now, the is all. Greetings from Chicago!