Much has happened since last I wrote.

As of about two weeks ago, I was ranked 4th in my Trigonometry class (out of about 20 students), with a total average of about 91%. Over the last few weeks we have studied properties of the trigonometric functions (identity properties, Pythagorean properties), and are currently studying Law of Sines and Law of Cosines, along with triangular area formulas.

Chemistry is not going as well, and although I don't know my exact average in the class, I am somewhere in the B range. Still one more test and the final exam to pull that up to an A, though. I also just submitted some extra credit work, which will boost me up a little bit. The last few chapters studied have dealt with subatomics, specifically electron orbitals and configuration, properties of substances based on electron configurations, Lewis structures, and molecular shapes. I'll be visiting my professor soon to review my grade, and see exactly where I am at in both lecture and laboratory.

Psychology is cake, relatively speaking. There has been 3 tests, all of which I have scored 45 out of 45. The final project is due in a week, in which I have to do a paper and presentation on another country of my choice. My choice of course is Ireland.

Maybe even more exciting than my normal coursework has been my involvement in extracurricular activities. The Leadership Academy course has been hugely valuable, both in learning more about myself, and making quality contacts in the college community. I read a great book for the class, entitled "The Anatomy of Peace", which essentially states that conflict is usually caused by self-deception and self-betrayal. The book addresses how this self-betrayal can be recognized and resolved. Great book all around, one I didn't want to put down.

Also for the Leadership Academy, we were given access to StrengthsQuest, a test designed by the Gallup organization, consisting of 180 pairs of statements. You select the statement you relate more strongly to, and after the test is complete, it provides you with a list of your top 5 strengths as a leader. My top five strengths were Woo, Ideation, Input, Learner, and Positivity. The website also has "action item" lists, that suggest good activities and behaviors to engage in based on your top strengths. Its been a great tool for me, and I plan on exploring it further. I encourage anyone to check out the website for more information, www.strengthsquest.com.

I've also joined the Biotechnology club at school. We have a field trip next friday to Medtronic, a global medical engineering firm based here in Tempe, AZ. They are publicly traded, although I don't know their symbol off the top of my head. After joining the club and attending the first meeting, I've already met a few good contacts in the Life Sciences department at school that will be valuable in developing my further academic and professional careers.

Trig test Chapter 3

I got the chapter 3 trig test back today (took it on Friday), scored a 95%. The test was on relating sinusoid graphs to their equations, by identifying things like amplitude, phase shift, horizontal/vertical stretches or compressions, etc.

We're now on chapter 4, which is all about identity properties of trigonometric functions, such as sin = 1/csc.

I just got home from chemistry lab, where today we carried out an acid-base titration. In lecture, we're studying electromagnetic radiation. I'm a bit familiar with this thanks to an interest in sound and electronics, so there is not much unfamiliar material in this chapter. I do need to go back over the last chapter, however, which discussed gas properties, behaviors, and laws.

SBU200 grade, etc.

SBU200, Business and Society, is over! This is a very good thing, because, as it was a 5-week, condensed, class, it was the most time consuming. I'm now free to devote that time to my other classes. I ended the class with a B (88%). Its not the A I wanted, but its not bad, either. The final project was a detailed stakeholder-analysis of the Martha Stewart insider trading incident. If you'd like to see my project (got an A on it), just email me and I will email it to you.

After seeing an advisor last week to review my credits needed for graduation, I learned that I didn't need to take SBU200 at all! This illustrates the need for frequent consultation with the school advisors to make sure I'm not signing up for unnecessary classes.

Both my last tests in trigonometry and chemistry scored 87%. Again, not the A's I wanted, but not bad. I just need to invest a little more time to reach the A.

Last week, I was told by my psychology professor that she nominated me for a program offered by the community college called "Leadership Academy". It is only available to students who are nominated by faculty members. It is basically a 2-semester course in developing leadership skills, along with a personal leadership style. It is provided free-of-charge, including all textbooks. Here is an excerpt from the email that was sent to me after I signed up:

"Congratulations! You have been selected to be part of the 2007-2008 Leadership Academy! You have been nominated because you have made a positive impression on one of your faculty members, and have shown leadership attributes that are greatly needed in the world today.

Remember, our first meeting is next week Saturday, Oct. 6th from 8am-3pm (we may get out early) in the Kiva Room (downstairs Kirk Center). Breakfast and lunch will be provided. This is a FREE training session from the world-reknown Arbinger Institute, a training that normally costs $400 per person. The material discussed in this session will be used throughout the year, so it is very important that you attend. "

The program is based on work by the Arbinger Institute. I have not looked up Arbinger yet to see what they are all about, but it seems to me they carry some prestige. This is a great opportunity for me, both for personal development, and enhancing my transcripts/resumes in the future.

The First Few Weeks

Three weeks into the semester, here's a little bit of what's been goin' down...

Trigonometry
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Textbook: Analytic Trigonometry with Applications, Barnett et al., 9th Ed

The class started off defining degrees, angles and arcs. We learned to use the proportional nature of degrees and arcs to calculate arc length defined by an angle.
One fun aspect of this class is that it makes frequent use of real-world applications in the course work. For example, we used the above concept to calculate Earth's circumference.

The rest of chapter one discussed similar triangles, right triangles, and introduced the basic trig functions, sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant, and cotangent. Applications included calculating height of a mountain, radius of the Earth, and shadows of vertical objects when the sun is shining at a certain angle. I got a score of 112% on the chapter 1 test.

Chapter 2, which I have a test on tomorrow, has focused on gaining familiarity with radian measure, linear and angular velocity, and basic properties of the trig functions.

I enjoy the class so far.

General Chemistry I
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Chapter 1 was a review of dimensional analysis and units of measure. Chapter two discussed atomic theory, elements vs. compounds, isotopes and ions. Chapter three studied formulas, equation balancing, mole concept (6.022 x 10^23 particles), limiting reactants, and stoichiometry (calculating quantities of reactants and products). First test coming up on Monday.


Time to get back to studies, I'll continue later.

Fall 07 Schedule

Here's the classes I'm taking for Fall 2007 semester:

MAT182 - Trigonometry
CHM151 - General Chemistry I
PSY132 - Psychology and Culture
SBU200 - Business and Society
CIS105 - Survey of Computer Information Systems

16 credit hours