Musings of an Old Chemist

A Chemist's Perspective on the Habits and Skills STEM Students Need For Success

Category: VII. A Chemist’s Perspective

The Impact of Calculators on Fundamental Math Skills
To follow up on my previous post, I cannot stress enough that four basic math skills: dimensional analysis, scientific notation, estimation, and significant figures – are prerequisites for anyone interested in math and sciences. Mastering these concepts helps stop the “operator headspace” mistakes that happen when you use your calculator as a crutch.

My biggest concern is that leaning too much on calculators is actually making students worse at fundamental math. For example, in the students I tutor, I’m seeing a drop in their ability to do mental math, a poor sense of estimation, and a failure to build that crucial “number sense” – that gut feeling about how numbers work and whether an answer makes any sense.

It’s a bit disappointing to me when I can perform math functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and PEMDAS calculations faster and more accurately in my head than my students can on their fancy $100 calculator.

Therefore, the question I’m asking is:

“When kids let the calculator do the work, do they skip the mental practice needed to really lock in these vital skills?”

What Do the Experts Say?

Educational research points to a broader consensus: the impact of calculators isn’t automatically negative. The general feeling among experts is that when calculators are used correctly, they don’t inherently make students less capable at math. Instead, they suggest that any negative results usually come not from the calculator itself, but from using it poorly or too much. This often boils down to schools failing to have an intelligent, deliberate plan for when and how to bring this technology into the classroom. When the calculator becomes a crutch – used for problems students could easily do in their heads or on paper – that feared skill loss can definitely happen. But on the flip side, when they’re introduced as tools for digging into tougher concepts, checking answers, or handling the annoying arithmetic in advanced problem-solving, they can be helpful. They let students focus on deeper mathematical thinking and understanding.

How Should We Address These Concerns?

Math educators strongly advocate a structured, phased approach to the introduction of calculators:
- Prioritize Traditional Methods: Students must first be required to build a strong foundation in mathematics through traditional mental math and written arithmetic methods. This guarantees that these techniques and number sense are firmly established.
- Introduce Calculators as a Tool, Not a Replacement: Calculators should be introduced later in the elementary school years (not second grade), transitioning from an everyday practice to a valuable educational tool. Their primary function should be to support the student, not replace mental calculations.
- Introduce Calculators as a Resource for Checking Answers: Confirming answers acquired through mental or written technique.
- Introduce Calculators for Exploring Complex Numerical Systems: In secondary and post-secondary classrooms, calculators are introduced as a tool for investigating sequences or statistics on large data sets where calculation time is prohibitive.
- Introduce Calculators for Solving Conceptually Challenging Problems: Working with complex problems where the challenge lies in understanding the concept and setup, not in the basic arithmetic calculation itself.
This is an intelligent approach to introducing the calculator in the classroom, as it allows students to actively check their work. This is all about helping them master the calculations and truly understand how the math works. The goal here is to boost their learning, not get in the way of it.

High School and College STEM Courses: The Dangers of Calculator Over-Dependence

When you get to advanced math and science courses, relying too much on a calculator isn’t just about whether you can do the basic arithmetic (you should be able to); it’s about some more concerning issues. Specifically, whether using the calculator too often can affect your grasp of the concepts, make you rusty at solving problems algebraically, and weaken your crucial ability to estimate answers quickly to check your work.

Using powerful tools like TI graphing calculators can be a risk for learning. Certainly, these instruments make complex math operations simple, but that convenience can slow down a student’s development. Students who always simply punch numbers into their calculator to get an answer often miss out on building important “number sense.” This basic skill is key to quickly seeing if an answer is logical. Without it, students are more likely to accept completely wrong answers due to simple input errors because they haven’t developed the gut feeling that an answer is just plain wrong. Getting that immediate result skips the necessary learning steps of estimating and checking the math in your head.

