Run and Tumble

It’s going pretty well in the class I was worried about. There was a slightly rocky period for a few days where I retooled my brain to study for an engineering course (more drills, fewer lecture reviews). The first wave of practice problems really helped me dust off my algebra skills.  Barring mistakes made when I rush or try to cram too much math on too little paper, I’m doing ok.

The course is turning out to be excellent background. So far I’ve learned about hydrology, mass budgets, reactor design, and risk assessment. I’ve also re-learned chemical equilibrium, but in the context of environmental chemistry.

I’ve figured out what I’ve got to do each week to keep on top of the material. I’m rather proud that the list is pretty different and more comprehensive than what I would’ve come up with in my early undergrad days. I’m taking it as more proof that a lot of my problem back then was more about attitude than aptitude.

The biggest downside has turned out to be time. While engineering courses require about the same amount of things to study as other courses, each ‘thing’ takes much longer.  Compare going through a 10 card flash deck with a 10-20 min example problem. I’m not spending every waking moment on the course or anything like that, but if I don’t spend a significant amount of time each day on it, I quickly fall behind my schedule.

Just a few weeks until I get to visit the wastewater treatment plant. Is it weird that I’m looking forward to that?