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Rant: I hate college Chemistry...

Gamingphreek

Gamingphreek

Lifer
I don't know if it is just Virginia Tech's teachers but Chem Lab is an absolute joke.

All we do is measure the temperatures and what not. I can deal with that, its freshman year, we aren't going to get anything really really interesting yet.

But then the Lab Reports are ridiculous. The guidlines are vague, and no on ever manages to get an A on them. The content is extremely circular (recovers everything talked about at least 3 times). But then you get a load of points off for every little thing. Sometimes 2x.

For instance, the page number we were supposed to use to find the graph was wrong. So I read through everything and inserted what i thought to be the logical choice. Well it was wrong, and the graph was in there twice. So instead of counting off once i got -10 (out of 100) 2x. And then i got -5 for organization on top of that!!!!!

All of this among other things. I haven't cracked a 'C+' yet!

But the worst part is that i KNOW if i only put in the stuff i was missing and left out the rest of the stuff the difference of the scores would not add up. For instance if I got a -25 for explanation, and -10 for significant figures, if I only corrected those and took out the rest of the content I am DAMN sure that i would not end up with a 35. Probably more like a 2.

-Kevin
 
Not sure what your major is, but wait till you hit Organic Chemistry.

You'll wish you were back in Gen Chem
 
i went to vt and took chem, sure it sucks, but get over it, its practically the weekend, time for some beer
 
hahah gen chem...are you a chem major by chance? If so, wait till you get to Physical Chemistry Lab, now that's "FUN." 18 page reports on the regular, with 12 of those pages being strictly calculations...once again "AWESOME"!!! Then there is the lecture, now that's "UBERFVCKING TASTIC" especially when you get into quantum mechanics.!!!
 
Im in University Studies right now, but next semester im transferring into ECE (Electrical Computer Engineering).

Im not whining about this im just stunned because the grading scale makes no sense. I find it hard to believe that one graph is worth a quarter of the grade of the assignment. Or a significant figure is worth a 10 (JUST ONE FIGURE).

Other students are getting the same grades. Here for the first report we did it it was returned and we were allowed to redo it. I redid it and checked off the errors as i fixed them. While my grade went up drastically (33 vs. 76) i whole new set of errors popped up that were (and still appear to be) fine on the first submittion. As for that 33, i was actually in the upper range of grades for that one. The avg was said to be around 20 or so with a few students like me getting in the 30's and one or two getting around a 40 something.

I understand this course is trivial and will be easy later, but, like the world (or so i hear), it just doesn't seem fair.

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: isekii
Not sure what your major is, but wait till you hit Organic Chemistry.

You'll wish you were back in Gen Chem
Click to expand...

Heh I was just about to say that. Gen Chem is like a walk in the park compared to organic.

And no, you are not going to be the exception to the rule. I've known plenty of people (including myself) that have thought "oh, I do well in all my other classes, I'm sure orgo will be no different". It will be. Very.
 
I had to take Chemistry for Engineers. By far the most difficult class in college. I spent 90% of my study time on that class and barely squeaked a B.
 
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
I don't know if it is just Virginia Tech's teachers but Chem Lab is an absolute joke.

All we do is measure the temperatures and what not. I can deal with that, its freshman year, we aren't going to get anything really really interesting yet.

But then the Lab Reports are ridiculous. The guidlines are vague, and no on ever manages to get an A on them. The content is extremely circular (recovers everything talked about at least 3 times). But then you get a load of points off for every little thing. Sometimes 2x.

For instance, the page number we were supposed to use to find the graph was wrong. So I read through everything and inserted what i thought to be the logical choice. Well it was wrong, and the graph was in there twice. So instead of counting off once i got -10 (out of 100) 2x. And then i got -5 for organization on top of that!!!!!

All of this among other things. I haven't cracked a 'C+' yet!

But the worst part is that i KNOW if i only put in the stuff i was missing and left out the rest of the stuff the difference of the scores would not add up. For instance if I got a -25 for explanation, and -10 for significant figures, if I only corrected those and took out the rest of the content I am DAMN sure that i would not end up with a 35. Probably more like a 2.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Sounds like the reports I have to make.. I'm in high school, though, 5th grade (our grades are different).
 
Originally posted by: DaShen
Originally posted by: Soccerman06
welcome to the real world sucka!
Click to expand...

QFT... you are going to miss Chemistry once you actually leave college.
Click to expand...


Yep. The real world equivelant is when your boss tells you to use procedure A, B, and C to accomplish D. Then he gets his ass reamed by HIS boss because D is all farked up. Your boss then rats you out and tells his boss that he actually told you to use X, Y, and Z, but you apparently weren't paying attention.
 