Graphing calculators, while excellent tools that may assist a student’s understanding of the relationship between an algebraic equation and its graph, may also lead to over-reliance. When students rely too heavily on the calculator, they may be satisfied with merely seeing relationships – such as the curve’s shape or the location of an equation’s roots – without making the effort to understand the fundamental mathematical reasoning.

True mathematical mastery requires knowing not only what the graph looks like, but why it is structured that way. This deeper knowledge develops through hands-on engagement, not just by pressing buttons. The danger is that the calculator becomes a black box: it provides correct answers without explaining the logic behind the calculations, ultimately blocking the development of real mathematical understanding.

I must admit I am not a fan of the Ti-83/84 series of graphing calculators, perhaps because I have not used them as much as the students I‘ve tutored. I use the Ti-30 series for calculations, and for graphing functions, I use Desmos (www.Desmos.com), which I find to be a powerful tool that produces graphs I can easily manipulate and that are easier to see on my computer screen. I recommend it to every student I work with.

Personal Commentary

I believe it is crucial to learn how to evaluate a graph, a skill that goes beyond just plugging an equation into your graphing calculator and seeing the resulting graph on the screen. I had a Physics professor at Centre College, Dr. Marshall Wilt, who insisted that we learn how to graph and interpret the experimental data we obtained in the laboratory, as well as the relationships between small changes in inputs and the resulting output for equations such as the distance equation: ( $x_f=\;x_o+vt+at^2$ ). Albeit this was in the late 1970s, before graphing calculators were available, this was a skill that I used throughout my career.

Learning to evaluate graphs, regardless of how they are produced, and understanding the data they represent is a critical skill, useful, for example, on the ACT Science section, where graphical interpretation determines the correct answer.

Also, understanding graphical components such as slope and y-intercept is important for data interpretation, especially in chemistry, where they represent the reaction rate and the endpoints of a reaction.

From a Positive Perspective: How Calculators Help

Calculators are beneficial because they automate the long, repetitive mathematical calculations. This automation means you don’t have to waste time doing tedious work manually; for example, long division problems, complex multiplications, or solving big sets of equations.

The payoff? Students can focus their attention on bigger concepts. Instead of endless drills, the focus shifts to building higher-order thinking skills, figuring out the best way to tackle a problem, and really getting the math – like understanding of why a procedure works and when to use it. Basically, students can put their energy into setting up the problem, interpreting what the answer means, and grasping the core math ideas rather than getting bogged down in the steps of calculation itself.

Graphing calculators are great tools for exploring, questioning, and visualizing math concepts, turning complex equations into graphs. Students can quickly try out ideas and immediately see what happens when they tweak a function—like instantly watching how changing the numbers in a quadratic function ( $y=ax^2+bx+c$ ) shifts the parabola’s shape, direction, and peak. This fast, back-and-forth feedback encourages students to ask “what if?”, sparks their curiosity, and helps them really see the connection between the formula and the graph.

Calculators promote real-world data analysis skills. Restricting math problems to simple, whole numbers creates an artificial learning environment that fails to prepare students for the “messy” data they will encounter in professional fields such as science, finance, and engineering. Real-world applications invariably involve complex and irregular numbers. By using calculators, students can engage with authentic, complex data sets. This practice not only allows them to tackle applicable, practical problems that mirror professional scenarios but also reinforces the practical application of mathematics, thereby significantly boosting their skills in data interpretation and analysis.

Summary

The answer to my initial question:

“When kids let the calculator do the work, do they skip the mental practice needed to really lock in these vital skills?”

is complex. The expert consensus suggests the answer is no, not necessarily. The problem isn’t the calculator itself, but how it is used.

When a calculator is used too soon, as a replacement for mental math and estimation, it becomes a crutch for problems a student should solve independently. It clearly sidesteps the mental exercise required to master fundamental skills such as dimensional analysis, estimation, and significant figures.

