Caltech

Run the Laugh Track!

Something about Caltech makes you very used to being wrong. Not completely wrong, just the technically incorrect sort of wrong that (thank goodness) still gets you partial credit. Take, for example, my last physics quiz, in which a miscalculation of gamma caused me to get every answer wrong, or my last blog post, in which I said my teary goodbyes only to find out it was actually my second-to-last.

But that’s actually good news, because my Frosh Experience this week has been pretty exciting. I finally started making steps towards getting a SURF! I’ll bet I’m not the first to mention SURF here, but just in case, SURF stands for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships. As a frosh, you hear about them a lot, and though you’re often encouraged to look for one, it can still seem very intimidating to ask to join a professor’s lab. I used to have this image of undergraduate interns being treated as a nuisance forced upon professors by the institute, the little sisters of the science world. I wondered what we could possibly do for the labs, other than wash dishes and cost them $6000 a summer.

Well I’m still not sure what I can do for my mentor, but I do know this. Caltech profs love their SURFs. In fact, during a Ch10 seminar, Ch1a prof Nate Lewis boasted having the greatest total number of SURFs of all the faculty. Maybe that’s why I ended up deciding to work in his lab. Friends found their SURFs in a number of ways. Some took the “pizza classes”, and got to see a sampling of all the research going on in one division. Others asked upperclassmen who they knew had SURFed the previous year. But failing all that, a lot of us just got online and checked out faculty webpages until something jumped out at us. Although I owe most of my decision to the Ch10 pizza class, I ended up doing a combination of all three.

Of course, deciding where to work isn’t quite enough. You still have to ask the prof If he/she will take you on. Now, let’s do a comparison between styles. My friend Megan read a stack of articles put out by the lab she wanted to work for, researched the theory, and came up with a possible new application of their work that she would like to try out. She presented her idea to the prof, they talked it over, and she got the SURF. I, on the other hand, am nervous, lazy, and confused with regards to the entire SURF process, and so I sent an email to Nate Lewis that read something to the effect of, “Prof. Lewis- I need to get started on my SURF proposal, but am not sure how to go about this. I know I’d like to work in your lab, so can you please advise me on the next steps to take?” A week later, he replied that he’d take me on and that I ought to stroll around his labs and talk to grad students until I find one I want to work with and who is willing to be my mentor. I found one of his grad students, who also happens to be my RA, we talked it over, and I got the SURF. See? Different ways to go about it, same result. When it comes time to find a SURF for yourself, do what works for you.  

Moral of the story? In order to SURF, you don’t have to have research experience,  you don’t have to understand the first thing about p-chem, and you certainly don’t have to be a smooth talker. Caltech labs are eager to take on undergrads, because they realize how important it is to get comfortable working in a lab and to start getting experience in your field as soon as possible. Of course, the process doesn’t end here. Once you decide on a project, you have to write up a proposal and send it for approval. Not all SURFs get approved, but it seems to me that so long as you are clear about what you want to do, rejection is not much of a concern. Proposals are due, I believe, the 23^rd of February. Pssht…that’s three weeks away. I’ll worry about that after I finish the Chem 1b set that’s due tomorrow.

Ok, enough about me, what about you? You know, my house is already preparing for Prefrosh Weekend. Last house meeting, a committee was set up to handle everything prefrosh-related for Ricketts House. Alas, I am not a member of that committee and therefore cannot tell you what they’re planning. What I can tell you, however, is that they are already soliciting students to host prefrosh in their rooms that weekend. I signed up to be a host this week, and am keen to find out how they match prefrosh with their hosts. Maybe one of you will be staying with me this April!

Alright, one more topic and then this blog is done. This weekend, I’m going to get a chance to see a little bit more of California, because the fencing team is traveling to San Diego for a tournament. “Hey Jordan, how did you get into fencing? Were you a fencer in high school?” Good question, with a ridiculous answer. Not only have I never fenced before, I’ve actually never played any sport before. When they say that at Caltech anyone can be an NCAA athlete, they mean it. At first, I thought it sounded silly- I am NOT the athletic type. But an empty space on the team and a friend’s request later, I became *gasp* a student-athlete. And, you know what? It’s been really fun. First off, it’s a no-excuses way of getting in some exercise. Secondly, I got to learn something new. Thirdly, it’s always fun to be a part of a team.  And now we’re traveling, not just around California, but also to Notre Dame next week. When I told my mom all of this, she had a pretty great observation. “Wait a minute,” she said, “you’re telling me that with no sports experience whatsoever, they let you join the team, outfitted you in a new uniform, gave you gear, taught you how to fence, and now they're flying you around the country? Where do I sign up?” She’s right, it is a pretty sweet deal.

