Thermodynamics

Ok the presentation went well enough. I prepared well, but need to present my ideas in a more organized manner and need to not assume that my audience knows more than I do about my subject. So that is a huge relief from my shoulders.

My research is progressing well. I just wish I had more time to do that part of grad school. Time Time Time there doesn't appear to be enough time. I wish there were more hours in the day. Oh well I guess I can sleep less, and learn to budget my time even more guardedly. I only get to put about 8 to 10 hours per week into research the rest goes into my teaching my church, and my homework.

Homework is mostly for my thermodynamics class. Who knew that the entire semester of pchem was just scratching the surface. There is so much to know and so little time to do it all. I can't wait until sleep isn't necessary and I can just learn continuously.

I still love grad school. Lincoln is starting to feel like home. I don't have to use the GPS to get around nearly as much, probably no more than I would if I were driving around SLC.

I am discovering just how cool nanochemistry is and how cool nanomaterials are. I still don't have the robots that can turn peoples brains into goo; or change them into the Borg, but I do have some really neat flashy blinky lights. I can't believe that every thing I learn leads me to more and more questions. I am beginning to become adept at finding out what is known and what is not known. There are so many resources that I haven't even begun to touch yet.

Oh well there is much less stress now. I can just get back to thermo and thinking and working.

love you all

Big Presentation

My first big presentation is in 2.5 hours. I am more nervous than I have ever been about such a thing. I shouldn't be I am prepared but I am stressing out anyway.

I guess I will have to go and do it and just take my beating.

If it goes well I will be able to become a part of the group without all of the rest of the headaches.

STRESS!!!!!

Home Team Football! Husker Style!

I was trying to get into my laboratory last Saturday and "THEY" were between me and it. Not just in one small area but for nearly a square mile! I have never seen anything like it. It was an awe inspiring sight. The stadium holds more than 80,000 people and they all showed up for the game! not only that but I swear they all showed up at least 4 hours early.



I honestly could not believe it. I could hear them inside my laboratory even with music on! I could tell when calls were made, I could tell when scoring happened, all without looking out a window.

I will have to go experience it one of these days. I will take earplugs.



Dad you will have to come out sometime and go to a game with me. I know you would enjoy it.

Horses cats and powerpoint

This morning I had an epiphany I understand why I enjoy helping clean out the stables so much. It gives me a lot of the same benefits of having a pet without having to worry about it waiting at home with me gone all day. The days in the lab are very long and no pet would enjoy being locked up for more than 18 hours. Including myself. Anyway while cleaning out the stables we could hear a cat mewing but could not figure out where it was coming from. Turns out that a cat had been locked in one of the tack closets and wanted out.

Last night our group meeting went more than 5 hours as we helped another student get ready to present a talk today. As we did it I realized that my own presentation which is a week from yesterday is not nearly good enough and I don't want to take 5 hours after I present it to talk about how bad it was so in addition to all of the time that thermodynamics is taking I am going to spend some very late nights working on my presentation to make it look and sound like I have some idea of what I'm talking about. I didn't think a 50 minute presentation would take so much effort to get ready for.

Because of the time that homework is taking my research is getting less time than I would have liked. about 6 hours in the lab per week is the best I can hope for.

ups and dows

Who would have thought that being a graduate student would be such a great job. Yes the hours are long and there are few quick rewards, more about that later, but I hurry to work with a smile on my face every day. Life in Grad school is all about the knowledge and the learning. My progress isn’t based on how many numbers I turn out daily rather it’s based on how well I understand the results that I get. People treat you like you should understand what you are doing and so you do.
Well one of my projects isn’t going as well as we originally thought. We thought it was going to be much easier to move it forward it turns out that we have come up against some physical barriers. The laws of physics and chemistry say “nope, sorry it can’t be done that way” and so we’re evaluating some other methods. That is not what I wanted to learn, but it does open a new path to explore so it wasn’t a waste of time. The light from the device dies in the presence of water and as I know I have mentioned it is humid in Lincoln. We thought we had a way around that but it turns out that it just created a much worse set of problems. Oh well we will proceeded with a different mindset.
Sadly because of my class load, I am not able to put as much time into research each week as I could earlier on. Oh well I have to pay my dues then I can move on to more and better things.

Love to all!


by the way I will try and be better about posting. but between homework, research and church 15 minutes to post seems to be a lot to hope for.

Lost in Translation

I don't know why this didn't stay posted last week but here is my post from the 25th of Aug

First day of classes
Today was the first day of my graduate chemistry classes. I was terrified. But so it seems were many of my classmates. Yes there is a much higher level of comprehension expected, and the work load is greater; however the classes are small and the professors treat you like you should be intelligent.
Unlike many undergraduate courses little if any time was spent on the syllabus. Lecture began right away and they expected you to be conversant in the material.
I was able to take some time to read more about the research I am doing and to make up a small batch of what I hope is an improved formula. If all goes well in testing I will be able to move on to the new stuff.
Love to all and to all a good night.

Emotions are NOT Science

I love Lincoln, the weather is finally reasonable. It is still very humid but the temperature is fine. I am adjusting to driving even though I rarely do. Church is great here. They have me teaching Gospel Doctrine.

I miss Michelle and the kids very much. When I go home at night I’m just sad and lonely so I tend to stay at the office 18 hours a day I go home eat a dismal dinner and sleep for 6 hours. Wake up eat a bagel with poached egg and hurry off to work.

My orientation and training this past week have not left me time to dig into my research reading as much as I would have liked. There was very little of use in any of the meetings but I know the school has to cover themselves from liability.

Monday the 25^th I start classes. I’m terrified. I know I can do it, I also know that I am expected to perform at a much higher level of competency than ever before. I know that course work is not what is important in graduate school; however it can get you into trouble. There is so much to learn, so many questions to answer, a mere lifetime isn’t enough to get through it all. I have to budget my 18 hours each day wisely. I am going to take Sundays off from school and I am also going to prepare a lesson on Saturday so I will have that to look forward to.

Well dear reader I leave you to ponder the truth of the universe. May you find answers to all of your dreams, and an easing of your heavy burden.

Love to all