Still shaking a bit....

First and foremost, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who is pitching in to help me! That having been said, this really is more intense than I ever could have imagined. Wednesday I came to class well armed with some Khan under my belt and was delighted that I was able to follow along in the lecture on vectors. What is vexing me now is Wiley Plus. I check, and check and recheck my homework and the program keeps rejecting my answers. I am sure I am just not writing the notation in a way that pleases the program. Sure wish I could just turn in my work rather than struggle with this program!! My TA for lab is the TA from hell. 7 pages of detailed, I mean obsessively detailed instructions as to how she wants the lab reports submitted. I may have all my work and concepts correct, and she is going to bash me for not getting the format the way she wants it. Couple that with the fact that she wants everything in EXCEL and I am virtually illiterate in EXCEL and this first lab report has taken me almost 5 hours to write and format and I am pretty sure I still don’t have it right. Looks like HOURS of work this weekend. Desperately need a tutor and am on my own trying to find one. Other than that, things are great?? How’s everyone else?

Vicki,


You’ll get it!! Those online homework programs are exceptionally annoying. I had two semesters of the same for Gen Chem. (Mastering Chem.). The program is very particular. If your sig figs are off, or if any little detail is out of place, it won’t accept your answer. Many of us would complete the assignment in the tutoring lab and often the tutors could not figure out what was wrong with certain problems.


You will be able to deal with Excel. It really is quite user friendly. You will likely be able to use the same format throughout the semester, once you have the initial template set up.


There are quite a few introductory Excel tutorial videos out there that will walk you through the basics (with all of your free time ).


Good luck!! You got this!

  • VickiV Said:
First and foremost, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who is pitching in to help me! That having been said, this really is more intense than I ever could have imagined. Wednesday I came to class well armed with some Khan under my belt and was delighted that I was able to follow along in the lecture on vectors. What is vexing me now is Wiley Plus. I check, and check and recheck my homework and the program keeps rejecting my answers. I am sure I am just not writing the notation in a way that pleases the program. Sure wish I could just turn in my work rather than struggle with this program!! My TA for lab is the TA from hell. 7 pages of detailed, I mean obsessively detailed instructions as to how she wants the lab reports submitted. I may have all my work and concepts correct, and she is going to bash me for not getting the format the way she wants it. Couple that with the fact that she wants everything in EXCEL and I am virtually illiterate in EXCEL and this first lab report has taken me almost 5 hours to write and format and I am pretty sure I still don't have it right. Looks like HOURS of work this weekend. Desperately need a tutor and am on my own trying to find one. Other than that, things are great?? How's everyone else?



Vicki, I know what you mean all too well. As a matter of fact, I am kind of feeling the same way. Even though I am excited about this semester it is still stressful as hell! There is so much stuff that we have to know and it seems like there's not enough time to know it.

All I can say is "stay the course" hehehe! But seriously, take it one day at a time and don't forget about caring for yourself and your family too. Because at the end of the day its the drive that gets you to where you are going. Good luck and God speed!

Vicki,


Your post reminded me so so so much of how I felt first semester of physics last year. (complete with totally annoying computer homework and crazy lab manual)


I just wanted to chime in say I know how it feels


and trust me…It CAN be done, and you WILL do it


(now I just need to say that same thing to myself about Ochem)


On the plus side…I haven’t used the program you are using… but once you get used to it sometimes those programs have some really great hints that can help you navigate problems step by step so they aren’t all bad!

I feel for you, Vicki. My first physics lab this summer took forever to complete and then I spent a good 4 hours on the lab report on a Sunday when I wanted to be (needed to be) studying the actual physics for the lecture portion. Physics labs never really improved throughout the summer. They always took longer than expected and often were riddled with computer issues because we used a computerized lab program. Plus, the TA never actually did the experiments himself so was clueless when we asked for help. He basically fooled around on his laptop the whole time after giving us a one minute “explanation” of the lab. To echo mallory, it CAN be done, though. Be as tenacious as you have been in the past. I got an A in both Physics lecture and lab after a whirlwind, fast paced summer class and no real love for the subject to begin with. I did find physicsforums.com and Khan and MIT opencourseware and other online sources to be really helpful. We used the Cutnell & Johnson book, too, but not Wiley Plus. The book is okay, but like most science texts, it does not go in depth enough on the types of problems you will face and often there are things just completely missing in the chapter that you somehow have to infer when you get to a problem. I’ve learned to be a very good self-directed student, and it sounds like you are, too. From what I hear, this will be very helpful in med school. I for one, DO NOT trust a fellow student for help, even one who claims to have aced the course the year prior. If you are searching for a tutor ask your prof for suggestions. My physics prof this summer was adamant that the physics dept at our school was never approached or asked their opinion on the choice of tutors offered by the school’s learning center. Your school may be different, but always be careful who you find to help you/tutor you. The wrong person could just ruin your understanding and your grade. I personally am just not trustworthy of anyone without a bona fide degree in the subject I am seeking help in or at least someone who comes with a reference from someone I trust.


You’ll be okay, Vicki. Keep your head up high. I will be freaking out next week when classes begin for me. It never fails. I always go bat s@#% crazy the first two weeks of any semester thinking I’m not good enough, etc. Then, I settle in, get a grip on how to study for a particular class, get used to my schedule, etc. I am starting BioII w/lab, Cell Bio lecture, Cell Bio/Genetics lab, and Organic Chem I (this one “scares” me the most) on Tuesday so I will be ripe for freaking out. It’s the heaviest semester I’ve had thus far. Last time I took 4 classes at one time was in my 20’s and even then they were social science and humanities courses, so just not the same as this heavy science semester. I had Gen chemII, calculus, and Genetics in Spring and did well, but this upcoming semester is a bit daunting, but I know I’ll be okay. And, you will too!!!


At any rate, you always know you can come here and vent and find support and cheerleaders.


Best,


Shannon

Thanks to LifePlusMedicine, I just finished reading and studying the first chapter in the Physics book. It is still mind boggling, and the equations are a stretch for my little math impaired mind, but I feel more confident. I still need a tutor. What I meant by “on my own” is that my desparate pleas for a tutor have been entirely unanswered by my professor and my TA’s. I am going through the Disability Resource office now, and just basically introducing myself to every bright kid I’ve seen so far in terms of trying to find someone. Time to pray to the patron saint of med students - AGAIN!!! Thanks to everyone who has not made me feel alone in this endeavor!!

Wow, Vicki. Unanswered from your prof and TA’s? That is just wrong. It maddens me sometimes how almost purposely unavailable some profs and TA’s are. Sorry to hear that, but I know you’ll find your way! Best of luck!

FYI, I cried in class THREE times in Physics because the material was so frustrating/challenging and I was sure I would fail. I ended up with a B. And personally, I thought Physics was way harder than Organic Chemistry.