Where have I been?

Allow me to give you a glimpse into my life this semester, 6 of 6 at the U of M. Fourteen credits divided among five classes and nineteen to twenty-seven hours divided between two jobs take up the bulk of the week. Two ongoing volunteer gigs fill in the cracks, and relevant conferences and presentations sometimes displace class or homework time.

Thankfully, the credits are either interesting or not taxing. My week starts with the one-credit Capstone class, which walks us future RDs through the Dietetic Internship application process. Nutrition and Metabolism follows on Capstone, a writing- (and quiz-) intensive, in-depth look at carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism in humans. Here's where my work in Biochemistry pays off.

I get a break for lunch before Medical Nutrition Therapy I. As I've stated repeatedly this fall, it is NOT a good a idea to take MNT II first, as I did. I'm bored, despite Christine's engaging lectures.

Photo from Cornercopia's Web site.

Another break ensues, and it's usually a struggle to get out the door to go to the my 4 o'clock class, but I'm always glad I did. Albert "Bud" Markhart teaches HORT2031: "Organic Food - How to Grow It, Where to Buy It, and Can It Feed the World." His lectures on organic matter, composting, and season extension are even more engaging than Christine's on acid-base disorders, the nutrition care process, and metabolic stress, if you can believe that. Plus, he brings in (edible) props, like a whole kale plant, an enormous crookneck butternut squash, and pea shoots. Yum.

Can't forget Nutrition Education and Counseling! The now-familiar Dr. Teri Burgess-Champoux returns for another semester of well-put together 115-minute class sessions, while Dr. Cynthia Meyer teaches and facilitates practice of skills such as primary empathy and self-disclosure. I especially enjoy the counseling portion.

So that's what my last semester of school looks like.

Revised 7/22/12.