4-a-Days
Whoa. I am pooped. I just returned from a full day of classes, emphasis on the full. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have been fortunate enough to have scheduled my classes such that I have no more than 3 per day. However, this, my final semester at Duke is different in that I opted to cram all my classes into just three days out of the week. Sure, I get Tuesdays and Thursdays completely off, but that means Wednesday is a bit hellish, with four classes in succession.
Nonetheless, my classes appear to be moderately enjoyable this time around, and many of them relate to nutrition and blogging:
1) Food and Energy: A discussion of food production and consumption and their effects on the environment. Required reading includes Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (both of which I happen to have read previously). PLUS, I get to hang out with Allie during each class period 
2) Psychology of Consumers: An investigation of consumer behavior and how companies tailor their marketing strategies to maximize profits. As I mentioned on my “student profile” that I filled out on the first day of class, I think this class will provide valuable insight into blogging, i.e., the marketing channel of the future.
3) Social Determinants of Health Disparities: An analysis of what social forces are responsible for the varying quality of health across the United States. There is an emphasis on obesity and its related diseases, which I think will be particularly informative for my career as a nutritionist.
4) Social Psychology: A study in the effects of context on human behavior and interaction. OK, this one is clearly just to fill a major requirement, but it still seems somewhat intriguing.
Now that you have the low-down on my scintillating course schedule, I’ll get onto the eats before you fall asleep on me.
Tuesday
So apparently I am on a major boxed soup kick. Here’s the one I picked up at Whole Foods on sale yesterday:
It’s vegan (made with soymilk), and quite delectable on its own, but I added my own ingredients, as per usual.
After finishing my meal, however, I realized that I had left part of my meal on the counter…
Oops. They tasted fine, even without the soup.
Wednesday
After an early morning visit to the gym, I came home for a quick shower and breakfast. What’s quicker than cereal?
I had a short break between classes, so I ran to the post office to pick up a much anticipated textbook, read the chapter required for today’s class, and stuffed a little hummus down my throat. It was my Peanut Sesame variety.
Now I think I need some nappage. I’m crashing fast! Good night all.
Filed under: Meals
Hello and welcome! I have created this blog for people who love food, especially healthful, vegetarian food.
I have just graduated from Duke University with degrees in English and psychology. I plan to pursue a master's degree in nutrition starting in Fall 2010. Ideally, I would like to combine my love of food and the written word someday as a health writer.
hang in there caroline! your classes sound so interesting! and you get to hang with allie
SCORE!
go lean is always my go to cereal choice!!
oooo that butternut squash soup look sooo delish! gotta try it!
Food and energy sounds like such an interesting class
I was just thinking about you! I want to make your delicious artichoke hummus again this weekend! All of your classes sound awesome and SO cool that you have a class with Allie. I love butternut squash soup- I had some at a restaurant this weekend with candied walnuts= amazing!
I like the descriptions of your classes (they sounds similar to mine). I haven’t had soup in soooo long but looking at yours makes me want to try it again!
Your classes sound awesome!! At least if they’re interesting, it will make the 4-day school week bearable.
Can’t wait to hear more about the classes!
Such nice classes you are taking, very interesting topics!
After debating and postponing this for a few years I am embarking on a Nutrition career myself, I am taking a nutrition and a food science class this semester as a post grad and hopefully will be able to apply for a masters next semester. I am so excited and so happy, I am loving my classes so far!
Isn’t butternut squash soup delicious with white beans? I tried this the first time a couple years ago when I had my tonsils removed (it was easy to chew and swallow!) and just loved it, now every time I have butternut squash soup I wish I have white beans with it! I just love both the squash and the beans and they happen to be just perfect together!
Good luck and have fun oh your classes, keep us posted on how the classes develops and how you like them too! They all seem so interesting!
Ana
Boxed butternut squash soup tends to be quite delicious. I like to dress mine up too – shredded coconut and dried cranberries are what I throw in.
And your Social Psychology class sounds fascinating! I think studying human interaction is so interesting…how two different people get along and what makes a relationship work…especially between different combinations of introverts and extroverts. I like to psychoanalyze myself and other people, haha…in our nutrition counseling class we studied motivational interviewing and how positively influencing people’s cognitions can help them change their health behaviors and it is super interesting. Psychology sounds like an awesome degree to pursue. Yay for you!
Your classes sound really interesting!! I miss college.
I just finished “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan and I really enoyed it. Both the context and his style of writing. I hope you enjoy “The Omnivore’s Dilema” and please let us know how you like it!
i’m so excited for your classes, esp #1! I can’t wait to hear what goes on in there..please do tell
yay psych majors, the best! that soup sounds great, even without the topping!
Those classes sound so interesting! I swear they didn’t have things like that when I was in college…
I hated days with all my classes – it happened to me one semester too!
Good luck – at least you have tomorrow off!
your classes all sound intreguing for sure
Keep it up girly.
So cool that you get to hang out with Allie….I’m loving the sound of that Psychology of Consumers class! Wow, so fascinating!
Your classes sound absolutely fantastic! But I can definitely imagine that the few days you have ‘em are going to be tough. Hang in there, we’re almost done! Not sure if that is a good thing… but still
I always used to schedule all my classes in the same day so I could have ate least one day off. It’s a lot, but I loved having one or two days with no classes.
Good luck this semester!
Your classes sound so interesting! I want to take Food & Energy. What a great reading list!
What an interesting course- I think when I’m older I’ll have to take a nutrition course in my spare time for fun rather than career reasons. I love how you jazz up store bought soups! xxxxxxx
social psychology sounds like a really interseting class! glad you are taking classes you enjoy
Your classes sound great! I’m a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver’s.
I hope, despite the jam packed schedule you enjoy your courses- that always helps! The health sociology/psychology sounds really interesting, we do a lot of that in my (U.K.) Medical course- its amazing how much ones environment/behaviour and lifestyle choices affects health and wellbeing… I’d love to hear what you’re taught from a U.S. perspective! Hang in there for your finals! I’m very impressed that you manage to have such well balanced meals and fit in your exercise despite your schedule- I need some Caroline fairy dust blown my way
Your classes sound very cool! I took social psych in college myself and loooooooved it. Possibly the highlight of my sociology major. Just goes to show how quick times are changing though because for example that kind of consumer psych class didn’t exist during my college years! (01-05) I really hope I’m not old yet…
loved social psych! youre other classes sound soo interesting, hope youre lovin em!
<3
aint no shame in the boxed soup game! so delicious and so simple. i always love your aerial shots of your meals. do you have to stand up on a chair to get those?! hope you have a great thursday night/friday! xo
how about if i take your classes and you be a pediatrics resident for the next 5 months? no? please? they sound awesome!
i just had a total caroline-esque dinner
you’ll see tomorrow!