Getting Out from a Horror Story
To all the engineers or aspiring engineers out there, kudos to you. I can’t fathom filling my schedule with advanced science and math classes year after year.
I tried that tactic last semester. Biology, Organic Chemistry, and Calculus 3 at the same time was like trying to fend off Jason Voorhees, Scream, and the woman from the Exorcist all at once. My grades ended up like characters in their respective movies: maimed, tortured, and slaughtered while screaming. Where were all the fairies and angels that helped me escape from the horrors of the science slasher films?
Luckily, I was resurrected (and not as a zombie), given the second chance to start anew and keep going forward from lessons learned. The lesson learned: don’t ever take more than two science/math classes again. EVER! Engineers are the main characters in slasher films: the sole survivors. I guess I have to train myself to become one of those sole survivors for the larger beast called “Medical School,” but until then, I’ll lick my wounds. I dialed it down and started healing myself by only taking two science classes this semester: Organic chemistry and biology.
As for the rest of my classes, I finally found my fairies and angels of serenity from the insanity of science. As with Christianity and the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, these angels have names:
First came “Russian Literature,” the angel of peace. Made of a small 25 students, this angel heralds neither exams nor quizzes, but glad tidings of relaxed, laid back discussion and conversational banter with a young, knowledgeable professor.
Then came “Theater Criticism,” the angel of excitement. This angel is rather unique: no exams, no quizzes, no long-term papers. All labors the angel creates are in the form of 1-2 page, frequent papers analyzing plays that we must see downtown, blogging, photos, and podcasts. Indeed, this angel is like the red star when every other shines white: odd yet still beautiful. And the best part: only 5 students, myself included.
No longer will my semester be a horror movie filled with monsters; now I will have the assistance of angels by my side. This will be an exciting transition from a horror movie to a good vs. evil movie. Who will prevail? Angels or Demons? Frodo or Sauron? Humanities or Sciences? Only time will tell.