Friday by Jess K. '10

(Keep asking questions! I’ll answer them next entry.)

9:30 AM: Woke up. Wondered why anyone would ever be awake at this time. Wondered why back hurts. Attempt to go back to sleep.

9:32 AM: Attempt to go back to sleep failed.

9:33 AM: Facebook.

9:43 AM: Facebook apparently not miracle cure for back pain. Decide to go swimming.

9:58 AM: Made it to Z-Center without collapsing from exhaustion, length of walk and/or back pain. Mental note to get those wheelie shoes prepubescent boys wear.

10:00 AM: Stand at pool edge and contemplate reflection in water. Wondered why awake again, since no class until 12.

10:01 AM: Dive in. Am definitely awake. Aah. Freezing.

10:02 AM: Toes? What toes?

10:35 AM: Invigorated. Shower time! Showers at Z-Center much nicer than at Next House. Note to self: work out more often for reward of hot shower. Note to everybody else: go to MIT for reward of hot shower.

10:50 AM: Walk back to Next House. Ran into: Ariadne, Curtis, Phil, Kris, and The Entire Class of 2010 on their way to 3.091, professor of which is reportedly “The Man”. The class so big that people sit in the aisles.. of 10-250 (note: chairs in 10-250 are actually not that shade of fun purple).

10:58 AM: Return to room. Lose keys.
10:59 AM: Find keys, lose cell phone.
11:00 AM: Find cell phone, lose mind. Wait, no, there it is.

11:10 AM: Leave room for the third walk from Next House of the day, all before classes even start. (To give you an idea of how much pain this is, Next House makes shirts saying “Next House: Where the Sidewalk Ends”. Yeah, it’s kinda like that.)

11:35 AM: Arrive at Stata Center. Order a sandwich and raspberry iced tea.

11:40 AM: Walk to first class, Disease and Society in America recitation (starts at 12 PM). Without knowing time, open door to discover teacher is speaking in French. Only phrase known in French is “Je suis un anana”, so quickly shut door and resolve to check time more often.

11:41 AM: Retreat outside to eat sandwich.
11:42 AM: Life-changing moment. Stata Center cafe has amazing sandwiches.

12:02 PM: Am enjoying sandwich to the extent of being late to class. (It really was an amazing sandwich.)

12:22 PM: Recitation breaks off into groups of five to ponder question, “What is Disease?” Narrows down to five criteria, including “Impairs Your Well-Being”, “Biological/Chemical/Psychological Causes”, and “Not By Choice”. Brings up interesting points about (but certainly not limited to) obesity, heart disease, anorexia, and “excessive sleepiness”.

12:23 PM: Group digresses to discuss whether a third nipple is considered a disease or not.

12:24 PM: Group is laughed at by recitation TA.

12:36 PM: Recitation meets all together again to discuss as a whole what really is disease.

12:55 PM: Leave recitation for 10-250. Have decided to go to 5.112, the next level of chemistry, to see if better suited.

12:57 PM: Plans to take it to the next level foiled by professor illness, and ironically, 5.111 professor is lecturing for 5.112.

1:03 PM: Shar, friend in 5.112, leans over to say that their regular professor is not nearly this interesting. Am seriously confused regarding whether or not to switch.

1:04 PM: Lecture about Rutherford (personal favorite guy in chemical history).

1:36 PM: Professor lets class simulate Rutherford’s discovery of the atom by hurling ping pong balls at strings of styrofoam balls to see how many backscattered.

1:37 PM: Throw like a girl, miss styrofoam balls entirely.

1:55 PM: Enjoyed lecture but have no idea as to whether or not to add 5.112, seeing as the first half of 5.111 and 5.112 are identical. Stay in 10-250 for 18.02, calculus.

1:56 PM: Remembered laptop is in backpack.

1:57 PM: Facebook.

2:10 PM: 18.02 professor has French accent, bringing back memories of walking into the French class and eating the delicious sandwich.

2:35 PM: Thinking about cross products. And sandwiches.

2:45 PM: Hungry again. Triple products. Matrices. Vectors in 3-space. Reviewed lecture last night before coming to class, thus feeling extra prepared today. Enjoy lecture more than usual and resolve to read the book before for every class. Especially enjoy book since last night, neighbor donated book for free.

2:46 PM: Momentary reveling in feeling $117 richer than everyone else.

2:47 PM: Oh right, calculus.

2:48 PM: Learning more about cross products, and the parallelpiped, which is great fun to attempt to say.

3:00 PM: Trek with Keri to building 26 for 8.01, Physics, which is TEAL, a more high-tech way of learning physics. Haven’t really decided if it’s more effective or not, but having fun pressing buttons.

3:30 PM: Professor presses button and turns on a camera that videotapes him writing on the board behind self, putting self on camera. Attempt to enjoy two minutes of fame while hiding the fact that was eating a granola bar in a room with computers.

3:32 PM: Professor moves back to power point. Continue eating granola bar (free from the health fair).

3:34 PM: Learning about estimations in calculations, SI units, basic introductory physics.

3:55 PM: Leave class with Keri and Cristen to get meds and food for ill friend.

4:55 PM: Walking down the Infinite Corridor with said meds and food when run into Nance and Ben Jones.

4:57 PM: Ben Jones: “Tell him to stop faking sick so he can get free food and girls waiting on him.” Cute!

5:05 PM: Senior Haus. Deliver meds and food.

6:05 PM: Facebook.

7:12 PM: Pritchett Dining, with large widescreen TV. Jeopardy! and dinner. Delicious combination.

8:05 PM: Crazy For You at Kresge Auditorium.

10:00 PM: Leave theater. Attacked by Colin ’10, who got a bid from a frat (an invite to join), and is thus literally running around Boston on a scavenger hunt and eating lots of food. Keri and I wish we were boys.

10:39 PM: Return to Next, where roommate is doing p-sets.

10:40 PM: Consider doing psets.

10:41 PM: Facebook.