Hey guys!
It’s been about three weeks since the semester started, and already it’s been a rollercoaster of a time. Classes are tough, organizations are really gearing up, and my friends and I are involved in another entrepreneurship competition this semester, so time management is definitely going to be tested a lot in the upcoming months.I realized I don’t really talk a ton about my actual classes here at USC, so I figured I could dedicate a post to what I’m taking this semester, and kind of break down the requirements for studying biomedical engineering here at SC.
First of all, career update: After spending 2.5 years as a pre-med student, I have decided to no longer pursue medical school, and am instead looking to make an impact in the world of healthcare technology. BME and premed is something many people do and succeed in, I just decided it wasn’t for me. I’ll probably write a post about this major life update at some point, but since this essentially happened last night after about a week of going back and forth and talking to tons of friends and panicking with my parents, it’s still all very fresh at the moment. I wrote a post about BME + premed life here, if you’re at all interested in this path, it’s definitely very feasible and many of my friends are still actively (and successfully) pursuing it.
On that note, my course load this semester is an interesting mix: I’m taking two engineering classes (linear circuits and medical device development), molecular biochemistry, politics and culture of the 1960’s, and directed research. Each of these classes are very unique, and I’m taking each for very different reasons. The two engineering classes satisfy my major requirements, directed research finishes up my BME elective requirements, biochem counts towards my minor, and the politics/culture class is one of my GE (general education) requirements. Despite all the other classes counting towards the degrees I’m earning, my GE class is actually probably my favorite this semester.
The class is called “Politics and Culture of the 1960’s,” and is taught by this insane English professor here at SC. The overall purpose of the class is to learn about the history and world politics that lead to the crazy cultural, social and political revolutions experienced in the 1960’s, and our professor has provided us with a ton of really interesting sources to analyze and learn from. We’re
screencap from one of the films we just watched for this class, a Hard Day’s Night (featuring the Beatles)
synthesizing film, TV, music, historical texts and fictional literature to get a complete picture of what people all over the world were experiencing in the 1960’s, and it’s SO FASCINATING. While this class focuses on a really specific time period, I can easily see myself walking away with a more complete view of the world as a whole, and with the current political and social climate here in 2018, the lessons I can glean from the Sixties seem more relevant than ever.
My history class is rad, but honestly I think I’m enjoying it mostly because it’s a nice break from the constant STEM sequence my schedule has been in the past. This is the first true non-health/med related humanities course I’ve taken in two years, and it’s a blast. I loved literature and history in high school, and getting back into that, even if just for a few hours a week, is making this semester much more enjoyable. I’ll post more updates about it as the semester progresses!! Also my homie (and fellow VSA) Shuntaro is in the class with me, maybe we’ll see a post by him soon too :^)
That’s all I have for today!! This semester is going to be a really interesting one in terms of career development and personal growth, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Peace out and as always, fight on!
Rhea
