Dilbert explains it all:
Though I have to say, I’m having a horrible track record with all the computer nerds I’ve dated. I hate to propagate the stereotype, but they’ve all had the emotional capacity of a nematode. Next time I’m aiming for a biologist.
Speaking of nerdiness, here are the classes I’m taking next semester:
– Senior Seminar in Genetics (One hour a week of discussing genetics. Woo?)
– Sex & Evolution (I’ve been dying to take this class since I got here, but it’s only offered every other year. I’m psyched! Why do we have sex? Why do (most) species have two sexes? Weeeee!)
– General Physics 2 (Oh god, so close to being done…Sorry for all you physicists, but it’s just not my thing. Now, if it was Elegant Universe kind of theoretical wacky physics, I’d be all in. But I hate doing nothing but math filled with trick questions, bah!)
– Population Genetics (This may be a mistake. I’m taking this as my “fun” elective…yeah, a 500 level graduate course. Oh boy.)
– Senior Biology Labs (Protein Expression and DNA Sequencing. Still waiting to hear back if I can get out of DNA sequencing, since I just spent a summer doing an independent research project where I was sequencing. I’ll be sad if I have to do it all over again.)
– Honors Thesis Research (Still have to pick my topic with my advisor…there are too many ideas floating around now!)
The masochistic part of me still wanted to TA one of the intro biology labs to get some teaching experience before grad school, but looking at my schedule, that may be a bad idea. I guess it really depends if I get out of that one lab or not. I could still TA in the spring, but I’d sort of like to be able to put teaching experience on my resume for when I’m applying. Any thoughts? Other than the fact that I’m a giant nerd?
TA’ing is a wonderful experience. You essentially do all the drudge work of teaching — so it’s not that fun — but it does help reinforce the concepts you learn and retain simple information that you don’t exactly revisit in upper level classes. (At least, this is how it is in Chemistry — I couldn’t say for Biology) In addition, TA’ing has helped formulate my ideas on what grades mean, how to properly grade, how to teach, and given me practical experience in the lab (which is what I want to do after graduation, anyways, so it’s pretty sweet)
Aw, come now. I’m a computer nerd, and I have greater emotional capacity than a nematode! Don’t give up on my hacker brothers just because of a few bad experiences–you just have to make sure you avoid the basement-dwellers and find some with interests beyond computers.
Wait, what does “I don’t live at home” mean? I thought that home was — other than “where the heart is”, “where they have to take you in“, etc. — the place where you, ah, live. If you live at the place where you work, you’re either the Phantom of the Opera or a grad student.
Home is indeed where the heart is, Blake. So your real home’s in your chest.
Next step: I must hollow me out and live in me.