Definiton

From the OED:

"derivative, a. and n.:

A. adj.

1. a. Characterized by transmission, or passing from one to another. Obs."

I'm a freak of nature. I graduated from University of California-Berkeley in May 2008 with a B.A. in English ready to tackle the literary world, and inspire other readers at the same time. I followed the advice of many of my professors and took a year off before pursuing my Master's Degree, and spent it waiting tables in a cowboy hat, slinging beer and barbeque in Santa Fe, NM. I also found one thing I'd never found in college: someone to love who loved me. I was definitely ready to go back to school.

I am not going back to school for degree I planned. I am currently enrolled at the University of New Mexico as an intended B.S. in Chemical Engineering. I am almost 25 years old.

This is not a blog about your typical college experience. I rarely drink, work part-time in a restaurant to support myself and I have no interest in humping everything that moves. This is the story of me, a 3.6 English graduate of Berkeley, finding her true self and abandoning all preconceived notions about the ways in which humans learn. I want to be a living testament that there is no "left" and "right" brained, but just a dedicated individual, with a little help from biology and a great education.

"Derivatives" seems to be the appropriate title for such a blog. "Derivative" has several definitions, including:

"2. a. Of derived character or nature; characterized by being derived, drawn, obtained, or deduced from another; coming or emanating from a source.

3. Math. A function derived from another; spec. a differential coefficient.

4. Mus. a. A chord derived from a fundamental chord, esp. by inversion. b. ‘The actual or supposed root or generator, from the harmonics of which a chord is derived’ (Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms).

5. Chem. A compound obtained from another, e.g. by partial replacement.

6. Med. A method or agent that produces DERIVATION (q.v., 1c)."

"Derivative" is also a rather imposing math term for me. I will be tackling these for the first time next semester.

Spring 2010 will be my second semester as a Chemical Engineer in training, and my goal is to graduate in 3 years Magna Cum Laude. As of right now, this seems obtainable. I am currently awaiting final word on my grades and whether or not I make the Dean's List for Fall 2009.

So, if you're reading this, whoever is reading this, this is my journey. I hope to be able to offer advice, but more importantly to gain support.

I promise to try and keep the rest of them less wordy.