I am UIC | UIC student blogs

I have been reading a lot of “Curious George” to the 2-year-old I nanny.  He loves them.  He always says, “Hat…hat!,”  which means he wants to read “Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat.”  It’s made me a bit curious myself lately. Have you ever thought, “What if?”

As I have said in previous blogs, I have been feeling a bit broke lately.  That’s due to a couple things that I don’t need to get into because really…everyone has money problems.  So, I’ve been thinking, what would I do if I had all the money I needed?  I know exactly what I would do.  I would pay off my debt, pay off my family’s debt, buy a condo in the city and save the rest.

What if we didn’t need to sleep? Can you imagine how much we could get done?  I thought of this when I couldn’t sleep the other night.  My mind was racing, as usual, and I thought, “Wow…I could be studying right now instead of trying to fall asleep, which isn’t happening.”  If I could even function on a couple hours of sleep, I still could get so much done.  I read something once that described a man who had some type of disease that inhibited him from sleep.  Doctors didn’t know what caused it or how to treat it.  The man ended up passing away after 6 months of no sleep.  So, lack of sleep CAN kill you, literally.  That’s a pretty extreme example, though.

What if you could choose any profession to have any day, at any time and had the knowledge to do so?  One day you could be a teacher…the next a doctor…and after that a movie star?  They did say I could do whatever I wanted to do when I grew up. I changed my answer a lot as a child.  Although, movie star/singer was definitely up there along with astronaut and doctor.  I also thought about yoga instructor, physical therapist and news anchor.

What if you could do something so insanely dangerous and know that you COULD NOT die doing it?  What would it be? (Twenty minutes later)…..Annnndd I think I just stumped myself.  I have no idea what I would do. At first I thought, oh definitely skydiving.  But most people wouldn’t consider that insanely dangerous. I’m just a big baby.  Years ago, a group of friends and I drove all the way to a place past Six Flags in Gurnee to a skydiving place.  I was TOTALLY chicken and opted out as soon as we got there.  Luckily, it was too cloudy to do it anyway.

If you didn’t have to pay for school, would you continue to get degree after degree?  I would.  I love being in school.  I would totally go for my Ph.D. if I didn’t have to add to my already whopping student loan bill.  I mean, think about it!!  Dr. Lauren! I like how that sounds. :)

What if you could eat anything you want and not get fat?  MY DREAM!

What if you could afford plastic surgery?  Would you do it?  We all have things that maybe we don’t like about our appearances. I probably wouldn’t get RID of anything…just move some stuff around! :)

Lastly….What if the Chicago Blackhawks win the 2013 Stanley Cup????? Here’s hoping!! Go Blackhawks!!

Just a quick shout out to my CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS!!! THEY’RE KICKING BUTT THIS YEAR! STANLEY CUP….HERE WE COME!!!

Wow, we are not even halfway into the semester and so many crazy things are happening on campus!

First: UIC recreation had RECExperience LIVE last week.  There was free rock climbing, fitness class marathons and pretty cool raffles!  I was there teaching during the fitness marathon with six other instructors. I stayed the entire time and my body was very sore!  It’s amazing how dedicated many of the people were!

Some pictures from the RecExperience Live Group Fitness Marathon

Secondly, I was so excited to hear that Campus Programs was hosting LOL @ UIC: free event tonight that features Keenan Thompson! The free show starts at 7 p.m. at the UIC Forum.

LOL @ UIC!

UIC undergrads have no idea how good they’ve got it!  Back in MY early days at UIC, we did not have A-List celebrities at the annual Spark in the Park….because there WAS NO Spark in the Park.  If we wanted to see A-List celebrities….we turned on MTV!

Another great change I have been noticing going on at UIC is a huge push to get students more involved in supporting the athletic department.  During my undergrad years, there were no wacky, waving inflatable arm-flailing tubemen to get us pumped up for the big games.

He waved and smiled for the camera!

It is pretty cool browsing through my Facebook newsfeed and seeing so many people excited for UIC athletes.  Next time, I won’t live vicariously through their Facebook updates, but instead actually go to a game myself!

So are there other excited thing still going on on campus?

There are ALWAYS things going on on campus!

Campus Programs,  UIC Campus Rec and UIC’s calendar of events are just a few places to check out if you are looking for something fun, informative or new to do on campus!  Take advantage of all UIC has to offer because you guys have it oh-so easy!  

It has only been two weeks or so and my brain has been jam-packed. I do not recall having such an intensive beginning compared to last semester. Perhaps I went a bit overboard when I did my pre-reading and extreme note-taking before classes, only to later realize the instructors were not going to cover any of that and all of the books that I had gotten were not to be read in-depth compared to the presentation lectures/slides that will be tested. Let me tell you, I wanted to flip! I think I’m still in the “getting used to” phase, but I really need to snap out of it!