The path forward is clear: a structured, phased approach to integrate this technology is essential.
- Foundation First: Students must first master fundamental arithmetic and algebraic manipulation using traditional methods. This ensures the critical development of number sense and the ability to estimate and check answers quickly.
- Calculators as Investigational Tools: Once the foundation is solid, the calculator changes from a potential crutch into a powerful tool for learning. It allows students to automate tedious calculations in advanced problems, freeing them to focus on setting up the problem, understanding the concept, how changes in variables affect the algebra, and interpreting results.
- Understanding the “Why”: For advanced topics, particularly in STEM, the goal is not just the correct answer, but mastering the math itself – understanding why the graph looks a certain way or why a procedure works. The graphing calculator can illustrate the relationship between algebraic equations and their graphs ( $y=ax^2+bx+c$ ), but it must be paired with a conceptual understanding beyond merely pressing buttons.
The goal is to develop mathematically proficient students capable of determining when to rely on mental calculation, when to use written methods, and when to employ a powerful device like a calculator. While the calculator is an essential instrument for today’s STEM students, it must serve as a secondary aid to mathematical reasoning, not a substitute for it.
December 14, 2025
Mastering STEM: 3 Keys to Success Beyond ‘Natural Genius’
There’s a persistent myth in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): that success belongs to the “natural genius,” the person who just “gets it.”

Here’s the truth: Achieving mastery in challenging STEM fields has little to do with some magical, intrinsic gift. It is 100% based on the application of several advanced intellectual and behavioral strategies. Think of it as a complete operating system upgrade for your brain.

To move beyond the daily struggles and achieve genuine mastery in STEM, you need to commit to these three non-negotiable principles.

The Power of Modeling

Social Learning Theory, pioneered by Albert Bandura, shows that a huge part of human learning happens through observing and imitating others. But success isn’t about emulation (or copying) a single skill; it’s about modeling a complete system.

To succeed, you must actively observe and adopt the entire package of skills and habits from those who have already achieved high levels of success. For example:
- Advanced Technical Skills: How do experts and mentors break down a complex problem? Learn their analytical approaches.
- Powerful Work Ethic: Look at how they meticulously structure their study schedules, their uncompromising standards for quality, and their consistent effort.
- Powerful, Positive Mindset: How do they view failure? It’s purely objective, instructive data—nothing more.
Take action, stop focusing solely on the textbook content. Start noting the process of your most successful peers or mentors. How do they organize? When and how do they study? How do they handle a major setback? You want to copy and implement a system, not just learn content knowledge.

Escaping the “Developmental Trap.”

A massive barrier to our progress is what is called the “developmental trap.” This is when you inadvertently become rooted in ineffective behavioral patterns that feel comfortable but sabotage your future.

Are you chronically procrastinating? Do you find fault in everything you do, seeing only the negative outcomes, which paralyzes you from even starting? Are you habitually unclear about your goals and intentions, or vague in your communication with your fellow students/teachers/professors? These are self-sabotaging habits.

To break free, you must perform a conscious, honest self-assessment and start developing and exercising your self-awareness skills.

Follow-up on your self-assessment by:
- Installing these productive habits: Resilience (bouncing back from setbacks with renewed effort) and a rigorous work ethic (getting things done with uncompromising quality and efficiency).
- Discard low-return behaviors: Self-incrimination, self-doubt, and negativity.
Over time, your relentless effort will help create a powerful “internal compass.” Your motivation shifts from the temporary need for external validation (a good grade, a compliment) to an intrinsic drive—a non-negotiable, standard you’ve set for quality and thoroughness that you must meet, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Prioritize the Process Over the Score

The final, and perhaps most crucial, mental adjustment is letting go of the destructive notion that you must achieve absolute, flaw-free perfection. That ideal is unattainable and will only lead to burnout.

The successful STEM student must value the process of learning and discovery over the final numerical score or grade.

When an experiment fails, a line of code breaks, or you get a subpar result on a quiz, how you react must change. Don’t view it as a “mess-up” or that you don’t have what it takes to “make it.” Instead, you must treat it as a starting point from which you learn and progress.

