National Chemistry Week

This is National Chemistry Week. I immediately picture beakers, burners, test tubes, and the Periodic table in my mind. Those images are quickly followed by feelings of panic, heart palpitations, anxiety, and dread. I hated Chemistry. It ranked right alongside Algebra II as the worst classes I took in high school. If it hadn't been for the fact that we worked in groups at a table, I would not have passed the class. I was the handicap of the group and tried to be helpful by cleaning up after labs, or gathering all the equipment we needed - anything but having to do the actual experiements themselves.

It wasn't just the calculations and formulas that eluded and frustrated me. It was the worksheets as well. I still remember it clearly. We'd be asked innocuous questions such as "What is the expected outcome?" (how should I know!) or "What did you observe?" and I had no idea at all what they expected me to say. Were we supposed to write something about the chemical compounds? Or would a simple, "It turned blue" (even when it wasn't supposed to) suffice? I never knew. All I remember are red X's marking my pages. I tried to answer the questions correctly. That was my main focus in class. Somehow I passed, but I learned very little, if anything, about chemistry.