Originally posted by: jbourne77
I had to take Chemistry for Engineers. By far the most difficult class in college. I spend 90% of my study time on that class and barely squeaked a B.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. In college i have found that i actually have to study. In high school, i could see it and know it. In college, the sheer volume of work is overwhelming.

Im actually good at calculus and math. But right now most of my resources are focused on my Calc 1205 and Linear Algebra 1114...mostly because you relearn it a different way than in high school and they want you to show all work that way and what not. Linear Algebra is easy but Calc can be kind of difficult (I swear they dont have one non-foreign teacher in the math dept...no one speaks english as a first language lol- makes it just that much more challenging).

-Kevin
 
Join me in organic lab. I spend about 3 hours doing the experiment and then I spend another 2.5 hours doing the 7-10 page (hand written) lab report, which has to detail every chemical reaction that could take place, all relevant information about the chemicals used, various questions the prof. asks, detailed observations of what you did and what you saw, then theorize why it behaved the way it did.

So, I get about 6 hours of lab with 2 hours of credit! Yay!

Anyway, the lab itself is really fun, paperwork sucks......
 
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Join me in organic lab. I spend about 3 hours doing the experiment and then I spend another 2.5 hours doing the 7-10 page (hand written) lab report, which has to detail every chemical reaction that could take place, all relevant information about the chemicals used, various questions the prof. asks, detailed observations of what you did and what you saw, then theorize why it behaved the way it did.

So, I get about 6 hours of lab with 2 hours of credit! Yay!

Anyway, the lab itself is really fun, paperwork sucks......
Click to expand...

Yikes man!! As an ECE major i dont think i have to take organic chem (do i?)

-Kevin
 
Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Originally posted by: jbourne77
I had to take Chemistry for Engineers. By far the most difficult class in college. I spend 90% of my study time on that class and barely squeaked a B.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. In college i have found that i actually have to study. In high school, i could see it and know it. In college, the sheer volume of work is overwhelming.

Im actually good at calculus and math. But right now most of my resources are focused on my Calc 1205 and Linear Algebra 1114...mostly because you relearn it a different way than in high school and they want you to show all work that way and what not. Linear Algebra is easy but Calc can be kind of difficult (I swear they dont have one non-foreign teacher in the math dept...no one speaks english as a first language lol- makes it just that much more challenging).

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Yep. Most of college is just about committing crap to short-term memory, and retaining it just long enough to get to the next semester/quarter.

College = how much junk can you cram into your brain and still work enough hours to pay for school

Real world = how well can you protect your butthole
 
Who cares what you get on the homework, and labs. If I remember right, when i took my chem class, most of the grade came from the midterm and final. Just know your sh1t, and you will do fine. Class is probably curved anyway, so just do better than half the other morons in your class and you should be able to get like a B- or something.
 
The only time you will see chemistry again as an ECE is when you start learning about silicon MOSFETS. ECE students don't take organic chemistry unless you are doing some bioE or chemE.
 
Who do you have for the lecture? I think I still have all my old chem labs. Want me to look for them?
-Umberger
 
Originally posted by: isekii
Not sure what your major is, but wait till you hit Organic Chemistry.

You'll wish you were back in Gen Chem
Click to expand...

QFT O chem sucks. More worse is quantitative o chem. You get to keep redoing the lab until you obtain the correct amount of product.
 
Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Join me in organic lab. I spend about 3 hours doing the experiment and then I spend another 2.5 hours doing the 7-10 page (hand written) lab report, which has to detail every chemical reaction that could take place, all relevant information about the chemicals used, various questions the prof. asks, detailed observations of what you did and what you saw, then theorize why it behaved the way it did.

So, I get about 6 hours of lab with 2 hours of credit! Yay!

Anyway, the lab itself is really fun, paperwork sucks......
Click to expand...

lol, I remember those. At least you get credit for the lab, my school didn't give any, you just got lecture credit.

Get used to it though, if you go work for a pharm you need to keep really good notes and keep track of every little detail, including stuff like lot numbers.
 
Originally posted by: Umberger
Who do you have for the lecture? I think I still have all my old chem labs. Want me to look for them?
-Umberger
Click to expand...

I have Dr. Amateis for lecture. She is a pretty good teacher from what i have witnessed so far.

If you have them it would be a great guideline im sure!

Thats good about ECE. Also learning about the MOSFETS and stuff is exactly what i was hoping for. I want the major where i learn about the concepts behind PCI-E and the bridges and interconnects on the motherboard (I guess basically Microprocessor Architecture)

-Kevin
 
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