Doctor ______?

Technology seems to be the theme of the day. Or of the semester maybe?? Not because my phone is the last thing I see before I sleep or because I use the WWW every day, but because my iPad is my left hand. 

CalenGoo

This Google Calendar app is the motherboard to my MCAT, caduceus, work, pi phi, scholarship, family/social, and period (TMI?) commitments. It is nearly flawless and is probably my favorite app on my iPad. I’ve never been stretched in so many directions and this awesome calendar has allowed me to beautifully organize my life. Needless to say, it’s the first thing I look at every morning.

ihomework

Next on the agenda (still in pajamas, retainer in mouth), ihomework. This is the second motherboard to my life. I can see which classes I have (but may not go to) and which assignments need to be done. This semester, I’m going planner-less. Or in Purdue lingo, “Mortar Board”less. The first two weeks of class my planner sat in my bag like a comfort item. Like the pieces of blanket a toddler carries around. I’ve updated/color coded/class categorized/selected repeat functioned all my assignments and exams for the semester. 

I have two hypotheses about why my academic life has to be separated from everything else: 1. no all inclusive, perfect app exists. or 2. I would go mentally/emotionally/physically insane if I had to look at a single calendar with EV-ERY-THING on it. 

GoodReader/Safari/DocsToGo

Now, iPad for the purely academic side of the college student. This one’s tricky. GoodReader failed me in my first class: Advanced Exercise Physiology. For a little background knowledge, I need to get an A (93%) in this class. My grade is comprises of 45% midterm exam, 45% final, 10% attendance. I need an A in this class for GPA purposes but most importantly, to secure a research position for next semester. Anyway, while I was looking super nerdy in the front row with my iPad, the app closed on me several times and erased my notes. We are sticking with good ol’ pen and paper in this class. (Mind you, a $2.00 pen that is made of 89% recycled plastic water bottles)

GoodReader could potentially work for physics. Which is ironic because just about every piece of technology failed in class today: iclicker (I was fine with this), powerpoint, projector, experiment. 

Moral of the story: pen and paper aren’t going anywhere any time soon. 

The obvious: Email, Facebook, Twitter, Words with Friends, etc. etc.

Great time killers, which is why I forgot that I had to work today between my physics lecture and physics lab.

The Princeton Review

I can download a 200 page document for in “class” workbook problems. (Not to be confused with the 928 page workbook for out of “class” problems). I say “class” because my class takes place right here on this MacBook. The story behind this is kind of funny…..

The Princeton Review offered a 3 month, $2000 in-classroom MCAT review class at Purdue’s campus. Of course, I registered and my 18 lbs of books were delivered to me.

6 days prior to the start of class: In my 10 minute passing period, I check my voicemail from an unknown number: “Hi Mollie, This is _____ from TPR to let you know that your MCAT class is cancelled due to lack of enrollment, please call me back!” 

30 seconds later: uhhh…… [freakout]

1:00 hour later: Dear TPR, Not only did my class get cancelled due to lack of enrollment, but I contacted your Indiana office for an opportunity to advertise on this campus months ago. I did not receive a response. I am enrolled in Kaplan and do not have any intention on recommending your services to anyone in the club or any of my preprofessional peers. 

Signed, the President of the pre-med club at Purdue.

1:01 later: Hi, I’d just like to call to make things right and offer you a $1800 class for free.

Now, I can focus on the 1 minute and 20 seconds I have for every science-based MCAT question. And the ~9 hours of Physics practice problems I have to do. 

Honestly, no complaints here. The money spent (or not spent I guess) is well worth it. Saves me a lot of time and lets me sleep at night.

Anyways, I’m going to manage some scholarship recommendations before bed. 

I think it’s funny how much I can accomplish in a day via technology but yet I’m too lazy to pick up the phone to make an eye appointment to get my slowly decaying eyes examined. 

…off to bed to be woken up in a few hours by a human alarm clock. “good morning, Mollie. It’s 7:30 and this is your first wake”