The Really Really Last

I woke up at six thirty in the morning to end my summer program with a prepared presentation and final exam. I was the first to present according to Jody's random selection. I did my gene therapy presentation on cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive genetic disease that causes unusually thick and sticky mucus in lungs, digestive systems, and other organs and tissues. I felt I was prepared when I walked on the stage, but as soon I stood on the spot, my mind went blank. I could not help but read according to the notes I took. Fortunately, the presentation went well, and from this project I did myself and other classmates' presentations I really did learn information on new kinds of genetic disease, and that gene therapy includes many different types according to different types of target cells. Everyone did a good job on explaining on his/her own disease. Jody then gave us advises on life. She said not to fully follow "do what you are passion about" because we have to face the reality that our hobbies might not be practical in the society. We can definitely do what we like, but do them as hobbies. The following was the long-waited final exam. In the exam, there were some similar questions from the pre-test, which I felt confident about. But, the test got harder and harder; the questions were comprehensible and the content seemed familiar, but I just could not recall any memories on the subject. I sat there thinking while playing my hair, and there were several light bulbs lightened as the thinking process progressed. I was glad that I finished the test.

Heidi, I, and Jody

While waiting for Arnold, I did the final goodbye to Jody and Heidi. We took pictures, talked about bugs that disgusted all of us, and finally a big hug to each other. I really did not like the feeling of leaving people who I really like. In the three weeks, both Jody and Heidi instructed us and helped us to understand the complicated biotechnology. At the same time, their humor made the class lively, and their friendliness made me feel that there was no gap between them and me. I have to say that I really enjoyed the three weeks spending time with them; I will always remember the three weeks.

The upset feeling continued to lunch time. I saw people hugging and saying goodbye to each other; someone even cried. I thought, this is already ending, but it feels that everything just begins because people are starting to get familiar with each other and the campus. Tomorrow, I will be leaving this campus and saying goodbye to friends who I met here. I hope I will not cry. Walking back from the dining hall to my dorm, I saw luggage, bags, and cars all over the place. Students were carrying their luggage and loading them onto cars. The feeling of leaving was getting realer and realer, but I did not want this to be true.

My Side Before Packing

I still had to face the reality. I started packing. I did not know where to start, so I just put everything on my bed, and that was a lot. With the addition of souvenirs, college brochures, and food, the luggage got bigger and heavier. I am scared that they will be over-weighted. I wrapped things with glass with clothes, and put liquid things in plastic bags just in case they leak.

Although this was the last school day at Brown, I did not waste it. I went to a session about major choosing. I was the only student there since most of the people had already moved out, so I was able to talk to a rising-senior at Brown University, Krystal, alone. She asked me what academic directions am I interested in. I told her biomedical engineering or business. She told me that I did not have to choose one but to combine two of them because although there are no apparent connections between them two, the combination of the two will allow me to find better jobs in the future because not only I know engineering, but I will also know about the business and financial side of the engineering field. After that, I talked about general things about Brown University. Like other students from Brown, she loves the school and she loves what she does here. The open cirriculum did really give her many learning opportunities to discover passion, and she did, and that was biology. We talked for almost an hour, and the topics ranged from the summer program to application process. I had a great time with her.

The Gym

My Last Dinner at Summer @ Brown

The tennis session was cancelled, so I decided to go to Grad Center's gym to work out. I ran straight from forty minutes. The first twenty minutes, I was running on threadmill at the speed of 5 miles per hour. For the last twenty minutes, I was on crossramp, and that was truly tiring. After exercising, my sweat was dripping. I could feel the wetness from my head to my feet, and I could hear my own panting. My face was also red, and I drank the whole bottle of water. My running did not end here; I ran with my flip flops to the dining hall because it was almost seven thirty. After my last dinner at Brown University, we headed to downtown Providence to explore. We walked around the city passed Providence Biltmore, where we started our four-week journey
. The moment when I saw the hotel, I had a really strange feeling. I thought about the feeling when I first got here, the one with confusion and home-sickness, but now I have the reluctance to go back. How can people change so much in four weeks? I will definitely miss this place after I get back to the Bay Area, including the humidity and the East Coast feeling.

Back to my dorm, I knew it was again the time to blog and pack. Before all of these, I took the last shower at Summer @ Brown, and said goodbye to Marie and other friends. We hugged and took pictures, but all these could not make up the disappointment of leaving this place. Tomorrow will be the day we back our homes. Will I able to hold my feelings?

Marie and I