Noooooooo!
Today should be going better than it is. I woke up chipper, and ready for the day and as soon as I got to class... BAM! Good feeling's gone. This semester is going really well for my grades (As and Bs all around!) except for one class: Biology of Algae. And failure kills a mood. What a pain in the ass. I've received mostly bad to mediocre grades in that class, even when I study and apply myself appropriately. Plus, the lab is almost torture. She's decided that our big algae-collection-project-thing, AND our notebooks are due on the same day as the lab final exam. Which is next week. I really am so done with this. I took this class because I know that a basic understanding of algae is important and useful for someone who wants to study the ocean. Honestly, though, sea animals are far more fascinating to me. Algae is really of no particular interest to me, and the complete lack of instruction in the laboratory is definitely not compelling me to take interest. Our TA just leaves out samples of different kinds of algae and we're supposed to draw them. Half the time you can't even get a decent look at them because the microscopes are crappy (BTW, a significant portion of algae are single celled. It sucks.). On an exam, we're expected to be able to identify any species we've looked at in lab, but only use our own drawings for help... so if you can't draw very well (like me!), you're pretty much screwed. Don't forget about the stupid herbarium project either! I had to collect algae samples from the shore, press them, and identify them. I doubt I have enough, but when I mentioned to my TA that I was having a hard time getting to a beach since my car is not on campus, she just said, "I'm sure you'll find a way." UGG.
Dr. Thornber is a lovely person and very smart. I was thinking of asking her for a letter of recommendation for the Coastal Fellowship program I plan to apply for soon. But if my grade is so awful, I don't think I'd feel alright asking her for one. Come to think of it, who am I going to ask for recommendations? I don't know any of my (biology-related) professors well enough. I'd really like to spend the summer doing something in my field... even if it's not quite what I wanted and is just something for a resume. Plus, one of the goals I set for myself for the school year was to at least apply for a Coastal Fellowship. I'm worried about not reaching that goal, now.
I feel so defeated and angry and I don't want to drag myself to that stupid lab in an hour. And I'm hungry, too. *pout*
It's times like these that make me want to crawl under my blankets and stay there until the doom passes. Anyone care to join me?