Braains

Last week in Quantitative Neural Function, we dissected the brain of a sheep. I finished up the lab report this morning, and though I would share the photos. They can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027868&id=1265580074&l=27a287a96b
The purpose of the lab was to identify different regions of the brain and determine what sort of imparement would occur if certain regions were damaged.

My favorite class so far this semester is Biomedical Instrumentation and Electronics. It's essentially a circuit analysis, but the professor is fantastic. During every class we're presented with a problem and have to think it through, either as a class or for homework. So far, the questions we've discussed are:
-Two cars have been parked for the same amount of time during the winter, one outside on the street and the other inside of a garage. Which will start faster and why?
-Does a blanket placed over the engine of your car enable it to stay warm?
-How much does it cost to run your refridgerator during the winter?
-Is it current or voltage that is damaging to the human body, and why?
-How does a defibrillator work?

I'll post some of the answers to these questions next week, but feel free to comment with your thoughts on them.

New Semester

It's a new semester at IIT. I'm really looking forward to all of my classes... except maybe the biology course. This semester I'm registered for 18 credits, two of with are the Army physical training (PT) course. Hopefully this means I'll get in shape. The classes I'm taking are:

• Aerobic conditioning (MILS 148)
  
• Quantitative neural function (BME 445)
• Animal physiology (BIOL 430)
• Biomaterials (BME 310)
• Fluids laboratory (BME 320)
• Biomedical instrumentation and electronics (BME 443)
• Neuromechanics of human motion (BME 475)

So far (two academic courses into the semester), it looks like this semester will be a lot less math and a lot more memorization. Too bad... I prefer deriving to memorizing. Next week in my Neural Function class we're dissecting a cow brain and later in the semester we'll be dissecting eye balls.

It seems pretty strange that after five semesters of college (plus K-12) I still haven't found the best way to take notes and stay organized. I've tried notebooks, folders, and binders in various combinations and still haven't found a completely successful method to stay organized. Usually some time around midterms I pull everything out and my papers get mixed out and out of order, and then, for the rest of the semester, I'm a disorganized mess. This semester I'm trying a method that will require a little more work outside of class, which should force me to review and study more often. I have one notebook and one folder in my bag, and in my room I have a binder for every class. At the end of everyday, I (hopefully) will move the notes and/or papers to the appropriate binder. I'll keep you posted on whether this is an effective method.

I realized today that I can be really productive in the morning. Since PT starts at 7am, I have to get up by 6:30. My earliest next class is at 10am, so I have a nice 2 hour break to be productive afterward.

Right now I'm not holding any office in any organization. It's kind of crazy, but my friend and I are hoping to start a new club in the next few months so I'll be in charge of that. Plus, we're working on organizing a St Baldrick's fundraiser (stbaldricks.org) where people will get sponsored to shave their heads to raise money to find a cure/treatment for childhood cancer.