Hey hey!
I'm back in the full swing of things at uni, and I'm really excited to see where this year takes me!
I'm really enjoying most of my units at the moment, and I find that this semester is completely different to the last 2 years, as the teaching style and format of this year is 150% more teamwork based than every other unit I've taken.
Applied Analytical Methods:This is my only core unit for third year, and it focuses of developing HPLC methods, and analysing how to separate chemicals, and working in a team to solve a problem brief (written by "Lorenzo Lando". If you say it out loud, it kinda sounds like Laurence Orlando, who's my UC for this unit. I found that funny :'))
I currently have 3 hours of interactive, task/discussion based lectures a week (split into 1 + 2), where all the concepts are learnt in the self directed learning modules which I have to do every 2 or so weeks (There's 5 modules + 1 intro module, and I'm currently in the middle of the first module); as well a 4 hour HPLC lab (nearly every week)
Industrial Formulation:Not really much to report here aside from it's basically Colloids pt2. Except, this unit involves actual industry problems that we try to solve/develop ideas for in teams. I'm lucky enough to be doing a project with Baxter Laboratories, and I'm really excited to actually get in the lab and do stuff after midsem break!
Also bonus points for the fact that one of the workshops that are there for me if my team needs it happens to fall on Tuesdays, and is my only class that day, so I effectively have Tuesdays off for half the semester!
Biomolecule formulation & Modified Release Technologies (I actually had to look up the actual name of the unit on Moodle oops)
I love the current topic, rDNA technology, molecular biology and protein expression, however the lecturer's voice is that really nice tone that will eventually lull me to sleep. I'm really hoping this unit is going to really live up to my expectations, but we'll see, we've only covered two-thirds of the first topic thus far! ^_^
This is my lowest real contact hour unit (excluding industrial formulation), only requiring 2-3 hours/week for most of the semester!
Pharmaceutical Product ManufactureThe TL;DR summary of this unit: making tablets and creams with a team.
This is the subject that I have to really know my way around Excel for, else there goes my marks (I have to be able to make this thing they call a DoE. It sounds like it'll be really fiddly to do haha). This subject is rather intense, and has 4 hours of lectures a week (2 + 2) and a smattering 3 hour labs. In labs we have to follow GMP (good manufacturing process) and sign a ridiculous amount of paperwork in a batch record. The thing I'm looking forward to the most in this unit is using the tableting machine, which is affectionately called Shrek by my UC, Laurence :'D
Other Uni stuff
Mentoring:My mentees are definitely more talkative than I expected which is really good! Most of them signed up for clubs and made the most of the free food on campus- they were very willing to line up for 30 mins for tacos at one point! I check in with them at least once a week, and they seem to be settling in okay, it seems to be that some of them have mixed views on physical chemistry or physiology, but that's pretty normal in first year.
Clubs:PGC: I feel like I'm doing a lot more of the club workload than I'm supposed to atm, but hopefully it will die down now, given that we just elected our new general committee members!
(One of them is my mentee, so I'm excited that they're embracing a fun opportunity)
I got completely smashed in MarioKart last night though!
The Clayton board games society also reached out to us recently, so that'd be pretty darned cool if we can get some inter-campus events on the hap
MAP: I sat in on 2/4 of the committee interviews the other night, and I'm excited for the new committee members! There hasn't been any events this year yet, as it is only myself and the 2nd year VP on campus at the mo (the pres and the secretary are currently on pharmacy placements). Once the pres and secretary get back, I'm eager to see what events (aside from the major ones such as karaoke and the uke workshop) we'll be running are!
Catch y'all next time!