Archives: January 2013

#smallcomforts

So I got an email from UBC about being invited to Chem Info Night…

Usually I ignore these, right? But this one made me feel good.

Fact: I am feeling completely overwhelmed academically and I feel totally out of my game in UBC right now. (Aka I used to be the smart kid and now that rug has been ripped out from under me…) But that’s besides the point.

I did fairly decent in Chem 121 (In fact, it’s one of my success stories for first year) but this semester I’m back in that “Oh my gosh how did I even get in this school” and a lot of “What am I doing with my life I’m totally going to fail every course I’m in right now.”

And then I got an email inviting me to Chem Info Night, here’s a snippet of the enormous paragraph right at the get-go:

"Your outstanding performance thus far in first year chemistry at UBC has been 
noticed and shows that you have a real aptitude for this subject."

And it definitely made me feel good. SURE, THEY MAY PROBABLY SEND THESE TO EVERYBODY. Kind of like flattering the receiver so that they come to the event. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT. It made me feel good.

Small comforts, guys.

Small comforts.

PS: If you wanted info on the event they gave me a link in the email so here it is: CHEM YAY

 

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Juice, vitamin C, titrations, and CHEM123 labs.

If Chem 121 was baking from a recipe…

Chem 123 is like Iron Chef: where, you have to decide what you have to do for your experiment, follow your own steps and then… race against time!

Chem 123 is certainly a change.

But for the Vitamin C lab (Experiment 9) I have a few tips and tricks:

  • If you heat juice (like I did) use a clear juice. I recommend white cranberry. Or white grape. This makes the endpoint in the titration 502749238423x easier to see.
  • Some people did do actual fruit but in reality it will take time to heat your fruit then strain the juice out of it. It’ll be better if you just handle a liquid.
  • Work in a group. It’s always nice to have support and help with the lab report outside of the lab. No joke! The lab report is super complicated at this point. 
  • Plan your experiment well. Think about what takes time and what doesn’t. Think about what you can do while you’re waiting for something to heat up. 
  • Ask your TA for help! (True story, my TA is kinda … well let’s just say I don’t really enjoy asking ANY TA for help in my lab… if you have a situation like this, it’d be a good idea to turn to people who know what they’re doing.)

It’s certainly a different experience from Chem 121. In fact I find it’s a really big jump and that there
should have been an intermediate step at least. 

Keep in mind that in Chem 121 they practically gave you all the steps for your Experimental Design Form. In Chem 123, they don’t. Remember the small things like rinsing your pipets and burets, because those make the difference!

Hope everyone is having a lovely week!

(Anyone else noticing it’s getting brighter earlier and staying that way longer? Because it’s making me happy!)

 

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Moment #3

Moment #3 would have to be hearing Matthew and Stephanie Corker share their stories. They were just plain inspiring. Stephanie, being told that she wouldn’t be able to do the Ironman triathlon, worked hard at her goal, waking up at 5 am everyday to complete it.

Lululemon made a video about her amazing success and her complete dedication to her goal:

So amazing, crazy amazing. TOO AMAZING FOR WORDS? Yes. Absolutely yes. I can’t portray how awestruck and inspired I was. She’s a wonderful role model!

Her brother, Matthew Corker, talked about full self-expression. Something I think is important in anyone’s life, aspiring leader or not. Being able to be comfortable about who you are and fully express yourself, it’s something everyone has to learn. The way he carries himself and the way he wouldn’t stop smiling, showed that he wasn’t just talking a talk. He was walking it… hell, Matt Corker, was rocking it.

AHHH, so many squeals. So many feels. So much everything! Those two almost made me cry. They fill me with all this positive energy. Energy to go out and DO something.

It’s a good energy!!

I also think it’s super cute that the two of them have such a good relationship.

Again, I’m going to cut myself short here, the last moment will come up in my next post.

UBC SLC = the cause of many awe-inspiring moments.

(If you’re wondering, Moments #1 and 2 can be found here)

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