This data is essential for:
1. Precisely identifying your weaknesses.
2. Fine-tuning your approach to solving the problem or issue.
3. Educating you for the design of your future, a more refined attempt.
This mental shift is life-changing. It moves your focus from avoiding mistakes (a fear-based approach) to maximizing learning effectiveness (a growth-based approach.)

Summary

In the demanding world of STEM, setbacks—from experimental failures to complex problem-solving roadblocks and challenging coursework—are a daily certainty. Therefore, the single most critical factor for your long-term success and ultimate perseverance is your ability to effectively manage and recalibrate your expectations.

Really successful STEM students ditch the idea that they have to be absolutely perfect. They focus more on consistently putting in the hard work and sticking closely to the process (understanding the “why” and the “how”), instead of getting hung up on immediate, flawless results. This mindset change is a huge win: it means they stop seeing mistakes as a huge personal flaw and start seeing them as valuable, objective data—the stuff you need for real learning, figuring out new strategies, and improving down the line. In the end, this shift turns anxiety into a powerful tool for growth.
November 30, 2025
The Personal Growth/Chemical Reaction Analogy

Key Concepts

Key Concept Number One: The Law of Conservation of Energy

The law of conservation of energy applies directly to our campfire analogy by stating that all the chemical potential energy stored in the wood must be accounted for after it burns—it doesn’t just disappear, it’s simply transformed into different forms. The total energy of the heat, light, and the chemical bonds of all the byproducts is equal to the original chemical potential energy stored in the wood. No energy is lost; it has just been converted.

In our discussion of the process of personal growth, the conservation of energy also applies. The personal energy we invest in the process — our time, focus, and emotion — is finite and must be transformed into something: either a product (your desired outcome of success) or byproducts (either intended (positive) or unintended (negative) emotional or psychological consequences of the process).

Key Concept Number Two: The Definition and Role of an Indicator

An Indicator in our chemical reaction/personal growth analogy is a measurable, observable, and immediate sign that the reaction mechanism is proceeding effectively and that the energy input (activation energy) is being successfully converted into the desired products. Essentially, it tells you if and how well the process is working.

The indicator in our campfire analogy is a sustained flame producing heat and light. This is the visual and thermal evidence that the wood’s stored chemical energy is successfully converting into usable thermal and radiant energy (Heat and Light). It immediately informs us that the Activation Energy (the match/lighter) was successful and the Reaction Mechanism (the burning of the reactants) is self-sustaining.

In the process of personal growth, self-awareness acts as an indicator. It is the ability to recognize and reflect on the state of our emotions, how effective we are in our learning process (informing us if our study habits/self-discipline are effective), and understand our behaviors. Without self-awareness, personal growth becomes a random and inefficient endeavor. It’s like “throwing ideas up against the wall to see what sticks,” a process that lacks crucial elements. This leads to a frustrating trial-and-error approach, wasting valuable time and energy.

Therefore, self-awareness is the foundational component of our personal growth, enabling us to identify and appreciate new skills, confidence, and competence as they emerge. Simultaneously, self-awareness is crucial for detecting and managing negative byproducts like stress, frustration, or burnout, preventing them from halting the entire growth process.

Breaking Down the Components of Our Campfire vs Personal Growth Analogy

Let’s define start by defining our chemical reaction process as the following:

Reactants + Catalyst + Activation Energy – Initiates – Reaction Mechanism – Yields – Products + Byproducts

Supplies

What items in the campfire example or which skills in the case of personal growth, do we need to accumulate before starting each process?

For the campfire analogy, we need: paper and kindling (small twigs and branches) to get the fire started, larger pieces of wood (logs) to serve as the fuel, and matches or a lighter to introduce heat to ignite the flame.

Personal growth demands a combination of essential resources and skills. Essential supplies include strong communication, critical thinking, and time management skills. Additionally, we need an inherent sense of personal accountability and access to various resources such as time, money, and mentors. Information resources, whether online, textbooks, or coursework, are also crucial. Finally, a secure and supportive environment is vital for this process.

