first year – semester three
This course review will be a lot more positive. At the end, I will discuss what my goals/plans for this year are.
In many ways, this past summer was one that I would never forget. Some experiences were very positive, and some were the unfortunate opposite. However, in terms of classwork, it was a resounding success. After a dismal winter semester, I was nervous going into the summer as I wasn’t sure that I still had the drive to keep going. But I did.
This is what went right: I went to every single class (except one when I was sick – now that doesn’t count)! I paid attention in class and took good notes. I read the textbook. That’s it. The secret to doing better is to do the bare minimum. That’s what my base level was, and that’s where I found my footing again.
History of Western Civilization to 1500
If you’re wondering why I’m taking a bunch of history courses while pursuing a chemistry degree, it’s because I’m minoring in history. I love history so much, and while I don’t love writing academic essays, it’s a pain I’m willing to accept. This course was very interesting.
Things I would do better next time: Start writing the essays earlier. I always started them three hours before 11:59 which isn’t ideal (the grades were fine though).
Challenging Topics: I missed one class and because the course was so fast-paced, I wasn’t really able to fully understand one section about Medieval Europe.
Exploring the Planets (Geology)
This course was so interesting, like holy shit, I was so engaged every single class. This course actually helped inspire this blog to an extent, especially the names of the maria and the lunar surface types.
Things I would do better next time: Start studying for the exam earlier, but it wasn’t too bad
Challenging Topics: Keeping track of all the different types of terrain and surface features of all the planets
Medical Anthropology
I took this course because I thought it would have something to do with sickfics lolll. Spoiler: there isn’t much overlap. However, it genuinely did change my way of viewing the world and how structural inequalities of all kinds impact people’s health in so many ways.
Things I would do better next time: Start writing the final report much, much earlier and actually finish all the discussion posts.
Challenging Topics: The discussion posts were actually quite challenging, especially the one where we had to analyze specific neighbourhoods in the city.
I’m not suggesting there weren’t struggles, but overall, this semester was so much better. It also helped that the courses were significantly easier for me. This helped me raise my GPA to much healthier levels, a trend which I intend on continuing into this year as well.
Unfortunately, the courses I took aren’t exactly conducive to a healthy GPA. If I had to rank them based on how difficult they are for me, I would say:
- Foundations of Astrophysics (literally what is going on??)
- Pchem 1
- Inorganic Chem Lab (same prof as the analytical chem lab… so… T-T)
- Biochem Lab
- Analytical Chem
- History of the French Revolution
It’s so bad.
However, I have plans. I want to make better study habits, and it’s never too late to start. I’ve identified some key things that many people suggest, but here’s the thing: you need to adapt them for yourself. Not everything works for everybody. For example, reviewing slides before class isn’t always an option because some profs (cough cough) upload them ten minutes before the start of class.
The things that I want to try this year include completing textbook readings during commutes, having dedicated study times for each class where I do practice problems and use active recall, and lots and lots of practice problems. Making pretty notes wastes a lot of time, so as much as I love it, I have to leave it behind. However, I do think making pretty summary sheets helps a lot, so I’ll try to make those.
Let’s hope these courses go well.
(Fingers crossed).
