Chemistry Reflection

This semester has been quite a semester for me. I feel like I have grown a lot, as a

student and as a person, but I also find myself falling into the same old patterns. Some things

have been out of my control, and I’ve just done what I could, and that’s ok. I also feel like my

signature assignment represents how the semester has gone for me to a decent extent.

The first thing I noticed about chemistry is that it connected really well with my biology

class last semester. There was a little bit of biochemistry in that class, and I feel like it prepared

me well for what would come. It also left me with questions, most of which this class has

answered.

Another thing I’ve noticed as the semester has gone by is that I’m a better critical thinker,

most of the time. The OWL assignments often give you problems you never learned how to

solve, be it from the lectures or the book. The approaches you can take to solve this is to either

take a stab at it, then learn how to do it, then do it again, or submit blank answers, learn how to

do it, then make an attempt. I found that I’ve gotten better at making solid attempts and getting

close even when I’m not sure what they’re asking for.

My perspective has also shifted quite a bit this semester, though I would say it’s not

solely due to this class. For example, I feel more like an adult than ever. I’ve also learned the

hard lesson that you can do everything perfectly and it can still blow up in your face. I guess this

class has helped teach me prioritization, that I’m capable of doing really well in spite of hard

things, and that sometimes it’s better to go see a tutor, even if they’re only confirming what you

already suspected.

I won’t say this semester has been without challenges, both academically and in my

personal life. I had a really poor teacher and sometimes that makes a difference. I had bad

days, mentally, sometimes for days on end. When that happens I’m simply not capable of being
as productive as usual so I’ve had to decide which classes to prioritize last, and thus fall behind

in. I’ve also suffered much stress at the hands of my perfectionist tendencies. I still haven’t

learned how to put in less than 100% effort in everything, but I’m trying.

Still, overall this class has been a big success for me. I’m ending the semester at above

100%, just where I like it. It’s a personal success too because the first class I ever failed was

high school chemistry, and I’ve always regretted it. I feel that for the most part, I’ve done a really

good job in this class. The high score on every test but one was mine, and I have a bunch of

random knowledge that will stick with me for a while, such as the significant numbers and

atomic masses I have memorized now.

I have to admit though, that I didn’t give the signature assignment as much effort as I

have other things in this class. I’m exhausted. I’m trying to learn how to put less effort into things

that don’t matter as much. I did the whole paper in a couple of hours instead of a couple of days

like I prefer to. But I still feel like it’s reflective of my semester as a whole because I started

really solidly. I pulled up my abstract, which was better than decent, and used that. Things went

downhill from there. I really should have pulled more information from the other sites I was

looking at, but I ran out of space. It all just felt a little rushed and a little sloppy, and that’s been

my life the past few weeks so that’s what we’re getting.

I’ve grown quite a bit as a student and a person this semester, and I don’t intend to stop

anytime soon, even though it’s often painful. This class has been a part of that learning

experience. My critical thinking has improved. My perspective has shifted. I’ve also had

setbacks and failures. My signature assignment is an ok representation of the semester I’ve

had, or at least the past few weeks. But for the most part, I think I can be satisfied with the way

this class has gone.