How are you enjoying this semester's classes?

[circulus vitios]

Organic 2: Just like organic 1 - I don't understand a lot and I hate what I do.
Upper level stats: Stats sucks and set theory is ******ed.
Ordinary diff eqs: Unbelievably tedious and ugly.
Linear algebra/matrix theory: Most boring class I've ever taken + worst textbook in recorded history.

This is the worst semester ever.

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[slatermd]

Organic 2: Just like organic 1 - I don't understand a lot and I hate what I do.
Upper level stats: Stats sucks and set theory is ******ed.
Ordinary diff eqs: Unbelievably tedious and ugly.
Linear algebra/matrix theory: Most boring class I've ever taken + worst textbook in recorded history.

This is the worst semester ever.

Sounds pretty lousy.

I'm enjoying Bio 2, sort of. Really enjoy pathophysiology.

 

[ozzi22]

i have a genetics exam tomorrow . i have studied my ass off and still i dont understand what the hell this book is trying to tell me lol. the wosrt part is that we only had like 3 class meetings before the snowpocalypse took over and we had to cancel school for like two weeks. so i literally dont know what the hell the exam is going to be like. i ma definitely going to bomb it

 

[LEUNIT]

This was me a year ago.

I find most physics books to be uninformative and inadequate. I like the subject itself, but I can't learn it if:
1. Professor can't teach.
2. Textbook sucks.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Orgo lab.. such a bother.. my teacher also for some reason decides to ask the most irrelevant post-lab questions. Other than that the rest of my classes are pretty good and the teachers aren't to demanding.

 

[Long Way to Go]

Organic 2: Just like organic 1 - I don't understand a lot and I hate what I do.
Upper level stats: Stats sucks and set theory is ******ed.
Ordinary diff eqs: Unbelievably tedious and ugly.
Linear algebra/matrix theory: Most boring class I've ever taken + worst textbook in recorded history.

This is the worst semester ever.

Which linear algebra and diff eq textbooks?

And upper level stats--Bayesian or classical?

 

[KTownGT]

Bacterial Physiology= Awesome class, bad ass professor.
Pathogenic Micro= Alright, mind numbingly easy tests. Monotone professor.
"Undergrad Research"= Fun, but time consuming. All the grad students around me are awesome and have taught me a ton already.
German= Lame, lame, lame. Teacher is nice, but too energetic at 8 am M-F.

 

[Gust]

-Calc 1
-Quantitative Analysis
-2 g.e. classes

Not a bad semester in terms of class load

But...studying for MCAT and dealing with the stress of applying this cycle puts this semesters difficulty on a whole other level

 

[Frazier]

Orgo 2 sucks -- I like the material, prof just makes it lame [w/ exams and all].

 

[theWUbear]

Virology, Human Health, Fungus Class (curse you degree requirements), Genetics, Endocrinology; gotta start my 50 page thesis, gotta get ready to apply in June, gotta apply for Spring 2012 study abroad, gotta not hate my life. My summer molecular virology and physiology courses at the med school start before my spring classes end

Can it be June?

No, even better: can it please be October 15th?

 

[sgtbrushes]

I find most physics books to be uninformative and inadequate. I like the subject itself, but I can't learn it if:
1. Professor can't teach.
2. Textbook sucks.

Oh, man, do I hate my physics textbook. Pretty worthless for physics 1, but it's a little better for physics 2.

O Chem 2 here starts with IR, MS, and NMR. I hated that. We're getting back into reactions now, and it's actually interesting.

 

[sc4s2cg]

Physics II: takes up too much of my time. The Professor isn't that good, and the book is horrendous.
Cell Bio: would be such a fun class, great Professor and fantastic book. If it weren't for the above...
Cell Lab and Physics Lab: meh.
Integrated Health Studies: your typical "career options" class, major requirement

And of course, MCAT. That is taking a lot of time too, at least two hours a day possibly four the way this goes.

 

[tanay]

Physics: AWFUL professor and we don't even have a book. I bought one anyway and it just looks like a mess of equations.
Genetics: I thought I would love this class, but it's pretty boring. First exam this friday and I haven't studied yet I should get off this site and start haha
Phonology: Really interesting, but tedious.
Gen Chem II: Blahh I actually prefer orgo.
Research: THIS IS TAKING UP TOO MUCH TIME!!

