Tim Snyder

Exhibit: Chemistry Lab

Benchmark: Teamwork/Communication
Skills: TC109 !ake and/or "ollow a set o" rules and #rocedures
TC11$ %e&uest su##ort or hel# "rom others when needed
'n my (unior chemistry class) my class was o"ten re&uired to carry out *arious ex#eriments in
+rou#s o" two or three, -ne day near the end o" the second semester) we were tasked with #er"ormin+
an ex#eriment known as a titration, .e were +i*en two tall beakers, -ne beaker had to be "illed with
hydro+en chloride) while the other was meant to hold sodium hydroxide, /"ter the beakers were "illed)
we were su##osed to +radually add them to a lar+er "lask "illed with water, -ur +oal was to
continuously add each chemical in small amounts until they neutrali0ed each other,
.hen the ex#eriment be+an) my +rou# ran into a bit o" a sna+, The labels on the beakers had
worn o"") so we had no idea which chemical was meant "or which beaker, 1ro#lets o" the chemicals a
#re*ious class had used were still *isible on the insides o" the beakers, '" we added the chemicals to the
wron+ beakers) our results would be skewed, .ith that in mind) ' insisted on askin+ our teacher "or
assistance, 2e su++ested that we wash the beakers out instead o" +uessin+, .e did so and continued on
with the ex#eriment, ' read the directions se*eral times o*er the course o" the ex#eriment to make sure
e*erythin+ went smoothly, Be"ore we did anythin+) ' double checked to make sure we hadn3t ski##ed a
ste# or misinter#reted somethin+, '" somethin+ in the directions wasn3t &uite clear) ' dashed o*er to our
teacher and asked him about it, Because ' "ollowed directions and asked "or hel# when necessary) the
ex#eriment was a com#lete success,
4ro+rammin+ is *ery strict in that com#uters will +et u#set i" the code isn3t written #er"ectly,
There are countless "unctions that can be used in #ro+rammin+) so it3s im#ortant to understand how all
o" them work, Because ' excel at "ollowin+ directions) ' won3t run into many #roblems in that re+ard,
'3ll be able to read about any +i*en "unction and understand how to im#lement it #ro#erly, This skill
will also come in handy when '3m readin+ the #lan "or a #ro+ram) as '3ll know exactly what needs to be
accom#lished, '" ' don3t understand somethin+) thou+h) it won3t be much o" a #roblem, '3ll sim#ly ask
someone on my team or a su#er*isor "or assistance, Then '3ll be able to ho# ri+ht back into a #ro(ect
with a clearer mind and a more concrete +oal,
The world is "illed with di""erent sorts o" instructions, Some ex#lain how to #ro#erly assemble a
table while others say how lon+ a "ro0en dinner should stay in the microwa*e, Bein+ able to "ollow
directions #ro#erly will sa*e me a lot o" +rie" in my adult li"e, ' de"initely don3t want to deal with a
wobbly table or a cold meal, '" ' e*er run into a #roblem that ' can3t sol*e on my own) a solution will be
a #hone call away, /skin+ "or hel# is a lot easier and sa"er than tryin+ to +uess,