Testing, testing, 1 2 3...

So, I took the GRE yesterday.  I was FREAKED OUT, since according to the test preparation book I used, I was doomed to miss 1/3 of the questions.  Also, I was working like a madman last week since I started at my new lab (I'll get to that later) so I had practically NO TIME to prepare.

Luckily, the test wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.  I kind of bombed the math section (well, I didn't finish it and I had to guess on a few questions) but I felt pretty good about the verbal.  I think that my main problem is that I just don't do mental math very quickly, probably because my ADD doesn't permit me to have a very structured thought pattern.  Also, I've used a calculator for pretty much everything besides simple addition since high school, so I was kind of doomed from the start.

Anyway, I got my verbal and quantitative scores right away.  I got a 670 on verbal and a 720 on quantitative (1390 cumulative).  Oddly enough, when I looked up percentile rankings, my verbal is actually MUCH higher than my math.  It corresponds to a 95th percentile ranking, while my quantitative was only equivalent to about 75.  To get above 90th percentile, apparently you have to get pretty much a perfect score on the quantitative.

Normally, these scores would be great.  One thing that I do worry about slightly is that I'm really trying to compensate for my GPA.  While these do go a short way to do that, I'm going to have to have stellar recommendations and very good applications.  I'm not going to be able to go to any top-tier schools most likely, but I think I was doomed to that when I decided not to show up to biochem.

This brings me to a bit of introspection.  I think that I have ridiculously high expectations of myself.  In my mind, if I studied for another month, I could easily get a perfect score on quantitative and possibly improve my verbal.  Because I don't fail very often unless I totally deserve it, it's really hard for me to handle scores that are merely "acceptable."  However, I think that I'm just going to have to get over myself and deal with it, since I need to be focusing on applications and I don't even know if my new scores would get to schools before application deadlines anyway.

And now the really important question.  Where do I apply?  Obviously, my best bet is a state school.  My sister Jennifer suggests Big 10 schools, and I think that I could handle that.  One of my obvious concerns is that the school needs to be in a pretty liberal, metropolitan area, since a)I'm used to Chicago and may go crazy in a small college town, and b) I need to go somewhere I feel comfortable as a gay man.  As several people have pointed out to me (not just Jennifer, who I think has slightly suspect motivations) Columbus has a sizable gay population and would be a good place, as far as the Midwest goes.  I'm actually giving Ohio State pretty serious thought, and it would be pretty cool to have a family member in the area.  (Especially one who is a professor.)  Another possibility would be picking a school based on where I want to live.  Obviously, it would be pretty cool to go to California.  My sister Elizabeth seems to think that I actually have a fighting chance of getting into CalTech.  I seriously doubt that, but it would be pretty cool if I could.  I mean, there's no harm in trying, right?

So now, my current course is to round up some recommendation letters (luckily, I now have two professors that have had me both in the classroom and in the lab) and take a serious look at programs and prospective labs to see what I'm really interested.  I most likely want to stick to some sort of genetics or cell biology, although there are some aspects of ecology and microbiology that really interest me.

Wish me luck, I guess.  Hopefully by this time next year, I'll be in a PhD program, working my ass off.

And Then You Kissed Me, Part II

Haha, this post title is a funny one.

Anyway, this lil' quiz was on Stin's blog, and I decided to post it, since I am tipsy and incredibly bored, and lord knows I don't do anything actually original in my life.

However, in true U of C spirit, I have to tear apart the concept of the test before I submit myself to it.  Obviously, the answers to each question turn out to be sufficiently vague that the subject of the test can interpret it any way he/she wants.  They can look at the title, lyrics, or the tone of the song and choose whatever meaning they want.  It's just like a psychic reading in that manner.

Also, how high school are half of these questions?  I'm just sayin' 

1.  If someone says "Is this okay?" you say:

Poe - Wild [So no, I am not okay.  I am angry, and I’m bitter, and I’m going to get my revenge.  THEN I’ll be okay.]

2.  How would you describe yourself:

Sufjan Stevens - A winner needs a wand [Oh dear, phallic references ALREADY?]

3.  What do you like in a girl/guy?

The Faint - Symptom Finger [It’s about unhealthy body images promoted by the media, so...yeah, that’s about right]

4.  How do you feel today?

Apparat - Cerro Largo [It’s an instrumental track with a serene melody but an insistent, anxious undercurrent, so that actually kind of works.]