Alright, now we’ve reached the actual end of The Frosh Experience, not that crummy fake end we had last week. And like the blooper reel at the end of an awful comedy show, I leave you with a series of pictures of frosh having fun (read: banging their heads against the wall) down in the Student Workshop doing Ph8 labs.

Too Presidential to Eat?

Another week down! Can you believe we’re already starting the 4^th week of the term? Up until now, it’s been all about starting fresh and getting acclimated to our new classes, but sometime this week, the new wore off and we all got settled into our schedules. Speaking of schedules, the other frosh on my alley and I have developed this standing appointment that I think I’ll name “Friday Mad Dash”. The frosh schedule this term has worked out so that many of us have all of Friday afternoon off after 1. Consider also that the chemistry set is due every Friday at 4, and this becomes a recipe for some serious procrastination. Now, under normal circumstances, 3 hours is not really sufficient time to complete a set, even with collaboration. But behold the power of rushed, stressed Techers working in large groups at top speed. Somehow we’ve managed to knock that thing out by 4 every week so far. And if that’s not intense enough for you, this week, due to the holiday, our physics set was also due Friday at 4. This meant that Friday Mad Dash was one big mix-up of frosh done with chem but not phys, frosh done with phys but not chem, and a handful of frosh half-done with both.  This resulted in an alley full of chairs, papers, people, and shouts of NMR interpretations alongside Lorentz transformations. With all the confusion, I won’t be surprised if I tried to determine the momentum 4-vector of methyl ethyl ether at some point on one of my sets. Oh well, point is, I got ‘em turned in! (Note: This frosh blogger realizes she is setting a horrible example of procrastination for others.)

Other cool events of the week? Most obvious is the presidential inauguration. Problem is, us folks out here in California kind of got the short end of the stick that day. While those on the east coast spent their late morning/lunch beak watching the ceremonies, our party kicked off at 7:30AM. Chandler dining hall set up a loaded breakfast buffet and invited the whole Caltech community to come and watch together, so I got to chomp down on fried potatoes, eggs, and yogurt while watching. Not too bad! There were cameras all around, catching the action as the room clapped and cheered throughout the inauguration. To top it all off, as I was walking out, I caught sight of these Obama cookies! I didn’t manage to snag one, but I ask myself if I would really have been comfortable eating the head of the President. Hmmm…depends on how good the frosting is, I guess.

So, it may seem impressive that I got to hold President Obama’s [cookie] head in my hand, but I had an even closer brush with stardom today. Let me first say that I am such a giant Red Hot Chili Peppers fan that, when I was getting ready to fly over here for PFW, my friends gave me a card that said, “You’re going to California! Now you’ll get a chance to see what the Chili Peppers have been singing about this whole time!” Well, imagine how delighted I was when I discovered that RHCP’s Flea would be coming to Caltech to play his jazz trumpet.  So delighted that I went to wait outside Beckman Auditorium at 6:20 for an 8:00 show, in hopes of a good seat. I got it too! Front and center, baby! I was freaking just a little as Flea walked out, and of course, he was excellent, but what I wasn’t expecting was how stellar the Caltech Jazz Band is! Now, as a New Orleanian, I love jazz, and listening to the Caltech Jazz band sent me right back home to the city. And it was all a free show! You can’t beat that. Well, yes you can. You can beat it if you rush the stage afterwards and snap a picture with Flea himself. Which I did. Unfortunately, it came out terribly blurry, so instead enjoy these (clearer) ones my friend took during the show.

 

Now, it’s my understanding that this is likely my last blog before a new blogger takes over The Frosh Experience, so let me say goodbye. Blogging has been such an excellent experience: Taking time  to stop and reflect on my Frosh Experience has made me realize how unique my freshman year has been, how many cool opportunities I’ve had, and all the things I don’t want to miss out on for the rest of my frosh year.

