Reflections

Over the course of 2013, I have had the chance to explore many different topics in science ranging from the periodic table and acids and bases to reproduction and ecology. While studying these topics, I garnered a lot of knowledge applicable not only in science but also in my daily life, both through studying the subjects themselves and through the process of studying them.

Chemistry

Chemistry was a challenge for me from the start because it required a lot more understanding of the concepts, some of which I was unable to grasp. This was especially so for topics such as salt preparation, which I did not understand at all. However, I was able to overcome these challenges by making full use of online resources, which allowed me to gain additional insights into the topic, and by requesting for help from my classmates who better understood the topics. This allowed me to understand the importance of relying on the resources available to you in order to succeed, which I realized would be an important life skill. In addition, I found this topic extremely interesting due to the opportunity to do many interesting lab experiments like salt preparation and observing reactions between acids and metals.

Physics

Right off the bat, I realized that physics would inevitably be a challenge for me as it challenged a whole list of my weaknesses, like my lack of precision and lack of focus to detail. Indeed, I encountered a lot of difficulty during both the lessons and my revision, especially because of the many drawings required for the subject. Moreover, I had to juggle the topic with my debate competition season which led to me neglecting my science, causing me to come within an inch of failing. This experience taught me the importance of time management, especially when I had a lot of things on my plate, in order to succeed. In addition, I have also learnt the importance of physics and the way light works in normal life, given the way that the techniques of reflection and refraction are integral in many appliances that we come into contact with in our day-to-day life.

Biology

Biology was a topic that I looked forward to from the start of the year because it initially seemed the easiest to score in. However, I soon realised that a lot of understanding was required in order to properly grasp the concepts at work, especially in ecology, and this forced me to increase my work ethic for the topic. More importantly, however, this topic allowed me to understand more about important things like abortion, which are ultimately the important real-life implications of science. An added bonus was being able to actually score well on a science test, which gave me a huge confidence boost going into the EOY exams.