Unbelievable student requests

"Can you just scan in the missing pages & send them to me?"

That is a quote from an e-mail I received from a student this weekend.  Apparently their lab manual is missing 4 or 5 pages, so they want me to scan in the pages and e-mail it to them.

Ummm.. how about no.

I told them I was not near a scanner and wouldn't be for some time, so they might want to try to contact a fellow student in the class.  Maybe I shouldn't have even e-mailed them back.

I would NEVER have had the gall to ask a professor to do that for me.  Why does it seem that students these days just expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter?

Exam Time

So that time has rolled around again.   Time to write another exam.   I think when I was a student (eons and eons ago, just kidding!) I thought professors had it really easy.  They just had to pick some random questions, throw them on a piece of paper, and print out enough copies for the entire class.  Then when I picked up the book and instructors CD and realized there was a test bank of questions, I thought how hard can this be?   It's only now, having written one exam previously, that I realize how much work it takes. 

I also think its a lot easier to take an exam than it is to write an exam.  I would much rather spend my time studying a subject, take an hour+ exam and be done, then spend hours upon hours of trying to come up with questions to test the knowledge of the students.  Questions that are interesting and challenging, but not too challenging.  Questions that make sense to people besides me, the writer.  Questions that at least some portion of the class will be able to successfully answer!

Writing a good exam is an art.  And I am not even close to perfecting that art form yet.

Bad Lab Instructor

I got tattled on this AM.

Apparently one of my lab tables didn't completely empty every single drop of water out of their beakers last night after cleaning them.  So the lab this morning had to dry them out.

How do I know this?  I got an e-mail from the "head" lab person this AM requesting that I more properly ensure my students clean up after themselves.

Being in the great mood I'm in.... I sent a very lovely e-mail back apologizing, saying it wouldn't happen again, and if we were informing of equipment not properly maintained, here were my complaints.... And then I proceeded to list the unfortunate things I've had to deal with this semester, but which I just initially shrugged off as an accident.

Spiteful today?  Not in the least.....

The Annoying Ones

I have one student (who in a previous post I've named Sam so we're just going to keep on with that) who absolutely drives me nuts.   

He just knows how to push every single one of my buttons and whenever he talks to me, I find the need to constantly  remind myself to remain calm, and that nothing good will come of strangling him.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that would get me fired.

Last week in addition to the lobster boy question, he came up to me after class and started the conversation with "I have a pet peeve with tonight's class."

Here is our conversation in as much detail as I can remember: 

(S = Sam the student, Temp = me)

S: I have a pet peeve with tonight's class.

Temp: Oh?  And what would that be Sam?

S: You never called on me when I had my hand raised to ask a question.

Temp: Hmm, I think I called on you and you asked quite a few questions tonight Sam.

(thinking to self, will you just shut up and go home!  For goodness sake 

its 10:30pm and I want to go home!!!!)

S: I had my hand raised a ton of times and you called on other people.

Temp:  Well, I apologize if I missed seeing your hand raised, I never intentionally avoid calling on you.  

(thinking- even if sometimes I want to avoid your hand, I never do!)

S:  You should call on me when my hand is raised.

Temp:  Unfortunately Sam, you are not the only student in the class who has questions, and if someone else's hand is raised, I might call on them before returning to call on you.  You did ask a number of questions tonight, and sometimes other students need the opportunity to ask questions too.   Now, was there any specific question you wanted to ask me?

(thinking- You egotistical person, I -must- call on you?  No, don't think so.)

S:  No, they all got answered.

Temp:  You mean, other people asked your question so you know the answer?

S:  Yes.

Temp:  So what is the problem?

(thinking- why the hell are you wasting my time, I'm tired and want to go home!)

S:  You still need to call on me whenever my hand is raised.

Temp:  (sigh)  See you next week Sam.

(thinking- can you just drop my class Mr. Annoying?)

And, just to hit home the type of student this individual is these are some other incidents that all happened in the same class period last week!

- He left class in the middle to go to the restroom (i'm assuming) which the whole class knows its okay to do.  However, when he returned I was halfway down the white board from where I was when he left.  He returned to his seat, and then 5 minutes later raised his hand to ask me a question about the notes that were written WHILE HE WAS OUT OF THE ROOM!   I would have had no problem with him coming up after class to ask me a question about something he missed while he was out... but to take up time in the middle of class?   This guy just thinks its all about him.