Take care, and as always, you can email me at jtheriot [at] caltech.edu.

Another Episode

Somehow, someway I’ve just managed to sit at my computer for three hours doing absolutely nothing. I know that around 2, I had every intention of blogging, napping, and then, I dunno, maybe hitting the gym or something. But all of a sudden, it’s 6:30 and I haven’t done any of those things.

Story of my life, man. But not for long, I hope. See maybe, just maybe, me writing this blog will set off a whole chain of productivity! I’ll blog, I’ll work out, and from there it will only pick up speed. Suddenly I’ll be collecting the week-old dirty laundry from my floor, reading for physics, and maybe even considering starting a set sooner than the day before it’s due. Before you know it, I’ll have written a novel, paid my taxes, and graduated from Caltech.

Oh wait…it’s Saturday and I’m a lazy frosh. Let’s just keep it at blogging, shall we?

Week two of the term down! I’m getting pumped for second term thanks to a house meeting we had this week. There’s so much coming up! Elections, building our Interhovse, the party itself, a ski trip, and even a Ricketts Girls’ Night, not to mention other houses’ events. I hear second term is exhaustively fun, and I’m ready for it.

So what else has been up this week?  A lot, actually. If you are among our EA admits, then chances are you know that this week was our EA phone campaign. It’s been three days so far, and there will be another night of calling next week.  Beckoned by the call of a dinner from Baja Fresh, I headed over to Steele House Wednesday night, and joined up with Laura Conwill (also a frosh), Tony Jia (’10, I think), and Faith Shuker-Haines, whom you know.
 

I got a chance to talk to about 30 EA admits, I think, and had such a blast. Earlier that day, I had a miserable time wrestling with a physics set, and getting a chance to sit down and tell prefrosh some of my favorite Caltech stories was a real pick-me-up. 

After leaving the phone campaign, I settled down to work on my Phys 8 lab. Phys 8 is so far outside my comfort zone, it’s not even funny. I remember other Techers stopping to laugh at me as I struggled to put together this bookcase I bought at Target first term. I am NOT an engineer, folks. But Phys 8 has me spending hours of quality time each week with a soldering iron, resistors, and LEDs. I know I didn’t have to take Phys 8; there are plenty of other frosh labs available. Still, there’s just a certain appeal to doing something you never thought you’d be able to do. Just don’t ask me to fix anything, ok?

The week ended in the best fashion possible— with a party! But even better, it was a themed party. Page Hovse hosted a Rubik’s Cube party.  The idea is that you come dressed in as many different colors as possible, and then trade articles of clothing with other people until you’re dressed in only one. Check out this pic of us before the party. I’m not gonna lie, I felt pretty weird walking around like that.  It was an extraordinarily good time, though, and I fell asleep completely exhausted.

 

Alright, it’s after 7 now, and this blog entry is officially finished. What happens now?  Laundry? Math set? Will productivity truly skyrocket?! Find out on the next episode of...The Frosh Experience!

Toxic When Ingested

This weekend started in the most auspicious way possible— with free food. I got an email Friday morning from our ASCIT president about an alumni reception that night. Seems that they like to have a few members of the current student body on hand  to talk about what’s going on at Tech. Well, I’m current, I’m a student, I have a body, and as a frosh blogger, I’m all about what’s going on at Tech. Plus, you know….food. I was in.

At first, I didn’t know what to do or say. Here I am, in a room of adults I don’t know, with really no clue what they want to hear about. I’m usually pretty fearless when it comes to meeting people, but I just didn’t know what we had in common beyond, “Hey, you went to Caltech? Yeah, me too.”

But that’s just it. After a few minutes of talking to alumni, it hit me. That WAS what we had in common. Not just that we went to Caltech, that is. But that we’re Techers. That’s why, sitting down to dinner with Jon (’90) and Michael (’62), I found us all using the same Caltech slang, talking about parties and traditions that span all of our tours at Tech, and (somewhat frighteningly) profs with which we were all familiar. After mentioning that I should have brought along a camera to take a picture for my blog, Jon pulled out a camera phone and snapped this shot of the three of us. Yeah, that’s right…we’re Techers. I looked around the room and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being part of something much bigger than myself. I may just be a frosh, but hey, I’m one of them!

