With approximately eleven and a half hours left in 2013, I think it would be appropriate to list off my five resolutions (or year-long goals) that I have set for myself in the year 2014.
#5. Become a better scientist.
This goal may seem a bit peculiar to the average person. How does one "become" a better scientist? If you ask someone in academia, they would probably say that you should publish more papers or that you should be inquiring about acquiring tenure (if you do not already have it). As far as I am concerned, I want to both expand and deepen my knowledge of chemistry so that I can be prepared for whatever graduate school throws at me. Being in charge of supplemental instruction the past two quarters has allowed me to meet dozens of new people and has provided me with the title of "the Ochem guy." I admire the recognition because that is what I aspire to be. Within the next few years, I would like to be known as "the Dr. Ochem guy," which leads me to my next resolution...
#4. Succeed in graduate school.
This resolution is solely banked on the fact that I get accepted into a graduate program for the fall of 2014 (which I am hoping comes true). I have already received a rejection from one of my schools and I will keep my blog updated with news from the other five that I applied to. If post-secondary education were related to sports, undergraduate degrees would be the minor league teams, while graduate schools would be like playing in the majors. So far my track record with the Somerset Patriots (minor league baseball team that I grew up with), has been pretty good, but if I wish to excel in the majors (say the Yankees or Mets), I need to step my game up and not only that, I need to put myself back in the game, which leads me to my next resolution...
#3. Get better grades.
I only have two quarters left in my undergraduate career (so this resolution should have been on last year's list to have any drastic impact), but I want to end my undergraduate career on a high note. I do not want to skate by with C's because that is the minimum grade to pass; I want to show my peers and my professors (and my future school) that I can excel in my courses, especially ones that I will be using in my graduate study. This quarter I am taking a course that I am not required to take (Instrumental Analysis), but I believe that it will greatly set me apart from other Biochemistry majors whom do not take the course. I also plan to take a graduate-level organic chemistry course in the spring, which I am quite excited to take. Expanding my chemistry palette is a necessary tool for a scientist and a lack of knowledge in one area should be remedied with sufficient studying in said area, which leads me to my next resolution...
#2. Read the Bible.
Hold on a second... I just said that I wanted to expand my chemistry palette. How does the Bible have anything to do with that? Hear me out for a second. Over the past few years, my "faith" has been questioned (granted I did not have strong faith to begin with), but the idea that God existed was slowly creeping out of my head. There is a quote by Harlan Ellison that reads "You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant." By definition, ignorance is the lack of knowledge or information; as simple as that. I could say that I am ignorant in my belief that God does not exist and I would say that it is true. However, I am choosing to enhance my knowledge on the subject, which shows commitment and dedication for understanding (non-ignorance). This leads me to my last resolution...
#1. Get below 160.
What does this mean? Get below 160 lbs in terms of body weight. If I go on an easy run, I do not want my heart rate to reach 160 bpm. I want to nourish my body, in such a way, that I can compete in any race I choose. I want to run a decent time half-marathon (sub 1:30) and maybe eventually a BQ time!
Thank you all for reading and I hope that 2014 is a big a year for me, as it will be for all of you! And remember, there is always room in your day for a little TrashTalk.
NT
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