<p>I got 800 in chem (kinda expecting it, being a chem dork) and 800 in Math II (which I couldn’t believe since I got 690-720 on the blue book and Princeton Review practice exams!)</p>
<p>Also, probably another nice “to-do” to add to the list: starting college essays. Hopefully I’ll be able to weave some beautiful essay in three months… if only I had writing skills.</p>
<p>just finished my 2 AP classes</p>
<p>time to start studying for Sat’s, subject tests</p>
<p>Going to do summer assignments towards the end of summer</p>
<p>Volunteer every week twice ( 4 hour shifts)</p>
<p>Conditioning for football (goal is to bench 220 im at 180 so I have alot of work to do)</p>
<p>Do some running daily</p>
<p>Wow, I’m surprised that other CCer’s are working out and doing squats, bench, DL - all that good stuff. Let’s get ripped/buffed up!</p>
<p>One of my goals this summer is to build a solid strength base - my squats right now are sitting at 215 x 5 (started this school year at around 225, and got weak due to school taking up so much time). </p>
<p>Another is to get 800’s in Bio and Math SAT II’s - did SAT prep last year and got a 2310 in March so I’m happy with that. 
Slacked off incredibly hard for AP’s and SAT II’s (which I canceled)… regret that but I’m also proud of myself for trying hard in school.</p>
<p>I also have the rising senior goals: visit colleges, do some essay drafts. I want to have fun this summer instead of being a sad, moody kid who locked himself up in his room for SAT, final, AP studying… I need my life basically.</p>
<p>I guess I’ll join the party.</p>
<p>Academic/Interests:
<p>Personal:
<p>Sad story is… I’m planning to supplement my Calc I studies with Calc AB FRQs :P</p>
<p>I already have a 34 on my ACT, so studying for tests really isn’t my top priority.</p>
<p>Update–</p>
<p>Well today, I had a meeting with my neuro-ophthalmology mentor and he taught me how to operate a laser scanning confocal microscope. He also emphasized the fact that I was dealing with a $600,000 machine that utilizes multiple lasers each costing over $15,000. He REALLY emphasized that so I (hopefully) won’t break anything this summer. </p>
<p>I should start cutting and staining my own rat brain sections sometime next week, and then hopefully move onto some more complicated research stuff. </p>
<p>I’m also going to get some Subway now and I’m extremely hungry :)</p>
<p>I’ll be back next week with more news CC!</p>
<p>Sent from my SGH-T959V using CC</p>
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<p>… <em>drools</em> in jealousy …</p>
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<p>I’m mirin’ your squat stats, yo</p>
<p>Academics</p>
<p>1) Consistently get 700’s in math, 750’s in CR & W on practice SATs.
2) Teach myself 4 chapters of Alg. II so I’m not behind in pre-calc next year
2.2) Do all of my other summer work.
3) Read Study Hacks
4) Put together an actual list of colleges
5) Read 30+ books on my GoodReads
6) Maybe teach myself coding again</p>
<p>Non-Academics</p>
<p>1) Expand my vocal range to a true 3 octaves at Wesleyan this summer
2) Go out with friends at least 3x a week, considering I won’t be in town for 5 weeks straight
3) Treadmill 5-7x a week
4) Begin teaching myself guitar
5) Stay happy</p>
<p>Academic:
<p>^----cant really bench 30 pounds…The bar weighs 45. Just saying…</p>
<p>Great goals guys! Let’s all stick to our plans and hopefully we’ll all emerge a lot buffer and stronger and fitter at the end of this summer - not to mention - smarter :D!!!</p>
<p>Good luck! I love it when other girls want to become stronger. 
There are just too many girls who avoid weight-lifting because they don’t want to look “manly.”</p>
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<p>We have a bar that weighs 15 or 20 or something like that. I have no idea what it’s used for, but when we go down to the weight room for PT I use it. I call it the “sissy bar” and I think i’m literally the only person in my whole school that uses it.</p>
<p>Academic:
<p>Personal:
<p>So far this summer, I’ve covered some Calculus and some Biology. </p>
<p>I’ve also been hitting the gym quite a bit. I’ve been doing 1 mile on the treadmill at 8.x MPH consistently for the past few days and I’ve done some weight lifting. I’ve been noticing some actual muscle now when I flex my arms, and it’s only been a week :D! And I noticed that today, during some strenuous activity, I barely got fatigued! Usually, I would be yawning and ready to pass out, but looks like my gym workouts are working :D. </p>
<p>Finally, I’ve also all but finished my FLVS courses - yay!! I’ve been working so fast that my teachers have told me to slow down :(. </p>
<p>Calculus:</p>
<p>Shells: use cross sections parallel to the axis of revolution. Integrate shell radius and shell height and multiply by 2pi. Done.
