Winter Break

It seems like forever to get the semester over with, but after its over you wonder what you are going to do with all that time. I am currently on Winter Break, and quite frankly I wish that I was back down in La Crosse, because there is so much more to do down there than at my house. At any rate, the semester is over, I know how I did on my finals which is pretty good, and I forgot to tell you guys that I finally passed my ROTC test and have contracted, which means I am getting paid now to go to school. I would have to say that that is pretty awesome. So this winter break, I have invited some of my friends up to see me, and I will be going down by them. My roommate Jonathon is coming up to visit his girlfriend, and while he is up here he said that he would be coming and visiting me as well. Jorge, is one of my ROTC friends, and he will be coming up to visit me in Medford soon too. He is coming on January 5th, and I can't wait because Medford is so incredibly boring. I have been hanging out with my high school friends, and I stopped in to see 2 of my high school science teachers because they wanted to know how school was going and just catch up on how everything was with me. They were happy to hear that I did well on my tests and that everything had gone according to plan. Then I stopped in by my Physical Education teachers house and thanked him for believing that I could do ROTC. It meant a lot to me because I had a lot of people who really thought that I could never do that. Well I think that that is all for now, and I hope you guys are having a very Merry Christmas! Talk to you later!

Studying in the Dorms at La Crosse

So like I mentioned this week is finals week and the name of the game is trying to study. The problem that you guys might be thinking of is...how am I going to study if I do not have class, and the dorms at college are just so much fun. Well I have your answer. Dorms around the time of studying are turned into this military like boot camp because you RA's turn into monsters. The week of finals, the dorms crank out this wonderful thing called intensive quiet hours. Now this will become the lamest thing that you guys will ever experience. Imagine a dorm that is full of people, and you know that it is totally full of people, but nobody is talking. That's right, the dorm is absolutely silent. I would have to say that of all my college experiences it is the most creepy thing that I will ever see. Normally throughout the school year the dorms are awake and have many activities to do in them. This week however pretty much the only thing that will be going on in Hutchison Hall, my dorm is the activities happening late at night that do not conflict with anyone taking finals. Yesterday we had a pet therapy session which was pretty cool. Our Resident Assistants brought in a whole bunch of pets into the basement and we got to pet them and play around with them to have fun and relieve some stress. So while the dorms are quiet the chance that you can study becomes increasingly better. I would suggest to lock your door so that you don't end up with random people coming into your room as you are studying to distract you. Well speaking of studying I had better get going because I have to do that yet. I will talk to you guys next week!

Finals Part 1

So this week is finals and as I sit in Speech class for the last time, I think of how quickly the semester has gone. I am surprised and astonished about how quickly my finals are coming up. Let me tell you guys something...at some point in this time of finals you will want to stop studying and take a break. Instead of pushing yourself to the max and just not having any fun at all, give yourself that well deserved break. Chances are that if you want a break, and have been studying for 3.5 hours you will not be concentrating on your studies and your mind will end up wondering. I have 3 finals this semester in Speech, Chemistry and Biology. I took the speech final on Friday, and I will be taking the other two this coming Tuesday. My speech final went ok, but my teacher is very tricky because he makes questions that if you read one word wrong you end up not doing well on the test. So I guess that I can't speak too quickly on that topic. At any rate, I hope that all of my readers are enjoying their holiday season. I can't wait for mine to begin!

College life and getting sick

Hey everyone! That's right, if you are going to college, then chances are, you will be getting sick. It ends up happening to everyone right around finals which is generally the worst time of year to be getting sick, but it is the time that it happens. I right now have a sore throat, which is good, because finals are not for another 2-3 weeks, but it is also bad, because nobody wants to be sick. This week in Biology class we have been discussing DNA replication, which is a really great topic! The best part was the fact that we got to discuss the subject in greater detail and really get into it. In Chemistry class we have been talking about intermolecular forces and basic gas laws, and for the most part, class has been rather boring. I have to do a speech in Public Oral Communication next week, which is going to be fun, because it is the LAST ONE OF THE SEMESTER!!!!!! Yes! (If you can't tell, I am super excited about that one.) Besides that I am still trying to pass my physical test for ROTC. I failed last time by 6 seconds on my run and 4 sit ups, so needless to say I have been working the hardest I can towards that. The interesting thing is that I have never missed the sit ups since I came on campus which means that Turkey day got to me. What else can I say about great food like that. Well I have to get going to bed soon, because tomorrow morning I will be going to Missouri. Talk to you guys next week!