Personal Commentary – The Importance of a Safe, Secure, and Supportive Environment

During my tine teaching middle school science, I was mentored by a teacher who advocated for a pass/fail grading policy for students during their middle school years, grades 6-8. He believed that the significant emotional and developmental changes experienced by students aged 12-15 made it more important to focus on building essential communication, study, time management and critical thinking skills rather than pressuring them with specific grade requirements. He also pointed out the growing number of students facing poverty, living in single-parent homes, living in fear of abuse, and dealing with various crises, leading to a lack of sufficient rest, parental support, and proper nutrition. Citing Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, he argued that these stressors needed to be addressed before students could be expected to achieve academic excellence in the classroom.

Reactants (Campfire vs the Process of Personal Growth Analogy)

For our campfire analogy, the reactants are straightforward; they consist of wood (fuel), which is the source of stored potential energy, and oxygen.

Personal growth is fueled by key personality traits. These “reactants” include creativity, an open-mindedness to new ideas, a passion for learning and problem-solving, and the crucial ability to persevere through obstacles.

Indicators

In the campfire analogy, the sustained flame’s heat and light serve as the indicator, visually confirming the reaction is occurring and progressing.

Self-awareness serves as a crucial metric for our dedication to personal growth. This dedication is shaped by our curiosity, persistence, and the joy we experience from the process, As lifelong learners, our progress in these areas can be measured through our academic or career achievements.

Activation Energy

In the campfire analogy, the initial heat needed to ignite the paper or kindling acts as the activation energy for the combustion reaction. This reaction involves the burning of fuel (wood) in the presence of oxygen, which produces heat and light. A flame from a lighter or matches provides this initial activation energy, initiating the reaction. Once started, the heat generated by the burning wood sustains the reaction, causing subsequent additions of fuel to ignite.

Personal growth begins with activation energy—our initial investment of effort, time, and focus. This crucial first step helps us overcome our reluctance to start new projects, defeat self-doubt, and combat our natural inertia, our resistance towards change. It requires aligning our personal goals with both our internal motivations, our drive to engage in an activity purely for the inherent pleasure, satisfaction, or challenge it provides, and external motivations, our drive to perform an activity in order to achieve rewards, praise, money, grades, status, or to avoid negative consequences (like failing a class, being grounded, or later in life, getting fired from our job).

Catalysts

(Important: by definition,a catalyst is never used up or depleted in the reaction process.)

If you have ever had to build a campfire you may recognize this catalyst in the campfire analogy, it is the absolute dependence on the flow of air around and through the campfire itself. This airflow is the mechanism that speed up the process of burning, providing access to the oxygen crucial to the combustion process.

Personal growth is driven by catalysts, which include the foundational steps of the personal growth “building” we discussed in a previous blog post, our dreams, aspirations, and goals. These are combined with both intrinsic expectations (how we expect ourselves to progress) and extrinsic expectations (the expectations of family and others) to propel us forward in our personal growth journey.

Reaction Mechanism

In chemistry, a reaction mechanism is the step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions that leads from reactants to products. It’s the detailed path the reaction takes. When we apply this to personal growth, the reaction mechanism is not a single, fixed procedure but a continuous, self-correcting process.

In our campfire analogy, the reaction process is a combustion reaction, the process of combining fuel and oxygen with the activation energy provided by the match or a lighter, to initiate a chemical reaction that produces heat and light as products.

Personal growth is a journey towards a goal or personal transformation, much like a chemical reaction. It involves a methodical process of learning, similar to the scientific method, where knowledge is gained and applied through observation. This leads to the development of strategies, which are then implemented through habits, discipline, and focus to transform effort into skill. Ultimately, this process enables us to identify and conquer obstacles.

Products

We define a product as the desired output of a process, or the desired outcome of success.

In the campfire analogy, the products are heat (thermal energy) and light.

The desired outcome of personal growth is multifaceted, encompassing skills and competencies, such as mastering a trade, or individual definitions of success, like a specific title or salary. Ultimately, however, I would argue, we should strive in the long-term to gain in wisdom.