Parametric derivatives: just take the derivative of the two separate equations and put y’ on top of x’.
Arc length: just plug it into the formula
Force: integrate force over distance </p>
<p>Biology:
from memory </p>
<p>Steps in transmitting an impulse:</p>
<p>1) Resting potential. The voltage across the neuron is -70 mV. Sodium-potassium pumps in the membrane pump out Na+ and pump in K+. However, for every 3 sodium ions pumped out, 2 potassium ions are pumped in. So the inside of the neuron is negatively charged, and therefore there is a negative potential (voltage). </p>
<p>2) A stimulus will cause the neuron to open its Na+ gates. Letting in enough Na+ allows the neuron to reach its action potential, which is -50 mV. When the action potential is reached, Na+ floods in and the neuron is depolarized. </p>
<p>3) Repolarization. Potassium gates open. Potassium floods out according to its concentration gradient - remember, there was initially more K+ inside the neuron than outside. </p>
<p>4) Hyperpolarization. The neuron actually overshoots and the voltage drops down below -70 mV. </p>
<p>5) Refractory period. The neuron has to restore the Na+ and K+ concentrations because they’re switched now; because the K+ gates opened, there’s more K+ outside the neuron than inside. Oops. During this period the neuron doesn’t transmit anything. </p>
<p>Synapses:</p>
<p>A synapse is the gap between an axon and a dendrite. Axons send impulses. Dendrites receive signals. Basically, the impulse reaches the end of the axon and is transmitted by a neurotransmitter to the dendrite. </p>
<p>Myelin sheaths:</p>
<p>These insulate an axon. They do not cover the axon in its entirety though. The gaps are nodes of Ranvier. The impulses jump from node to node. Myelin sheaths enable faster impulse transmission.</p>
<p>^Thanks for the writing tips!!!</p>
<p>My goals:
<p>Yeah, not much, but I still probably won’t do it all</p>
<p>Haha, IceQube’s enthusiasm for bio just reminded me to do something else this summer.</p>
<p>Do some iChO preparatory problems! #lolIhavenolife</p>
<p>My goals:</p>
<ol>
<li>Skip Algebra II; preferably pass the assessment with 100%, or a high score, at the very least. While I’m at it, I’m hoping to improve my math skills through other supplementary problems, such as the ones found on AoPS. </li>
<li>Skip Chemistry (taking classes at the local private school; CCs are full and school district doesn’t accept online courses ==;;), so as to take Physics next year, then do both AP Chem and AP Physics C junior year.</li>
<li>Practice at least two hours a day and get to around level 7~8 on the Erhu (Chinese two-stringed instrument; I imagine most here aren’t familiar with it)</li>
<li>Complete the AP Euro summer homework, maybe read ahead some, if time allows; I’m enthusiastic about the subject.</li>
<li>Write more in my spare time; I’ll definitely be looking over the tips and links IceQube posted on the first page (thanks, by the way!)</li>
<li>Study for the SATs; as of now, I’m a little torn as to whether or not I should take Math I and Chem or the reasoning test in October.</li>
<li>I checked out some thick books from the library that I’d like to finish over the summer; they’re fairly thick books, however, so I’m a little doubtful as to whether or not I can finish it before the due date. </li>
<li>Start actually exercising for at least an hour a day to lose lose at least five pounds and possibly drop a jean size (5’ 6" at 132lbs isn’t bad, I guess, but it doesn’t look too amazing :)</li>
<li>Continue to translate news articles in Chinese for this local Chinese news website. </li>
<li>Earn 1m+ on Neopets via the stock market and reselling things and/or quit it for the rest of the summer (to my detriment, I rediscovered this game when summer started, and it’s become dangerously addicting)</li>
<li>Remodel my room; I’m hoping to repaint it and rearrange the furniture so there’s more space.</li>
<li>Self-research some random topics in science, if time allows. I’m particularly into Physics and Astronomy :)</li>
</ol>
<p>As of now, I’m more focused on Chem, the instrument, and the exercising; Chem because I’m currently taking it (it’ll be done by the end of July, thank goodness), and because the rest are activities I need to accomplish daily in order to see results, and because they’re higher on my priorities list @_@</p>
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<p>Cool! I actually have one downstairs sitting in a case. </p>
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<p>Do you get volunteer hours for this? </p>
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<p>LOL …</p>