Thanksgiving Break

So every once in a while, a college student needs a break. After this past week, I would like to speak on behalf of the students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and say that Thanksgiving break is much deserved. This past week I had three tests given right before the break, in Chemistry, Biology and Music Appreciation. The only test that was going to be a take home test was in Music Appreciation, which thankfully is on the computer. College tends to do that to you by throwing all the tests at you at once. Over break, I still will have to write two papers, in addition to complete my Chemistry Lab, however I do enjoy a little bit of quite time to myself. I left my dorm yesterday at around 4:00 because they were in the process of being shut down for the break. Next week, the highlight of my life will be attempting to take my Physical fitness test for ROTC again. Its guarenteed to be a fun time, or my money back :) Just a little bit of humor in there. Well I would have to say that that is all that I have for you guys right now, and I will talk to you next week!

Music Appreciation

So I was sitting in Music Appreciation class today, and I know what you guys are thinking...Music Appreciation...why would you be taking that?! Well this is a class that is a general education credit that I had the opportunity to take to count for my graduation. Today in this class we got to listen to the Korean Percussion ensemble, which is a group of student and faculty musicians who perform for fun as a 1 credit class. In Music Appreciation. we often get the opportunity to listen to various types of music, and in turn we write reports on what we hear. If you ever want to have a fun general education class...this is definitely one that all of you should choose if you are thinking about going into Music, or if you just like listening to all types of Music, including music through the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary eras. When you begin to take general education credits, sign up for some classes you know will interest you, and also some classes that you know absolutely nothing about. It's part of the unique general education experience!

Biology Class

So on Wednesday I was sitting in General Biology I, and the topic that we are currently talking about is Mitosis and Meiosis. Now if anybody out there is a Biology lover, you will know that these two topics are absolutely fascinating, and you will spend a lot of time on them. One of the most important things in college is to get a good professor to teach you these topics. This benefits you in two ways. One you are less likely to fall asleep in a lecture class. Two, you will do much better on tests because you will know what the teacher is talking about. My professor, Dr. Redman is absolutely amazing because she interacts with the class, and gives excellent visual examples to help the students understand what is going on. During this talk about Mitosis, Professor Redman talked about how the Chromosomes separate in Anaphase by bringing two students up to the front of the classroom, and pretending that they are chromosomes. It helped the class understand immensely! I was througholy impressed by this simple thing that she did for the class to make them understand. I realize that you can't pick your teachers Freshman year, but you can all the rest of the time. I encourage you to find out a little bit about your professors on www.ratemyprofessor.com, when you find out who your professor will be. I will talk to you guys next week!

Army ROTC and Concert Choir

So now that you all have gotten to know me a little bit, lets talk about some of the things that I am involved with on Campus. When I first decided to come to UW-L I had no idea how I was going to pay for college. I wondered if I did go here how could I ever afford tuition. One of the first scholarship programs that I found out about was the Army ROTC program. If you are physically qualified, this program can help pay for your tuition and book fees at the University. This is now small cost, because tuition alone costs over 2,200 dollars! By enrolling in Army ROTC I have taken care of the pricey costs of tuition, while guaranteeing that I will have a job after college in the military. My requirement while I am in the program is that I have to take ROTC courses in college and I have to attend Physical Training on Tuesday and Thursday Mornings in Mitchel hall. (6:00 AM to 7:00 AM). This seems like it may be early, however I can assure you that it really is not that big of a deal after you get up and get dressed. My other thing that I am required to do while I am on this scholarship is that I have to attend a military science lab on Thursday nights from 5:00 to 7:00. This is generally a "mandatory fun time" because we do activities like Raiding Bunkers or Land Navigation work with a compass. I have gained skills through this program, that I otherwise would probably never have without the Army ROTC. And this helps keep my college life more interesting. I still have not physically qualified for the scholarship yet and I have to pass a test based on Push ups, sit ups and running, however once I do that I will be good to go. Generally my extracurricular activities, along with my academic classes take enough time out of my week. College classes take a lot more time and preparation than high school classes too. I will keep all of you posted on future, fun ROTC endeavors that I go on throughout this year!

Introduction to College life

Hi! My name is Jim Bichler and I am a freshman here at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. I am majoring in Biochemistry and Pre-Medicine, am involved in the Concert Choir, and am active in the Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). Overall so far college has been a fun and rewarding experience, and I am taking the following classes:

CHM 103 General Chemistry I
BIO 105 General Biology I
CST 110 Public Oral Communication
MUS 105 Music Appreciation
UWL 100 Freshman Seminar
M-S 101 Introduction to Army Professions
MUS 153 University of Wisconsin- La Crosse Concert Choir

This past week was particularly stressful, because it was exam week again at the University. I had a test in Chemistry and a test in Biology. I did fairly well on the Chemistry test, and somehow managed to get an A on what was said to be the hardest Biology exam of the semester. (Cellular Respiration and Cell Function). Besides my tough schedule, I have been sick and trying to get better. I went to the Student Health Center on Monday and they prescribed an Antibiotic, after trying for 4 times and being unsuccessful at getting any help. Needless to say I was very happy. Other than that this has been a stressful week, and I will explain more of that next week!