Today we had a Biomechanics lecture in our professor’s lab, far far off campus. Actually, it wasn’t that far off campus, just at the very edge of the tram route. We were supposed to be at the lab at 5:20. But of course, things start going wrong….At 4:45, I was with a classmate waiting for the tram that’s supposed to run every half hour. But there was traffic, and so it got there at 5:15. Five minutes before we had to be at the Orthopaedic hospital. So we get on the tram and hope for the best, but we arrive at our stop 5:50. Already half an hour late. Actually finding the building was a bit tough – it was dark and there weren’t obvious signs anywhere that suggested that the building at the end of a very long parking lot was the hospital. But, eventually, at 6, we made it to the lab, in time to hear our professor talk about all the testing equipment they use. Which was actually pretty cool. I just wish I’d been there for the beginning….it’s the first class that I’ve been late to all semester. I wanted to keep that record…
Weekend!
Posted in Los Angeles, Random, School on 11/11/2009 06:54 pm by YakshitaAs the weekend is fast approaching, I’ve decided that I should start planning what I’m going to be doing. A late-night IHOP run is definitely in the works – nothing is better than eating pancakes and waffles so close to midnight! Perhaps a movie at LA Live! too…Saturday is the football game, so I’ll probably be going to the Rocket Lab tailgate. And then Sunday…best day of all – homework!!! I need to make up for all the lost time these past two weeks (maybe three…). So, a better weekend than most.
And though it’s only Wednesday, I’m looking forward to the end of the week. Because today is my busiest day…
End of Midterms
Posted in Random, School on 11/04/2009 08:18 pm by YakshitaTime to celebrate!!!! I’m finally done with midterms for the semester (and hoping the one I just took went well…). So tonight, I will be doing all sorts of other fun stuff that has little to do with classes, because I can.
I suppose this means that I can watch another few episodes of How I Met Your Mother. Or play my flute. Or watch a movie. Or finish reading Wired. The possibilities are endless!!! Truly, this is an exciting point in the semester, because I now have to worry only about 2 final papers (one of which will require minimal effort) and 4 final exams. At last!
Halloween!!!!
Posted in Random on 10/28/2009 06:51 pm by YakshitaSo Halloween’s right around the corner, and I’m so glad it’s on a weekend this year! For the first time in years, I’m actually doing something fun – going to a friend’s place to watch the game and maybe dress up. The last time I did Halloween-y stuff must have been when I was in middle school. I went trick or treating all around my neighborhood – I must’ve hit nearly every house that had people in it willing to hand out candy. It was a fun night – spent with my two best friends. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see them so often anymore – one’s in Colorado and one lives just far enough away that travel alone will zap 4 hours of any given visit. But this year, I shall spend Halloween with my room mate from Spain and a few other awesome friends.
Movies
Posted in Random on 10/21/2009 10:17 am by YakshitaThere are so many movies I’ve been meaning to watch over the years, but it seems that every time I go to Blockbuster or elsewhere, I can never remember what I wanted to see. So I’ve started compiling a master list of anything and everything I could ever want to watch. Only problem is, I can’t seem to remember all the older stuff…I don’t go to many movies, so I don’t have the chance to see too many previews, and I forget all the good titles. So all in all, my master list consists of about five movies at the moment, of which Up, 9, and Public Enemies are at the top. We’ll see how long this list gets – hopefully I can remember all those movies from years ago because those are the ones to be found in Blockbuster easily. I know what I’ll be doing over winter break…
Rain, Rain, Go Away….
Posted in School on 10/14/2009 07:53 pm by YakshitaIt hasn’t rained here in a while, and I don’t think I like the timing at all. The Viterbi Career Fair is tomorrow (which I am very excited about), but it’d be so much nicer if it wasn’t raining….let’s hope it stops by morning!
Besides the rain, there has been a lot going on. I haven’t been to the career fair since I was a freshmen, exactly 2 years ago, so hopefully I won’t make a fool of myself like I did then. Then again, I didn’t really have much class experience, but now, I’ve not only taken a ton of classes, but I’ve managed to learn a few things here and there in my research lab.
So here’s to finally getting an internship…and hoping it doesn’t rain!
The Small Amusements of GEs
Posted in School on 10/07/2009 08:11 pm by YakshitaMy Immigrant America class (a GE) has taught me a few valuable things. But I think one of the most important lessons I’ve learned from this class is that it’s vital to know who your audience is. Whether it’s giving a presentation, or lecturing, if you don’t know who you’re addressing, it can end quite badly. The end of today’s lecture was about Asian actors in Hollywood. This class has more guys than girls in it; yet, the professor decided that she would discuss movies like Sixteen Candles, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the TV show Gossip Girl. So of course when she asked the class whether anyone had watched any of these shows, only a handful of girls had said yes. Point being, even though I actually watch Gossip Girl and have seen Sixteen Candles, it was rather embarrassing to admit to it when I was flanked by two random guys in my class. So – the key lesson here is that you mustn’t embarrass yourself when talking to a number of people…
Life During Midterms
Posted in School on 09/30/2009 11:37 pm by YakshitaI realized earlier today that Midterms Round 1 ends shortly before Round 2 commences. I can’t decide whether I prefer having two weeks of shear pain in the semester, each with 4-5 midterms, or having multiple weeks, each with one exam so that I have a lot more time to study. If the exams are spread out, the problem is that I can’t focus for long enough periods of time to actually be able to retain what I’ve learned. But then having to study for multiple midterms simultaneously is equally bad. Plus, having exam after exam means massive hand cramps from writing quickly and attempting to make it neat and legible. So, with these thoughts, I will resume studying for the midterm which begins in less than 11 hours.
Citywalk adventures
Posted in Los Angeles on 09/23/2009 08:54 pm by YakshitaI realized this weekend how many weird shops there are at Citywalk. Citywalk is the area right outside Universal Studios, Hollywood, so it was bound to be flashy and rather different. But essentially, it’s just a big, specialty-shop mall. There is, of course, the very necessary souvenir shop (which, might I add, is huge and has everything possible with LA stamped all over it), but there are also all those strange stores. Like the wind-up toy store – I kid you not, the whole shop’s full of big and small wind-up toys. Or the magnet store, stocked with hundreds upon hundreds of funny/serious/gross/cute magnets. Next time I need to buy a gift for someone, I think I’ll just head to Citywalk instead of wandering aimlessly around the mall trying to find something.
Finally starting research
Posted in School on 09/16/2009 04:41 pm by YakshitaI recently started working in a bioMEMS (biomimetic microelectromechanical systems) lab on campus. Not only do I get to make really really tiny things, but I get to do a lot of it in the clean room. The room is orange, and we have to cover up completely – coveralls, shoe covers, goggles, face masks…the works. Basically, it’s awesome. I didn’t really know what I would be doing when I got the position, but it’s an exciting step forward. My biomedical engineering classes teach us about all these different devices, many of which are ridiculously tiny, but now, I get to work with them myself. This year has certainly started off with a bang!