Last year I decided to take my vow of poverty and go back to school to work on my doctorate in chemistry. I applied to a school that I visited often in the course of my old job and they said "welcome aboard!" Yay!
Part of coming in as a new graduate student is taking qualification exams. They more or less let the department know how much you've managed to forget of the tedious BS this subject is famous for. The last chemistry class I had was five years ago now, and I didn't use a lot of it in my job.
At this particular school there are four qualification exams. Organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and physical chemistry. They're all the American Chemical Society standardized tests. These things are pretty brutal when used as a final exam at the end of a semester, and I get to take all four in the course of 3 days. I remember finishing up the organic one at the end of my o-chem 2 class and there were people quite literally sobbing while taking the thing. The curve was ridiculous on it, I think the class average was something like 40% or less. New students need to pass two of them or else they take remedial classes.
The other three subject exams aren't any nicer. I've spent the last month studying all of my old notes and textbooks (yes I'm a pack rat), and studying everything else I could get my grubby little hands on. I gave myself migraines going over reactions, instruments, mechanisms, formulae, and tables.
Today was the organic exam. I didn't cry but damn if I didn't forget things that I KNOW that I studied just yesterday. I managed a godawful score but apparently it was above the secret threshold and counted as a "pass."
Tomorrow is analytical, which I'm pretty strong in. Friday is back to back inorganic and p-chem, my two weakest subjects by far. If I don't post this weekend that means I probably burst into flames (or committed ritual self-immolation) in a university chemistry office meeting room.
Colleen,
I wish you well on all of the exams.
Chrissy
@Colleen_definitelyDear Colleen:I hear you loud and clear ..... with academic studies as you mentioned, the things that you learn can be easily put on the back shelf of your mind. The old adage "Use it or Lose it" is quite true.
When I earned my MBA back in college I also had a Masters in Economics and a Bachelor in Mathematics.... some of those formulas and theorems that were so important to earn my degrees back then are almost never used in my CPA and Financial Advising work. It was interesting when I took my CPA exams and re-licensed here in Alaska I had some trepidation about some of the material so I "crammed" for weeks before I took the exams... and I am glad that I did. I did better than I had thought I would.
I wish you well with your new grad-student exams.... you will likely do better than you think you will .... sometimes the anticipation is worse than the actual event. Have confidence in yourself, you know the material, some of it is just on the back shelf.
Hugs and well wishes.... think "success" ... I will be eagerly looking for your update.
Danielle
Hi Colleen, 09 January 2019
Best of luck on you travels as a Nun (poverty). Best to you Dear, I know you will succeed.
Looking forward to seeing you folks Sunday. Have a safe trip.
Best Always, Love
Christine
Quote from: Colleen_definitely on January 09, 2019, 06:03:19 PM
Today was the organic exam. I didn't cry but damn if I didn't forget things that I KNOW that I studied just yesterday. I managed a godawful score but apparently it was above the secret threshold and counted as a "pass."
I hated organic chemistry like hell. I had to take a rather big chunk of it for my degree, and it was pure pain!
I feel with you!
Good luck for the rest of the tests!
Linde
I love the mind that came up with that topic header.
Good luck, sweetie. It's not my field, but I hear P-Chem is the hardest. Somehow, I know you'll do fine.
Please come back and tell us.
Hi Colleen, Kellie, 15 January 2019
Again, it was a pleasure meeting with you beautiful ladies Sunday. I wish we could do this more often. I hope once I am in Phoenix and settled in, you and Kellie will come and spend some time with us.
Congratulations on passing all the tests; that was a great accomplishment. We all knew you could do it.
See you folks in Phoenix later this year; we'll be looking forward to your visit.
Best Always, Love
Christine
Thanks, I'm not entirely sure how I pulled it off. But it left a pretty good impression on the department chair so I've got that going for me.
And yes physical chem is pretty darn difficult. Then when you get into the quantum chemistry side of it things get silly. Organic was my groove, but I'm kind of a mutant when it comes to remembering useless trivia.
I pass you a fire extinguisher! :icon_wave-nerd: