Having managed to finally shake off my yearly holiday blues, due in no small part to being back on campus, there is lots to do and take care of before classes start on Monday.
The Job
I managed to squeeze in a weeks worth of training into 2 days. And as I was told I didn't even have to take the final test for this new job (awesomeness has its perks), the good folk at IIT TV let me pick up some shifts this week. I sit in front of a console and videotape lectures for internet classes at IIT. Its like getting paid to audit a class. I managed to pick up two shifts today (Chem. Eng 333: Process Modeling and System Theory, and Chem. Eng 577: Bioprocess Engineering)...putting the rudiments of Bioreactor design (among other things) on the list of obscure things I now know about. Two more Chem E. classes to tape tomorrow, and then I get my regular schedule for the semester...the same classes week after week. I don't know what subject they will be in, but that hardly matters. It's a science nerds dream. #videodrome
The Classes
Pre-Calc/Calc II: Finishing up what is essentially Calc I. Definite integrals and applications, Implicit and inverse functions. Antiderivatives & first order differential equations. Mathtastic!
Organic Chemistry II: Ugh. Even as a Chem major I hate Orgo. This semester will be tougher than last semester, but I have allocated even more time to really study for it. I absolutely need to know this stuff inside and out. A lot more synthesis reactions this time around...on the order of 20+ per week. :/
Organic Chem. Lab: "Techniques for advanced organic preparations". For all my dislike of Orgo, I do love my lab classes and that's where I really shine. Looking forward to this class, even though it's going to be a lot of lab report writing.
Analytical Chemistry: Math & Chemistry combined. Statistical and quantitative examinations of lab data. Again, another lab class that I intend to ace. And from what I hear, it's a pretty interesting class too boot.
Modern Techniques in Chemical Literature: Yeah, even I don't know what that means. Its a research techniques class that is required for all chem majors...although they are trying to phase it out of the curriculum as its kind of dated. There are only 4 of us in the class, and from what I hear, the Prof. tends to sleep during the class anyway. One final term paper and that's it as far as classwork goes. This one is my blow-off class this semester.
After my less than stellar showing grade-wise last semester (2.3 GPA), I sat down and figured out that if I can get at least a B in Calc & Org. II, and A's in all my other lab classes...I'll end up with a 3.5 for the semester (Deans List!), and more importantly get my overall GPA up to a 3.0. I cant settle for anything less than that if I plan on grad school. So keep your fingers crossed for me and nag me as needed to stay on track.
The New Year
Well 2011 certainly had its ups and downs...though in retrospect it was mostly up (apart from the whole Mugging thing). I'm where I need to be...just need to stick to my plan and work harder this semester than I ever have before. I realized after last semester that I can't just keep skating by on my intrinsic smarts...I need to study this stuff every day even if I am not in the mood. That's one of the resolutions I made. Another is to keep up on this blog on a regular basis, weekly if not more often. I need a non-facebook outlet and just a place to write and empty my brain from time to time. A couple of other resolutions in the works, but I'm keeping those under my hat for the time being.
Excelsior!
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