What is your life's purpose?

Final Fantasy I - Battle Scene [What can I say, I’m a fighter, lol.  Either that, or my life’s purpose is to play video games.]

6.  What is your motto?

Of Montreal - Your Magic is Working [I guess I give up too much for my lovers.  Yeah, once again, it kind of works.]

7.  What do your friends think of you?

The Pipettes - It Hurts to See You Dance so Well [Unfortunately, i think I’m the person writing the song, desperate and alone. Sigh.]

8.  What do you think of your parents?

Bear Vs. Shark - Antwan [Um, the song is incomprehensible and the lyrics make no sense, so I think this one doesn’t quite work]

9.  What do you think about very often?

Avril Lavigne - I Can Do Better [Shallow, but yeah, I can see that.]

10.  What is 2+2?

  The Appleseed Cast - Strings [whatever]

11.  What do you think of your best friend?

  The Weepies - World Spins Madly On [Lol, this is how I feel about life and friendship in general]

12.  What do you think of the person you like?

  Jem - Missing You [Oh dear, apparently the person I like is dead, or at least gone from my life in some form or another.  Seeing as I don’t have a current crush or anything, I guess it’s applicable]

13.  What is your life story?

  Abba - Dancing Queen [YESSSSS!!!!!!!  That’s all I have to say.]

14.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  Broken Social Scene - Guilty Cubicles  [I have such lofty aspirations.]

15.  What do you think of when you see the person you like?  Enon - Starcastic [I don’t actually know the song, but knowing Enon, it probably works.]

16.  What will you dance to at your wedding?  Beck - Soul Suckin’ Jerk [HAHAHAHAHA]

17.  What will they play at your funeral?  Mogwai - Summer [Um, okay, whatever.]

18.  What is your hobby/interest?

  Cloud Cult - Please Remain Calm [Apparently, being a spazz.  Yep.]

19.  What is your biggest fear?

  Be Your Own Pet - Adventurer [Yeah, this test totally knows me.]

20.  What is your biggest secret?

  The Shins - Fighting in a Sack [Whatev]

21.  What do you think of your friends?

  Sia - Judge Me [Unfortunately, I think it’s true.  I’m kind of obsessive about how I present myself sometimes]

22.  What song would you play during your first time having sex?  Portishead - Undenied [Guess I’m not denied NOW, huh?  Also, portishead = awesome sex music, so I approve]

23.  What will you post this as?

  The Cardigans - And then you kissed me, part II

My favorite answer is most definitely #13.

Intolerance sucks

Several people I know have linked to or commented about this video, so I thought that I'd jump on the bandwagon and share it here:

Keith Olbermann may be crazy, but he's my kind of crazy.

Anyway, I'm clearly upset about the passage of Proposition 8, as well as the existence of many other state laws and constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.  Not to mention the idiotic restrictions on adoption, when we have countless children needlessly floating around the foster care system.  As far as I'm concerned, the people that argue that a child needs a mother and a father are saying that single parents should have their children taken away from them.

I know that every generation has been progressively more tolerant, but I think that it's ridiculous that we should have to wait to enjoy such a basic human right.  Especially when it doesn't affect straight people IN ANY SINGLE WAY.  Grr.  This Saturday, I'm going to be joining the nationwide coordinated protest, and while I realize that this won't directly accomplish anything at all, hopefully it'll send a message about the widespread outrage that so many people feel about this issue.

Update...?

Well, I clearly haven't been writing much in here lately.  For the past couple of weeks I've been way too busy, and now that I have time to breathe I realize that I have nothing to write about, as my mind has been far too preoccupied with Halloween costumes, orchestra concerts, and GRE preparations.

So, I guess it's time to start stressing out about the next round of challenges.  First off, I need to take the general GRE as soon as possible.   Like, I need to register pretty much tonight.  Then, I need to figure out what school I want to go to, what program, and get my rec letters together and apply before the deadlines, which will mostly probably be in December and January.  That's surprisingly little time.  But if I don't get all this done by then, I'm gonna be stuck here for another year.  And I won't have an apartment to live in.

...And I just registered for the GRE general test.  It's next Saturday, so I've got to get going on any sort of preparation that I'm gonna do.  I got the little Kaplan study guide, so maybe I'll try to do all the crap that they suggest.  I'll probably just end up using it for sample questions, though.

Okay, gotta go clean.  My room is a giant pile of dirty clothes and trash right now.