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1
Bd6r
2022 May 30, 6:49am
Bd6r
2022 May 30, 6:49am
Yes, BS in Chem E, later switched to chemistry. Kind of opposite for OP. Liked experiments, but was intensely bored with applied mechanics, turbulent flows etc that is required for ChemE. I find that often the best students in chemistry classes are engineering majors, incl Chem E.
2
Al_Sharpton_for_President
2022 May 30, 6:54am
Al_Sharpton_for_President
2022 May 30, 6:54am
Bio major undergrad. Aced organic chem. Was the curve buster. Frequent 100's on exams back in the day when that was the highest grade given out. Once you figured out basic principles, and could visualize, you could see where things were going.
Hated biochem. Pathways, pathways, pathways. Too much memorization, although I appreciated the higher principles. I took it after organic chem and it was a letdown. Stayed away from Pchem as calculus wasn't a strong suit and I didn't need to take it.
Hated biochem. Pathways, pathways, pathways. Too much memorization, although I appreciated the higher principles. I took it after organic chem and it was a letdown. Stayed away from Pchem as calculus wasn't a strong suit and I didn't need to take it.
3
clambo
2022 May 30, 7:47am
I was also a little bored by organic chemistry.
I think that’s where the gays got “cis” v “trans” from, funny how that worked.
In the lab I made a strange material by mistake, I should have saved it for posterity.
I think that’s where the gays got “cis” v “trans” from, funny how that worked.
In the lab I made a strange material by mistake, I should have saved it for posterity.
4
KgK one
2022 May 31, 8:25am
BS chem E . Organic chem killed me in university. All appeared same on final test. No matter how much I memorized, it was same. Lowered GPA and scared me from med school.
I found enterprise databases more fun for chem companies. Also u don't have to be in lab , touching chemicals. After reading many MsDS found lot of it causes cancer n other side effects.
I found enterprise databases more fun for chem companies. Also u don't have to be in lab , touching chemicals. After reading many MsDS found lot of it causes cancer n other side effects.
5
Bd6r
2022 May 31, 8:39am
Bd6r
2022 May 31, 8:39am
KgK one says
I read MSDS of p-acetylaminophenol which is paracetamol. Bottle in lab has warning up the wazoo - it is toxic, dangerous, etc. But we can take it as medicine. A lot of this "dangerous chemicals" stuff is companies covering their asses. But a few which are really toxic get drowned out by them saying that everything is toxic.
After reading many MsDS found lot of it causes cancer n other side effects.
I read MSDS of p-acetylaminophenol which is paracetamol. Bottle in lab has warning up the wazoo - it is toxic, dangerous, etc. But we can take it as medicine. A lot of this "dangerous chemicals" stuff is companies covering their asses. But a few which are really toxic get drowned out by them saying that everything is toxic.
6
Patrick
2022 May 31, 9:44pm
Patrick
2022 May 31, 9:44pm
I was pre-med and actually got into medical school but didn't go when it came time to sign for the loans. So I had a lot of chem, physics, biology, etc and mostly enjoyed it.
Didn't know what I wanted to do for the longest time, so I ended up being an undergrad for a total of 7.5 years.
Didn't know what I wanted to do for the longest time, so I ended up being an undergrad for a total of 7.5 years.
7
AmericanKulak
2022 Jun 1, 8:33am
AmericanKulak
2022 Jun 1, 8:33am
Failed Chemistry in 8th grade. Took an online course so as assuage my ignorance and not to be a total retard a few years ago and passed elementary chemistry.
Would love to do more, esp. practical and useful shit. Think Granddad's Chemistry and "Chemistry for the meanest understanding, London, 1898"
Would love to do more, esp. practical and useful shit. Think Granddad's Chemistry and "Chemistry for the meanest understanding, London, 1898"
8
Bd6r
2022 Jun 1, 9:40am
Bd6r
2022 Jun 1, 9:40am
AmericanKulak says
That type of stuff was my first chem textbook, printed in 1922. Read by myself when I was 13.
Granddad's Chemistry and "Chemistry for the meanest understanding, London, 1898"
That type of stuff was my first chem textbook, printed in 1922. Read by myself when I was 13.
9
Patrick
2022 Jun 1, 10:30am
Patrick
2022 Jun 1, 10:30am
I was also trying to read my dad's college chem textbook at about that age.