I hope the rest of the semester won't be too bad for us

 

[circulus vitios]

Which linear algebra and diff eq textbooks?

And upper level stats--Bayesian or classical?

Linear: http://linear.ups.edu/xml/latest/fcla-xml-latest.xml (It's free and I still feel ripped off for having to use this piece of ****.)
Diff Eq: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Differential-Equations-Boundary-Problems/dp/0471089559
Stats: http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Mathematical-Statistics-Applications-CD-ROM/dp/0534404731

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Linear: http://linear.ups.edu/ (It's free and I still feel ripped off for having to use this piece of ****.)
Diff Eq: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Differential-Equations-Boundary-Problems/dp/0471089559
Stats: http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Mathematical-Statistics-Applications-CD-ROM/dp/0534404731

Even if you hate it make sure you learn the hell out of differential equations. If you're an engineering major, knowing that stuff inside out is going to save your life junior/senior year.

 

[circulus vitios]

Even if you hate it make sure you learn the hell out of differential equations. If you're an engineering major, knowing that stuff inside out is going to save your life junior/senior year.

I don't understand how I can learn differential equations. I'm three chapters deep and it's more or less "Here's a differential equation. When it's in the form of (whatever) you can use this trick some dead guy from the 1700s discovered. Do a bunch of tedious algebra and do an ugly integral and you can solve it!"

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I don't understand how I can learn differential equations. I'm three chapters deep and it's more or less "Here's a differential equation. When it's in the form of (whatever) you can use this trick some dead guy from the 1700s discovered. Do a bunch of tedious algebra and do an ugly integral and you can solve it!"

Yeah, knowing how to solve every tedious yet slightly different problem isn't going to help you at all. My professor said so himself: "I use matlab". What I meant is make sure you get the general idea of what a partial differential equation is and how to set one up (possibly the most important thing)/what the solution means and how to interpret it/what the solution should approximately look like. All I know is I've been using it a lot since mechanics began. The problem with my math classes was that they focused more on turning you into a problem solving machine than someone who actually understands math. That came back to bite us all in the ass when our engineering classes started.

 

[circulus vitios]

Yeah, knowing how to solve every tedious yet slightly different problem isn't going to help you at all. My professor said so himself: "I use matlab". What I meant is make sure you get the general idea of what a partial differential equation is/what the solution means and how to interpret it/what the solution should look like approximately. All I know is I've been using it a lot since mechanics began. The problem with my math classes was that they focused more on turning you into a problem solving machine than someone who actually understands math. That came back to bite us all in the ass when our engineering classes started.

Same here. I don't like the class is taught from a math perspective. I wish my school offered physics or engineering majors. Applications of diff eq in the physical sciences/engineering is so much more interesting than "solve this." I think I might take a few classes in physics to get away from the latter.

 

[eli20]

Constitutional Law - Love this class, super interesting material
Music Cultures - awful, but div req.
Kinky Jane: Subversive Austen - meh, I'm not a huge Austen fan but it's pretty interesting so far, major req.
Tumor Biology - Love this class as well, great prof.

 

[Chamahk]

The amount of replies to this thread is 18. The amount of credits I'm taking at the moment. I was considering dropping but I guess this is a sign

so far, haven't had a test yet. Just quiz's. I've been doing better than last semester since I'm actually studying and doing some work.

The problem is labs. Chem and Bio lab at the same time and it's killing. I hate lab

Bio I + lab - it's doable
Chem I + lab - I'm tearing it up...'cept for today's quiz
English - got it in sight but a little slip and I could up up like:
History - the one class that might pull a "fast one" on me if I'm not careful
Music - seems to be my money maker class

18 credits. Man I feel like a champ

 

[orthomyxo]

Orgo 2 - Professor can't teach but he's an awesome guy. I feel like I'm understanding much more than I was during the first semester (except all that NMR ****) Babby's first lab, but reports are due on Sunday......wat

Physiology - Professor is brilliant but has a god complex. He lectures really fast and assumes we know much more than we actually do. Lenient grading system (>79% = A). Lab is painfully long and tedious, and we basically have no idea what we're doing.

