I am now in the midst of the spring semester of my second year. As always, time moves quickly while in school. As my first test of the semester sits less than twenty-four hours away, the studying continues. The test in is microbiology, and I actually am very interested thus far in this subject. Anytime you are interested in a subject, it becomes exponentially easier to be successful in studying. This first test covers general background about viruses, microbes, and bacteria. Studying has been a minute portion of my life for the last few weeks, as my apartment search continues.
The only problem with living in Boston is cost. Living on campus can be very deteriorating on your bank account, so many students flock toward off-campus living opportunities each spring. Along with the hunt for a new place to call home, I am preparing my resume and getting ready for interviews for my summer co-op. The approach to summer is getting me really excited to work in Boston. A few hospitals that would interest me for a great work experience would be, Massachusetts General Hospital, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Beth-Israel Hospital. Besides these events in my life, school has progressed well this semester.

Spanish class is nice break from my pharmacy directed classes. It is a fun and relaxing class that lightens up my week. Physiology, as always, is my favorite class because it deals with how the body works. We are learning the basics that we will need to understand for later courses, such as pharmacology and therapeutics. Organic chemistry continues to be a complete blur to me. My introduction to pharmacy practice class is starting to become more interesting as the material gets more suited for my co-op.
This past weekend, for me, was packed with studying and also a bit of slacking. The Patriots won the AFC championship on Sunday and we had Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As I continue to progress in my college career, I still can’t believe how fast it is moving. It seems like I just moved into my freshmen dorm last week, but its already second semester of my second year. My bit of advice for this entry is that you enjoy your college years to the fullest, while at the same time remain responsible and dedicated to your studies. The hard work you put into your college experience will certainly pay off when graduation comes, and job interviews occur. I wish you all the best, and continue working hard as you prepare for college.

Posted by Neil Labak at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was a great day.......a snow day.
Whether it was the phone call at 5:51 am or the text at 5:53 am from NU alert (that told me there would be no day or evening classes), it was a good day.

Posted by Neil Labak at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Day one of the second semester is already in the books. Now just a mere 66 or so days left of classes until summer co-op. Today, I started off with medical microbiology which is a brand new topic to me. This class seems like it will be interesting to me in a certain sense, because it teaches us about viruses, diseases, and also how pharmacological agents are used to benefit our immune system to help fend off these illnesses. The class seems pretty upbeat with five exams (including the final), and the first test just two weeks from tomorrow. After this class came Human Physiology II, which is a personal favorite of mine, due to the teacher. He's this upbeat guy from Russia who absolutely loves to teach and is enthusiastic about everything, which makes learning much more enjoyable. This class is set up the same way as last semester, which consists of three tests including the final. The third, and final class of my first day of the spring semester was elementary Spanish. This class is meant to be a GPA booster and just a relaxing class to relieve some of the academic stress from the challenging pharmacy curriculum. I took three years of Spanish in High School, so this class should be pretty straight-forward to me (hopefully). I will keep you updated on this semester as it slowly gets back to its regular routine. Good luck with the new year and enjoy the last few months until summer break!

Posted by Neil Labak at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Neil Labak at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This break like everything has flown by before I even had time to relax. My break consisted of working at 6 am for the first 10 days, and then getting my wisdom teeth out after New Years. I had time to spend with my family and friends which was very rejuvenating. It seems that college life moves much faster than life out of school. It seems like I just got my schedule for the fall semester and I already had to register for "I am Here", (a required checklist before every semester). The way Northeastern is set up is very easy to adapt to. For the most part each semester is broken up into two parts, a pre and post spring break/ thanksgiving break. This really shortens the semester and makes time really seem like its flying. Going into the spring semester there are 38 days till spring break and 66 total school days until finals week. This time, especially since its spring, will be over in a flash. Spring break is always a good reward to look forward too. Last year I went to the Bahamas on a cruise and it was the best week of my life. I really urge you, if you can afford it, to take a trip like this early on in school when you have time. This year there won't be a Cancun break that I had hoped for, but instead maybe a few nights spent in Montreal. As I prepare for my next semester, I will be taking a co-op class that introduces me into the interviewing process, how to make a resume, and how to find a suitable job for my interests. I am very eager for this class as I hope to work at Massachusetts General Hospital, right here in Boston. My next semester should be pretty challenging so i am going to really enjoy the last of my freedom before all the work takes over. Hope everyone had a great Holiday Break and good luck for 2008.

Posted by Neil Labak at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)