Sunday, March 23, 2014

Sushi

I'm not usually super in to sushi but dinner at this place in montecito may have changed that. It's called sakana and they have great food. Their menu is huge and has pretty much any kind of sushi combination you could want. Per usual for sushi the place was a little on the expensive side, but as far as sushi goes, it was fairly priced. I also not typically a fan of sake as I generally prefer grape wine to rice wine but the warm sake they had at sakana was pretty good. There are some other sushi spots in town but I definitely suggest heading to sakana. It's right in montecito by blenders. Check it out. 

Thursday, March 20, 2014

End of midterms

Well the last midterm is in an spring break is around the corner. Spring break is a genius invention. I think it keeps everyone sane. This week I had an organic chem midterm and a cell bio midterm. Neither were easy. When administration says to study for two hours for every hour of lecture it's usually an overblown figure, especially when talking about gen ed classes. That figure for science classes is not exaggerated. I was underprepared for my exams and spent the better part of 5 days study for both exams. My suggestion is to dust off the lecture notebook weeks in advance of the exams. It seems like redundant information but it's critical for getting good grades. Either way, my week is almost over. 


Just have to finish lab....

Sunday, March 16, 2014

My spot

One of the best spots to live is either on the riviera or right beneath it. I live just at the bottom of the hill and have always had one particular spot that I like to go to look at Santa Barbara. It's off of alameda padre Serra and just a short five minute walk from my place. Looking out you can see the pier. The Mesa. Downtown. Even some of city college. My suggestion is find a few places that are high up that'll give you a solid view of the bowl that is Santa Barbara. It's a pretty spectacular sight. 


This is where I come on thanksgiving



Working hard

It's been a jam packed semester with the course load that I'm taking and working has added an extra element to that. I work about 20 hrs a week at a local emergency vet hospital. it's certainly an interesting environment working in en emergency setting. I've learned a significant amount about physiology, anatomy, and pharmacology. What I've been coming to understand is that experience is often more important than book smarts. What I mean is that I could learn biology till I'm blue in the face but if I don't know how to apply it then it's essentially useless. So my suggestion is to find a job that is the first rung on the ladder of your chosen career or even a career you might be interested in. It's basically what your twenties are for. If you work hard and apply yourself opportunities will arise to climb the ladder and move forward in your career. 

This is the surgical set I wrapped to be sterilized for future surgeries. 




Saturday, March 15, 2014

Faculty lecture

Today was definitely a good day. One of my favorite professors had received the faulty member of the year for his hard work and dedication to the sbcc community. Blake Barron, the professor for animal biology and human sexuality classes gave his faculty lecture of the year called sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Rhythms and sensations of life. While I had heard much of the material he lectured on because of taking his animal bio class, it was still refreshing to here Blake's enthusiasm. It's the main reason he is such an influential member of the community here. I highly suggest taking one of his classes. He will help to instill a solid work ethic while making learning not such a chore. One of the best parts he that he gives you every opportunity to get an A as long as you put the work in. Overall, having taken his class has made me a better student and a more enthusiastic learner. 


Biological systems in the mix. Whoop whoop

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Biology

While this technique is used in several different science classes, I enjoyed the specificity of the experiment in relation to biological structures. In cell bio lab our class used thin later chromatography to determine the polarity of several different amino acids. Amino acids are the molecules which are the building blocks for proteins. Using a TLC plate and a specific type of developing solution, groups in our classes determined the relative differential migration amounts for specific amino acids. In doing so we were able to determine which of the molecules were polar and which were non polar. While I don't recommend cell bio to non bio major students because of its time commitment and difficulty I do suggest at least checking out a bio class for a gen ed requirement or something along those lines. You might find you enjoy bio enough to make it your major. 

This is our completed TLC plate. Not much to look at but interpreting data is the challenge 

 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Post rain surf

After a weekend of rain Sunday was a great day for surfing. The waves at Hendrys were over 4 ft. All day. The water was definitely a little cold with the winter chill but with a solid suit the water was fine. The only thing that's not the greatest about surfing after a rain is the water runoff. When there is a significant amount rain the oil, trash, general funk gets swept out to sea. It makes for kind of a gnarly surf slush but when the waves are that good it's hard to say no. 

This is the view at Hendrys this past Sunday in the morning. Overcast but still good.