I can't sleep! Caffeine + xanthine + fructose = no bueno

So What Was This Sh*t Year?

I find it hard to recount the Year of The Crap. From what I remember, it all started after finals week during Spring/ Summer 2009. Some details that are worth remembering...


-No summer break- I studied for the MCAT right after finals week Spring semester. Started working at the VA Medical Center as a volunteer research assistant for The Laboratory of GI Injury and Cancer. Took The Berkeley Review MCAT Prep course.


-MCAT August 25th. Crash and burned. Took the exam with chills, fever, and a cold. Voila. A fucking 28.


-Started Fall Semester 2009 the Monday after. What transpired in between the MCAT and Monday? Las Vegas. Couldn't remember most of what happened over there. All I know is that it involved binge drinking.


-Rest of the semester- stress, burnout, death by biochem II, genetics, neurobiology, ecology. GPA dropped down to a 3.8. Dammit. There goes my bid for Summa cum laude.


-Winter break: SLEEP. WORK. CHILL.


-This semester: we'll see.

Status Update

So it's been considerably less crazy after the shit year. This is how my typical week looks like for this semester:

M- PE class 7am. MCAT 9am until God knows when

T- Tutor 8:30-10. MCAT again. Class 2-3:15. Eat. Slack off. Class 7-9:15pm. Pass out.

W- Repeat Monday. Add research lab 10-5pm. Then MCAT until I don't know.

Th- Research 10-1. Class 2-3:15. MCAT until whenever.

F- Tutor 8:30- 11. Research until 5pm. Work 6pm until next day.

Sat- Get off work, sleep. Study when I wake up.

Sun- Sleep-in. Dim sum. Study.

Then lots of gym and basketball and leisure reading in between. So far, I've read the following books (since the semester started):

"The Game" by Neil Strauss

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

"The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande

And I have a "pending list" of books to be enjoyed:

1. Hitler's Pope

2. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

3. Body of Work

4. Blink

5. Freakonomics

6. Outliers

That's all.