Organic chemistry, the bane of all existence…?

I was debating on whether or not to just talk about what happened today, but there wasn’t anything super interesting that happened today, so I’ll be including some general stuff in addition to the things that happened today. 

This morning we had a lab session to finish our assays, but our group finished in the first hour (shoutout to my group members Josie and Celinda), so we ended up just drawing. I started drawing my answer to the QOD (more on that later), and Josie and Celinda drew things in the lab, including people. 

Today was the first day we did organic chemistry!!! 😀

I think the general consensus was that it was kinda hard, but most people finished the class activity an hour in advance, so it wasn’t that bad. Organic chemistry sometimes seems really hard and confusing, but it’s kind of like a puzzle (yes I know that everybody uses that comparison, but it really is true) and I find it quite fun. 

Normally there aren’t that many lunch options to pick from, and today that was still the case, but there was one interesting option in the salad bar…Ponk brats?

Open house is tomorrow (I can’t believe we’re already about halfway through the program), and we have to dress in formal wear. When I first took out my formal shirt from my luggage, it was super wrinkled, and I didn’t bring an iron, so I was kind of worried about wearing it. However, yesterday, when I looked at it, it had somehow become less wrinkled. I guess gravity pulled the wrinkles out of it??? Either way, I probably won’t have to iron my shirt before tomorrow, thankfully. On the off chance I do end up wanting to iron it, though, the TAs have a steamer. 

Question of the Day (QOD) is apparently a tradition within SSP, but I didn’t realize how interesting they could be until the end of the first week of the program. Today’s QOD was probably the most versatile one we’ve had yet: draw something you saw today. I’ve gotten into the habit of trying to relate everything to chemistry (yes I’m a nerd), so I drew some really cursed chemistry pictures (anyone heard of methanium? What about penguinone?). Recently, a lot of the QODs have been drawing ones, so there’s always lots of room for creativity. 

SSP has been such a great experience so far (both socially and academically), and I’ve learned so much from everyone else with their unique viewpoints and honestly insane intellect. I’m definitely not as comfortable in the social aspect of things, but at SSP I’ve truly felt like I belong to this incredible community. 

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Hey! I’m Ryan Y. (not to be confused with Ryan H., the other Ryan at IU) and from Austin, Texas. At SSP I enjoy doing the QODs and working/chilling in the basement with other participants.