I've been busy working on two lab papers and a presentation on Chromosome 5p Minus Syndrome, but my final o. chem lab (for the semester, at least) came and went this evening and my final cell bio lab is going to come and go tomorrow. I'll have to get up early to put the last bits on my paper, but it's pretty much all finished now.
After that, I've got the familiar situation of having four or five days to cram for a test that I can, theoretically, do well enough on if I put my mind to it. And after that vacation!
Things get tricky after that too, with the MCAT getting ever closer without my having gotten much more ready for it yet, but I'll take a week or two of vacation happily.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
100 Percent (?)
Not really. I got an 80% on that last Organic Chemistry test - barely enough to count as a B-. For the semester though, with the first test, it averages out to an A-. With the curve, it gets bumped up to an A. So.... 4.0 again. Although not real (again?).
I'm not entirely sure if it warrants being happy, but I am. I did voluntarily skip some early cell biology stuff to focus on this class (a bad mistake, in retrospect...) Cell biology has suffered. Badly. I'll be lucky to get a B+ at this point, a B is very possible. So if I hadn't at least got an A in the class I skipped cell bio to focus on, it would have been a disaster. Even if the A is inflated, and fake, I'm happy. ... For what it's worth, around ten percent of the points I got off were all for the same mistake. I know why it was wrong now (and I probably did before the test too), so I actually /do/ know the material fairly well. (The reason I did ok despite that problem was, again, a silly 20 point bonus section that wouldn't have been offered at a more serious school).
What happens now?
Well, I don't take the Organic Chemistry Final now, although I have a vested interest in figuring out what I got wrong (since I'm taking O. Chem Two next semester). I'll try and do that.
Mostly though, the /only/ thing I have left to do this semester is salvage a B+ from Cell Biology somehow. That would be heavenly. And it's still possible. Technically. I have my test there on December 6th, and some lab stuff before. I'll be turning my full atention to that class, then.
Next semester, I'll turn my full attention to Organic Chemistry (my only class), and MCAT studying. I'll also (maybe? probably? hopefully?) look for a relevant job in my spare time.
Dieu le Veut.
I'm not entirely sure if it warrants being happy, but I am. I did voluntarily skip some early cell biology stuff to focus on this class (a bad mistake, in retrospect...) Cell biology has suffered. Badly. I'll be lucky to get a B+ at this point, a B is very possible. So if I hadn't at least got an A in the class I skipped cell bio to focus on, it would have been a disaster. Even if the A is inflated, and fake, I'm happy. ... For what it's worth, around ten percent of the points I got off were all for the same mistake. I know why it was wrong now (and I probably did before the test too), so I actually /do/ know the material fairly well. (The reason I did ok despite that problem was, again, a silly 20 point bonus section that wouldn't have been offered at a more serious school).
What happens now?
Well, I don't take the Organic Chemistry Final now, although I have a vested interest in figuring out what I got wrong (since I'm taking O. Chem Two next semester). I'll try and do that.
Mostly though, the /only/ thing I have left to do this semester is salvage a B+ from Cell Biology somehow. That would be heavenly. And it's still possible. Technically. I have my test there on December 6th, and some lab stuff before. I'll be turning my full atention to that class, then.
Next semester, I'll turn my full attention to Organic Chemistry (my only class), and MCAT studying. I'll also (maybe? probably? hopefully?) look for a relevant job in my spare time.
Dieu le Veut.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Here's The Deal, Then
Ok, got the last bio test, and it was as bad as anticipated. I'll just say I failed. But it was a high F. So.... yeah. No more than 4 percent off my grade. Terrible, but not "omg terrible" in the end. I got my lab report back too, which was a B+, which is just fine if things stay there. The last Biology test isn't until December 6th, so I (should) be able to study for it a ton.
More pressing is the second O. Chem test, which is this coming Tuesday. If I do well, or even "kinda" well, that class is effectively over for me (for the semester) with a happy result. If I do bad... things get much more difficult: I'd need an A on the optional third O. Chem Test and an A on the Final Bio Test (both around the same day) to set things straight. I don't think it's realistic to expect that, at this point.
I'm fairly guilt ridden over my Biology performance, and inclined to show up to class tomorrow (I've missed several lately). I stayed up all of last night working on a lab report though, and in the grand scheme of things sleeping well now and studying well for my chem test is much much much more important than sating my guilt over doing badly in Biology. So I'll probably skip another class to recover all my sleep, and start working on the chem test (again) tomorrow.
I think it's safe to say I can (almost) judge this semester based on how this one test goes (sadly).
As of right now, I'm not ready. But there's time to fix that.
More pressing is the second O. Chem test, which is this coming Tuesday. If I do well, or even "kinda" well, that class is effectively over for me (for the semester) with a happy result. If I do bad... things get much more difficult: I'd need an A on the optional third O. Chem Test and an A on the Final Bio Test (both around the same day) to set things straight. I don't think it's realistic to expect that, at this point.
I'm fairly guilt ridden over my Biology performance, and inclined to show up to class tomorrow (I've missed several lately). I stayed up all of last night working on a lab report though, and in the grand scheme of things sleeping well now and studying well for my chem test is much much much more important than sating my guilt over doing badly in Biology. So I'll probably skip another class to recover all my sleep, and start working on the chem test (again) tomorrow.
