50 Things To Ask On Residency Interviews

Organic Chemistry Masterpost

As a chemistry major, I’ve taken sophomore organic chemistry and advanced organic chemistry. I know it’s a highly popular class, so given the demand, I figured I’d contribute some materials I’ve used that led me to success in those classes.

Google Drive:

I have set up a Google Drive folder containing much of these resources I’ve used to study from, and eventually tutor, the class. They are organized in folders by semester.

Summary Sheets

Practice “Workshop” Problems

Practice Exams

Class Notes

Research Papers

Lab Reports

“The Six Pillars of Organic Chemistry” PDF (written by my professor!)

If I end up finding additional resources, I will add more to the Drive. But that should do you well! You can check the original post for updates here.

Study Tips:

Preparing for Organic Chemistry by @hexaneandheels

Survivng Orgo Lab w/ Awful Partners by @hexaneandheels

How I Study for Organic Chemistry by @thekimmydiaries

The 10 Commandments of Organic Chemistry by @theorgounderground

Survival 101 In: Organic Chemistry by @chemistrynerd2020

Helpful References from @theorgounderground

Basic Survival Skills

Intermediate Survival Skills

Advanced Combat Skills

Reaction Mechanisms

Master Chart of All Reactions

Substitution vs. Elimination

Printables:

Reaction Table & Reaction Chart by @colllegeruled

Line Reactions & Mechanisms by @studygene

Best YouTube Channels for Orgo:

Leah4Sci (she was my goddess; check out her website, too!)

Khan Academy Organic Chemistry

Master Organic Chemistry (also check out his website!)

The Organic Chemistry Tutor

Other Recommendations:

Organic Chemistry as a Second Langauge (THE BIBLE)

Klein Textbook >>> McMurry Textbook (IMO; my professor assigned McMurry)

Molecular Visions Molecular Modeling Kit

ChemWiki

Really, this class is not as hard as people make it out to be. If you put in the work, it’s easy to understand. Practice problems are your friend. If your professor assigns “optional” homework, do it anyway. My professor did a “mechanism a day”, which is something you should absolutely do on your own if your professor doesn’t! At times it might be frustrating, but be patient. Your hard work will pay off!

Good luck!

– Melissa  (@hexaneandheels )

Study Tips | FAQ in Academia | Printables | YouTube | Instagram

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fiction is my addiction, and since it’s almost the summer, i thought i’d share some ways to get free ebooks or save some money to get more books so you could have something to get lost in over the summer. while this list has a lot of ya resources, there’s still something at the end if you’re looking for something more academic

free ebooks:

project gutenberg is always worth mentioning, because come on, it has 50,000 books in its collection. that’s a lot of books, and you can always catch up on the grimm’s fairy tales

riveted lit is run by the publisher simon and schuster, and they put books up that you can read for a limited time. if you’re looking for something more ya, this is a great place to start

bookbub has more discounted ebooks than free ones, but let’s care about the free ones. you get a daily email with a bunch of discounted or free books

free audiobooks:

sync is my absolute favorite thing. it gives away two free audiobooks, one clasic and one more contemporary, every week over the course of the summer. it starts on may 5 for 2016, and there’s an amazing lineup for anyone who loves to read young adult like i do (they’re going to have i’ll give you the sun, boy meets boy, and on the jellicoe road) and there’s even a nelson mandela’s history on week 12. it’s all free anyway, so why not?

audible allows you to get two free audiobooks in your trial, and if you always wanted to hear a celebrity narrate that classic you never wanted to pick up, you can find something to fulfill that. 

hey, it’s project gutenberg again. not only do they have audiobooks, but they have audiobooks in other languages such as chinese, korean, spanish, and many more. if you wanted to test your comprehension of a foreign language in a new way, well, there you go

cheap books:

the book depository and wordery have free worldwide shipping for all you international people looking for that amazing book that your bookstore refuses to stock

if you live in the uk, the book people has some really amazing deals 

if you live in the us, there’s book outlet. the prices are phenomenal and i want to cry because they don’t ship cheaply to me

saving money

if you buy something using ebates, you can get a rebate. buying something from book outlet? get a 10% rebate while you’re at it. it even has rebates for university bookstores like the stanford university bookstore. also, for your first time, you can get $10 back along with the original rebate. plus, it’s awesome how it’s for more than just books, because you can get a rebate for clothing stores or ebay. you can look at the full list of stores here.

if you have any questions, you could always drop by and ask. i hope these help you to get something to read!

