Uniblog 16: How things are going

Every single person I've spoken to who's a third year or older has told me second year's the worst. And yeah, I can see why. In the chemistry department at least, it's a weird blend of not being experienced enough to choose your own modules, whilst also being expected to have your shit together. No more fooling around, you've got molecular orbitals to construct from symmetry arguments. How can you expect to pass your exams if you're going out clubbing and slacking off the studies?

 

I feel like this pigeon right now

At least, that's what's going around in my mind right now. The first few weeks of this year, I felt out of the swing of things. I couldn't find myself caring about the content enough, and soon enough, I found myself falling behind. Now, that wasn't catastrophic - I have since gone over the material again, and I mean to start revision soon. But that plan I mentioned a few uniblogs back - study during breaks, find a rhythm - I've done none of that yet. Maybe it's procrastination, or maybe I just don't want to face up to reality. Well, reality won't let me...so I need to get started soon. Once I finish typing up this post, I'm getting back to studying.

Module-wise, this year's been a mix.

• The good: the spectroscopy module's been very kind to me. It's mostly going over NMR, with the first few lectures effectively recapping first year, before shifting towards discussing more complex inorganic NMR spectra. Our lecturer's been very nice, though, and I think he might be my favourite. Compared to last year, where I felt lost throughout, I haven't found myself panicking too much/
• The bad: organic chemistry isn't difficult, it's just long. There's lots to remember, with new mechanisms and reagents, ranging from the familiar (oh look, Grignards!) to the foreign (what even is Raney Ni?). It's a module where I need to bunker down and study, end of. There's no other way to learn organic, to be honest. You just have to apply yourself until your mind fixates on mechanisms and your ink-stained hands are worn out from drawing curly arrows.
• The ugly: I haven't enjoyed the physical chemistry module one bit. There's a greater focus on quantum chemistry than last year, and even if every lecture ends up being about molecular symmetry, it's not straightforward. Yes, I know I need to study, and I am. I know why electrons being indistinguishable matters. Yet it will also take time, and I'm far too impatient for that.

Atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals if they have equal symmetry

There's also been medicinal chemistry, which I've decided to take again for...some reason. It's been okay so far, just designing drugs based on a wide range of factors. I'll probably blog about them at some point. 

On the other hand, my extracurricular module on science communication didn't last long. I put it down as my third choice module out of a range of different options, including music tech and creative writing, and somehow I ended up there. After one session, and deciding I liked having Monday afternoons off, I got rid. It wasn't mandatory, but I'm still annoyed by how things panned out. #

Halfway through producing some acetylferrocene

Labs, though, have been alright. There have been two synthesis labs: the first involved synthesising acetylferrocene, which was frustrating but rewarding. The second lab involved synthesising an ICl-pyridine adduct, which went much better but my yield was appalling. Guess which lab I need to now write a lab report on...

Recrystallising my ICl.pyridine using methanol

Everything else, meanwhile, has been the same as before. I'm still involved with the same societies, and I'm managing my low-intensity committee roles pretty effectively. I've found time for hiking, where I've got along pretty well with everyone I've met. I've also now published two articles in the uni newspaper, which were both positively received. When it comes to societies, I don't have a single bad word to say.

Otherwise, second year's been...okay. The content's harder, but that's no excuse for me. I remember feeling the same way this time in first year, where everything felt new to me, and everything turned out alright in the end. Overall, I think I just need to study more...and not lose sight of my friends. I could do with more chatter, to be honest. It's the second year out of a four year course, though, so there'll be time for that. 

An empty Gloucester Road: my local station!

Okay, I'll go study now. Have a nice Saturday, everyone. 

The sun can set on Imperial, but not on my career aspirations