Saturday was pretty standard. Saturday’s my errand day. You know…go to the bank, stock up on delicious frozen foods, haircuts or fresh clothes when necessary…that sort of thing. Even if I don’t really need to do anything, it’s still nice to get out, so around 3 (which is still kind of morning), Megan and I hit up Subway, Target, and Trader Joe’s. I’m going to have to stop for a second and ask you all a favor. See, at Target this week, I decided to replace my usual, boring, gross One-A-Day multivitamins with much more delicious Flintstones Sour Gummies vitamins. Problem is, well…they’re too delicious. Now, we all know vitamins and minerals can be pretty toxic in high levels, but I just can’t help myself, so if I’m found passed out in my dorm room, please let Caltech know that I ate too many Flintstones gummies. In the mean time, I’ll work on my self-control.  So, yeah…that was Saturday. Oh, and I’m sure there was some homework somewhere in there too…maybe.

Speaking of homework, let me tell you why my physics TA is the man. (For those wondering, I have Ketan.) See, at first, I was a little ticked at him for giving out questions for us to do between sections, and then really ticked that we’d be called on in section to give solutions. Hey man, I already have a physics prof giving me homework; I don’t need another one. But I tell you what, having a few short no-collab problems to do during the week really helps pinpoint parts of the lectures that I’m not understanding while we’re still learning them, and before they show up as poor homework or quiz grades. Plus, hey, he’s funny and explains things really well. So, I salute you, Mr. Really-Good-Physics-TA-Guy, this week’s Real TA of Genius.

Ok, enough of that. Though I do have one other academic topic to discuss. I had been wary of “wasting” units to take French this term. Should I be taking something required instead? Am I going to fall behind because I didn’t take a lab or frosh hum this term? Well, after a week, I’ve decided that I don’t care either way, because French is fun. Simple as that. Taking a class just for pleasure really doesn’t seem like work and gives me something to look forward to on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  Even if it means having a few more units than I’d like, or putting off a class until the next term, I’m going to try and make room for a “fun” class every term. It’s just better that way.

It’s late. I’m tired. There’s a phys set to be done. I suppose that’s good enough reason to stop here. Goodnight!

View from the Driver's Seat

I know I can’t possibly be the first person in blogging to do this, but I feel like this picture of my workspace is the best representation I have for what I’ve been up to, and hey, isn’t that what blogging is all about? It’s the first week of classes, and there’s no better description of the current frosh experience than this

 

Shall we analyze?

1. A very pretty, color coded schedule that I have spent more time making than following.
2. Post-It notes. Two with lists of people I need to write to, one with codes to different rooms in the SAC, and one with phone numbers. Hey, is that a stack of fresh Post-Its on the right of the desk there?
3. Told you I love whiteboards. This is my to-do list, which is looking nice and short for the time being. Due dates in red, of course.
4. So, I kind of thought about starting this chem set. And then didn’t.
5. Drop/Add card. Once my adviser signs, I’ll have added a physics lab for the next two terms.
6. Mmmmm….Fuze. Pretty much my favorite thing at the campus c-store.
7. Last term’s math book now being used as a cooling deck for my deteriorating Alienware laptop.
8. Very important mail that I am sure I will get to…eventually.
9. Tunes!
10. Moral support during sets, also known as Megan.

You know, holiday was fun, but I have to admit, I missed this just a little bit. Diving into work, cranking out sets, generally feeling like a beast.  I love that feeling.

So, I guess you’ve seen the overall effect of the first week on my desk, but there’s more to be said. I got my hands on most of my textbooks, but am still kind of reeling from the cost. I very much recommend that you try to buy your books used from upperclassmen. They’re already there on campus, and you’ll get them very cheap.  My classes are better than I expected. I had a lot of trouble with Ma1a last term, but I think if I stay on top of things, Ma1b will be much better. Chemistry has switched themes from chemical bonding to thermo and organic, so that’s fun. What’s really on my mind, however, is physics. The first four weeks of Ph1b Analytic are on special relativity. Now, I’m going to confess to you all that before I came to Caltech, I wasn’t even sure what special relativity was. Just that it had something to do with time being weird somehow. So, naturally I was a little intimidated when my syllabus asked me to purchase a book called Spacetime Physics. That just sounds completely out of my league! But, you know, I went to lecture today, and suddenly all those terms from sci-fi movies like “spacetime” and “time dilation” mean something to me, and more importantly, make mathematical sense to me! By the end of the hour, I felt, well…smarter. It's got me excited to find out what's next.