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Handwritten with the iPad Pro and my trusty apple pencil 📚✨

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Below is a list of tumblrs who do research! Interdisciplinary researchers might be listed more than once!

Biology

almondsofjoy (Entomology)

baysided (Biophysics)

blissfullyawareof (Molecular Biology, Genetics)

callstheadventurescience (Evolutionary Biology & Ecology)

cozyenzymes (Biochemistry)

eatsleepsciencerepeat (Microbiology, Cancer Bio)

iseeagirl (Behavioral/Social Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology)

jewishdragon (Cancer Biology)

onetwothreemany (Soundscape/Amphibian Ecology)

philosonista (Sociology of STEM, Neurobiology)

the-soul-of-requirement (Organic/Biochemistry)

Chemistry

caffeinatedcraziness (Analytical & Atmospheric Chemistry)

chemislife (Organic Chemistry)

cozyenzymes (Biochemistry)

elementalbaker (Environmental Chemistry)

hexaneandheels (Nuclear Physics/Chemistry)

miss-megan-rose (Geochemistry)

siliconandstardust (Materials/Inorganic Chemistry)

the-soul-of-requirement (Organic/Biochemistry)

zinathewarriorchemist (Biochemistry, Structural Biology)

Engineering

lifeandtimesofindigostar (Materials Science, Metallurgy)

siliconandstardust (Materials/Inorganic Chemistry)

thispr0blemchild (Materials Science)

Humanities

euphoricrambles (Education & Learning Science)

protagonistanormal (Spanish Literature & Culture)

Physics

autodidactic-tiger-cub (Quantum/Modern Physics, Lasers/Optics)

baysided (Biophysics)

hexaneandheels (Nuclear Physics/Chemistry)

studyingphysics (High Energy Astrophysics)

thatphysicsguy (Computational Astrophysics)

Psychology

kitty-wine (Clinical Psychology)

Sociology

philosonista (Sociology of STEM, Neurobiology)

If you want to be added to this directory, just send me a message! See the full directory here!

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A Note on “Weeder Courses”

Is your first year gen-ed (general education) course really hard for absolutely no reason? Or perhaps it’s an early course in your major that’s required for the rest of the degree. Maybe the homework is really hard to get through or the exams are just brutal. You might be in a “weeder course.”

Generally weeder courses are introductory level; the STEM field gen-eds are notorious for this. The thought process from an administrative level is to make these courses very difficult and challenging to vet out students who can’t hack it. They do it with the intro level courses to serve as a warning for students who might want to major in something, but aren’t ready for how rigorous the degree actually is. 

Now I have my own thoughts on that mindset but what I want to stress that these courses are designed to be difficult. You’re not making it up in your mind; they are designed to feel like hell. 

Personal anecdote: I got my undergrad degree in literal rocket science from a “name” university. In my first year I failed physics I, the very course that is the basis for the rest of your physics education. I nearly failed it again the second time I took it, passing by the skin of my teeth. Despite the material being more difficult, I found my calculus 4 course easier than my calculus 1 course.

And that was because, as I found out from an upperclassman years later, those intro courses were designed as weeder courses. They taught the material yes, but their primary function was to act as a buffer to students who the administration see as lacking the discipline to follow through on a major in that field.

My advice? If it is a field or major you love, do not let your performance in these classes stop you.

I cannot stress this enough: if you love the field and the major and the subject, don’t let terribly designed classes stop you. I worked as a peer advisor my senior year and I had these brilliant first and second year students come up to me and tell me that they were struggling in an intro level course, wondering if they should drop out of a major they genuinely loved because they felt like they weren’t smart enough. Every single one of them was smart enough. 

