I'm graduating from college in May. On May 4, 2012, to be exact, but who's really keeping track? Then I'm leaving my job and running away to Europe for a month. Sounds amazing and you're extremely jealous of me, right???
Anyway...
First, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past 5 years of my college life and publicly acknowledge some family, friends, and coworkers who have continually supported me and helped me survive.
Mom and Dad: What troopers. From my giddy freshman excitement, to my mono year and kidney stone, to the impending senioritis, thank you for always being there to hear me rant, rave, complain, scream, cry, bitch, and cry some more at all hours of the day or night. Thank you for letting...no...encouraging me to be me. Thank you for listening to me nerd out like I do. Thank you for being interested in me, my school, my work, my coworkers, and my friends.
Stacie and Anita: I couldn't have asked for more amazing coworkers. I still feel so lucky and blessed that I had the opportunity to work with both of you. Not many people get the chance to do what we did. And at my young age, I am so thankful I was able to do it with you. Thank you for being great coworkers, mentors, and most of all, my friends. I love you both dearly!
Stacie, Me, and Anita: The UTemps Team
Katie: Thank you for putting up with my and Ryan's Canada jokes. Thank you for choosing me (you know what I'm talking about...haha). Thank you for helping to keep us in contact and organizing lunches and dinners. Thank you for always being there to talk to and for never judging me. You are one of the sweetest people I know and I absolutely love you!
Moi et Katie
Ryan: Thank you for making nerdiness so sexy. Thank you for your eye contact. Thank you for being an amazing study buddy. Thank you for all of the intellectual conversations about gender, sexuality, religion, and everything else both physics-y and non-physics-y. I miss you!
Jessica: You are absolutely the best lab partner anyone could ask for! Thank you for always being on the same crazy wavelength as me, even though it's not actually you're choice and in reality you're just as crazy as me. Thank you for taking Lisa's class with me - that was an amazing experience to share with you. Thank you for being so freaking funny. I love you!
Allie and Lindsey: Thank you for putting up with mono me. Thank you for the Denny's nights. Thank you for the laughing attacks. Thank you for Disneyland. Thank you for the cabin, which was exactly like Disneyland, only completely different. Thank you for being amazing friends! Oh, and Lindsey...EUROPE!
DISNEYLAND!!!
Diane: Thank you for taking a "risk" and hiring a physics major. Thank you for your infinite flexibility around my health and school. I would never have guessed I'd work in a theatre...but I have absolutely loved it!
Now that I got the sappy part out of the way, let's talk about what I've accomplished here and why I deserve this degree. (It's tough to tell if I'm doing this to help ward off senioritis and keep me motivated or if I'm just trying to impress all of you.) I'm a super nerd, so I've obviously kept track of every class I've taken over the past 5 years. And here they are with my (sometimes witty) comments!!!
Freshman Year `07 -`08
Allie, me, and Barbara "Poochigian-ing It Up"
Classical Civilizations 1550: Classical Mythology
Poochigian. Enough said.
Educational Psychology 2600: Strategies for College Success
Taking AP classes in high school made this class borderline useless...
Mathematics 2210: Calculus III
It's like calculus I and II, only in THREEEEEEEEE DEEEEEEEEE!
Writing 2010: Intermediate Writing
Katy Savage, how I love you. You and I clicked when it came to humor. Thank you for encouraging me to write!
Art 2060: Non-Major Digital Photography
I, mister science, got an A- in an art class. Hell yes! I'll take it. Digital Photography: Art for Scientists. I also must give this class credit for introducing me to Richard Avedon and his portrait of Marilyn Monroe. You may have heard I enjoy this photograph.
Mathematics 2270: Linear Algebra
Horrible class. Horrible teacher. Katie flirted for her grade. Admit it.
Physics 1980: Undergraduate Seminar II
They made me take it...
Physics 2215: Physics Lab I for Scientists and Engineers
Per...rwrwrwwrrw...iod. That means "period" in Asian.
Physics 3210: Physics for Scientists I
Ugh...I don't wanna talk about it.
Summer `08
Mathematics 2280: Introduction to Differential Equations
Gray is usually a bad choice...especially if you're overweight and it's the middle of summer in Utah...if you catch my drift.
Sophomore Year `08 -`09
Mathematics 3210: Foundations of Analysis I
Even though we only spent one day in the Naval Sciences building with no AC, I now know how Italian students feel when they're in class sweating like an Italian fountain and have an Italian man saying math at them.
Physics 1970: Undergraduate Seminar I
You guessed it, they made me take this too...
