Before we were professionals, we were sleep-deprived undergrads who tried to balance life inside and outside the lab. Before some of us terrorized students, we were the ones who were terrorized by our profs (okay, I need not mention names here). This little entry somehow summarizes our experiences as biochem majors back in the day when wifi, social media and laptops were unheard of, and when lectures were on overhead projector instead of Powerpoint. It's nice to reminisce those relatively carefree days when all we worried about were passing our courses and graduating.
note: this entry comes from www.peyups.com, but is actually written by
vannie and me during the critical period our undergraduate days in UP
manila. we then submitted it to the peyups website and it got
published.
the year was 2002, and for us, it was the
best of times and the worst of times. it was an age of relaxation, it was
an age of toxicity (at least for us biochem majors). we were going
straight to heaven, we were going straight to hell (because of exams)....
TOXIC
LIVES - typical scenes in the life of an unfortunate biochem student
SCENE 1: GAB104 (CHEM35)
“Our
discussion today will be about reactions at the carbonyl carbon…by the way, our
exam will be next week. It will cover reaction mechanisms.”
(Outside
classroom): Great! Just great! I won’t be able to sleep for two weeks.
SCENE 2: GAB105 (BIO140 LEC)
“Get 1/4 sheet of paper. Numbers 1 and 2:
differentiate DNA and RNA in terms of structure and function. Number 3, what
are the building blocks of nucleic acids? Number 4, compute % A and % T given
that (G+C)=60%. Number 5, what are the three stop codons?…pass your papers.
We’ll start our lecture.”
“Mr.Dagbay,
what are the functions of the genetic material?”
“Ms.
Genelsa, what is a frameshift mutation?”
“Our
exam will be on February 28. It will cover DNA replication, transcription and
translation, etc. Bring your own copy of the genetic code as well as 1
bluebook.”
Strudent
1: Grrrrr…
Student
2: Ang hirap nyang magpa-quiz.
Student
1: Ang tanga ko! Glucose yung sagot ko as building blocks of nucleic acids.
Student
3: Ha?
Student
1: I have no business being a biochem student…
SCENE 3: GAB303 (PHYISCS72)
“Magnets
have 2 poles- the north and the south. The north pole corresponds to the
geographic south pole, while the south pole corresponds to the geographic north
pole..”
“Your
exam will be on March 1,4-6 pm. You my go now.”
Student
1: Exam na naman?!
Student
2: This is HORRIBLE.
SCENE 4: A. GARCIA LECTURE HALL @ THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
(STS)
“Our
topic is war, ethics, and the environment. What are really the reasons for war?
In ancient times, people go to war to gain more land and resources.”
“Your
case study is due on March 13. Let’s call it a day.”
Student
1: ‘YOKO NA!!! Tama na!!!
SCENE 5: RH 323 (BIO140 LAB)
“Please
tabulate your TRC’s on the board.”
Class:
Yes ma’am.
“Dagbay,
what’s your TRC? 88??!!! You have Dagbay syndrome, a condition where all
chromosomes are defective.” (to Dagbay, peace bro!!! ^_^v- ed.)
“Ms.
Calizo, your TRC’s 159? Do you have any barr body?”
“Kanino
yang 188 na TRC? Ano yan, paa?”
“Your
exam will be next week. Coverage will be Experiments 8-10.”
Student
2: This is horrible.
SCENE 6: RH 119 (CHEM31)
“O,
class, alin dito yung mas mag-rereact sa nucleophile?”
“Tagal
nyo naman…sa exam dapat mabilis na kayo sa reaction mechanism, ha?”
“O
sige, hanggang dyan na muna tayo.”
Student
3: Pwedeng pahiram nung notes nya kanina bago ako dumating?
Student
4: Uy, kailan pala exam?
Student
3: Umm…I dunno. Hindi ka na naman pumasok? Late na naman ako. He he.
SCENE 7: RH 114 (MATH170)
“Type
this…then format the…to…tapos anong makikita nyo???”
(Students
flock together at one computer and read): Dear Heart, Itago nyo po ako sa
pangalang…may problem kasi ako sa aking sinisintang si…Ano kayang mangyayari
kay…tune in again same time, same computer…
SCENE 8: RH 222 (PHYSICS 72.1)
"This
is our set-up for circuit number 4..."
Student
2: Ok, let's measure the resistance.
Student
1: 0
Student
2: Let's adjust the voltmeter from 20V to 6V...
Student
3: 0
Student
2: 0 again? Adjust...
Student
1: 0
Student
3: Tanong na natin kay sir...
"O
bakit 0 yung reading? I think sira na yung mga voltmeters natin...umm...I think
we should change the set-up for the circuit..."
Student
2: Try natin sa brain ko (puts the end of the wires to temples)
Student
3: Aba!!! May voltage na!!! Paano nangyari yun?
Student
1: The brain is composed of nerves & nerves transmit impulses...
Student
2: Mali noh! Ibig sabihin lang nun, may laman pa utak ko. He he he.
SCENE 9: RH LOBBY (3 students recite the poem: “Three”)
Student
1: I think that I shall never see
Student
2: A grade as lovely as a “three”
Student
3: A three that’s earned by blood and sweat
Student
2: When failing is a serious threat
Student
1: A three that I’ve asked God all day
Student
3: Knowing that praying is the only way
All:
Exams are taken by fools like me, but only God can give a “three”.
“WHAT
MATTERS MOST IS THAT WE PASS AT ALL.”
“TO
HAVE PASSED AND TO HAVE GOTTEN A 3.0 IS BETTER THAN NEVER TO HAVE PASSED AT
ALL.”
Central
dogma of molecular genetics: DNA--->RNA--->proteins
DNA
makes RNA make proteins
###############
Shye & Vani. ฉ (Shye 022502,
Vani added something 030102)
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