The biochem test was tonight, from 7:00pm-8:30pm. That’s usually when I’m winding down my evening and getting ready for bed. To counter this habit I brought Stash Chai Spice black tea to school as a dinner time pick me up. I don’t usually drink black tea, and definitely don’t drink caffeine that late in the day. It left me bouncy and excited going into the exam.
Leaving the exam I was much more subdued. The first question was calculating the charge of a polypeptide at a given pH, which is fine and I can do it no problem, but for some reason my brain was struggling with the pKa > pH > pKa thing and which would be protonated and which wouldn’t. So I took extra time on that question that I probably shouldn’t have had to. Then I talked myself into a circle in part C of that question trying to decide which of the two polypeptides would be more likely to form a globular protein (since they were both only 6 amino acids long the answer would logically be neither but I didn’t think they would want that. The second question I aced because I learned collagen inside and out last year and still remember all of my stuff, even stuff about scurvy. The third question was a graph, and I’m terrible at graphs so I’m not sure how well I did but I should at least get partial credit.
Question 4 started in on the metabolism section, which was a different lecturer, my new nemesis. I got questions 4, 5, and 6 alright for a total of 20 points I should get at least 15. Questions 6 and 7 were both on poisons, which took up a total of two slides and maybe two minutes of lecture time. Both questions were 10 points each. Question 7 had me completely stumped and I’ll be glad to get 2/10 because I just didn’t study that part of the study guide since it was less “general biochem that is essential for the understanding of the subject” and more “something interesting that will maybe entice you to keep studying”. Needless to say I am annoyed. Question 8 was easy enough because I know all about red blood cells and why they don’t have oxidative phosphorylation (they lack mitochondria, because if they had mitochondria they would use up all of the oxygen before the rest of our cells had a chance at it, not very efficient). Question 9 was also easy because I rock at ATP-synthase, though I may have mixed up a few details because I was pressed for time and wanted to at least write something for Question 7. Needless to say I needed a stiff drink when I got home. I settled for a London Porter. It did the trick, I am feeling much less irritated and much more relaxed.
Lectures today were good. Animal Handling talked about Deer again and was actually entertaining. Physiology and Anatomy were both dealing with the cardiovascular system and I was able to take good notes for both classes taught by the same lecturer.
During the break between Physiology and Anatomy I was able to go to the Massey Doctors and actually see a doctor and actually get a prescription for antibiotics, which I picked up when I went into town after the RADIC meeting. The only problem with the antibiotics is that they recommend taking them an hour before meals. This wouldn’t seem to be an issue, except that I don’t really plan when I eat. I eat when I get hungry. That’s pretty random. I eat breakfast right when I wake up because otherwise I forget. So for the next few days I will have to take my pill when I wake up and then eat toast or something on the way to school, then remember to take my second pill an hour before the lunch break (good luck with that), and the third an hour before I eat dinner (as if I ever know when that is going to be), and the last at some point. I’m not sure if they think I eat 4 times a day, or if I should be. I ‘m lucky if I remember to eat twice a day.
I am so ready for this week to be over. I should have passed my test, I will be shocked if I didn’t. Even if I didn’t, I can still pass the final and therefore the whole class. Tomorrow is a Biochem lecture followed by a Histology lab for Physiology on cardiac muscle. I am not impressed. I just want to sleep through all of it, but knowing me I’ll be up before my alarm tomorrow anyway. Joy of Joys.