I had dinner with Alaina at Kohan! We were both craving some yummy sushi. I should probably keep that off my diet since my eczema has been going nuts, but I couldn't resist! I honestly don't know where my self-diligence has gone. It was lovely catching up with her on things and hearing all of the new opportunities that await her in her graphic design career!

I have been finding myself more prone to sleeping in as much as possible until classes start. The original plan was to wake up early and do homework or study like a good, diligent student does. Why is that not happening?

It's been crazy cold lately! I took this picture when I was coming out of my genetics class. The quad and snow...

Last semester, I was super on top of it. I always woke up early and did everything right (hence, my grades improved tremendously!). The only thing that is different this semester, I’d say, would be that I am not working my bazillion part-time jobs…and MAYBE that’s the reason I’m being such a slacker! I’m always ready and on time for work because I have to be…but when it comes to school and studying…I just can’t treat it in the same respect as a part-time job and it really bugs me. All of this free time just to study…it’s almost wasteful! But I know it is not because the investment is to score well on the MCAT and get good grades (hoping to aim for straight As and actually get that at the end).

Of course, no one can do that on their own unless they’re an absolute genius (grrrr I want your brain!). But, it’s not a bad thing! I’m completely dumb and never thought about it before, but the people in my pre-med club are taking the exact same classes that I am! STUDY BUDDIES? I think yes! It’s been proven on many accounts that studying with others is effective. I just haven’t been doing that method of studying because I’m so anti-social and busy…but now I do have time! And, you wouldn’t let down a friend as you would let down yourself, at least in my opinion. I feel that right now what I need is someone to keep me in check, and likewise many of my peers seek that extra “push” to get things done. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship!

So far I have asked people in my Health Activism Committee if they would like to form study groups (for classes and MCAT) and so far the response has been very high. I’m very excited to get started because I know we are all going to learn a lot, build friendships along the way and hopefully all attain our life goals! Haha.

Optimism is key! ^_^

While it’s still early in the semester, go and make friends in your classes! See your TAs and professors. I know I haven’t been doing that but maybe you will (and you should). Make everything count this semester. =)

Is your New Year’s resolution to get healthy? Maybe work out more? To get your fine self ready for the beach? Do you think it will happen?  Not trying to be discouraging at all.  I definitely think people need to work out more.  However, January and February at the gym are always so busy.  And everyone knows that it won’t be like that for long.  People do get discouraged.  I get discouraged.  So, Instead of trying to strictly lose those extra Christmas cookie pounds, I am going to get healthy…mind, body and soul.

I’ve gone through many stages of working out all the time and then working out almost never.  And I have discovered that when I go to the gym to simply try to look skinnier, I don’t get results I want and as fast as I want.  Then I quit.  I’m totally setting myself up to fail.  I have been in grad school for a year and it has been my go-to excuse for me not to go to the gym.  This year, I will be 27 years old (EEEK!).  I’m not getting any younger, people!

So, I am getting healthy in 2013!

Let’s get physical.  Obviously, working out has to happen.  That’s old news.  The trick is what you do.  Most people can’t just go run or walk on the “dreadmill” and watch the fat melt off.   I WISH it was that easy.  You have to find things that are fun.  I like going to the classes at my gym.  They have Step Aerobics, Zumba, Yoga and Dance Feevha.  If I make my workout different and fun every time, there is no question that I’ll look forward to working out everyday.  I also go on the “dreadmill,” the exercise bike and the eliptical.  The point is, you have to get your heart rate up.  Working out isn’t just to lose weight.  It’s to get in shape and feel good about yourself…and a killer bod is a nice perk :).  It’s also proven you sleep better after getting into a regular workout schedule.

My nemesis.  FOOD.  I love food SO much.  The first important part in portion.  Portion control is so important.  I definitely have a problem with portion control.  I eat until I’m stuffed. No bueno!  And then it’s important WHAT you eat.  I mean I love…pizza, Mexican food, pasta, bread and DESSERT!!!  But you can’t always eat whatever you want.  My thinking is, If I eat really well and work out, I can splurge a little bit once in a while.  And that’s good because there is no way I can give that stuff up.  That’s probably the reason why I was never good at giving up stuff for Lent.  I usually give up something I could live without like…celery.  Again, no bueno. I bought this thing called Stayfit.  It’s super easy to transport salads, veggies or fruit.  It’s a good sized container that has a little cup attached for salad dressing.  That way, I don’t have to search for 20 minutes for a Tupperware container and matching lid.  Another good idea is to purchase your food for the week on Sunday.  If you plan your meals for the entire week, it’s easier to stick to and not venture off finding yourself in the McDonald’s drive thru.

Meditation is always a helpful way to get my mind on track OR to wind down from a stressful day.  Sometimes I just need to sit, close my eyes, and clear my mind.  Listening to music helps, as well.

