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Thursday, February 27, 2014

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I thought I'd do a MamaKat's post today.  Since it's Thursday and I haven't linked up with her in a while.  I was perusing the prompts and came across

5.) Your least favorite subject in school.

and I thought, "Oh!  School!  I like school!"  Whod've thought that would be a problem??  I sat here wracking my brain for a LEAST favorite subject.  Geesh, what a nerd.

I mean, I liked school.  Heck, now I'm back in school so that I can work in a school for cripe's sake.  Least favorite subjects aren't something I consider very often.  But surely something must be at the bottom of the stack, right?

Nothing comes to mind, but I'm going with Chemistry, and that's a bit of a tragedy.

When I was a little kid, I thought that when I grew up, I'd like to be a scientist, which is a super vague and broad term.  But I pictured myself in some laboratory with the safety goggles and the beakers and test tubes all a-bubble.




I took chemistry in high school with all the other required sciences.  I'm pretty sure I got an A, but I don't remember hardly anything about it.  Granted, it was *hack* many years ago, but I do remember pieces of my other science classes.


In college, I was required to take General Chemistry (genchem).  I don't remember much of that class at all either, other than I recall thinking it was the same stuff we'd done in high school - which I don't remember, remember?






GenChem marked the end of my chemical romance.  I moved on to other things.  Later on, I worked at a (in the mechanical side) chemical company.  I was intruigued by the work the chemists in the lab did.  Creating new formulations and compounds based on what the chemists wanted the materials to do.

Yeah, THAT'S what I'd seen myself doing in my child mind's eye.  But we didn't do any of THAT when I was in school.  I think we balanced equations and stuff, making sure that the number of molecules on the right side of the equal sign matched the number of molecules on the left.  Okay, there, I remembered something after all.

I don't regret not becoming a chemist.  I've enjoyed the schooling and career path that followed.  But at the same time, I think I would've enjoyed being a chemist of some sort.  As long as I wasn't doing cruel and unusual things to animals.

I think it's why I like having a fish tank.  It's not so much about the fish, it's about keeping it all in the right chemical balance for the fish and plants in their little ecosystem, totally under my knowledge and control.  Which probably explains the apocalarium events...

.

20 comments:

Ms. CrankyPants said...

Holy CRAP, your post reminded me of my high school chemistry teacher. First of all, I sucked at science (and math, but I'm a girl, so that's not surprising*). The chem teacher was a monster who probably hated teenagers, and instead of waiting for students to raise their hands when he asked a question, he'd lunge toward you, finger thrust in your face, and shout, "YOU!" I felt panicky whenever it was time to go to that class, because I never knew WTF he was talking about and, as a result, never knew the correct answer when he shouted at ME to answer.

Fortunately, someone realized I (and a few other students) weren't mentally equipped to withstand the rigors of that class, and we were transferred to a for-dummies Meteorology class instead. Never have I been so relieved.

*totally kidding, in case anyone isn't sure

kayerj said...

interesting. Stopping by from mama kats kelley at the road goes ever ever on

TKW said...

Your commentary on fish reminded me of a failed Biology experiment. We were put into teams and assigned a goldfish. Then we were to drop little dropperfuls of alcohol into the water and observe the drunken fish's behavior. Our fish was Irish. He wouldn't get drunk. Until we added enough to kill the sucker. I didn't pass that experiment!

Anonymous said...

My chemistry teacher was cute, so I enjoyed going to that class. Didn't learn much, but I enjoyed going.
My least favorite was history. SO BORING! At least the way it was taught by my teachers. As I got older, I found it more and more interesting. In fact, it was one of my favorite subjects to teach in school because I wanted to make it interesting for my students. Wonder how many of them are historians now....
(And I'm thinking you probably shouldn't try TKW's experiment on your fish. The poor things have been through enough. Then again, maybe a shot of tequila is just what they need.)

terri said...

I don't remember much about my high school chemistry class, other than the teacher seemed really unsure of herself and was rather boring. Biology. There's one I liked. We drew our own blood one time and one of the boys passed out at the sight of it. Also, all the girls had a crush on that teacher.

Math. That was my least favorite.

No one is allowed to have fish tanks in this house. We had one for a few years. It was always green.

Guano said...

I liked Chem. Almost named one of my kids Adam, I liked it so much.
But as far as History? I'm the guy destined to repeat it.

agg79 said...

I think I had the same feelings with Chemistry. Was a math geek and never really got into the Chem thing even though I did well. In college, we all had to take Chem 101. One of those mass college courses that the roll the masses through. Didn't really peak my interest aside of learning how to pass the tests. Now my quantum physics class was a real bear.

LL Cool Joe said...

My brother is a Chemist. A doctor of chemistry in fact.

Unlike you I hated school and almost every subject going! Ha.

Abby said...

Monster teachers. Has everyone had one?
And thanks for the math vs. girl clarification. I was about to go off on you, but in a nice way.

Abby said...

Thanks for stopping by, I'll come over for a visit!

Abby said...

Hmmm.. was this biology class? Chemistry? Sex ed??

Abby said...

Funny how the older we get, the more we give a hoot about history. I guess I liked it okay because it was easy (lazy teachers).

Abby said...

You got to draw blood in biology? How cool! Well, except for the poor guy who passed out.
I need another plecostomus for my fishtank, but it seems cruel to subject another one to the evilness that lurks there.

Abby said...

I liked physics. There are Adams there too.

Abby said...

Yep, you've aptly described GenChem. A conveyor belt of students that were there because it was required for their major. Quantum physics was just a whole 'nother world!

Abby said...

Ha, that's funny. I have a tutor student that kind of reminds me of you. And he hates school too!

meleah rebeccah said...

"I don't regret not becoming a chemist. I've enjoyed the schooling and career path that followed. But at the same time, I think I would've enjoyed being a chemist of some sort. As long as I wasn't doing cruel and unusual things to animals."

Ya know, its funny - I can TOTALLY picture you AS a chemist!


:)

Riot Kitty said...

I disliked much of school, even though I was a straight A student for the most part. However, I really wish I would have taken chemistry because there is stuff I am curious about. BTW did you know that My Chemical Romance is a rock group?

KatBouska said...

I've always envied people who enjoyed school. I think I liked learning better in college than I did in high school, but the pressure is what killed me. The midterms and finals just caused me to panic!

Anita said...

I didn't realize the value of school until much later in life. I didn't hate it, but was a little bored here and there. Learning what I needed to know for my "future" job was my main goal; which is funny, because until I was a high school senior, I didn't know what that job was going to be. However, as a girl teen of the 70s, I took the stenography class as a back up. :) As I write this, I feel the need to thank an old friend of mine for dragging me to take the computer programming class with her.

It's good that you enjoyed school - for your own success, but also, that you could pass it on to your boys.