Byproducts

A campfire’s combustion reaction produces unintended and undesirable byproducts: ashes, which are mineral waste, and smoke, a form of air pollution consisting of uncombusted particles.

Our personal growth journey, unlike a chemical reaction, yields byproducts that can be either positive or negative, depending on the nature of the growth itself. When we engage in what we call “exothermic growth,” our investment of personal energy results in a positive return or outcome. This beneficial growth produces desirable byproducts such as compassion, critical thinking skills, humility, and resiliency.

Conversely, “endothermic growth” occurs when we invest more personal energy than we receive in return. This imbalance can lead to negative, unintended emotional or psychological consequences, including anxiety, burnout, fear, frustration, and stress.

Therefore, self-awareness is crucial. It enables us to identify and prioritize rewarding, exothermic activities while simultaneously recognizing and minimizing endothermic activities that drain our personal energy and are misaligned with our personal goals and ambitions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, just like a well-tended campfire provides warmth and light, a mindful approach to personal growth can yield profound and lasting benefits. By understanding the “chemistry” of our own development—recognizing the needed components, our supplies, reactants, and the crucial role of activation energy and catalysts—we can more effectively guide our journey. Cultivating self-awareness allows us to prioritize “exothermic growth” and minimize the less desirable “endothermic” byproducts, ensuring our personal evolution is not only productive but also sustainable and deeply rewarding.

October 13, 2025
Weekly Quotation: October 1, 2025: Chemistry: My Journey From Struggle to Passion

For your consideration:

Chemistry is not torture but instead the amazing and beautiful science of stuff, and if you give it a chance, it will not only blow your mind but also give you a deeper understanding of your world.

– Hank Green

My initial perception of chemistry differed significantly from Hank Green’s. My unfortunate experience with Dr. Bill Sagar’s Organic I course and his synthesis lab at Centre College in the late 1970s was responsible for this perspective. I would have preferred a novocaine-free wisdom tooth extraction to repeating that freshman year course. The sheer volume of material on his exams, coupled with my inability to memorize and regurgitate facts, proved overwhelming. Furthermore, I found the compound syntheses in the lab impossible. While I excel at instrumental lab activities and compound extractions, Dr. Sagar’s lab experience was so disheartening that it nearly destroyed my desire for any further lab courses at Centre. Ultimately, that single course, in which I received a “D,” sealed my fate as a pre-med major.

A year later, Dr. John Walkup, who was the Chair of the Chemistry Division, and would become my mentor, presented a holistic view of chemistry in his courses. He emphasized the habits, traits, and skills crucial to be successful as a chemist. His approach inspired in me an appreciation and passion for chemistry in all areas, from Organic II (yes, I enrolled in and survived a second year of Organic, this time I got a “B”) to Physical Chemistry (a stunning blend of math and chemistry) and Instrumental Chemistry (which became my true love). We explored not just the how but also why reactions occurred, but also their application, their importance in different field of chemistry. We were taught to “think’ like a chemist, the importance of observation – recognizing strengths and weaknesses of a chemical process, then identifying the possible sources of error in our analyses.

After 35-plus years in various fields of chemistry, I strongly recommend to student pursuing a chemistry major or a broader STEM career that I tutor, to maintain an open mind throughout their science coursework. It will not always be an easy path to follow. You will encounter challenges, and there will be days when switching to business management or accounting might seem appealing. However, persevere. Have faith in yourself. Seek out mentors, engage with your professors, learn their office hours, and visit frequently. While it may now always seem like it, I can assure you that chemistry is a beautiful field of study. It is both an art and a science, inviting you to experience the wonder and awe of the world around you.

October 1, 2025
Personal Growth as a Series of Energy Transformations

The Law of Conservation of Energy

Have you ever felt completely drained after a project, even a successful one? Or, conversely, felt energized and alive after tackling a difficult challenge? The reason for this might be found in a fundamental law of the universe: the conservation of energy.

