Learning Everyday

Class followed the usual schedule today. We started with a guest speaker who gave a lecture on obesity. I thought the lecture was very interesting because it allowed me to think of obesity in a different way. The speaker asked us whether or not obesity is considered a disease.  The class came to the conclusion that it is because a disease is considered anything that prevents you from functioning normally. I also learned that our body weight can be regulated by our bodies. We went over a couple of experiments that proved this. For example, one of them showed how the hypothalamus plays a role in controlling our body weight.

My class also completed stress surveys and discussed ways to prevent stress. All the discussions on stress and obesity made me feel very unhealthy. I also realized that there is a long list of reasons of why obesity has become so prevalent recently; one of the reasons is that most people lead a sedentary lifestyle. This allowed me to realize that I need to exercise more.

The next set of guest speakers focused on diabetes. They lectured on the different types of diabetes and the treatments that are available.  One of the speakers had Type 1 Diabetes; he was diagnosed at the age of sixteen. He discussed some of the difficulties he had in the beginning. For example, whenever he would go to a restaurant, he would have to calculate the amount of carbohydrates. This was not always easy because not all restaurants have a nutrition label for their food. He also has to take insulin shots before his meals; and his insulin intake has to correspond to the number of carbohydrates he will intake.

After lunch my instructor- Margot- gave us an introduction to cancer. Fortunately, I already had some background knowledge of cancer due to my AP Biology class. However, I did not know exactly how prevalent cancer was. Every one in three women and one in two men acquire cancer.

After the cancer introduction, we visited a panel of different health care professionals. In groups of three, we had the opportunity to go around and talk to a different health care provider for ten minutes. I was able to meet a pharmacist, physical therapist, nurse practitioner, RN, respiratory therapist, speech therapist, nurse, and dietary practitioner. I was aware of most of the professions, but I did not know the details of the jobs.  For example, I was able to learn how nurse practitioners play a very similar role to physicians, but they take a holistic approach. Our instructors ended the class by answering questions we had about the medical field. They helped clarify the difference between a neurologist and neurosurgeon. I also discovered that in order to become a pediatric neurologist, I will need five years of residency.

Arete class was not that bad today. I was able to juggle three balls, but I still cannot do a complete cycle.

Tomorrow is the last day of juggling, so I am hoping that I will be able to successfully juggle. 

From 7-9 PM, we had Admissions Night. Vanderbilt Admissions Officers came and completed a group activity with us. We were divided into nine groups, and we each received four college applications. In our small groups, we had to review each application and decide which student would be admitted, wait-listed, or denied. It was a tough decision to make because all the applicants were well-qualified and well-founded; however, one of the students stood out more in her personal statement. I learned that the transcript and  test scores lay the foundation while the personal essay gives a deeper insight on the applicant's characteristics. 

 I also discovered that colleges really want to see students who are very dedicated and passionate about the activities they participate in; the number of activities you are involved in matters less than how dedicated you are to the activities.

These are the applications we had to review.