Registration...

...is a major pain. My registration period opened up today and I am only officially registered for four hours (the next semester of o chem and the physics lab). I am on two wait lists (one for an o chem lab and one for cell biology). The actual physics class is closed and looks hopeless currently. It's a tad bit ridiculous this whole registration mess. But, what can anyone do about it? Not much.

It's difficult knowing what you need to do but not being able to do it. It's also disappointing that you can let a class slide and not care about it simply because you're pass/failing it. I didn't study at all for my medical terminology quiz. I probably bombed it really bad. And sadly, I really could care less at this moment in time. I still need to do my o chem homework that is due at 3pm. I'll do it during work today.

Let us discuss something intellectual. I'm tired of reading snippets of blogs that focus on irrational thoughts and the endless barrage of annoyances in a single day. So, I'm going to ramble on about the effects of "staying positive."

Dr. Laude is a genius, to say the least. Sure, he pokes fun at himself for not going to med school, failing out of his first grad school, and so on. But this man is truly wise beyond the pure definition of the word. That said, he talked to the Emerging Scholars students a couple weeks ago and ended with a very astute notion. So many people (myself greatly included) try to control every single event of their lives, every day. And when one thing turns away from this predisposed plan, the day lies in ruin and a feeling of distress sets in. Instead, Dr. Laude proposed this situation: say you run into twenty four people. Twenty four independent collisions. Instead of focusing on the several opportunities for misfortune in each of these twenty-four collisions, why not draw upon twenty-four rewarding experiences. As a result, your day ends with twenty-four positive encounters and your life runs smoother. We can only control so much of our lives before they depend on someone else.

For example. That job you want. Sure, you can get great grades, be the star of a team, lead every major organization on campus, etc. But, ultimately, the person who decides your fate is the one doing the hiring. They can say yes or no and don't have to explain why. Sure, not getting the job is painful, but you went through the experience of defeat. Now use it to motivate you for the next interview.

I know, wishful thinking, of course. It's almost human nature to focus on the bad rather than look for the good. After all, we are constantly surrounded by bad entities, so locating them is easy. Why don't we try to find the good in people as opposed to fixating on the wrong? Maybe half the world's problems would disappear if people would just take a step back from the situation and look at it like this. But, once again, wishful thinking for a Utopian society.

I may have more to detail about my day later on. It is time I focus on o chem and complete my homework. I need to find the good in my job and perform better there. If I have any hopes of ever being an undergraduate TA, I need to treat this job like it's my only ticket in. As the morning hours come to a succinct close, I bid the masses farewell and good day.