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.The principle of conservation of energy absolutely applies to the process of your personal growth. You can’t get energy out without putting energy in.

In our chemical reaction analogy for personal growth, this principle is foundational. It means that the personal energy you have is a finite resource that must be accounted for. It can’t simply disappear.

We can view our personal growth as a series of energy transformations. In this model, you are the most precious resource you have—your personal energy. Personal growth requires an investment of personal energy—your time, effort, focus, and emotional commitment—to initiate and sustain a change. The outcome you get is a direct result of this transformation.

The key to living the life you desire isn’t about finding more energy; it’s about choosing where to invest the energy you have.

Exothermic Personal Growth

An exothermic reaction is one that releases more energy than it takes to get started. Think of a campfire: you invest a small amount of energy to light a match, but the fire then releases a much greater amount of heat and light.

Exothermic personal growth is a process that provides a net gain. In a highly efficient “reaction,” your invested energy is transformed into a net gain of new, positive energy. This is the ideal. It’s a process where your small, intentional investment of personal energy leads to a large and rewarding release of positive energy.

For example, the challenging work of learning a new skill that brings you joy, taking on a difficult but meaningful project, having a deep, honest conversation with your friend. These actions require effort, but the feeling of accomplishment, connection, and confidence you get in return is a powerful surplus. The emotional reward is far greater than the initial effort.

Endothermic Personal Growth

An endothermic reaction is one that absorbs energy from its surroundings. Think of a chemical cold pack: it needs to absorb energy from the environment to become cold. The process leaves the surroundings with less energy. In a draining “reaction,” your energy is transformed into by-products like stress, frustration, and burnout. You put in a great amount of personal energy, but because the process is inefficient or misaligned with your goals, you are left feeling drained and with a net loss of energy.

It’s when you are constantly investing a large amount of personal energy into a process or relationship, with very little emotional or mental energy being returned. This could be staying in a job that makes you miserable for too long, trying to earn the approval of someone who constantly criticizes you, or pursuing a goal out of obligation, not because you’re passionate about it. These are processes that leave you feeling drained. The energy you invest is not returned to you, or the products of the “reaction” aren’t worth the cost.

Key Understanding

In this analogy, you are the “chemist” of your own life. You can’t create more energy, but you can choose where to direct the energy you have. Your goal is to design a life filled with reactions where a small investment of intentional effort yields a significant release of personal energy, making the entire growth process both powerful and sustainable. To identify and pursue the exothermic reactions that fill you up and provide momentum for the next challenge. Just as importantly, you must recognize and minimize the endothermic reactions that drain your most precious resource: your personal energy.

Personal Commentary: The Importance of Self-awareness

I’m a perfect example of how the benefits of exothermic personal growth, such as accomplishment and confidence, can lead to negative outcomes. For much of my life, I have made the most of my God-given intelligence and my ability to grasp and explain complex concepts, gaining recognition and self-confidence. However, as this recognition grew, my self-confidence transformed into arrogance. I stopped recognizing and acknowledging my weaknesses, believing my way the the best or only way and that I no longer needed others’ help. This led me to forge ahead alone, alienating people and ultimately causing my failure. The very processes that were initially energizing became draining, leading to frustration, resentment, and the abandonment of those career paths.

At the time, I blamed others for my setbacks. Now, with age, wisdom, and a new perspective, I realize I was my own worst enemy. This highlights the critical importance of self-awareness in navigating our lives. It shapes our perspective, ensuring we neither waste our energy nor allow positive, personal growth to become a long-term detriment. Self-awareness is the key to developing our action plan, the specific steps and habits we need to follow, the “procedure” in our chemical reaction analogy of personal growth.

