I got a 71% on my Organic Chemistry test. I was a little mad at first, but I know that that is part of life. I’d be very stupid to think that this year is going to go like last year. Our organic chemistry teacher allows us to correct the problems on our tests and receive half of the points we missed back. So I got a chance to review the questions I got wrong, and it turned out that I made little stupid mistakes. But I think that bouncing back quickly is the most important quality for a pre-med student. Because you will get bad grades on tests, you will fail quizzes, you will at times feel like you don’t grasp the information at all, but if you bounce back quickly from your disappointments and your sulking, you’ll do better in the end.
What I’ve learned primarily from this experience is to do your “own” best and don’t worry about how you measure up to others. Since I had a 4.0 GPA last year (the only bio major that did) and I was freshman biology student of the year; I felt that I had to live up to those achievements. That was a problem; I wasn’t so much worried about getting a 71% as I was worried about people thinking that I had fell off. That just isn’t healthy, and I thank God for finally slapping me in the face and showing me the foolishness of it. I’m going to get into medical school because I did the best “I” could do; not because I did the best my classmates thought I could do. I hope I’m making sense.
Anyway, so that is the grade that I got on my Organic Chemistry test. After the test corrections, I can earn up to a 80% (I think). Today I also had a speech in public speaking. It was supposed to be a demonstration speech where we demonstrated something. My speech was on how to remove and how to install a cdrom drive. It went well, and then I had microbiology lab after that. Lab was actually pretty fun; we learned how to make bacterial smears, how to do negative staining, and how make simple stains. I’m actually getting MUCH better at finding things with a microscope, which is cool.
There are some pretty interesting things happening right now. First off, THERE IS NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The reason is because of Hurricane Ivan. It’s going to mess up Mobile, Alabama pretty bad, and Huntsville (where I’m at) is only 2 hours away; so they cancelled classes. Now as you guys know, I’m in a relief group called NAPS (The National Association for the Prevention of Starvation). We were there after 9/11, we were in Florida last week when the hurricane hit, and now we are planning to go to Mobile to help there. I want to go, but I have a Physics test tomorrow, and the teacher won’t excuse me. I hope school is cancelled tomorrow too.
Just as a side note; I was pretty depressed this afternoon because of my test grade and because….I don’t know, I just wasn’t feeling good. I was walking and kind of complaining to God, asking Him why I had received the grade I did, and if He knew I wasn’t ready, why didn’t He urge me to study more. And something told me to turn around, and in the sky I saw a beautiful rainbow. I shut my mouth and thanked God for the reassurance that the rainbow provided. (Just so you guys know, the rainbow is a symbol of God’s promise to us that He will never again destroy the world with a flood. I see it generally as a symbol of a promise). When I saw that rainbow, I remembered the promise that He gave us in His Word, the promise that He always has our back, and will never let us fall. I just want to encourage you guys, that whenever you feel like the world is coming down on you, give it all to Jesus. Trust me, He made organic chemistry, biology, physics, biochemistry, embryology, immunology, physiology, etc. He made all those things, so He can definitely get you through your classes and your struggles in general. Be encouraged.
BY THE WAY THE ANSWER FOR MY LAST POLL QUESTION IS “THE VALENCE BOND THEORY”. The VESPR Theory simply explains the bond angles.
Great Stuff!