Intro to stats - Very boring, but has no final exam.

Conclusion: meh

 

[evo]

pchem - definitely the hardest class for me, esp when we get into quantum mechanics. not looking forward to it but c'est la vie.
cell signaling - an awesome class with an awesome professor, loving it.
bunch of core classes - sometimes I feel that these intro classes involve way more work than the upper division courses.
stats - it's stats, what can i say.

conclusion: this is my last semester, and honestly, it's not bad.

 

[Chamahk]

Orgo 2 - Professor can't teach but he's an awesome guy. I feel like I'm understanding much more than I was during the first semester (except all that NMR ****) Babby's first lab, but reports are due on Sunday......wat

Physiology - Professor is brilliant but has a god complex. He lectures really fast and assumes we know much more than we actually do. Lenient grading system (>79% = A). Lab is painfully long and tedious, and we basically have no idea what we're doing.

Intro to stats - Very boring, but has no final exam.

Conclusion: meh

I hate your avatar. So nasty to look at when eating

 

[Chamahk]

pchem - definitely the hardest class for me, esp when we get into quantum mechanics. not looking forward to it but c'est la vie.
cell signaling - an awesome class with an awesome professor, loving it.
bunch of core classes - sometimes I feel that these intro classes are way harder than the upper division courses.
stats - it's stats, what can i say.

conclusion: this is my last semester, and honestly, it's not bad.

congrats on your last semester. Lucky guy. This is my second and I already can't stand the b***h (college)

 

[orthomyxo]

I hate your avatar. So nasty to look at when eating

What's so bad about it? It's Jim Carrey with tape on his face

 

[TooBright]

This was me a year ago.

I find most physics books to be uninformative and inadequate. I like the subject itself, but I can't learn it if:
1. Professor can't teach.
2. Textbook sucks.

I completely agree with you on this. Almost every textbook I've had has been the best source of knowledge for a particular subject - the exception is physics. The textbook really does suck. In my experience, the textbook attempts to give you a more fundamental understanding of physics, but does a terrible job in the wording it uses and its communication of ideas. The wording leaves a lot of questions and room for misunderstanding.

 

[Chamahk]

What's so bad about it? It's Jim Carrey with tape on his face

Looks nasty man. When I'm using the iphone and it's not zoomed in, it's hard to tell that looks like tape. It looks nasty that's the bottom line

 

[addo]

Im taking Advanced R&R, may not sound like much, but its tough and it takes 168 hours out of my week.

 

[atxgirl]

Gen Chem 2- I got suckered into taking the good teacher, but I am competing against the smartest 1/3 of my pre-med classes here, which basically means no curve for the class. Our classes first test average was an 84. In past years, it was in the 60s and 70s!
Gen Chem 2 Lab- Meh.
Diversity of Life- Boring as hell.
Diversity of Life Lab- Ditto
Mythology- Super interesting. Taught by a very entertaining grad student.
Brain & Behavior- My first neuroscience course...I am in <3!!
Independent Research Credit- Haven't been going to the lab as much as I should :/ I need to get on that...

 

[ShaneK]

My classes have been keeping me busy this semester but overall I'm enjoying it

Physics II + lab
Gen Chem II
Animals as Organisms + lab
Spanish II
Philosophy II

 

[Frazier]

Orgo 2 - Professor can't teach but he's an awesome guy. I feel like I'm understanding much more than I was during the first semester (except all that NMR ****) Babby's first lab, but reports are due on Sunday......wat

H & C NMR was a dream...Once you get the concept it's just putting puzzle pieces together.

This carbonyl chemistry is garbage - for all I care these enol tautomers can shove their gringardin' organometallic reagents up their ass sideways.

 

[LEUNIT]

H & C NMR was a dream...Once you get the concept it's just putting puzzle pieces together.

This carbonyl chemistry is garbage - for all I care these enol tautomers can shove their gringardin' organometallic reagents up their ass sideways.

So glad I'm done with all that (for now). *points and laughs

 

[Frazier]

My classes have been keeping me busy this semester but overall I'm enjoying it

Location: US

 

[daymann]

Organic 2: Just like organic 1 - I don't understand a lot and I hate what I do.
Upper level stats: Stats sucks and set theory is ******ed.
Ordinary diff eqs: Unbelievably tedious and ugly.
Linear algebra/matrix theory: Most boring class I've ever taken + worst textbook in recorded history.