- He interrogated me about why I decided to let them work on what is normally their quiz as a group and made it into an in-class assignment.  Once in between every exam, I take what would normally be their quiz and let them work on it together, using their books and notes.   It basically guarantees them a full 10 points on it and they seem to learn that material too, so why not?  However, dear 'ol Sam, took it as a result of how badly he thought they all did on the last exam and said to me, "So, you know now that the exam was too hard so you're giving us extra points to make up for it."   Umm--- an fyi Sam--- the average on the exam was a C and just because you got a D, doesn't mean most people thought the exam was too hard.   And if you remember Sammy boy, I did the same thing one time before the last exam.  Nothing new here.

-----------

So dear readers, how do you deal with those students that just grate your nerves?  Please share with me the methods you have used, because I think I'm in danger of losing my cool with him.

"Is that the same thing as a lobster boy?"

That is an actual quote from my class last week.   

The context?  We were talking about apoptosis (aka- programmed cell death) and how it is an  essential part of normal development.  The example I provided was how a developing chicken foot undergoes extensive apoptosis whilst a duck's does not, hence the remnant of webbing in the duck's foot and not in the chickens.

So my favorite student (that was sarcasm there... this individual is actually the one who drives me nuts and can push every single one of my buttons - story on that to come tomorrow) raises his hand, and that was the question he asked.

"Is that the same thing as a lobster boy?"

I had no idea how to respond and I'm sure my face showed that.   I hadn't the foggiest idea what he was referring to.   So I ask him if he can explain what he means and he goes on to say, 

"You know, the people in carnival freak shows that have lobster claws for hands."

Looking back on it now, I guess I can see where he is coming from, and how the question related to the topic at hand.  But at the time I was just so perplexed all I could respond with was...

"Sam*, I don't know anything about any lobster boys."

*= real name has been removed for sake of privacy.  Not that I seriously believe "Sam" actually reads my bog, but one never knows.

Updates

The quiz cheater was not in lab this week.   

This morning upon checking my roster, I find the student has withdrawn from the class.  Am I bothered by this?  Not at all.   This was the same student who, after receiving a 61 on the first exam, asked me if I could just drop the exam.  Not very likely I informed them in response.

I guess they decided to just take a "W" on their transcript rather than get the grade that would be coming to them.

Now come lecture time this week I need to inform the students of their grades in the class up to this point and let them know that March 26th is the last day they can withdraw from the class without having to provide any reason.  Do I think any of them will do this?   Yeah, unfortunately I do.   The couple of students that haven't attended really any lectures... they'll probably withdraw.  The student who didn't even show up for the first exam (15% of the final grade) and still thinks they can pass...they'll probably withdraw.

Oh well.....  thats the way it goes, right?  If they don't think they'll get a B, some will just drop.  Or am I incorrect in that assumption?

And, I have to keep reminding myself to not take it personally.  Why is that so hard?  All I want to do is teach them.  Get them to learn something in the science department.

OCD. Me? Never.

So I'm waiting to hear about my ACS fellowship.  

According to the 40+ page instruction booklet, they send out an e-mail with your application status in early to mid-March.  And even though they explicitly state that they will send out an e-mail before updating the reviewers comments on the proposalCENTRAL website, I am constantly logging onto the site to see if my comments are there.  And I mean constantly.  Last night I checked at 8:30pm, again at 8:50, once more at 9:40, and then one final time at 10:10 before turning my computer off for the night.

I hate to bother the good 'ol people at ACS (especially if they deem me worthy enough of some funding) but its AFTER BOTH EARLY AND MID-MARCH!  

Last time I checked March had 31 days, which would make the middle of March occur half way through the day on March 15th.  

Today is March 18th.  That would be 3 days after March 15th.

Don't provide me with date information like that and not keep your end of the bargain.  I mean, c'mon!  Your application was due on October 15th, and I didn't try and hand mine in on October 16th!  It was there, in your hands, by the 15th.  Like stated.  So cut me some slack and send me an e-mail.

I don't know why I'm OCDing about this as I'm fully prepared for another rejection letter.  What I really want is the comments they give you.  If I could just see what they thought was wrong with my proposal, maybe I could make some changes and resubmit.  After all, ACS lets you resubmit up to 2 times, I believe.   

