This has been a never-ending week. I did a huge experiment. Like, huge. Usually when I do these huge experiments, I inevitably fuck up something. Once I was harvesting cells at 6 different time points, one of which had to be done at midnight. I came in, harvested the cells, put them in the centrifuge - and then forgot about them and went home. The whole thing was ruined. I just looked in the centrifuge in the morning and stared at it for a few minutes, hating myself and everything. I had to do it all again. Because I am retarded.
Amazingly, though, everything worked this week. Also, it's horrible that everything worked. I've barely slept, and I'm so tired right now that I'm forgetting simple things. Thank fuck for spell check.
At any rate, it's good to be back to the bench at full-throttle. Maybe I'm getting older, or maybe I just hit it too hard to quickly after being at my desk writing for so long, but I am fucking knackered to fuck.
Thankfully, no weekend work is required. I am already dreaming of my bed. I'm just waiting for those last few washes to tick away, and then it's time for home and beer. But at the same time, I am already wishing for next week when I start getting the results. It's going to be awesome.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Yo Teach
I've neglected to discuss a very large area of commitment that has taken over my life: teaching. I think it has a lot to do with the the fact that teaching is totally masochistic, and I was a little embarrassed to admit my desire to destroy myself even more slowly and painfully than if I were just in lab all the time. But what the hell, here I am. Teaching.
Last semester I was responsible for a single lecture in a graduate-level course. As with everything I do, it ended up taking a lot longer to prepare the lecture than I originally thought. I had to learn some things, re-learn some things, and try to keep it from being stuffy but thorough at the same time. I thought very hard about all the things I complained about my first year in grad school in regards to shitty courses and aimed to do the opposite.
According to the class feedback, I succeeded. They loved it. I was so fucking happy, because this time I felt like it really counted. The people here in the lab tell me that I'm a good teacher, but I can't help but feel that they are blowing smoke up my ass. To hear it from an unbiased source through anonymous evaluations really meant a lot.
Then they took my portion of the exam.
The other instructors did multiple choice, but not me. And holy fuck did they bomb my section. I failed 2/3 of the class while two people received 100%. The reason that they failed was that they didn't answer the question that I asked. I have to know - how the fuck do you NOT answer the question? I don't understand! It was infuriating. I mean, the exam was open book and open note. What the fuck?? It was very disheartening and it totally deflated me. But damnit, I'm not dropping my standards.
So I found out earlier this week that I am now one of the co-organizers of the course for this year. I also found out that we have to completely overhaul the course and build it back from the ground up.
What have I done? At least I will be making bartenders and brewers very happy for all of 2011.
Shit.
Last semester I was responsible for a single lecture in a graduate-level course. As with everything I do, it ended up taking a lot longer to prepare the lecture than I originally thought. I had to learn some things, re-learn some things, and try to keep it from being stuffy but thorough at the same time. I thought very hard about all the things I complained about my first year in grad school in regards to shitty courses and aimed to do the opposite.
According to the class feedback, I succeeded. They loved it. I was so fucking happy, because this time I felt like it really counted. The people here in the lab tell me that I'm a good teacher, but I can't help but feel that they are blowing smoke up my ass. To hear it from an unbiased source through anonymous evaluations really meant a lot.
Then they took my portion of the exam.
The other instructors did multiple choice, but not me. And holy fuck did they bomb my section. I failed 2/3 of the class while two people received 100%. The reason that they failed was that they didn't answer the question that I asked. I have to know - how the fuck do you NOT answer the question? I don't understand! It was infuriating. I mean, the exam was open book and open note. What the fuck?? It was very disheartening and it totally deflated me. But damnit, I'm not dropping my standards.
So I found out earlier this week that I am now one of the co-organizers of the course for this year. I also found out that we have to completely overhaul the course and build it back from the ground up.
What have I done? At least I will be making bartenders and brewers very happy for all of 2011.
Shit.
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