CH302 Random Musings February 14, 2008— V-Day special 1. The exam 1 scores are back. The average was a 74% and I am pretty pleased with class performance. Of course this is a score for only 181 of you and so the full results await the more than 300 of you taking it Sunday. I will defer till next Tuesday a more detailed analysis (assuming QUEST is yielding statistics by then.) 2. In the mean time, it is my pleasure to recognize David Varghese who took time out of his busy schedule to e-mail and let me know that 180 students would take the Wednesday exam. I am suddenly required to find a gift to give him, and I think most anything I would give is probably illegal, so I am going to leave an autographed copy of UT’s year book in the front of the room and will not take it with me as I leave. 3. This must mean that over 300 of you are taking the exam on Sunday night at 6 pm. Show up in Welch 2.224 and we will send the overflow next door to Welch 2.246. All the same rules apply that were in my administrative materials handed out on Tuesday. 4. A couple dozen of you have asked if the exam on Sunday will be harder. To this I will say that it saddens me that climates are created in which students and faculty believe they are adversaries. Actually I want all my students to do well and so it would follow that I would not attempt to be unfair to any of you. It will most certainly be true that either the Sunday exam or the Wednesday exam will result in one cohort doing better or worse than another—which one, I can’t say. 5. My office hours will be in my office until further notice. 6. Now for the obligatory pleas not to let your learning in the class slide. Continue to use the help sessions and academic communities so you can start to really learn equilibria and electrochemistry. 7. Worksheet 6 on buffers, neutralization and titrations will be posted this weekend. 8. Extra credit will be coming—I am already being queried about extra credit. There will be three extra credits for this class, each worth 1% of your grade. Briefly they will include e-mailing me about teaching a science hater some chemistry over spring break, attending a scholarly lecture in a field that interests you, and attending an undergraduate research poster session. Much more to come. 9. Getting an A in this class. Each of you is certainly smart enough to know the material and I would desperately love to see everyone in the class learn the material well enough to earn an A. I also firmly believe that the only thing standing between each of you and an A in this class is your effort and correct study habits. I can’t fix the effort, but I can offer suggestions on how to fix the study habits. If you want to talk about concerns with this class, or non-academic issues that are impacting you success in college, please come see me. Contact my assistant Judy at 471-6176 to make an appointment for us to meet, get to know each other, and discuss whatever is of interest or concern to you. 10. Poetry Corner. First three poems that have been written about this class at the interface between Valentine’s Day and the exam on equilibrium. After that, the raw aching poetry of science and engineering students in love. Most of them make me squirm with their unabashed sentiment. But I promised so here they come. The Chemistry to Hating Valentine’s Day Anonymous I woke up Valentine’s morning, and pushed open the door, To run to my computer, and check out my score. For last Wednesday, I took Dr.Laude’s test, I was sure I aced it, I did my best. But then I saw it, on my computer screen, out of 180 points, I scored less that 115! I am not too happy, so get the hell out of my way, This stupid score, ruined my Valentine’s Day! I mean, it was multiple choice, How hard could it be? I thought at the very most, I’d miss only three. But there were some questions a little too raw, like “which one is least true of the ideal gas law?” You see the word least, could be open to debate, but the tests have been graded, so it’s probably too late. So to end this poem my friends, I have to say, That because of chemistry, I truly hate VALENTINE’S DAY!A poem after failing the equilibrium exam At the start of the semester about four weeks ago, we were all learning chemistry extremely, very slow. But now that pace has changed, and its no longer review, for on that last equilibrium test, I scored a 122! For that one evil, satanic test, is one with which I must cope, because as far as exempting the final, I can kiss goodbye to all my hope. And then I thought, “Hey maybe, with extra credit my grade is saved,” then Laude announced to everyone, “NO EXTRA CREDIT IN YOUR EXEMPTION GRADE!” As my smile turned into a frown, and my bubble began to burst, I thought to myself, “well, it can’t get any worse.” For nothing can be worse than taking the final as my only grade, and I can’t blame Dr. Laude, since this grave is one I made. The final is around the corner, and there are many things to yet be read, I won’t be able to sleep very much, I’ll just pass out near my bed. So fellow classmates, What can you learn from this rhyme? Get off your lazy ---- and study, You’re running out of time! Ode on CH302 Oh Dr. Laude how you hate the fall and those trips with your daughter to be a model at the mall but still you love it and your family too and all of your students in chem 302... you love travis, his ipod, and the UGTAs as well and especially judy boy isnt she just swell but acids and bases really make me frown and asking if things shift left or right when the pressure goes way down so valentines day is a day of love for you and your schooling but i think "can i get an A?" who am i fooling... And now the raw aching poetry of science and engineering students in love For Mary Martha, St. Valentine’s Day 2008 Intermingled Souls Who is worthy for to sing your praise? My feeble tongue knows not sufficient words, Nor any creature save seraphim may raise A song to tell the world of our love. A warm mahog’ny crown my fingers brush, And sparkling blue-green stars do mine eyes meet. As the softness of your skin receives my touch Just so your tender heart does greet my soul. In full embrace I hold it now to me That, though we are apart, you feel my warmth; And ‘til your blissful countenance I see, So you hold fast to me my …
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