Will I resubmit before the next deadline?  Perhaps.  'Cause I kinda want a fellowship.  Y'know?

Not a 100%

I feel like I am not giving a 100%.

Not a 100% that I could give to my research.

Not a 100% that I could give to teaching.

Not a 100% that I could give to my husband.

Not a 100% that I could give to my dogs.

I am capable of so much more.   But there are only so many hours in a day.  And after awhile, to be honest, my brain just shuts down.

Spring Break is over

I teach again tomorrow.  

Which is okay.   Though I must admit, I did rather enjoy the last week of not having to rush and get everything done.  Of actually being able to sit and eat dinner with my husband.  Having the time to take the doggies for walks in the evening.  All this instead of running straight from lab to the college, holding office hours and then heading to class for 3 hours.

Did I accomplish all I wanted to?

Well, lets see....

- got all assignments graded and recorded CHECK

- got 2 powerpoint presentations assembled CHECK

- am half-way through lecture notes for 1st lecture CHECK

and I forget what else was on my list....

Oh well, I'm content with it.  And thats all that matters.

And starting tomorrow I'll have more entertaining student stories to share.  Thats always a bonus.

Information Found

So I searched through my many pages of "adjunct info" and finally came across the section on academic dishonesty.  Such a polite way to refer to CHEATING, isn't it?  Guess everything needs to be PC now-a-days.  (For those who care, I'm copying the exact terminology the college uses at the end of this post.)

Of course, I was right in my belief that both the situations referred to in the previous post are considered examples of academic dishonesty by the college.   Thanks for all your inputs on the 2 situations and here is how I, the naive and newly minted adjunct faculty, handled the situtations.

First Event:  The identical homework.

I pulled both the offending students aside the next class and returned their homework assignments to them with a grade of a zero.  I informed them that while working together on the assignment was acceptable, it was completely unacceptable to turn in the exact same work under their own name.  That was plagiarism.  I said I would be carefully checking all their future assignments and better not come across another such "similarity" otherwise I would be reporting both of them to the Deans.  And added, they should consider themselves lucky that they were just getting a 0 this time and not being reported.

Second Event:  The quiz cheater.

Since I saw this student cheating on their quiz, I felt I couldn't wait to confront them and actually pulled them aside as they were leaving class that evening.  I stated that I watched them take answers from their neighbor's quiz, and that the two quizzes were identical in their responses (including many blatantly wrong answers).  Initially the student denied it.  Said they were just "thinking" even though it might have appeared they were looking at their neighbor's paper.   I didn't buy it.   Told them that they would be getting a 0 for the quiz, and in the future I wanted them to sit in an isolated part of the room whenever there was a quiz or an exam.   And again, I stated that if I noticed anything fishy in the future, I would be reported them to the college.

My knees were knocking dealing with both situations.  Please tell me I'll get better at dealing with these sort of confrontations?   

4.5 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

When College officials award credit, degrees and certificates, they must assume the absolute integrity of the

work done by the student; therefore, it is important that students maintain the highest standard of honor in their

scholastic work.

Academic dishonesty shall not be condoned. When such misconduct is established as having occurred, it

subjects the student to possible disciplinary actions ranging from admonition to dismissal, along with any grade

penalty the instructor might, in appropriate cases, impose. Procedural safeguards of due process and appeal

are available to the student in disciplinary matters.

Academic dishonesty, as a general rule, involves one of the following acts:

a. Cheating on an examination or quiz, including the giving, receiving or soliciting of information and the

unauthorized use of notes or other materials during the examination or quiz.

b. Buying, selling, stealing or soliciting any material purported to be the unreleased contents of a forthcoming

examination, or the use of such material.

c. Substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitution for one's self.

d. Plagiarizing. This is the act of appropriating passages from the work of another individual, either word for

word or in substance, and representing them as one's own work. This includes any submission of written

work other than one's own.

e. Colluding with another person in the preparation or editing of assignments submitted for credit, unless such

collaboration has been approved in advance by the instructor.

f. Knowingly furnishing false information to the College; forgery and alteration or use of College documents or

instruments of identification with the intent to defraud.

The worst experience

So I'm going to throw what currently tops as my worst ever experience out there for the whole world to read about.  Maybe that will help me get over my utter embarrassment at the issue.

Rewind to Friday.  

