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| Series of problem sets and take home examinations |
It has been two years since I mentioned my graduate study journey at Central Luzon State University.
Back in 2021, the online classes began, and they posed a unique set of challenges. All of my classes were scheduled for Saturdays, which happened to coincide with my weekly work meetings.
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| Work meetings and online class at the same time |
Most of the time, I found myself juggling two gadgets simultaneously to attend both online activities. This constant balancing act defined my academic year.
Moving on to the following academic year, things took a more challenging turn. I had a laboratory class that required face-to-face sessions.
To accommodate this, our weekly work meetings were rescheduled to Tuesdays, and I was immensely grateful for the adjustment, as it allowed me to accumulate leave credits by not attending classes on Saturdays.
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| One of our laboratory class |
Fortunately, our professor displayed great understanding and allowed me to skip Saturday classes, provided I made up for them by keeping up with the course activities.
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| Working on isolation of egg protein |
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| Measuring the total protein from egg |
The laboratory class was particularly significant, as it covered various aspects of my thesis work, using a plant of special interest to me—Clerodendrum schmidtii, also known as the Nodding Clerodendrum or commonly referred to as Indian Beads.
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| My plant of interest: Clerodendrum schmidtii or Idian Beads |
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| Working on my thesis |
As I moved into my last semester, I faced the challenge of both laboratory and lecture classes, both held in a face-to-face format. My days began at 6:30 am and didn't conclude until 5:00 pm, all for just two subjects.
Even after the last semester ended, I still had a special topic subject assigned for the mid-term. We were tasked with selecting a special topic from a journal and required to conduct a comprehensive journal review, which we then had to present in class.
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| My special topic in Biochemistry |
Aside from the special topic presentation, majority of our subjects require a journal review and presented as a seminar to our classmates and even BSChemistry Students.
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| Behind the scenes in some of the seminar presentations |
After enduring four semesters and one mid-term, I am pleased to share that I successfully passed all of my subjects.
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| Acamedic subjects: Passed, Thesis: In-progress |
Currently, I am eagerly awaiting the schedule for the comprehensive exam and hope to emerge victorious. I've also taken the initiative to forward my thesis draft to my advisor, eagerly anticipating her feedback, with hopes of presenting my proposal before the semester draws to a close.
With determination and perseverance, I am steadfast in my goal to retrace the same educational pathway I embarked on twenty years ago and ultimately earn my well-deserved diploma.
I'll make a follow-up post on my journey to #RoadToMSChemistry.
