First day back

As predicted, my chemistry courses are pushing me out of my comfort zone. Inorganic and stat therm are totally different types of chemistry from what I'm used to dealing with. Even adv. mech is pushing me out of my comfort zone with some tough Diels-Alder structures. I'm ok at seeing them retrosynthetically (I think probably from reading Totally Synthetic)--but for some reason the product picking and remembering the endo rule is harder for me to put together since I don't have much experience with dealing with pericyclic reactions. I also realized that I don't know where anything is on the periodic table besides...uh..most of the first two rows. I don't know what Maggie is going to think on my pre-quiz. If only I could take solely organic chemistry classes...

I had a minor flip out about not being mathematically prepared enough for stat therm after working through some calculus review Dan gave us. Also not knowing how to do double partial dervitives with respect to different variables. He sat me down and showed me how to do it and assured me that the calculus would not be my problem--it would be the algebra and the concepts and that I had a decent grasp, even of partial derivitives. I also had an involved conversation with Alan about various things, including things posted the other day, and about how he and his wife coordinated their careers.

I feel so much more at home in the chemistry department than in the biology department like 99% of the time.