10
Bd6r
2022 Jun 1, 10:38am
Bd6r
2022 Jun 1, 10:38am
Patrick says
At those times, textbooks had more connection to real life. For example, one that I read had procedure for making alcohol and vinegar from sugar with subsequent explanation of chemistry. This made it very interesting in that it was not just dry theory but had practical applications of stuff happening around you. It also had recipee for making nitroglicerin but luckily for me and my parents I was not able to reproduce it even though I tried 10 times. It kind of worked once, with a 6 ft flame...
I was also trying to read my dad's college chem textbook at about that age.
At those times, textbooks had more connection to real life. For example, one that I read had procedure for making alcohol and vinegar from sugar with subsequent explanation of chemistry. This made it very interesting in that it was not just dry theory but had practical applications of stuff happening around you. It also had recipee for making nitroglicerin but luckily for me and my parents I was not able to reproduce it even though I tried 10 times. It kind of worked once, with a 6 ft flame...
11
Hircus
2022 Jun 1, 11:42am
Hircus
2022 Jun 1, 11:42am
Patrick says
Ditto. I kept going back to college and then quitting over and over mostly due to changing my mind on my major. I think I had a little over double the credits needed to graduate when I eventually did. Fortunately all this toiling was at community colleges, and most of it was back when a course cost maybe $100 per semester or so.
Didn't know what I wanted to do for the longest time, so I ended up being an undergrad for a total of 7.5 years.
Ditto. I kept going back to college and then quitting over and over mostly due to changing my mind on my major. I think I had a little over double the credits needed to graduate when I eventually did. Fortunately all this toiling was at community colleges, and most of it was back when a course cost maybe $100 per semester or so.
12
Patrick
2022 Jun 1, 11:49am
Patrick
2022 Jun 1, 11:49am
My major changed from chemistry, to just pre-med, to German, to psychobiology, and to computer engineering. But I ended up with two undergrad degrees with only about $20,000 in debt, because I worked during school, and got a fair number of scholarships. Transferring from private Notre Dame to public U. Michigan also helped to reduce cost a lot, since I got in-state tuition there.
13
KgK one
2022 Jun 1, 12:09pm
Same here, 20k in loans, paid off in 6 months by staying with parents. Took me extra year to finish. Was was pre med, then chem, then chem eng. Though most of my classmates went into IT right after. So many chem E have changed into IT. In chem E you are fighting dwindling job market due to manufacturing exodus.
They have kept IT, though I thought they might export that also for lower cost.
They have kept IT, though I thought they might export that also for lower cost.
14
GreaterNYCDude
2022 Jun 1, 12:37pm
I've dabbled in programming, over the years and even done basic hardware swapouts and pc builds, but I think I'd go crazy if I did IT full time.
Thankfully there are still Chem Eng jobs to be had. I'm almost lying biased, but it's a fairly versatile degree. Many mechanical roles could be filled by a Chem E due to the crossover of skill sets and vice versa.
I came out with almost $100,000 in loans. Probably the only thing I would have done differently is play the financial aid game a bit better. I have under $15,000 left to pay off (I'm on the slow and low plan at 2% interest rate) but from what I keep reading, Biden may wipe put the majority of that... not that I need or even want the handout.
Thankfully there are still Chem Eng jobs to be had. I'm almost lying biased, but it's a fairly versatile degree. Many mechanical roles could be filled by a Chem E due to the crossover of skill sets and vice versa.
I came out with almost $100,000 in loans. Probably the only thing I would have done differently is play the financial aid game a bit better. I have under $15,000 left to pay off (I'm on the slow and low plan at 2% interest rate) but from what I keep reading, Biden may wipe put the majority of that... not that I need or even want the handout.
Loved chemistry in high school. Funky colors, strange smeels, getting my hands dirty, occasionally blowing stuff up, etc. Plus my high school Chem teacher was accident prone so there was always the chance for a good show.
Realized I wasn't the most accurate lab hand, (a pinch of this and a bit of that works fine for cooking dinner, but not for making chemicals) so I diverted to chemical engineering for college. Figured it would help me keep all my fingers and still have fun.
Hated organic chemistry in college. Had an old school teacher. Lots of memorization, very dry and dull. Alkanes, Alykenes and Keytones didn't excite me. The irony is my roommate, who was a bio major, passed easily. I struggled to get through, despite extra help. The lab was even worse than the lectures. Barley passed.
It go so bad, I took an extra inorganic chemistry class to meet my degree requirements.
So do we have any chemists / chemical engineers on this forum?