You are smart enough. You can and will get through it. 

Some advice of a more practical nature under the cut:

Keep reading

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Trigonometry.

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i’ve gotten a million asks about presentations! and presentation nerves! and presentation prep! so here is a long-ass post about:

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS!

every presentation is different and will have a different context. this advice is for seminar/class presentations, not conference panels, and based on my experience as an english lit grad student (and teacher). some classes you feel comfortable joking in; others, the vibe (or the professor’s expectations) will be more formal. read the room!! 

a good presentation is one that communicates clearly. in other words, it’s more important to be legible to your audience than it is to “sound smart.” usually when you’re consciously working to sound smart, you sound like an asshole. as the genie in aladdin once said, bee yourself. 

be generous to your audience. if you conceptualize your presentation as having two parts, let them know that! “i want to do two things with this presentation: talk about this secondary text, and then identify some examples that we can talk about in the primary.” signpost that shit! let your audience know where you’re heading and what you want them to understand.

related: present on something interesting. this does not mean objectively interesting. it means you should find something that really gets you curious or passionate or annoyed! 99% of the time, if you’re invested, your audience will be invested.

K.I.S.S. only use a powerpoint if you have images that support or contribute to your presentation. no distracting backgrounds, special effects, or clip art, it’s not 1998 (unless you are going for a retro vibe, in which case, don’t let me stop you). no big blocks of text. only use prezi if you want to make your audience nauseous. if you’re using a handout for quotations or major points, keep it basic and readable. 

plan your ending. there is nothing worse than a presentation that ends with a “so uh… yeah………………..” suggestions:

stick the landing. in other words, do the oral version of an essay conclusion: why it matters, how your presentation impacts the understanding of the topic, etc.

questions for further discussion, the kind you have some answers for or thoughts about.

legitimate questions that you don’t have answers for! not factual ones, obviously, but questions about a tricky scene in the text, how a particular narrative form is working, moments that you’ve identified that actually work against your conclusions, etc. it’s okay to admit that you don’t have all the answers; in fact, it’s a sign that you’re really engaging with the material. just make sure you use this one on a presentation where you’ve already proven that you did a lot of work and know your shit.

imitate what you like to see. i’ll hazard a guess and say that most people enjoy presentations that allow some personality, or we’d just have siri read our papers out loud. my usual presentation style is on the informal side; after 3 years of small seminars with the same people and professors, i feel comfortable joking around with the folks in my area. if i were to present for my whole department, i would not be that chill.

personalize your notes. you’re the only one who’s gonna see them! make them useful to you. 

don’t be nervous. not helpful, i know, but as someone who actually likes giving presentations but still gets anxious: it’s going to be okay. presentations can be a great chance to talk about something you find interesting, to direct class discussion, and to dig deeper into material that you might skim over otherwise. understand that your classmates will usually be generous and sympathetic (see: seminar personalities). treat it like an opportunity, not a punishment.

okay this is not really general advice, but it’s a plug for a grad school presentation favorite that will make your life way easier: the pdf handout.

it doesn’t have to be hard copy (though you should probably bring a few just in case). if everyone in your seminar has a laptop or tablet, email that thing out the night before! they get a lil preview and a document they can refer to in the future; you get to combine hi-res color images, hyperlinks, and whatever text you need to include.

still keep it minimalist. you can go overboard with your personal notes. the only things that should go on the handout are

things that are better written down than spoken (long quotes, statistics, timelines, etc.)

things that will contribute to your audience’s understanding of the material.

and here is an example of the difference b/t notes and handout, from a presentation i did last fall on my husband thomas hoccleve n scholarly fatigue (i was rly tired and wanted to talk abt being Weary) 

my notes on hoccleve’s work life:

the handout version that i emailed to everyone in the course:

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☆*:.｡. 8.9.17 .｡.:*☆ back with another post!! i’m sure you guys can tell, but the theme for last week was paper airplanes. it’s not shown, but the song of the week was White Line by 天月!

