Being a freshman science major is all fun and games, but sooner or later sophomore year will come around and it hits you... hard. Classes get more difficult, you start worrying about getting jobs and experience in your field, everything seems to be coming to fruition... and then one more thing falls on your plate and it puts you over the edge. A little thing called:

Orgo Lab.

And once you've experienced the hell that it is, I guarantee you that every single one of these thoughts will run through your head:

1. First of all, you're just upset that you have to spend more time thinking about chemistry.

Organic Lecture is already two semesters long and is clearly hard enough. Why does the chem department feel the need to torture me with more?

2. Then you find out not everyone in Orgo lecture is required to take lab.

THIS. IS. NOT. FAIR.

3. You cross your fingers and pray that you get a cool TA.

Your TA definitely makes or breaks your lab experience. Luckily, I ended up getting two awesome TAs... Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.

4. You show up on the first day, somewhat confident in your abilities.

Gen chem lab wasn't too bad. I can do this. How hard can it ACTUALLY be? (The answer is very.)

5. But within the first 20 minutes of your TA explaining how to use the equipment, you're already lost.

Rotavap?? Is that a brand of vacuum?

6. And why do you have to do everything on such a small scale?

This was made for ants.

7. This would be a lot more pleasant if all the equipment in your building wasn't super old and sketchy AF.

Even your TA admits that some of it doesn't even work anymore.

8. You know that if you break a beaker you're gonna be out at least $30, if not more.

Being a broke college student has never been more stressful.

9. So naturally it's 10 times scarier when you have to use the big machines that you know each cost thousands of dollars.

DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.

10. And everything is ridiculously more difficult if you're a naturally clumsy person.

I have not finished a lab without knocking over something important. Not a single lab.

11. Part way through the semester you start to get a hand of all the equipment, but every lab feels the same and you're still completely lost.

I have no idea what I'm doing, but (I think) I can get there without killing anyone.

12. So much chromatography.

I miss the days where TLC meant tender love and care. Why can't you make this easier for everyone involved and just give me the solvent system?

13. Nothing beats the feeling when you get a good yield.

"Wow, it's like I'm an actual scientist. I should definitely go into research", you think to yourself for 0.5 seconds.

14. But there's always that one experiment where you get no product and you can't figure out why.

How did this happen????

15. And if doing the labs wasn't bad enough, you actually need to understand the mechanism to take the quiz.

As if taking the actual Organic class doesn't prove you can do the chemistry.

16. When you finally finish the lab, you have to do the report.

It never ends.

17. This goes on and on, over and over again... until it's suddenly the end of the semester and it's time for the final.

I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING.

18. And so begins the most stressful two weeks of your life.

I can (and probably will) mess up at any moment.

19. But somehow, eventually, you make it through.

Thank the Lord.

20. And you pity the people who have to take it next semester.

lol sucks to be you srry