Sleep.  I cannot stress enough how important a good night’s sleep is.  Being in college, I know a good night’s sleep can be few and far between.  I can never function on lack of sleep.  I don’t know what it is but if I have less than seven hours, I am a total zombie. And I always sleep better when I take a shower right before bed.

Vitamins.  Take them every day!

I’m going to try to read more books for fun.  I only read for entertainment during the summer and during winter break.  I’m going to try to work on that.

Good luck on your adventures this year! I will check back with how I’m doing on mine. :)

After previewing all of my classes for the first week, all I can say is WOW! As most of you know, this is the most crucial semester of my entire undergraduate career (actually, from what I hear it’s everyone’s most crucial or at least the most difficult/craziest). Even though I’m only taking 13 credit hours, it feels like I’m taking 18+! Even my roommate feels the same way about her classes and she is taking the same amount that I am. As a quick reminder, here’s what is on my plate:

1. Classes – BIOS 220 Genetics (3 hrs), BIOS 240 Homeostasis (3 hrs), BIOS 452 Biochemistry I (4 hrs), HON 201 Current Perspectives in Diabetes and Treatments (1 hr), ASAM 105 Are you Doctor-Author yet? (1 hr), and a Kaplan MCAT course (3-6 hrs per week)

2. SFP/HAC – We’re going to high schools again! Clemente High School has welcomed us back and I am very excited to send over the finalized presentations and teaching aids to them soon. Next stop, training my members in their public-speaking/interacting with an audience skills!

3. Research – I am limiting myself to one time a week, even though I would love to go in at least three times…but all of the reading and homework and studying I have to do for my classes is very intensive! And the studying….ahhhh! I’m excited to work on a new project soon after I finish qPCR-ing one that was done over winter break. I hope out of my crazy busy schedule I can do a poster presentation at the UIC Undergraduate/Graduate Symposium in April!

Imagine if I did not go on hiatus for my other jobs…oh man. I don’t think I’d be sleeping ever! I love sleep so much.

So, I’m not sure how crazy everyone’s schedule is, but always look to the end goal! I need to also start writing my personal statement for medical school, collecting letters of recommendation from professors and employers that I have had a pleasure of knowing, and continuously studying for that MCAT! I am hoping to work incredibly hard to get a 4.0 this semester so that I can prove that without part-time jobs (just one if you count research) and only one club that I can succeed!

Wishing the best of luck to everyone! :D

After a month full of relaxation and gluttony, I was more than ready to start a brand new semester. Don’t get me wrong, I did some fun stuff and even started scrapbooking, but it gets boring not having anything to do after three weeks — I was ready to start school. I look at a new semester like a clean slate — I have another period where I can start everything from scratch on the right foot. So far, so good.

The week started off with some confusion. I had most of my books ordered or purchased and my pens and pencils packed in my bag. Problem was that I didn’t know my final schedule. Typically, I have my schedule picked out and organized well before the semester. However, this time around it wasn’t quite like that. I had registered for classes a long time ago, but was unsure about one of them. I spent the past two weeks running around and emailing faculty to get into some electives. On the first day I went to some classes not on my schedule to “visit” and see if I liked. This was tiring, as I was back to back in my schedule and was very groggy. I ended up dropping a class due to…well, I’m going to be honest…RateMyProfessor.com. If there is anything I’ve learned about picking classes, it is to research the professors BEFORE classes start and take them into careful consideration. In my experience, if a professor has really, really bad reviews…drop that course. Trust me, it’ll save you time, a headache and possible low grades in the long run. I used to brush off bad reviews and thought, “hey, maybe they’re actually good and this is just another student complaining.” Well, I was wrong. Hopefully, this semester I was right with dropping that course. I really liked the topic of the class, but I just had to listen to my conscience.

I genuinely enjoy all of the classes I am enrolled in right now. All of the professors are great, make the material interesting and teach the topics very well. There are a lot of readings to do this semester, though, which is probably expected when you’re a second-semester junior.

Overall, this semester seems promising. I just have to remember to keep my eye on the prize. And that prize is a summer of no books and a year away from graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Everyone has a certain amount of patience, right?  Well, mine wears thin after multiple encounters with people who are rude or inconsiderate or with things that just don’t make sense.  In the show “Family Guy,” Peter Griffin has a segment of “What Grinds My Gears” that I think is pretty funny. It made me think…we all have things that annoy us and I’m sure a lot of people can relate.  Here are some of mine!

Speedy Gonzales…in such a hurry that they have to cut me off to get one car ahead, just to wait at the same red light.  Come on people! This happens all the time, too.  I will not speed down a side street and I won’t go faster because they’re riding my tail, especially If I have the baby in my car.  I should get one of those “Baby On Board” bumper stickers.  Not sure that would do anything, though.