Physics 2225: Physics Lab II for Scientists and Engineers
Ming Dynasty. At least I think it was Ming...
Physics 3220: Physics for Scientists II
I don't wanna talk about this either.
Political Science 1100: United States National Government
My county is blue...
I felt that needed to be brought to attention.
The only reason this class was somewhat interesting is because I took it in Fall 2008: aka, election season.
Mathematics 3220: Foundations of Analysis II
Every review I had read about my professor, Dr. Taylor, (also the author of our "book") was horribly negative. I was terrified of him before I'd even met him. Turns out he was one of the most fair professors I had my entire college career.
Physics 3740: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Relativity
Quite possibly the biggest asshole of a professor I had my entire college career.
Physics 3760: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
I HATE thermodynamics. I also HATE statistical mechanics. At least the professor was nice even though he was sometimes difficult to understand.
Psychology 1010: General Psychology
This was quite the psych overview...thank goodness Kelly was in it with me.
Junior Year `09 -`10
ESS Fitness 1145: Elementary Bowling
It's amazing how flinging a ball down an oily lane thereby making pins fly and make loud noises is a spectacular stress reliever...even when you're not very good. Thanks for putting up with me, Alec.
Gender Studies 5770: Gender and Sexual Orientation
DYAC
Dr. Lisa Diamond changed my life. I could never thank you enough for all "ah-ha!" moments, self discovery, and self acceptance you inspired in me. YOU literally changed my life; I don't care how cliché I sound!
Mathematics 3150: Partial Differential Equations for Engineers
My professor was a godsend. At the time, I felt like I was dying from mono, so I made a deal with him that I would no longer be doing the homework, but prove to him I knew the material through exams. In short, I got the high on the final. Thank you, Prof. Allison.
Physics 1330: Physics of Audio and Video
Yes, 1330. I took this for the hell of it and I thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you.
Physics 3610: Electronics I
I now cringe when I see electronics schematics. I should mention, I ACED the final in this class.
See? Terrifying.
ESS Fitness 1145: Elementary Bowling
Yep, I took it twice. Wanna make somethin' of it?!
I eventually got my own ball!
Mathematics 3160: Applied Complex Variables
Oddly enough, I think this may have been my favorite math class. It was also my LAST math class... There may or may not be a correlation.
Two of my favorite mathematical cartoon characters
Physics 4910: Technical Communication and Scientific Judgement
This class was so good and so tough. I learned to get comfortable presenting to an audience, that group work is a bitch, and some people say "like" WAY too many times when they're publicly speaking.
Psychology 2800: Psychology of Love
Relationships are so damn complicated!!! Also, it's very strange to be taking this class when beginning a new, albeit poor and pretty damn hopeless, relationship.
Psychology 3000: Statistical Methods in Psychology
Part of me is still angry I had to take this class for a psychology MINOR composed of classes which didn't even require the class as a prerequisite. This would be the definition of a weed-out class. I recommend taking it online if you have some self motivation.
Senior Year I `10 -`11
Art History 3600: The History of Photography
I LOVED this class. I found even more photographs to love almost as much as Richard Avedon's Marilyn Monroe. I wrote about them a while back. I even posted a paper I wrote for this class - Today I Asked Why.
Nutrition 1020: Scientific Foundations of Nutrition and Health
This class left me thoroughly disappointed in our country.
Physics 3410: Modern Optics I & II
This class had one of the most time consuming labs ever...if you don't count the undergrad lab class.
Physics 5010: Theoretical Classical Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics
I withdrew from this class. My life changed this semester...fucking kidney stone.
Physics 3730: Introduction to Computing in Physics
I never want to be a computer programmer.
Physics 5110: Introduction to Particle Physics
This professor takes the prize for the most difficult to understand. Probably not an award of which one should be proud.
Senior Year II `11 -`12
Physics 5010: Theoretical Classical Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics
Yeah...this again. Good thing I saved most of the material from last time.
Physics 3719: Undergraduate Laboratory
Thank HEAVEN for Jessica. Oh, and thank you Whitney for explaining "the tone."
Sodium Doublet
H2D2
Physics 5020: Theoretical Electricity and Magnetism and Statistical Mechanics
This is bound to be pretty awful. (It was.)
Psychology 3440: Personality Theory
This is bound to be pretty amazing. (It was.)
So in the end, I deserve it, right? Right.
I'm almost an official physicist!!! Do you know what this means? YOU will know a physicist. Yep, you!
Thank you all!
Love,
Jason