just two days ago, i had walk through registration at school! so far, i only share classes with two of my friends, but i’m happy nonetheless, even if i do feel a bit lonely. i really hope i can use the opportunity to look on the brighter side instead of feeling left out- i can make new friends, and focus better in class! school starts next week and i’m terribly anxious yet somewhat excited…

on a side note, i bought school supplies! my mother was surprisingly okay with me buying a lot of pens… i hope to make a back-to-school haul post, but i’m not sure when it’ll be. i also ordered a lot of stationery off ebay, but they all arrive at different times, so i can’t make a post for those for another two months…

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one of my lecturers printed us a step-by-step guide to writing an essay for an assignment we had. i decided to type it up and share it with you guys. i think for the most part it is really useful and a super simple way to break down your essay. hope this helps :~)

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Generic

Lessons learnt from this summer by @minijournals

Tips and guides

Selfcare guide

Self care by @kimanoir

Self care tips for students by @theorganisedstudent

12 steps for self care

Self-care to do list

Some little self care things by @irinastudies

Self-care guide by @thetrevorproject

101 self care ideas by @microstvdy

Self care by @littleredstudies

Finals self care by @rubypolar

Instruction manual by @hufflepuffwannabe

Some self care tips by @lovefulls

Self care by @lazyhermione

15 self care ideas by @kaleylearns

Little self care things by @flowerais

Self-care by @mlstudies

Self care by @likelyhealthy

A very brief guide to selfcare by @ejlandsman

My favourite selfcare tips by @rubynerdy

26 selfcare activities by @sheisrecovering

Little habits/things to do more of by @heyrosiebee

Sleep

Guide to sleep by @educatier

Balancing sleep & education by @brbimstudying

Perfect night sleep

How to go to bed early and actually fall asleep

Water

How to drink more water ft printables

Hydration masterpost

Breaks

Take a break

Types of study breaks by @samsstudygram

Tips for getting better rest

Treat yourself

Simple ways to treat yourself by @anitastudy

Guide to treating yourself by @pennyfynotes

25 No/Low cost self care acts by @gaygirlhustle

Feel good

How to feel better by @bbangstudies

Feel good by @librarystudies

7 ways to feel better by @p-antarei

If you are having a bad day by @theblacksiren

Destress

Easy ways to destress by @parisgellerstudy

Stress relievers by @noteology

How to deal with stress by @studywithclover

Apps to help you destress by @gracelearns

Tips to manage stress by @fairy-studies-blr

Burnout

How to deal with study burnout by @eintsein

Avoid education burnout by @neuroticmedblr

Mental health

Saving your grades from a crisis by @smartstudy

Chronic illness + studying by @studysenior

Coping with mental health by @overstudies

Studying with depression by @rannedomblr

Anxiety

Anxiety distraction games by @peachou

Anxiety masterpost by @dotgrids

Relaxing doesn’t help anxiety by @merrybitchmas91

Meditation and focus

Study sounds

Others

What to do with notebooks by @tbhstudying

Podcasts for students by @studyquill

Period masterpost

Dealing with eye strain by @studylikeaslytherin

Listen by @studyblr

50 things you can do without looking at a screen

How to live a better life by @wilstudies

Fitness & health for student by @abby-studies-art

Friendly reminders taken from @cwote

Your mental health is more important than your grades

You are good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, and strong enough

Don’t just be good to others, be good to yourself too

Embrace all that is you

You will be okay

Just breathe. It will be okay.

Be proud of yourself for how hard you’re trying.

Be nice to yourself

Don’t beat yourself up. You are doing the best you can.

Be gentle with yourself, you’re doing the best you can.

Better things are coming.

Loving yourself is the greatest revolution.

Remind yourself, you deserve to be happy

Respect yourself. Don’t let others tell you who you are.

Learn to say no to people and things that make you unhappy.

Enjoy your own company.

Forgive yourself.

Never apologise for how you feel

Give yourself some credit. You’ve come pretty far.

Mental health is just as important as physical health.

Surround yourself with good vibes

Stop worrying about people who aren’t worried about you.

If you find you are surrounded by toxic people… Cut. Them. Out.

Trust yourself. You’re smarter than you think.

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