PSU classes started this morning

[razpsu]

I still remember the first day of Chem 039, Organic Chemistry II. A Monday in January 1990 in The Forum. Prof. Ken Feldman. He wasted no time drawing reaction mechanism after reaction mechanism, all the while juggling multiple pieces of colored chalk to highlight various atoms and electron flow. He even used both hands at the same time writing some of the mechanisms. It was a blur. After this went on for 45 minutes, he closed the class with, “We start for real on Wednesday.”

Then you proceeded to shields to drop the course I would imagine.

 

[Rick76]

You've been away from school for a while: how dare professor/teachers teach (on any day).

That's right. All teaching shall be done by graduate assistants so that professors can work on their scholarly papers and fill out paperwork for government grants.

 

[LionJim]

I still remember the first day of Chem 039, Organic Chemistry II. A Monday in January 1990 in The Forum. Prof. Ken Feldman. He wasted no time drawing reaction mechanism after reaction mechanism, all the while juggling multiple pieces of colored chalk to highlight various atoms and electron flow. He even used both hands at the same time writing some of the mechanisms. It was a blur. After this went on for 45 minutes, he closed the class with, “We start for real on Wednesday.”

I loved Organic Chem. I blew it off the first time I took it and got an F. Took it again, gave it my all, and got an A. Great class.

Same story with Physics.

 

[Rick76]

I loved Organic Chem. I blew it off the first time I took it and got an F. Took it again, gave it my all, and got an A. Great class.

Same story with Physics.

I took physics with all kinds of other STEM majors. So these were all smart kids. First exam: class average 34. I got a 38. Next exam: class average 36. I got an 80. If you weren't committed to the grind, you were on your way out of the STEM curricula or out the door. I remember one guy who started out in Chem. E.; then went to Chem, then to Math, then to Economics, then to Business Administration and finally just flunked out.

 

[Bison13]

I loved Organic Chem. I blew it off the first time I took it and got an F. Took it again, gave it my all, and got an A. Great class.

Same story with Physics.

Ha. When I took regular Chem 12 at Penn State, I was a stupid freshman and did just enough to get a C. Then when I got to O Chem I thought it was 50 times easier and got an A while all my friends thought it was one of the hardest classes they ever took. Of course it also helped that I went to every class and actually studied that year.

 

[PSU Mike]

As a TA I f’ed with my students the first day. I planted my housemates in our tiered classroom, with one in the back row and one in the row below it. As I was writing my contact info on the board (yes, it was common then) the roomie in the back, on cue, knocked his pencil onto the floor and at the feet of the other roomie. The one in the back whispered to the other, requesting an assist with the pencil. I acted all perturbed, and when they tried to explain the situation I sent them out of the room. The real students’ jaws just dropped. I then continued writing on the board a note that the kids I sent out were my roommates - haha! They seemed to appreciate the humor.

 

[PSUJam]

Thanks to the internet, you're correct. Many professors contact the students a week or so prior to the first class essentially ruining a drunk first week back, better known as sylly week.

 

[manatree]

First semester, my roommate and I calculated how much we were paying per lecture. Did that every year. Whenever I was tempted to skip class, I would think of that per lecture cost to see if I really wanted to skip that class. Also, it made me p!ssed at profs that weren’t prepared enough to start teaching on the first day.

 

[LionJim]

Also, it made me p!ssed at profs that weren’t prepared enough to start teaching on the first day.

It’s condescending and disrespectful for a prof to let the students out early the first day.

 

[FHSPSU67]

I am assuming that’s the forum. Same structure I remember, but looks much better.

Padded seats !!!