More on my classes...

Haha. Maybe I just think you all can relate to these ideas.

I have a hard chemistry class, that I have enjoyed a little. He is participating in this new system of class review that happen 4 times during the semester and are more specific to the class. He also gets the results sooner... like a few days later. He usually posts about his response to them, and addresses an specific issues. Needless to say, his last posts addresses 3 of the answers I gave specifically. I don't know if other students gave similar answers or if my answers just bugged him. It just makes me squirm a little bit, like someone talking to you about something that was suppose to be confidential. While he never did address me specifically, I sorta felt like it. (P.S. I got another perfect score on my 2nd test... go Angela!)

I have a Parent-Child Relations class too. We have to participate in class discussions every week. Sometimes I get frustrated because I get messed up which week we are suppose to be in because some students went and posted all their discussions way back in the beginning. Then there is one particular student that when I read her posts, I always just want to rip her apart. Like today I really wanted to reply, "Did you read the question? This really doesn't answer the question, either part of it!" Or I feel like saying, "Is that really true?" as she shares some outrageously untrue facts. And she constantly sends the class a mass email wanting to know some "duh" part of the instructions. This last paper she sent out like 3 emails asking how long our final paper had to be, and the instructions of the paper said "limit 5 pages." Or asking if anyone had problems downloading such and such file, because she figured it out and could help them. Really, I usually don't get that annoyed with people, but it seems like she just pushes my buttons just right.

Just 2 more weeks and they will be all over.

I need to take a moment

and brag about myself.

So, I've been taking a few online courses to keep me busy and brush up because I've been contemplating pursuing my master's degree.

One of my classes is an upper level Environmental Chemistry class. I'm not as opposed to Chemistry as you might think. I generally don't mind it, especially compared to classes like Biology. Which I seem to struggle a little more with. I know that I'm more into the "romantic" subjects -- English, History, Sociology, etc.

We had our first "take-home" exam. I hate take-home essay exams because they are generally hard, thorough and long. This one was a little grueling too. These questions were hard and he expected 700 words per question. Also, at least one part of the question was not found in the book, because he expects you to use outside sources. Here were the first 2 questions:

1. Global Warming. Global warming is thought to result from an imbalance between the solar radiation received by the earth and that lost back into space. Describe the difference between the solar radiation and the radiation leaving our planet. Why is infrared, 10 μm emission thought to be most important in this energy balance process? How do trace gas species influence the atmosphere’s temperature? What are the some of the predicted consequences of global warming?
2. Stratosphere Ozone Depletion. What is stratospheric ozone depletion? Why is this potentially harmful? What anthropogenic compounds are thought to be primarily responsible for ozone destruction? What is the mechanism, i.e., what role does atomic chlorine play in the chemistry? What historic international agreement addressed this problem? Is it working?

The last question was a literary article that you had to tear apart into scientific fact, emotional statements, and subjective or circumstantial statements. Then we to interpret the article and explain the chemistry behind their claims. This was a pretty easy because it's more what I like to do (minus the chemistry).

I stressed about it. I spent hours researching and writing about it. And even after I turned it in I was a little worried about it. Since he hasn't graded anything we had turned in up to this point, I was a little more worried I was just doing things in a general manner which he hated. Which has happened to me before, but usually I do really well in my classes. All this worry about this class was making me sick.

But guess what?

I got a perfect score!!

Doing Hair

My sister tells me I always have good hair. I'll agree I think my hair is one of my stronger features-- it's healthy and long and naturally has a fair amount of curl. The color is a little ash-y so I like to add some red or some highlights, but generally try to embrace the color. For me, it's not one of those things I lust after everyday, I usually just do it and forget about it the rest of the day.

As one of my friends in high school once said, "Hair, accurately rated. Doing Hair, Overrated!" I have a pattern (shh! don't tell) I wash my hair and dry it and do it down or only partially up. Then next day I don't wash it and usually wear it up. I'll even let you on a more embarrassing secret -- sometimes I wear it up 2 days in a row.

When I wear it up, it usually is in a messy bun. If it starts out differently, well that's what it is by the time I go to bed. Well, I was feeling a little bored and decided to spice things up the other day and try something new.

Check me out!

P.S. I was inspired by Lauren on ABC Family's Make It or Break It. She is always doing something cute with a french braid.