This part of my homepage deals with the joys and anguish of
education...
Everybody has differing ideas on education. I believe
that the human mind was created so complex for a reason and there's no
sense in letting such a great thing go to waste.
The University of Alberta marks on a 9-point scale, which means that a 9 is perfect and a 7 and 8 are good and a 5 and 6 are satisfactory and a 4 is passing and anything under a 4 is crappy.
Links to past courses
Biology 107 - Introduction to Cell Biology
This was the very first University Science course I took. I bombed the midterm because I had
no clue how to study...but I ended up with a 7 in the course. Basically, this course covers the smallest unit that
comprises organisms -- the cell -- looking at processes such as metabolism, communication, and the like.
Biology 108 - Organisms in their Environment
This course deals with the diversity (classification and biology) of life on Earth from sponges to pine trees. I got an 8 in this course.
Biology 207 - Molecular Genetics and Heredity
Okay, I have to admit that this course sucked. The Prof was terrible. The course is so immensely complex that
it requires so much instruction and attention that he never provided...he made
the exams so easy that even though I had a 92% in the course I ended up with a 7! The lab component was terrible too.
Biology 208 - The Principles of Ecology
Bio 208 deals with how organisms choose places to live and how we can determine if an
organism will occupy a certain place. Equations are introduced to calculate
population density and the like. I got a 7 in this course.
Zoology 224 - Vertebrate Diversity
A lot of people thought this course was a killer 'cause there was so much memorization to do (which
I'm really good at). Basically this course is about classifying all the vertebrates into their
families, classes, orders, etc. This comes in handy to figure out which
animals are related. I got a perfect 9 *s*.
Zoology 225 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates
This course has a dissection component to it -- which a lot of students
found revolting, but I loved it. What better way to learn how the body works
than to dissect it -- even though it was with a cat and a shark. But I learned a lot
of useful information about the body (excretion, muscular function). I got an 8.
Zoology 242 - Animal Physiology II: Intercellular Communication
This is a neurology-endocrine-immunology course and it's HARD. It's hard because you can't observe what's occurring on such a small scale yourself.
The exams are formatted in such a way that you cannot guess so you have to know the material 100% and be able to apply it to every-day occurrences.
Zoology 250 - Survey of the Invertebrates
Of all the courses with a lab component, this is the one I liked the most.
Because Edmonton is land-locked, seeing marine invertebrates (sea-living animals that lack a vertebral column)
is nearly impossible. However, there was a little tank in the lab that contained specimens from
the animals we studied. We dissecting things like crayfish, snails, parasitic worms, squids, and sea cucumbers.
I got a 7 in this course 'cause I bombed the final *L*.
Chemistry 101 - Introductory Inorganic Chemistry I
Chemistry 102 - Introductory Inorganic Chemistry II
Chemistry 261 - Introductory Organic Chemistry I
Chemistry is not my thing, but it's required in the Faculty of Science that you take at least 2 undergraduate introductory
chemistry courses. I got a 6 in Chem 101, a 7 in Chem 102, and a 7 in Chem 261
German
I took an undergraduate German language course 'cause my Dad refused to teach his
children German 'cause he thought it would be useless. I got an 8 in German 100, with a
commendation from the Faculty of Germanic Languages about my performance *s*.
English 100 - Literature in English, Beginnings to the Present
I hate English. Since grade 11 I've been suffering from writers block. The elementary school I attended didn't teach us
the basics of grammar nor punctuation...so I've just been swimming in my words until I took English 100 and learned that it's
actually not "Me, Bob and Jane went to Calgary" (it's actually
"Bob, Jane, and I went to Calgary"). I got a 5 in this course, but I found
the literature to be very interesting because it covered from the first published English work (Canterbury Tales by Chaucer) that
was actually still Germanic (English is Germanic *gasp*).
Starting in September I'll be taking an in-depth Genetics course, another Ecology couse, a biochemistry course, more zoology course, and so on. This past academic year I came away with honours, so I'll be shooting for the same thing in the next two years. I have no clue where my education will lead me because I'm taking something I'm interested in because I believe that you should do what you find interesting and not something that'll just get you a job.
Other than that, I do have interests outside of my studies. I've always been interested in Greek Mythology (one of my middles names is Athena).
I also love astronomy. I would have minored in Astronomy, but I suck at Physics *pblt*. I like it so much because it's amazing how we are just minute entities in an ever-expanding (or ever-contracting?) universe.
Volcanology is yet another Physical Science I've always loved. I have no clue why I'm so interested in these forces of nature, but I do know that volcanoes are what made this planet and they may also be what will destroy it.
If Palaeontology wasn't such a tedious job I'd have to say that I'd love to study it. I'll be taking a palaeontology course in my fourth year and I'm hoping the go to the here
Links to other parts of my homepage...
Baby J's Animal Page
Baby J's joke page
What I find neat
The Secrets to Winning at Monopoly
Some pics of my pals and me
In my opinion
Baby Footprints
A little baby-love
Learn some baby talk *s*
The places this baby loves to go
