The Year of the Wise Fools: Welcome to Brunonia
Did you know that sophomore is derived from the Greek words for “wise” and “fool”? I didn’t either, and it doesn’t really make sense. Maybe I’ll understand as I grow into sophomore year (and avoid the slump)… I’ll let you know- stay tuned 
Going back to Brown in September was kind of weird. First of all, it felt like I had just left, which is kind of true- I worked here during the summer as a Summer@Brown RA for the 2 week program, living in Littlefield. Which might be the best freshman dorm on campus (besides Perkins. I lived there last year. It was pretty awesome). Second of all, I hadn’t quite gotten the full dose of California sunshine when I was back home, in sunny southern California. So I wasn’t quite ready to be back in school yet.
Oh, a bit about me: I’m from Camarillo, CA (hour north of LA) and am a sophomore at Brown, concentrating (majoring) in Biology, even though I think I’m officially in the books as a Biochem concentrator right now. I like fruit, sleeping, reading, and strawberry cream cheese–a recent obsession from the VDub (Verney-Woolley Dining Hall, for those not in the know). I’m a sister in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and a proud member of the intramural volleyball team Architects of Demise (maybe the other team’s, maybe ours). I was also a blogger last year- you may know me as the author of “A Fresh View” column last year. (Click on the link to read the rest. Come on, you know you want to…)
Shopping period was wild: I shopped 8 classes and narrowed it down to 5, which is a really remarkable feat for me. So now I’m taking CHEM0360 Organic Chemistry II, HIST0410 Chinese History, BIOL0170 Biotechnology and Medicine, HIST1460 History of the Modern Middle East, and AWAS1750 Divination in Ancient Mesopotamia. I really like them a lot, even Orgo, believe it or not. But having a midterm tomorrow in Orgo isn’t exactly doing wonders for my stress levels.
Anyways, in Chinese history we’re going through all 5000 years in one term. Impressive, no? We’re only six weeks into the term and we’re already on the Song dynasty. My professor’s really cool, too- she’s a bit old but still gets why we laugh at certain things, and laughs as well. In Biotech, Professor Zielinski is so quirky- she really enjoys posting pictures of particularly gory infections, which of course relate to the lecture. But she’s also a really engaging lecturer no matter what she’s talking about, so I always enjoy my classes My Mideast class is great, too- I took it mainly because it’s something I feel I should know more about, and I kind of already feel like an expert. At least up to the Cold War. And the Divination class is fascinating- my professor is actually my advisor this year, so I already know him. And he has an excellent sense of humor- in one lecture about sheep liver divination, he posted a picture of an RPG-toting sheep so we wouldn’t feel sorry for them and their missing livers.
Anyways, my stomach has been growling at me for the past few minutes, so I think it’s a sign I should head down to the Ratty (Sharpe Refectory. We Brownies are fond of nicknames) and eat some (very late) breakfast.
Feel free to ask questions, send comments, or say hello! I’ll try and answer, or get somebody older and wiser to answer it for me! That’s what the juniors and seniors are for, right? But if you’re curious about anything Brown-related, or just want to chat (sorry, I don’t have any influence at the admissions office), shoot me a line at nicoletpeterson@brown.edu. I’d love to hear from you!