This is the worst semester ever.

how can you be having trouble with diff eq? it's unbelievably easy compared to multivar calc. at least the first half. fourier series and wave eq.. things get interesting. unless ur up to there now in which case i would totally agree

orgo 2- somewhat hard, but very interesting
bio 2- a joke
ece circuits- hardest class ever taken
tissue engineering lab- time consuming...
research- awesome

 

[13132]

Sophomore Year sucks! I thought nothing could get worse than organic II and organic lab last semester...but it did.

Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry
Physics
Honors: African American Detective Fiction
Environmental Biology

Those don't sound bad, and that is why I took them. I was DEAD wrong. Environmental biology is really interesting and the fluff class in the mix. However, N330 (Inorganic) is the MOST difficult and time consuming class I have ever taken. Physics...well physics just sucks all around. Don't even get me started on my literature class. A novel a week is the last thing I need with two 5 credit hour classes with labs.

 

[ariah09]

Microecon - interesting and easy
Stats - blah
Managerial Accounting - probably going to be most challenging just because I found financial accounting to be annoying
Human Bio- Boring lecture, I feel like it's a waste of my time(the course in general)
Business Law - kind of interesting
Fundamentals of Management - again, boring, but easy

I want my pre-med req classes back. I'm sure I'll be eating those words taking Orgo and a few socsci courses this summer.

 

[orthomyxo]

H & C NMR was a dream...Once you get the concept it's just putting puzzle pieces together.

This carbonyl chemistry is garbage - for all I care these enol tautomers can shove their gringardin' organometallic reagents up their ass sideways.

We just started carbonyl chemistry. Looks bad man. My brain felt like mush after he last lecture. Teaching chapter ass-backwards = bad idea.

 

[s1lver]

The problem is labs. Chem and Bio lab at the same time and it's killing. I hate lab

Wait 'till you start OChem lab. The actual work takes about 30 mins. and you spend the next 3 and a half hours waiting for a reaction so you just stare the flask pretty much the whole time. Or you lab only has 3 IR machines so you wait 2 hours for your turn only to use the machine in less than 5 minutes. Dunno at other labs but at my school, if you finish early, you can't leave until everyone's done because of some BS post-lab discussion which takes on average 3-5 minutes and is super useless. I mean, you can even Google the answers!

Labs suck. Only thing I hate about being a science major... thumbdown

 

[s1lver]

And also, those effing lab reports! Those take waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time to write for a measly grade (only 2.0 credit units). I really should be spending my free time on other important stuff than doing these BS tables indicating how much of each reagent I used. Oh yeah, I used 1 mL of ethanol because, you know, that's what it says on the god damn instructions! And this sodium sulfate, I used 0.500 g of that. Why? Because it says so in the god damn procedure!!! What do you think I'm doing? Just randomly adding any amount because I feel like it? And this water, I boiled it at 85 C not because I thought 85 was a good number but because, again, it says so on the instructions!!! Jesus Christ...

 

[13132]

how can you be having trouble with diff eq? it's unbelievably easy compared to multivar calc. at least the first half. fourier series and wave eq.. things get interesting. unless ur up to there now in which case i would totally agree

orgo 2- somewhat hard, but very interesting
bio 2- a joke
ece circuits- hardest class ever taken
tissue engineering lab- time consuming...
research- awesome

And also, those effing lab reports! Those take waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time to write for a measly grade (only 2.0 credit units). I really should be spending my free time on other important stuff than doing these BS tables indicating how much of each reagent I used. Oh yeah, I used 1 mL of ethanol because, you know, that's what it says on the god damn instructions! And this sodium sulfate, I used 0.500 g of that. Why? Because it says so in the god damn procedure!!! What do you think I'm doing? Just randomly adding any amount because I feel like it? And this water, I boiled it at 85 C not because I thought 85 was a good number but because, again, it says so on the instructions!!! Jesus Christ...

Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!? I totally agree! Lab makes me hate life and the only thing that makes me hate science.

 

[ridethecliche]

Orgo was awesome.

I miss it.