Yes, Friday, March 13th.  

I am walking across campus to meet a friend for lunch at an off-campus restaurant.  My stomach is grumbling a little.   I chalk it up to hunger, since I didn't feel like breakfast earlier in the morning.  I continue walking.  Get off campus.  Cross the street and am about to hit the "busy" part of Anytown.  When suddenly I don't feel so good.  I stop on the sidewalk and try to calm my innards.   But suddenly I realize it is not working.  And before I know it, I've lost my cookies (to put it nicely) all over the sidewalk.

I am thoroughly embarrassed and try to hide as far away from the sidewalk in a little grassy knoll while my stomach continues to revolt.

After awhile, I feel okay enough to try and walk back to lab.   But our campus is a pretty big one, and my building is at the complete opposite end from where I currently am.   Let's just say it was a long walk back.  Trying to hide the fact that I feel like utter shit from everyone I pass and barely holding it together.

Get back to lab, call Mr. TemporaryProf, who graciously agrees to leave work and come and pick me up.  No way I was going to take public transportation home.

Damn coworkers who come to work even though they feel nauseous and are hacking up a lung.  I'm all for showing how strong and productive you are.  But c'mon people... if you're sick, stay home!!!!!!   And to the one coworker who never washes their hands after using the restroom, you are a scientist!  Don't you know the benefits of being sanitary!?!?!?!?

Thankfully, it was only a 24 hour bug and after spending almost 24 hours in bed today, I am feeling almost human again.

Rejected

Thats how I feel today.

Got my first fellowship rejection e-mail today.  Apparently LSRF doesn't want to fund my outstanding research.  Oh, well.  Their loss. 

I don't know if I feel better knowing that they got 800+ applications and only funded 2%.    That would be 16 awards, for the mathematically challenged.

However, I know this is part of the process and something I'm going to have to get used to.

My fingers are just crossed that someone out there will throw a little $$$$ my way.

Joining the cheating bandwagon

I have just recently had to deal with my first 2 examples of cheating.  

And I don't think I dealt with either of them very well.  

I think mainly because I was not 100% sure what the college's policy was, and I have this fear in the back of my head of some student suing me for damaging their reputation.  May sound silly, but there was a graduate student a couple of years senior to me in graduate school who got sued by a student and their parents, for defamation of character and for some reason this story stays in my mind.

Defamation of character = allegation that the defendant told untruths about the plaintiff, thereby causing the plaintiff to suffer harm.

http://www.attorneys-usa.com/intentional/defamation.html

The first event-  I initially pondered whether this was actual cheating or not, but after talking to many of my coworkers determined that it was a form of cheating.  There was an individual homework assignment in the laboratory class, and the class was told they were allowed to talk about it with their fellow students.   I don't think I explicitly said that the write-up had to be done  by each person individually, but they all knew they were each to hand in a write-up.

Fast forward to the due date.  I am checking off who has handed me in an assignment and notice that two of the students handed in papers that on first glance look identical (with the exception of the name changed).  After class, I look at these two papers in more detail and realize they are exactly the same.  Every word.  Every spacing.  Every spelling mistake.  What is the probability that would occur?  Probably slim to none. (No statistics here as that is one of the things I am the  worst at!  Along with dilutions.. don't ask....)

So what should I have done?  Do you consider this cheating?  It is turning in the same work under the name of two different people.  Presenting that work as your own.... while the other person is presenting the same thing as theirs.

The second event-  The class was taking a quiz and I was at the front just scanning the room.  I noticed one student initially appearing to stare off into space.  When my eyes returned to them, they were staring more in the direction of their neighbor.  Whenever the neighbor wrote something, the potential cheater also wrote something down on their paper.  A couple of seconds after the neighbor rose to hand in the quiz, the potential cheater rose to.  A quick glance at both of their quizzes showed the exact same answers on both quizzes (a number of which were incorrect and completely off topic).

I debated talking to the potential cheater right then or waiting.   Did I have definite proof that he cheated?  Probably not.  Could he say he was just thinking while staring off into space?  Probably.  

So I'm going to wait to post what I did in both cases until I hear back from some of you.  So stay tuned.

I don't get it....

So I gave my lab students an option last week.  I had been hearing grumblings about how unreasonable I am with not accepting late assignments.  So I decided to be the nice guy (for once.. no really, I think I'm overly nice and accommodating, my husband says I'm a softy when it comes to my students) and announced in lab that I would accept one late assignment from them all.  