Alright, that’s enough for now. I want to actually start that chem set.

Getting Ready

I arrived in Pasadena on Saturday at 10:30 AM. If you had asked my mother, she would have told you I wasn’t going to make it. See, she doesn’t believe it’s possible to pack three weeks’ worth of junk into 2 suitcases without taking all day. So by 8 PM Friday, she was getting a little frustrated with me. My car was still full of junk, my laundry wasn’t done, and my suitcases were empty. Fed up, she looked at me and said, “Okay, Jordan, there’s a car leaving this house at 5:15 AM tomorrow headed for New Orleans International. Either you’re in it, or you’re not.” With that, she left me alone. Naturally, I was up until 2 AM packing, wondering if the flight was too long to try and bring along frozen leftovers…

It was. Most flights are too long for me, now that I am starting to realize that the nausea is not just a coincidence, that maybe I simply get airsick. I made friends with the woman on my left to pass the time. She asks why I’m going to Los Angeles, and when she hears I go to college in California, of course she asks what I study. Big mistake, lady. Somewhere between my babbling about solar arrays and semiconducting polymers, I notice the all-too-familiar glazed over look in her eye. Whoops, I went too far. Put it in reverse, Jordan. “I’m thinking chemical physics.” She nods. “Sounds interesting…” This is a shout out to you, woman with the excellent perfume and cool shoes from my flight. Interesting? You don’t know the half of it.

Checking out my schedule for next term, I’m realizing that I don’t know the half of it either. You might say that first day of school jitters are setting in, but I think my nerves are more due to the fact that classes start tomorrow and I just remembered that I probably ought to buy textbooks. I forgot about textbooks first term too. I ended up running around all the first week, scoring wonderfully cheap books from upperclassmen, which I figure is the best way to do it this term too. Still, some books are just tough to find, and you end up having to go to the bookstore for them. And of course, some books you don’t really need at all. I’ll figure it out as the week goes on…

I remember waiting for the first day of school as a little kid. I was such a nerd, I’d get so excited the night before that mom would have to give me half a sleeping pill just so I could get to bed. I’d spend the whole day before piling my new school supplies on top of my bed, admiring them, putting my name on my notebooks, neatly arranging them into my bookbag. Then I’d lay out my uniform— skirt, shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes— on my desk, anxious about which color hair ribbon to wear to make the best impression. Things have changed just a little bit since then. The nerd in me will still come out when I smooth my hands over my new textbooks (Am I really going to learn all THIS?). And I’m still up late, but now I’m blogging and wishing I had just a few more days’ break. Looking over at my bed, I realize I certainly don’t need a sleeping pill anymore. It’s been a long day of hugs and running around to meet friends as they arrive back to Caltech, and I’m ready to go to sleep.

Good thing I didn’t schedule any classes before 10 this term. ;)

This Term

Hi again, everybody. Welcome to the last Frosh Experience of 2008. Christmas was excellent— it’s the one time of the year that I get to see all of my extended family. And now New Year’s is tonight! It’s my favorite holiday. As a kid, I just liked that I got to stay up late. Now, New Year’s is a stopping point for me. A time when I get to take a break, reflect on my accomplishments in the past year, and more importantly, reflect on what’s in store for me this year. Last year, I was thinking about graduation, research presentations, and getting into college. This year….hmmmmm…I’m looking forward to my next term at Caltech and thinking about what I want to do differently. This term…

This term, I signed up for fewer units than last term, hoping to develop the study skills that I didn’t really need in high school.

This term, I want to get off campus a little more often, venture into Los Angeles a little more.

This term, I want to think about getting a SURF (that’s a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) for the summer.

This term, I’m going to attend a few seminars and lectures on topics completely beyond my comprehension, just because I’m at Caltech and I can.

