Iowa, Chemistry, and Books

I’m so frustrated with the University of Iowa. I’ve been under the impression that for the past few weeks I’ve been registered as a non-degree seeking student. I was sent an email with a username and password and when I went online I had an advisor, which I recently contacted. I sent her an email yesterday. Fortunately she was on top of things and emailed me back and forwarded the message to Admissions. Apparently I only thought I was registered for classes and the person who was labeled as my advisor wasn’t really my advisor. So, I have to send an official transcript to the University of Iowa by mail because apparently its not valid if its faxed. I then have to wait while they process my admission and let me know if I’m in or not, then meet with someone from the Academic Advising Center to discuss my unique situation. It is so frustrating at times. It made me tear up a little this morning but I also think that its because I was so excited about having been on top of things only to find out that I wasn’t actually on top of things. Its irritating and frustrating and overwhelming, to try and learn how to function in a new system. The University of Iowa and its hoop-jumping and switching phone people and lack of clarity in direction is a foreign country and I will have to learn to manage. I will manipulate the system. I will conquer the bureaucracy of the school and come out on top. I will succeed in med school because they’ve put a block in my path and I will conquer it or go down trying!

Okay so that was a little extreme but…I feel empowered again about med school because of this block in the path. I don’t know what the deal is but because there are stumbling blocks I feel like this is going to be worth my while. Maybe it’s because I know there are steps I can take now, even if they are frustrating and tedious ones. I think everything was too easy before and now, while it’s frustrating, its also a step in a forward direction.

I’m so excited for the end of the school year. I’m eager to start new things. I’ve pretty much finished the work I needed to do here at Coe, except for finals, and those aren’t going to be hard. The only thing I’ll need to study for is Chemistry. He’s giving us the standard ACS exam (American Chemical Society, I think) and just taking off the questions we haven’t studied yet. I’m so excited to finally be taking a multiple choice test. I’m so much better at multiple choice than essay. I’ve steadily gotten B+’s on all of my tests so far and I know its because I don’t always explain things that happen in my head. I make assumptions in my head that I assume everyone else is going to make and he wants us to be as explicit as we possibly can. I honestly put all that I can think of on the paper but its not always enough and when I go back over it I see the places where I made assumptions and he takes off points for me making assumptions. The way I see it, I understand the material at an A level but I can’t always write it at the same level. Verbally I could probably explain it at the same level I understand it.

I went to Barnes and Noble last night because I’d finished the two books I bought the day before and I wanted the next two books in the series. Monday, I bought the next two books in the series and held the following two in my hand but put them back. Yesterday I went back to get the next two but only the next one was to be found. The most recent book published, the last paperback in the series for now, was missing. Now, I suspect it had been misplaced, not actually bought, because what are the chances that the one book I want is going to be purchased in 24 hours? Very slim. I found a sales associate and asked her if she knew if there were any other places in the store I could find the book and she said, if its not with the books on the shelf its not there. I asked if there were any in the back. “No, we don’t have any in the back.” I was tempted to ask her to check but then she got in my face about ordering it. “No, I don’t want to order it.” “Are you sure? Its no problem.” “No, I don’t want to order it.” “Its no problem. I can pull it up real quick.” “That’s okay, thanks.” and I turned around to go. Seriously she was very persistent and it was weird. But it did make me think, I might apply for a job at Barnes and Noble in Coralville. That would be ideal. Surrounded by books and helping people find what they need. It would be perfect. I’m so excited. I’ve decided that I don’t want to ever work retail again. At least not women’s clothing or department stores. There’s too much work and too little appreciation. I’m tempted to work at a Bridal store though. That could be fun. Its much more specialized, but there might be bridezillas I’d have to deal with. Of course, there’s probably mean grumpy people who shop at every business. Still, a bridal store I would be surrounded by pretty dresses. That’s always a plus.

Books: I finished books 5, 6, & 7 in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I’m really enjoying them. I’m on book 8 right now and book 9 was the one that was not at Barnes and Noble. They are so much fun to read. I’ve read most of the prominent vampire series. Of the ones that are serials, I like this one the best for light reading. Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series is addicting and once you start, you have to keep going until you can’t go any more but it gets a little too racy at times and the main character seems to fall into bed more often than she resists it. Sookie Stackhouse, the main character of this series, has morals and won’t cheat and won’t have one-night stands, and won’t give in to the vampire who she has a blood tie to, which makes him utterly intoxicating when she’s with him. I admire her standing up to the men in her life while still remaining her femininity. The other series I’ve read, Mary Janice Davidson’s Betsy Taylor series, is a little too fluffy to be addicting. They are fun reads by themselves but not nearly as addicting as the other two. The main character is an extremely non-traditional vampire, which is interesting, but the storylines are less interesting as merely entertaining. I wouldn’t die if I couldn’t get the next book in time. Its more like each books is its own thing, only connected by the characters instead of by both characters and plot. The Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, does not compare to these. It is in a category all its own. This is for two reasons: 1. Its not a serial, it is its own trilogy and contained within a beginning and an end whereas the rest of them have no specific ending in sight. 2. Its so much more epic than the others. Epic things may happen in the other books but overall, life continues with some minor alterations. In Twilight, the world completely changes. (When I talk about the Twilight series, do not count Breaking Dawn, the last book, because in my mind it is not part of the series.)