I think it's safe to say I can (almost) judge this semester based on how this one test goes (sadly).
As of right now, I'm not ready. But there's time to fix that.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Did I Say Bad?
I meant awful. The test was awful. For real this time - I can be 100% positive, because I left ~25% blank. A 60% is probably on the "top" end of what I could have got...
So. I've said this before, and apparently didn't mean it. Or meant it and didn't follow through. Or something. But there's one more Bio Test, and I'm going to get a 95% or higher on it. Just as a point of order. It won't fix my grade, which is almost certainly shot by now, but I'm still doing it as a point of order.
The Organic Chemistry teacher who was away is, apparently, going to be MIA today also. So I guess I won't find out if the test is postponed today. But ... it kind of has to be. Almost. Either way, that's a big test and I need to start working on it. ... tomorrow.
So. I've said this before, and apparently didn't mean it. Or meant it and didn't follow through. Or something. But there's one more Bio Test, and I'm going to get a 95% or higher on it. Just as a point of order. It won't fix my grade, which is almost certainly shot by now, but I'm still doing it as a point of order.
The Organic Chemistry teacher who was away is, apparently, going to be MIA today also. So I guess I won't find out if the test is postponed today. But ... it kind of has to be. Almost. Either way, that's a big test and I need to start working on it. ... tomorrow.
MCAT Sign Up
Two-hundred and thirty-five dollars? Really? Fun. And I'm probably not even going to be ready for the test in time. I officially signed up for the MCAT this morning around 5:30 am though - I'll be taking it on April 29th at 1pm in a fairly pleasant spot not /too/ far from my home. The time and location work out nicely, if only I could actually be ready to take it.
Apparently the information I got about dates was slightly off too - registration opened up a bit earlier in October. Looks like I signed myself up early enough that it wasn't a problem at all though. Would have been stressful had it been, however.
The last day to reschedule this test is April 12th. I believe. Mostly by way of future reference to myself in case I want to. But I guess I'm going to try and find a way to get it done. If it doesn't work, I'd still have time for one more MCAT this application cycle, if I really wanted to. Or I could take it next year. Neither option sounds fun, so I'll try to find a way to get set up for this.
Other tests.... I have another of my mini Bio tests today. Surprise surprise, I'm not ready again. I don't feel any less ready than last time though so.... I don't know. I'm not expecting too much out of myself in that class at this point. Keeping my grade at an A- would be nice. A B+ might happen, and I'll deal. Will depend on lab (where I /still/ haven't got my report back). I've honestly got to say I'm disappointed in myself. I could go on for a pretty long time about that, and trying to muse about why I'm not actually putting 100% effort into this class. ... Or even 60% effort, honestly.
The other exam coming up is my second (and final, if I do well) organic chemistry exam. It was supposed to be next week originally which would be stressful, with the bio test today and two lab reports due on Tuesday and Wednesday. Our teacher has been MIA on a conference in China however, and I'm fairly sure the exam will get pushed back a week so we can finish covering things. I'll find out later this afternoon, but if it got pushed back a week that would be a huge break. I think one extra week would be enough to get set for it, and if I did well my semester would pretty much be over. I could start getting things in order - whatever it is that isn't.
Edit: And a new template, because it's too cold and fall-like to keep the spring one up any longer. I'm not sure if I'll stick with this one, but it's got warmer colors for now if nothing else.
Apparently the information I got about dates was slightly off too - registration opened up a bit earlier in October. Looks like I signed myself up early enough that it wasn't a problem at all though. Would have been stressful had it been, however.
The last day to reschedule this test is April 12th. I believe. Mostly by way of future reference to myself in case I want to. But I guess I'm going to try and find a way to get it done. If it doesn't work, I'd still have time for one more MCAT this application cycle, if I really wanted to. Or I could take it next year. Neither option sounds fun, so I'll try to find a way to get set up for this.
Other tests.... I have another of my mini Bio tests today. Surprise surprise, I'm not ready again. I don't feel any less ready than last time though so.... I don't know. I'm not expecting too much out of myself in that class at this point. Keeping my grade at an A- would be nice. A B+ might happen, and I'll deal. Will depend on lab (where I /still/ haven't got my report back). I've honestly got to say I'm disappointed in myself. I could go on for a pretty long time about that, and trying to muse about why I'm not actually putting 100% effort into this class. ... Or even 60% effort, honestly.
The other exam coming up is my second (and final, if I do well) organic chemistry exam. It was supposed to be next week originally which would be stressful, with the bio test today and two lab reports due on Tuesday and Wednesday. Our teacher has been MIA on a conference in China however, and I'm fairly sure the exam will get pushed back a week so we can finish covering things. I'll find out later this afternoon, but if it got pushed back a week that would be a huge break. I think one extra week would be enough to get set for it, and if I did well my semester would pretty much be over. I could start getting things in order - whatever it is that isn't.
Edit: And a new template, because it's too cold and fall-like to keep the spring one up any longer. I'm not sure if I'll stick with this one, but it's got warmer colors for now if nothing else.
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