Of course, there are the classes themselves to think about! Which is what I want to talk about today. But first, I got a response to my last post asking me to elaborate a little on Prefrosh Weekend. So, Prefrosh Weekend is our admitted students’ weekend, and though it’s definitely worth attending, not everyone can, so I suppose I could give some examples of PFW activities.  So, you will stay in one of the houses, and have dinner at that house as well as one other house during the weekend. I remember mentioning that each of the houses puts on activities. Some examples would be Ricketts Open Mic Night, Ruddock Greens (in which Ruddock House is turned into a miniature golf course), DDR in Avery, Blacker Deconstruction (where Blacker asked the age-old question: Who can take apart a piano faster- prefrosh with sledgehammers or Techers with their bare hands). Deconstruction is also where I took this picture of Techers making ice cream with liquid nitrogen and a drill.

Our final day, prefrosh were encouraged to spend the day exploring Pasadena, so I grabbed up two of my new friends and took in my first tastes of California and Pasadena. We ate Korean food (something I’d never have seen back home!), I saw my first Jamba Juice (very California, IMHO), nearly crashed a wedding taking place near Pasadena town hall, and snapped a picture in front of the coolest street ever.  After consulting the map, we found that there is also a Newton Ave. and a Eureka Ave. in Pasadena, but after all that, we were ready to head back to campus. I mentioned a lot about visiting classes, and there were information sessions too. I remember a session on financial aid, but little else. Months later, what I can't forget is watching the fireworks over Tech, eating strawberry donuts, and not being able to take my eyes off the mountains. I hope that helps, but if there’s something more you wanted to know, just say so, and I’ll yak some more.

Ok, now that that’s done, I’ve been thinking a lot about classes second term. So, I’ve seen a lot of discussion on the core in the Facebook group, but that’s pretty much decided for you already. Having core, however, does not mean that there’s no flexibility in the freshman schedule. The way I see it, there’s two types of flexibility: there are classes you need to take, but you get some choice (like your hums), and then there are the extra units left in your schedule that are completely up to you. For your first term, the registrar sends you a sort of scheduling sheet that outlines your options, but for terms after that, you register for classes online.

So what have I chosen? I took Hum3B (Early Modern European History) last term as my hum and really loved it. Frosh hums are limited to about 20 people, and it was my first experience with a discussion-based history class. There was an awful lot of reading, but the prof was so enthusiastic, I didn’t mind. I’m not taking a hum this term, but looking ahead to third term, I’ve heard good things about Hum8 (Right and Wrong), a philosophy class. Additionally, you have to take 2 frosh labs, and I took Ch3a (Freshman Chemistry Lab) last term. I enjoyed it, but the chemistry faculty is looking to completely makeover the class, and so they have introduced Ch3x this term. It’s an experimental class, in which the students will help develop a completely new freshman chemistry lab course. It was open only by lottery, and I’m excited to hear how it turns out.

Then the were the classes I had complete latitude on. I didn’t take a language last term, but this term I’m signed up for French class. I’ve really missed French since high school, so I have high hopes for this one. I’d like to make room for a language class every term, if that’s possible. I’m also continuing to take Ch10, Frontiers in Chemistry, better known as the chemistry pizza class. It’s a class that meets once a week to listen to research presentations by Caltech chemistry faculty, and well...eat pizza! There’s a similar class for biology, physics, and engineering as well, and I’d recommend that every frosh take one. Your freshman classes are informative and everything, but its nice to take time each week to hear about all the amazing research going on around you at Caltech. 

Talking about all the classes I’m taking next term has got me surprisingly pumped for my return to Tech, which is good because my plane leaves this Saturday. I’ll be posting again before that, but once get back, it’ll mean new classes, new pics, and new frosh experiences.

Happy 2008! Happy 2009! Happy Winter Term!

 

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

           

Some More to Say

Hey homeslices. I know it’s been a couple of days, but there’s been so much to do at home! I even got to go see the Hornets game versus the Lakers yesterday. As I walked in, I couldn’t help joking that I was having an identity crisis and couldn’t figure out which team to cheer for. As the only representative of California in my group, I bet on the Lakers to win, but of course cheered for the Hornets the whole way. I had a blast, and my adventures around New Orleans this holiday are making me think that I’d like to spend more time second term exploring Los Angeles.