However, there were two stipulations: 

1) it had to be e-mailed to me by midnight Sunday, March 8th (5 days after announcing this)

2) the grade would be based out of 80% rather than a 100%.   For most of them, this would mean  potentially getting an 80 on an assignment they previously had a 0 on.

The students were all very enthused and profusely thanked me.

Fast forward to Monday, March 9th.  I check my e-mail.  And have 1 assignment in there.  From a student who has gotten perfect scores on every assignment, yet had to miss one class due to a death in the family, and thus needed to make up a homework.

1.  In case you missed that, here it is again.  1.

Out of 31 students.  Each of which had at least one assignment missing and would have to take a 0 for that grade unless they used this opportunity to make it up.

I think I was in disbelief.  Do students these days really not care?  Or is it just this bunch?  I have to believe there are better students out there, otherwise I just don't think I can continue on the academic track.  Am I just setting myself up for only dealing with a lower quality student by adjuncting at a community college?   (That sounds so egotistical and I apologize.)  And if so, does that mean my experience of adjuncting there is not really serving the purpose I intended it to, to give me a realistic view of what its like to teach.

ps- I also got another e-mail this morning from a student complete with their make-up assignment.  (sigh)  What part of "by midnight on Sunday, March 8th" did they not understand?

Productive morning....

I never knew how productive my commute could be.  Nothing like grading quizzes while on public transportation.  Multi-tasking.  I have a feeling I'm going to be getting better and better at this.

How did I end up here?

In one of the previous posts I was asked about how I got my adjunct position.  So here comes a story everyone.  Advance notice for those who only come over here for the rantings and ramblings about students!  Please return in the future for your regularly scheduled program.

As I mentioned previously, I started my post-doc the beginning of 2008 (just passed my year anniversary and now the countdown has begun... just kidding!).   Knowing I also wanted some teaching experience, in the beginning of summer of 2008, I started to think about what some of my options might be.  

My "site-of-research" offers the opportunity to teach biology courses to the non-science staff in order to provide those staff members with a little science background.  However, these classes are normally team taught, say 3-4 post-docs per course, and usually passed down from post-doc to post-doc.  What I mean by that is, if you know a person currently teaching it and express interest, you are more likely to teach the course then if you randomly contact the group that organizes these classes.  Or at least that's how it seemed to occur to me.... Anyway, I wanted a course that was more my own to get a more realistic experience.  My own design, own syllabus, etc.

The other option I came up with was contacting the biology departments of  nearby colleges and universities to see if they might need an occasional lecturer.  My initial (naive) idea was that perhaps I could serve as a "fill-in" lecturer.  For instance, if a faculty member knew they were going to be away for a meeting and needed someone to give a lecture or two.

The first, and turns out only, place I e-mailed was my local community college.  Fortunately, there are a number of community college campuses in my area, so I picked the one closest to my home and perused their website.  Looking through their list of faculty, I hand picked one person to e-mail and ask about the possibility of lecturing or adjucting.  

I will say, I was specific about whom I e-mailed.  I didn't want to waste the time of the Dean of the department just asking a question about potentially adjuncting, so instead I e-mailed the Assistant Dean.  Turns out I picked the right person.   The person who is "responsible for seeking out and hiring qualified adjunct faculty" (their words, not mine).

I was asked to complete a state application on-line, and send/e-mail him (the Assistant Dean) a copy of my transcripts from graduate and undergraduate, in addition to my resume/CV.  I made sure I did that as soon as possible (within 2 days of hearing from him) and 4 days, he e-mailed me back inviting me to campus a week later for an informal interview.  (I realize now, looking back, that they never asked for any letters of recommendation.  Not sure if that is normal or not.)

My informal interview was very very informal.  It was just me and the assistant dean, and we chatted about what I thought I ultimately wanted to do, what I would feel comfortable teaching (ie- bio101 or bio102 or an anatomy class), and what days & times I would be available.  He also mentioned that the textbook they currently use includes an instructor's CD with powerpoint presentations for each chapter, all the images and figures in jpeg or tif format, and a text bank of exam questions.   He stated that many of the adjunct faculty take the book's powerpoint presentation as a starting point and modify it to meet their own requirements/standards.  And then he added that he himself has been known (in a pinch) to just use the provide powerpoint, supplemented by his own notes on the white board.