When you’re turning either right or left onto a busy street and the car behind you wants to turn the opposite way, they think it’s OK just to go around you and obstruct your view so that they can turn quicker.  So annoying!

When people don’t stop at stop signs.  It happens 99.9 percent of the time in my neighborhood.  Some people roll the stop, others will go RIGHT through it.  The other day, I had already stopped my car at the intersection and looked at the driver coming from the left, who also had a stop sign but didn’t even slow his car down. Just went right through it!

When you are waiting in a long line at the store and they’re opening another register.  Then those people in the back of the line RUN to the new register.  So not fair!  Part of that could be resolved if the cashier makes sure they take the next customers in line.

One of my many jobs is in retail.  I get that the “customer is always right.”  However, when I have a customer telling me I am wrong with something I have been doing 10+ years, it’s not exactly easy to back down.  For instance, the customer who comes in and swears she is a size 7 shoe after I measure her at a size 8.  It’s OK, ma’am! I promise, I won’t call you Big Foot.  Athletic shoes run small; you always have to go up in size.  And even after that, she won’t listen and will jam her foot into a shoe too small.  Geesh!

There is the other side of that when I am the customer and I have poor service.  Just recently, I purchased a wallet from a store. When I got home, I tried putting my money in it…(weird right!!? Putting money in a wallet!?).  Well, I quickly realized that it didn’t fit money.  A bill was too long because the cash pouch was either defective or was just a ridiculous design.  SIDENOTE: I totally realize the picture has European money…but that’s how it looked when I put American money in the wallet I purchased. So, I went to return it and they tell me its part of a special line of products so they are not returnable.  What?! OK, that was not mentioned when I bought it.  So, I go home and I’m angry because it was $12 and it’s not even usable. I contacted customer service because I didn’t think it was fair that I wasn’t told it wasn’t refundable and that it didn’t work anyways. They had no problem, were super nice and told me they would call the store to notify them I would be bringing it back. I was actually impressed. So, I go back and it’s the same people. The manager asks to see it and tries to convince me that hers is like that, too.  I said, “What use is a wallet that will not hold money whether it’s designed stupidly or just defective?”  She had to go along with my return but whispered to the cashier helping me not to “damage it out”…which meant she was going to re-tag it and put it back on the shelf.  In the words of Stephanie Tanner….”How RUDE!”

On that other side of THAT is when sales people are too nice and helping just a little too much.  I went to a mall last summer with my best friend and stopped at a store to look.  I was looking for a dress for my birthday party, which is what I told the sales guy when he asked but also added, “I am just looking though, thanks.” He proceeds to bring me dress after dress. And not even nice looking dresses. They were HIDEOUS! I decided to try them on for the heck of it and give my friend a fashion show. Well, it was a show all right. She could not help but laugh every single time I opened that curtain. And he just kept bringing me stuff to try on. Once I noticed he was busy terrorizing another customer, we ran for it and never went back again!

I love being in school. I do! There is something about constantly learning that makes me feel liberated. It’s just…how do I put this? Almost every class has someone in it that talks a lot.  In the beginning of the semester, I don’t mind the non-stop philosophical rants because some are actually interesting and I try to learn from them. But toward the end of the semester….maybe even towards the middle, it’s like…”I get it Chatty Cathy, you’re smart, you have tons of experience and something to say about everything….will you please let the teacher teach?”  Though, I would NEVER really say that.

When people don’t use their turn signals. First of all, it could cause an accident. Secondly, it’s there for a reason, USE IT!

And those are a couple things that Grind My Gears!  I’d LOVE to hear some of your pet peeves!!!

I’m not sure if you have been living under a rock, but we are currently in what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the worst flu season in the last 10 years!  I hope everyone is starting the year right with a flu shot!   If you are currently under CampusCare insurance, you can receive a free flu shot at Family Medicine Center.

I haven’t had the flu this season, but started off the year with a nasty case of bronchitis!  I will spare you the details, but I have spent the last 10 days loading up on vitamin C, soup and plenty of tea  The doctors gave me an inhaler, but I have been having issue using it correctly.

My fitness jobs requires me to stay active, so it has been difficult to rest my body when my mind really just wants to go for a run!  Speaking of fitness, the Spring Drop-in Fitness schedule has be finalized!  Feel free to check out my classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays!  I am excited about teaching on east campus in the evening this year. I’m sure January will bring a lot of students who made New Year’s resolutions to lose a few pounds.  Therefore, I will make it a point to bring my fitness instructor A game!

Hopefully, the last of my bronchitis cough will be gone before I teach!  I know crappy weather and sick family and friends can make it difficult to work out — or better yet, easy to make excuses — but try and get out there and stay active, healthy and happy (unless you have bronchitis yourself …then you should relax in bed and watch “Judge Judy.”)