Which brings me back to where I left off before— to Prefrosh Weekend. I’m not really interested in going into every single thing I did at my PFW. I’m sure each one is different and I, of course, want you to experience it for yourselves. There were the things you would expect: information sessions, food, and going to classes. And there were also some things I wasn’t expecting, like getting to know the houses through their activities and spending an afternoon hanging around Pasadena.

What’s more important is what I got out of Prefrosh Weekend. First off, I finally got to meet Techers. Hundreds of crazy, wonderful, creative, loud, and brilliant Techers. As you might have already guessed from attitudes around the Facebook 2013 group, everyone was extraordinarily welcoming. What struck me, however, is that when they say Caltech is distinctive, they’re not kidding. So often, when a college advertises itself, all you really get to see is some watered-down, homogenized sampling of student culture. Not so at Caltech. Prefrosh Weekend activities were very much in the hands of the students, and Caltech’s personality shined through all throughout the weekend. What exactly is that personality? Now that’s for you to decide.

 Another point on the topic of not watering down things: visiting classes.  Sure, they gave you a list of core classes to visit so you could see what your frosh year might be like, and that’s nice and all, but is Ma1 really the reason you chose Caltech? Noooo. You want to come to Caltech to get blown away by lectures you can only hope to understand someday. That’s why I was pretty happy they also offered a listing of more advanced classes to attend. Just like I had been hoping,  I got my mind BLOWN by Ch21, as you can see from this pic I took once the prof filled all nine blackboards. I’ll make it click-to-expand so that you can see the chemistry (as well as the little smoldering pieces of my brain flying around everywhere) a little better. 

There’s another thing I want to talk about with you guys. I hadn’t really thought much about paying for college throughout the application process, but when I got my first financial aid offer, it was a real slap in the face. Let's just say it wasn't much. It had never, ever occurred to me that I might get accepted to my dream school and not be able to go because of money. I had done my part, right?! I got in…shouldn’t I be able to go? That’s what I thought, and you should know that Caltech thinks that too. If you’ve been admitted, Caltech wants you there, so take my advice and remember that your first offer is just that— a first offer— which means it can, and should, be negotiated. I’m not saying that you’ll get to pay whatever you want to for Caltech. What I am saying is that money should not be the reason you do not attend Caltech. Don’t let it be. It took me 4 different offers, phone calls, faxes, and a face-to-face meeting at Prefrosh Weekend, but eventually, we found a way. If you do your part, Caltech will help you find a way too

Talk to you later.

So What's Next?

    So maybe you applied early and maybe you didn't. Maybe you were admitted already, and maybe you weren't. Regardless, if you're interested in Caltech, your potential future classmates, or visiting for Prefrosh Weekend and have a Facebook, I'd recommend joining the Caltech Class of 2013 group. I actually got my Facebook account last year in order to join the Class of 2012 group. At first, it was a nice chance to meet other Tech hopefuls. Later, lots of current Techers were on hand to answer questions as we got ready for Prefrosh Weekend and as we made our final decisions. And afterwards, during the summer, we kept tabs on everyone's preparations as the excitement built up.

    Of course, if you don't have a Facebook or just don't want to join, you're not at any real loss here. Like Facebook itself, it's just another nice tool for connecting with others.

    Talking about getting ready for Prefrosh Weekend makes me think it might be a nice time for me to share my PFW experiences with you. It is, after all, the next thing to think about once you've been admitted. Since there's a lot to talk about, and a lot of time to write this holiday (I can only be a TV junkie so many hours of the day), I think I'll split it into a couple of parts. First, I just want to talk about what it was like getting there, and once you hear the story, I think you'll understand why that merits its own entry.