I left my informal interview carrying the book used for Bio101, the study guide, the lab manual, the teaching CDs, an assigned Fall class (2 evenings a week), and state hiring paperwork to fill out.

 

Yup, I was now officially an adjunct faculty.  

Though I admit, it didn't really hit me as being true until a week or so later when upon checking the course listings for Fall I saw my name listed next to the 2 sessions!  Never would I have imagined it would happen that quick.  Or in a way, that easily.  I thought I was just testing the waters... seeing what was out there for some future date....and then the "oh shit" hit me.  What have I gotten myself into?  Can I do both my research and teach?  Can I teach?  All these questions will come up again, multiple times, and I don't know if I have an answer to them even now.

So that is the story of how I became an adjunct faculty.  Sorry for the length!

For those who might be interested, here is a copy of the initial e-mail I sent with all my personal information deleted and substituted with general information in italics:

"My name is Temporary Professor, and I am a post-doctoral fellow at Site-of-Research in the lab of Dr. Amazing Advisor.  I found your name and e-mail on the Comm. College website and was wondering if you might be able to point me in the direction of whom I could contact to see if your department needs any adjunct teaching help in the future semesters.  I am really interested in getting some additional teaching experience (besides TAing and the occasional fill-in lecture experience I had as a graduate student at Priv. Univ.) and that is not readily available to me at Site-of-Research.  I live in the ____ area and thought that perhaps Comm. College might be a good opportunity to gain some of that experience.

Thank you very much for any help you can give me.

- Temp. Prof"

Decisions about grading

(again, thanks for all the advice received, and please don't hate me if I didn't take your suggestion!)

Okay, so after returning my first ever exam, in which the average grade was just average (a low C for those wondering), this is what I decided to do.

I returned the exam to them and let them correct their answers.

I know, I generated a heck of a lot more work for myself, but I just felt by them going back over their exams, using their books and notes to identify the correct response, that they might actually semi-learn some of the material they initially answered wrong.

These were my stipulations:

- corrections had to be typed (no way I was wasting more time trying to read illegible chicken scrawl)

- for each corrected answer- they had to give a reason WHY that answer was the correct one.

So, for example, for the handful of true/false questions on the exam, if the statement was actually false, they had to say why it was false and rewrite the question to make it true.  If the right answer was actually true, again they had to give a reason why that was true.  They just couldn't simply change their answer from true and false and get credit for it.

What sort of "credit" did I give them?   Partial credit for each answer corrected.  It worked out to be ~1/4 of a point for each correction.  So the person who scored the highest, this would only knock him/her up 5 pts.  Meanwhile, the person who scored a lowest (the 20) would still get an F, though albeit a higher F.   (Not sure if that made him/her feel any better.. but it turns out it was a moot point, because that person did not turn in a regrade.)

As for curving - I decided to hold off to the end of the course.  So I'm going to put up with the incessant whining about the grades, and then make some adjustment at the end.  What exactly that adjustment will be is still up for grabs.   

Though I definitely say that I have no problems failing someone who hasn't put forth any sort of effort towards the class at all.  

Does that make me mean? 

Wow....

I take a week off from my newly started blog (due to having to present lab meeting and scrambling to get some actual data to present) and come back to actual comments!  People have actually found me and are passing along some great advice.  So to all of you who responded to my "curving" post and any of the other posts, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now I just have to figure out how to get my huge list of experiments done .... and prepare my next lectures.

All I can say, is thank god for Spring Break.   Never would I have thought I'd enjoy Spring Break just for the fact of having 2 extra nights free this week, and not traveling to Cancun or Miami!  :)   (and no, sadly, I never went to either of those places during college for a Spring Break.. though I did hit up Hilton Head one year!   I'm such a rebel)

So during my week "break" from actual teaching, I have huge goals for myself.   And I'm going to write them out here, so the world can see them.  And then hopefully I'll be more likely to accomplish them:

- grade the resubmitted exams (will explain in next post)

- grade most recent quizzes

- grade most recent lab report

- prepare mini-lecture for next lab class

- prepare next 2 seminar lectures

Yup, you read that right.  Two.   Dos.  Zwei.  Dwa.

I don't set low goals for myself, now do I?