I'm back on campus for Winterim, and it's really cold here. It's really cold at my house too, but here my hands get cracked and bloody when I am too lazy to put on gloves. However, Rutgers Camden is good about heating our buildings, so I'm only really cold during the dreaded march outside when I make myself leave my cozy room. It's supposed to snow late tonight/early tomorrow, so I will have to contend with that. Snow is a lot more fun when you're in elementary, middle or high school, since it can get school cancelled and you will not miss much material.
Overall, the campus is busier than I thought it would be. All of my suite mates are here for the winter session and the cafeteria lines are long. On the plus side, the gym and cafeteria are open on weekdays, but not the weekends, which is not ideal. We do have some equipment on the first floor of residence, but there is not a huge variety. As far as eating on the weekends though, I may try to order from a Chinese restaurant that would deliver here.
In response to a question about the best and worst classes at Rutgers Camden, the best and worst, in my opinion, are:
Best: Honors Seminars (I took Psychology of Marketing)
Worst: Lower level maths (I took Intermediate Algebra)
The other honors students I asked, as well as myself, loved their honors seminar. I adore the lively discussions and the options of choosing a seminar from a variety of different subjects. My least favorite was Intermediate Algebra, a noncredit class I got placed into via the math Placement test. Here are a few things you should know about the math placement test:
1. No calculators allowed. This killed me after relying on them for years.
2. There will be operations with fractions and decimals, and you (still) will not have a calculator.
That's all I'm really going to tell you, because I don't want to give too much away, but if you're coming to Rutgers Camden you should practice doing problems without your trusty calculator. Or, you can go place out of Calculus with high AP scores.
Overall, people complain about the Calculus and Precalculus classes often. They say they cannot understand their teacher(s).
We do not have EXPOS here, and I placed out of English Composition I, so all I really know is that you write a lot of essays. No one seemed to loathe it too much, however.
As far as my Philosophy class goes, it's been a roller coaster ride. I have yet to find a way to make myself like Philosophy. No offense to anyone who does enjoy it, but I find it a waste of time. Arguing about whether objects are mind independent or mind dependent, or whether there is or is not an afterlife, does not benefit anyone in the here and now. I do not believe I personally can contribute anything to the world through knowledge of Philosophy. My philosophies may enable me and spur me to contribute to the world, but I do not feel the need to label them or debate different view points.
Film watching and the professor make the class tolerable. We generally spend two hours (out of three hours and forty minutes) watching a film. The first two we watched were Total Recall and Hilary and Jackie. I found both films enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. Plus, three hours and forty minutes of lecture has me squirming in my seat. I found this out last night, when we did not watch a movie. I think tonight we are watching Memento, which is not my favorite movie, but will be a nice break from talking about really complex theories regarding our world.
Also, I feel lucky to have such a passionate professor. At the beginning of class, he pushes his desk against the wall so he can use the whole front of the room like a stage to convey each lesson. He uses a lot of analogies to help us understand the material, which I find very helpful in understanding concepts and memorizing them. He also answers all of our questions, which is fantastic.
This Friday we have our midterm, 6 essays about what we have learned so far, and our final is next Friday and demands more essays about the second half of the course. Wish me luck!
Now, to the second question in this post's title: What is a nuclear heart scan?
Well now I can tell you. Tuesday, I spent the morning shadowing a cardiologist in his clinical practice. I treasured it and learned a great deal. First, I watched the doctor as he met with patients and did a lot of paperwork. He also mentioned that he has to do a lot of paperwork at home as well, which I must admit, makes me reconsider the profession. I love to write, but regurgitating everything I just talked to a patient about could grow very agitating.
While the doctor reviewed x-rays and more paperwork, I joined the nurses as they completed a nuclear heart scan from start to finish. The test began when a nurse injected a radioactive tracer into the patient via IV. Then, the nurses took pictures of the patient's heart, and finally, during a stress test, the patient took a medication that mimicked exercising, was hooked up to an EKG, and walked on a treadmill. It was a very insightful experience.
Also, I made a lot more Rutgers connections. I met a man who graduated from Rutgers Camden and whose son graduated from Rutgers Camden Law School. I met another man who's daughter is a Rutgers Camden graduate and is applying to medical school; and I met a patient who's cousin is a Rutgers Alum. Bear in mind, I only saw around 4-5 patients. I left the office at lunchtime because the doctor had a lot more x-rays and paperwork to contend with, and then I took a really long nap, because I am so busy and fatigued these days. Between Philosophy class, a ton of internship applications (for the summer), and trying to write a comic review, draw a cartoon for The Gleaner, study neurology, and other things, it's a really busy time for me.
Happy break to the rest of you!
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