Making it Happen

You will note that #13 on my 30B430 list reads: Pass My Comps.

I am currently on my last semester of coursework towards my PhD in Higher Education. And to cap off that experience and demonstrate my learning, I am asked to sit for a full day comprehensive exam, in less than two weeks - 12 days to be exact. I will write a comprehensive morning question for three hours, take a break for lunch, and then do three one-hour afternoon questions. Eeek!

Do I feel prepared? Not exactly. Some of the courses that I'm being tested on were ones that I took back in Fall 2005 during my master's program. Not only was that a long time ago, I was attending a different university, and the courses used different readings and materials. Which means that I spent the last week reading this lovely book, in preparation:

It's not that I dislike Robert Birnbaum or his thoughts on the organization and administration of higher education. It was just a lot of my study time to devote to only one area of my test preparation. Meaning that now I really need to focus on the law and history of higher education (exciting stuff, I know), and student development theory. 

How important is this test? Well, if I don't pass it, I cannot proceed with my dissertation proposal, which is the next step before I can start my research. It would also put me back roughly a year, as I'm not available for the spring exam date. So yeah, kind of a big deal....

I took today off, to plug away at my review and squeeze in a few practice questions. Here's hoping that my brain doesn't turn into mush and that I use the time well. Basically all other things are on hold at this point. My apologies to my friends and family. 

30B430 Book #4: The Girl Who Played With Fire

That Lisbeth Salander sucks you in!

I quickly snagged The Girl Who Played with Fire, the second in the Millenium series by Stieg Larsson, once my mom finished it. Since reading on the bus is a no go, it took me a little bit longer than I had hoped to get through the book, reading a few chapters each night before I went to sleep. 

At first I wasn't sure how it would compare to the first book. It started out equally slow, as it retold some of what happened in the last book, while setting up a new storyline. The first book looked at themes of sexual violence against women. The second looks at the victimization of women in the sex trafficking. It also gives you a lot more information about who Lisbeth Salander is. And of course, it gets crazy! The second book also leads directly into the third book in sort of a Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3 way. I can't wait to see how it all ends. 

Did you catch a preview yet for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie? I saw it for the first time last night during The Office. It comes out in December, and I can't wait. If not, you can check it out here.

30B430 Book #3: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I'm not a huge non-fiction reader. But several people had recommended that I pick up a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black woman from Baltimore, who died of cervical cancer in the 1950s.

While being treated at Johns Hopkins University, scientists cut out a part of Henrietta's tumor without her knowledge or consent, which was then used to study her cells, HeLa, which became an immortal line of cells. The HeLa cells have been used across the world for decades and have led to a number of major scientific discoveries, including the polio vaccine.

The book follows both the history of the scientific developments of the HeLa cells and the corresponding ethical issues of their use and mass production, as well as the history of the Lacks family, from Henrietta's youth growing up in Clover, VA to the later stories of her children and grandchildren, whose lives were deeply affected by exploitation by the scientific community and the media. The book weaves in Skloot's relationship with the family, as she attempts to build trust with Henrietta's relatives and research their story.

This was another book that I listened to during my bus rides. At times I fell asleep, more from exhaustion than boredom, and so I was often tracking back to the last part of the story that I could remember hearing. Overall, it was a really interesting look at the foundation of much of the science that we take for granted today, and the woman who made it possible. Although it's nonfiction, the storytelling is engaging and keeps you wanting to know more.

Definitely a good read.

I'm one-tenth through my reading list. Twenty-seven more books to go!