School Actually Starts

Well, it certainly took me longer than I expected to get this next blog post up and running. I guess I’m learning firsthand how people get busy in college. Now that I have a moment to breathe, I’ll fill you in on what’s happened around here since last time.

The big news of the week is that I’ve finally picked my classes. At Harvard there is an interesting tradition, shared by several colleges I know of, called shopping period. Instead of signing up for classes sight unseen, the shopping period allows you to attend any class you want for the first week, with no obligation to ultimately take that class. In the first week students are going in and out, sometimes staying no more than 10 minutes in one class. This shopping period allows you to see if the class lives up to its summary in the catalog, if the midterms conflict with those in other classes you want to take, and even if the professor rubs you the wrong way. I didn’t really get the hang of shopping week until the last half, but once I figured out how it worked it allowed me to choose between several interesting classes to fill my schedule. In the end, after consultation with some advisors, I decided it’s best to get some prerequisites out of the way, and I picked classes that I will probably need to take regardless of what major I choose.

First on the list is Life Sciences 1a, the introductory course for all majors in the life sciences. This class is unusual because it links chemistry to applications in biology, instead of explaining basic chemistry irrelevant to later biological study. We’ll be learning about the chemistry of proteins, and how proteins work within the cell to create life. It’s a huge class, filling two lecture halls, but the professors are fun and engaging, and it’s nice to check the homework problems with almost anyone you run into. I have to take one more math course while I’m here, so I decided to do it now before I lost all my knowledge of calculus. This is a course in multivariable calculus, and so far we are getting comfortable with math in three-dimensions. This is probably my least interesting class this term, but it’s not tedious; the homework has certainly kept me thinking far into the night! Third is Science of Living Systems 20, the confusing title for the introductory psychology class. This one is taught by Steven Pinker, a scientist and author who has really inspired me, so it is interesting to see him live (although the past two lectures were videotaped because he was at a conference in Chile). However, I’m not taking that class because of Pinker, but for a reason I’ll explain later. Rounding out the schedule is my elective, a Latin composition course. This is a small course with an intense group of students, some of them in graduate school. We are basically trying to get inside the head of a Roman citizen, and find out how they would talk and write, what stylistic choices they make, and what vocabulary they would use. Since I’ve always wanted to speak Latin, this is a good course for improving that skill. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Already I have my fair share of work for these classes, which I am (so far) managing to stay on top of. Let's hope I can keep up!

Outside of class a few notable things are happening. I tried out for Jazz Band last Sunday, and I made the cut for the top jazz band, which I am very grateful for. I am playing piano alongside an excellent senior pianist who is part of the dual enrollment program with the New England Conservatory; in short, he’s really good. It’s nice to get to watch him as he plays and pick up on what he does. I think the jazz band is going to be fun, and a good way to take a break from studying. I am also becoming a regular at HRSFA, the Harvard Radcliffe Science Fiction Association. Basically, every Friday they play board games of all sorts, from Risk to Settlers of Catan. I’ve been going with David, my roommate, and we’ve really enjoyed it. Last Friday I even invited Sophie Scofield-Selby and her friends from Wellesley up to play. Everyone was welcome, and Sophie’s probably going to keep coming in the future.

The last big thing this week is the reason that I’m taking the introductory psychology course. I’ve been looking forward to coming here in large part to participate the research part of the university, so that I can learn how to do research from some of the best in the field and see if a career in research is right for me. I contacted one lab that really looked interesting, the Cognitive Neuropsychology lab under Professor Alfonso Caramazza, and they wrote me back wanting to interview me once I got here. I went to the interview, and, on the condition that I take the psych class this term, they offered me a spot as a research assistant! I’m very honored to become a part of that group, and I’m excited to help these researchers in their projects, to learn what real research is, and to learn how to think like a scientist.

As the term progresses, I keep discovering new Harvard traditions; Harvard definitely has her fair share. This week elections for the Undergraduate Council, the student body association, are being held, and our room (like all the others) is being heavily canvassed by the 40 candidates vying for the three elected spots in our “district.” (Examples of campaign posters at right.)There have been good and not-so-good candidates, but overall the campaigning has provided an interesting look into another fragment of Harvard’s student population. So far the issue that’s found its way onto most candidates’ platforms is that of dining hall hours. Annenberg Hall is open for dinner from 4:30-7, and most students show up for dinner at 6 or later (a reasonable time for dinner), leading to massive lines and irritation on all sides. I’m interested to see if any one of these candidates will address this problem during their time in office.

Thanks for your comments and support. I’m glad to know that so many people are thinking about me and reading this. I hope to have more posts in the future so you all have something to read! I probably shouldn’t do this, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of my agenda for today. I cleaned my room to never-before-seen levels of tidiness last week, to my great surprise. The week has taken its toll, and as I leave you all, I must begin the task of turning the tide back to the side of order and cleanliness!

Andrew