I don't remember biochem fondly, but that was the semester from hell both academically and life-wise.

 

[orthomyxo]

Wait 'till you start OChem lab. The actual work takes about 30 mins. and you spend the next 3 and a half hours waiting for a reaction so you just stare the flask pretty much the whole time. Or you lab only has 3 IR machines so you wait 2 hours for your turn only to use the machine in less than 5 minutes. Dunno at other labs but at my school, if you finish early, you can't leave until everyone's done because of some BS post-lab discussion which takes on average 3-5 minutes and is super useless. I mean, you can even Google the answers!

Labs suck. Only thing I hate about being a science major... thumbdown

How many people do you have in your lab that it requires the use of 3 IR spectrometers? We only have and need one.

I will agree that lab reports are bull****. My orgo lab is only 1 damn credit!!

 

[Frazier]

How many people do you have in your lab that it requires the use of 3 IR spectrometers? We only have and need one.

I will agree that lab reports are bull****. My orgo lab is only 1 damn credit!!

Yea, ours is only 1hr credit too.

3.5 hour lab + 3 hour weekly writeup + 1-2 hours preparing for the pre-experiment quiz &#8800; 1 credit hour.

 

[WorldChanger36]

Molecular Biochem- Hard but very informative course
Immunology- Good class but getting that A is going to take a bit more work
Intro to environmental studies -Slow and boring quizzes are annoyingly stupid
Toxicology- Great class great teacher. Wish it would focus on the chemistry a bit
Evolution- Taught by the most difficult and stubborn Professors in the school. Huge test coming up.... Could be bad, I am going to try to make it great.

Long and difficult semester.

 

[SoftwareKevin]

Bio + lab - Animal physiology is great. We spent way too much time on evolution though which got old after a while
Ochem + lab - I love ochem
Biochemistry - For a 3 credit class, this class gives you enough work for 10 credits. I spend more time on biochemistry memorizing things than my other classes combined

This quarter is going well but the work load is killing me. Somehow I have to find time for MCAT studying

 

[SoftwareKevin]

Wait 'till you start OChem lab. The actual work takes about 30 mins. and you spend the next 3 and a half hours waiting for a reaction so you just stare the flask pretty much the whole time.

Haha we just did biodiesel synthesis and your description is dead on. Mix a couple things, heat it for 30 minutes. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Let it centrifuge for 5-10 minutes. Extract and heat it again for 20 minutes. Play angry birds on phone rest of time

 

[circulus vitios]

how can you be having trouble with diff eq? it's unbelievably easy compared to multivar calc. at least the first half. fourier series and wave eq.. things get interesting. unless ur up to there now in which case i would totally agree

orgo 2- somewhat hard, but very interesting
bio 2- a joke
ece circuits- hardest class ever taken
tissue engineering lab- time consuming...
research- awesome

It's not hard, it's just an amazing pain in the ass because it's so boring and tedious. Oops, I made a mistake in my algebra on step 3 of 13. My entire answer is now wrong.

 

[gettheleadout]

I am scared ****less right now, pretty sure I'll get a D on the Cal II test I just took.

 

[circulus vitios]

Wait 'till you start OChem lab. The actual work takes about 30 mins. and you spend the next 3 and a half hours waiting for a reaction so you just stare the flask pretty much the whole time. Or you lab only has 3 IR machines so you wait 2 hours for your turn only to use the machine in less than 5 minutes. Dunno at other labs but at my school, if you finish early, you can't leave until everyone's done because of some BS post-lab discussion which takes on average 3-5 minutes and is super useless. I mean, you can even Google the answers!

Labs suck. Only thing I hate about being a science major... thumbdown

Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to take quantitative analysis lab. I did last semester. It made organic lab seem awesome in comparison. Lab grade was based on your percent yield; >40 parts per thousand error and the experiment is a failure. I've watched flasks of water boil for an hour and waited 30 agonizing minutes to filter .5 L of solution through a piece of crap sintered glass funnel.

 

[poshdoctor]

Molecular Biology & MBLab: Great class with a great professor
Reading & Composition: Perfect class & funny teacher (I'm an english minor)
World Heritage: Love! Love! Love! So interesting!
Calculus: I'm loving this one too!

This semester is definatly better than the last!