Thursday, January 15, 2009
Stupid things in chemistry lab
"S-A-R-A-H is my favorite spelling of that name" - Like it F-ing matters!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Adventures in TA'ing
Last semester was the first semester of Organic TA'ing. I think I was too lenient with everyone, even the cheaters and slackers. This semester will be a little bit different because this semester I should be more prepared and I should understand what is going on a little bit better.
The first week I'll post an example lab report and how I want everyone to do it, not something written in stone but something that will give them a proper template. I'll include what to do and what not to do. I'll instruct them in writing in passive voice and proper citation. Hopefully I can have them understand how to think logically.
I like teaching, but I get frustrated and bored quite easily. The whole people thing is something I need to work on. I've just never understood why anyone would refuse self-improvement if they had an opportunity to do so. Working and writing reports or "other" regardless of how mundane they are, can be an incredible tool to improve ones-self.
And then... and then there are the people who don't try at all, they don't understand that they can't get by on their "good looks" and their daddy's money. This isn't highschool anymore. A lab report I read last semester said "Not without regardless because of solution" or some scattered string of bigwords without any meaning, I read it ten-fifteen times before I realized I was also bashing my head against concrete to make it try and make sense. I never figured it out and I never took any points away.
If I get anymore of those I'll definately post them.
The first week I'll post an example lab report and how I want everyone to do it, not something written in stone but something that will give them a proper template. I'll include what to do and what not to do. I'll instruct them in writing in passive voice and proper citation. Hopefully I can have them understand how to think logically.
I like teaching, but I get frustrated and bored quite easily. The whole people thing is something I need to work on. I've just never understood why anyone would refuse self-improvement if they had an opportunity to do so. Working and writing reports or "other" regardless of how mundane they are, can be an incredible tool to improve ones-self.
And then... and then there are the people who don't try at all, they don't understand that they can't get by on their "good looks" and their daddy's money. This isn't highschool anymore. A lab report I read last semester said "Not without regardless because of solution" or some scattered string of bigwords without any meaning, I read it ten-fifteen times before I realized I was also bashing my head against concrete to make it try and make sense. I never figured it out and I never took any points away.
If I get anymore of those I'll definately post them.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Last night
This isn't your typical ACS conference. For one, everyone know everyone else here. Everyone knows everyone, there are only about 500 some people here. I guess membership is bigger but not everyone can afford to fly in from South America or Canada. I have met a lot of people here, not just punks like I have met in previous conferences. I have met the Boss's Boss (and his other boss), I have met new collaborators, old alums, and finally got to know people from right across the hall in my school.
I have met the Gulf of Mexico, which is fairly cold in January. I have met some locals from South Dakota and Alaska, and Manchester. These people aren't here for the same reasons I'm here, but we all have a story and an insight to offer each other.
The beach I know better by night, the police have no problems with vacationers vacationing. They have no problems with sand castles, they just simply drive past them. I would drive over them. It is intersting to sit here with my current and future collaborators and competitors. To witness the best of the best and hang with them and be accepted by them.
It makes me wonder how on earth I got here, it makes me question can I do better, can I achieve greater than this, should I ha
ve worked harder or is this the best I can do? So much to learn, so much to ask, investigate and develop into knowledge.
I have these crazy ideas, I question all the time, but I always come to the final conclusion of "I'm happy with where I am and where I'm going: Only I can derail myself from this path of success." But that is a double edged sword since the final goal will not be an easy one, I know this, Chelsea knows this and the people that have ended up there know this.
One thing I've been bothered about all week is the relationship between people, and that relationship to chemistry. This diagram is a variation of an energy well. And well it's very good at describing more that molecular reactions.
This diagram is good at representing people. The x (horizontal) axis is the distance between two people. The y axis is the energy required to keep to people together. As you can see as you move farther to the right of the diagram the energy requred to keep to people together is zero, also they are infinately far apart. As you move further to the left you notice the decrease in energy. Once you get to know someone it is easy to be closer to them right? Therefore the energy is reduced. The more you get to know someone the less energy it takes to keep them near you until you get to know them too much. Then the repulsive forces take over and you can't stand them.
This isn't that every relationship is doomed once you get to know someone or that the closer you get to someone you'll be repulsed by them. Look at the left side of the graph more carefully, the more energy requred to maintain a relationship the harder it is to keep the two people together.
This simply states that each person needs their space and by forcing the other one to be "too close" the more energy is required to keep you "that close." I think it is an interesting (and mostly true) relationship between two people.
Maybe I should explain this a little bit more when I'm not so tired and my battery isn't running out of juice.
I have met the Gulf of Mexico, which is fairly cold in January. I have met some locals from South Dakota and Alaska, and Manchester. These people aren't here for the same reasons I'm here, but we all have a story and an insight to offer each other.
The beach I know better by night, the police have no problems with vacationers vacationing. They have no problems with sand castles, they just simply drive past them. I would drive over them. It is intersting to sit here with my current and future collaborators and competitors. To witness the best of the best and hang with them and be accepted by them.
It makes me wonder how on earth I got here, it makes me question can I do better, can I achieve greater than this, should I ha
ve worked harder or is this the best I can do? So much to learn, so much to ask, investigate and develop into knowledge.I have these crazy ideas, I question all the time, but I always come to the final conclusion of "I'm happy with where I am and where I'm going: Only I can derail myself from this path of success." But that is a double edged sword since the final goal will not be an easy one, I know this, Chelsea knows this and the people that have ended up there know this.
One thing I've been bothered about all week is the relationship between people, and that relationship to chemistry. This diagram is a variation of an energy well. And well it's very good at describing more that molecular reactions.
This diagram is good at representing people. The x (horizontal) axis is the distance between two people. The y axis is the energy required to keep to people together. As you can see as you move farther to the right of the diagram the energy requred to keep to people together is zero, also they are infinately far apart. As you move further to the left you notice the decrease in energy. Once you get to know someone it is easy to be closer to them right? Therefore the energy is reduced. The more you get to know someone the less energy it takes to keep them near you until you get to know them too much. Then the repulsive forces take over and you can't stand them.
This isn't that every relationship is doomed once you get to know someone or that the closer you get to someone you'll be repulsed by them. Look at the left side of the graph more carefully, the more energy requred to maintain a relationship the harder it is to keep the two people together.
This simply states that each person needs their space and by forcing the other one to be "too close" the more energy is required to keep you "that close." I think it is an interesting (and mostly true) relationship between two people.
Maybe I should explain this a little bit more when I'm not so tired and my battery isn't running out of juice.
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