    Like most people, I think, I made the trip to PFW by myself. Unlike most people, however, it was my first time flying. Now, I may be from New Orleans, but I went to school in practically rural northern Louisiana and flew out of the tiny Alexandria,LA airport. I was already nervous enough, printing out three copies of my tickets and insisting that we leave with 3 hours to spare- for a 7 AM flight. I didn't walk through a gate to get to the plane, oh no. I walked out to the runway and took a flight of stairs to board a 20-seat place- with propellers. I settled into my seat, looking out onto the still-dark runway. One propeller started up...the one on my side did not. It sputtered, sputtered...nothing. A few rumbling noises...ok there we go, it's turning now. And then, on the loudspeaker, something a first-time flyer does NOT want to hear: "Uhmmm....the pilot is a little unsure about taking off in all this fog, but uhhhhh....we're gonna go for it anyway." I gripped into my armrests and started looking around for someone, anyone, to tell me this was all completely normal. An older couple must have noticed how white my face was, as the wife asked me, "Well where are you headed to, honey?" Through quivering lips, I said, "Los...Los Angeles." "And what are you doing there?" "G...Going to Caltech." And then it happened...a voice from the back, some tough-looking guy, shouted, "Caltech? You're going to Caltech? Hey guys, HEY! We got a genius on this plane!" I kid you not, it really happened. I felt awesome, I felt great, I felt brilliant, I felt...ready for take-off! We lifted up through the rain and fog, and suddenly..sunshine above the clouds. One plane change, one shuttle, and 5 hours later, I was at Caltech.

    My host met me out on the curb and helped me get my bags over to Lloyd House. She was unexpectedly sick and needed to find someone else for me to stay with, but I needed to get over to registration. I asked her what I ought to do with my stuff in the meantime. "Just leave it here in the hall," she said. "Just right here, out in the hall?" She looked at me, grinned a little, and replied, "Honor Code."

    Well, that's probably enough for now. Next time, I'll let you know about the actual weekend, and more importantly, what it meant to my - and my parents' - decision about Caltech.

Happy hollandaise!

Let the Holidays Begin!

Greetings from an unusually chilly New Orleans.

Let’s get one thing straight. I love whiteboards. Love scribbling all over them. And if you’re like me, and think whiteboards are where it’s at, let me tell you: One of the first things that hit me when I explored the houses during rotation was all the whiteboards. There’s one attached to the front of every door as well as a few scattered throughout the hallways. What’s even better than the whiteboards is the stuff on them. Walk through a Caltech hallway and check out each student’s whiteboard. You’ll find half-finished math proofs, the best way around the tricky step of that week’s phys set, advertisements, rants…anything really. But on my whiteboard this week was nothing but one gigantic finals week to do list. Some items include:

Not-so-fun stuff: math final, physics final, chemistry final (parts one and two), history final, history paper.

Much much more fun stuff: snake kits (awesome free food in the north kitchens during finals week), frosh wrasslin’ (in which the lounge is padded with mattresses and Ricketts frosh are pitted against each other for stress relief/entertainment), and an end-of-finals dinner out with a couple of other frosh girls.

And now every item has been crossed off, including “pack” and “go home!” No matter how many times I’ve celebrated it, I still find it amazing that a term has already passed by. Regardless, I climbed into my shuttle at 7:45 this morning, and after a few nervous hours (I’m still not used to flying), I touched down at New Orleans International, saw my mom and dad, and yes, got that po’boy.

I’ve been thinking about what to write about over the next three weeks while I’m at home, and I still haven’t decided, but something did occur to me. The best blogs are chock-full of photos, right? Well…I’m not going to be at Tech, so…no new photos of Tech. Fortunately, there’s the ever-wonderful Facebook. So I clicked around my Facebook for cool pics, and decided to share two with you:

First, my biggest brush with a celebrity since moving to California. Sure, Keanu Reeves came to Caltech last week to screen part of The Day the Earth Stood Still and sit on a panel with a few Caltech scientists to answer questions about the movie. But that’s nothing. Right before the event was over, Mike, a Ricketts sophomore leaned over and said, “Is that…is that Bill Nye?” Yes, it was. The Science Guy himself. By the time he got outside Beckman Auditorium, he was surrounded by Techers, and I managed to get a few pics with him.

Secondly, some pictures from our dress dinner. Each house (as far as I know) has a dress dinner once per term. It’s a fun excuse to act fancy together, and Dining whips up a special meal for the occasion.

 

So those were some fun things I wanted to share with you. If you have any ideas of some topics you might want me to cover in my next few blog entries, I’d love to know. Until then, I’ll be enjoying my holiday, and you guys enjoy yours too!