September 28, 2025
Step-by-Step Procedure for Personal Growth

The key to a successful analysis or experiment is a detailed procedure to follow. First, it provides a list of all the key starting materials you need to gather, along with the quantities of each. Then step-by-step instructions on how to combine these materials. Then details regarding under what conditions the reaction mechanism drives the reaction process to its completion, resulting in the product or products you desire. A quality procedure also lists the byproducts that a reaction process may produce. And finally, a section on sources of error, a detailed description of possible errors that can be made, and the effect of these mistakes on the reaction process, and which products or byproducts are produced.

I can attest to the fact that writing a quality procedure is a challenging task. I’ve drafted my share of procedures in my career, and I’ve found that it requires extensive hands-on experience performing the chemical reaction process and an in-depth understanding of how each step of the procedure contributes to the overall desired result. More importantly, I found that the sources of error section is the most difficult section to write. Luckily, I was blessed to have college professors whose primary focus was on the documentation of every possible source of error in every experiment we performed and on every lab report we prepared in our advanced chemistry and physics courses.

Commentary

So, how does this concept of a detailed procedure apply in our chemical reaction analogy of personal growth? I can honestly say there were points in my life that I had no idea what I was supposed to do, what decision to make, what path to follow. I wished I had had a detailed procedure to follow, a document that told me what decisions I should make, and when, to obtain the goals, and the success I was seeking. A set of step-by-step instructions defining what skills and traits I needed to possess, and the decisions I needed to make. And more importantly, I could’ve used a sources of error section that identified what mistakes I might make, describing how to, if not avoid them, deal with them constructively and not get sidetracked on my journey.

But, as I have learned and become painfully aware of at times, there is no one universal set of instructions we can follow for personal success. While there are plenty of books written on the subject, not one is universally applicable to each of us, with our individual personality traits, gifts, dreams, and aspirations.

Creating Your Procedure for Personal Growth

You cannot find a procedure tailored personally for you in a blog, book, or video; you produce it. It’s not a set of instructions someone else has written for your life. Instead, you create it with a combination of self-assessment and a growth mindset, the understanding that there is always more you can learn.

Step One: Self-assessment

To begin, you need to develop an awareness of the starting materials component for your personal growth procedure through honest self-assessment – identifying your strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and natural tendencies (how you react in different situations). This is the initial observation stage, much like in the Scientific Method.

Continue to ask yourself: “What have I done in the past that’s worked for me?”, “What approach or actions to address challenges or concerns feels natural to me?”, and “What habits, good and bad, do I tend to fall into?” This self-assessment ensures your approach is personalized and realistic. Following a generic procedure that works for someone else might produce a result in you that leaves you feeling emotionally, mentally, or physically drained.

Remember that this journey is yours, and yours alone.

Step Two: Utilizing a Growth Mindset

Once you’ve identified your core starting materials, turn your attention outward. See how others have achieved similar goals. Dive into books and articles about what you’re interested in. Find mentors who have already done what you want to do, ask for their input, seek their instruction. And, try to learn from their successes and failures. Figure out what works for them and then make it your own.

Perfecting Your Procedure: The Scientific Method

You don’t know what to do at the beginning; you discover it. Your procedure for personal growth is not something you are handed at the beginning of your journey. Instead, your initial procedure is a hypothesis – a best guess based on your self-awareness and research. Through the process of experimentation, analysis, and revision, you refine that hypothesis. The final, tested and proven procedure is the culmination of your observation and learning. It represents the wisdom and practical knowledge you’ve gained from the entire process.

Your “procedure” is not a fixed set of instructions; it is dynamic and constantly changing. As you learn more about yourself and the world around you, your procedure must adapt to who you are and your unique situation at each stage of your personal growth. What works for you today may not be what you need a year from now. Your procedure adapts as you gain new insights, as your world changes, and as your goals evolve.

This is the power of applying the scientific method to your life: you are constantly running small experiments, collecting data on your results, and refining your methods for the next reiteration. It’s a continuous, cyclical process of learning and adaptation. Your journey of personal growth is ever-evolving; each day brings with it new challenges. Personal growth dictates that who we are today is different than who we were yesterday, and hopefully, tomorrow we will be better than we are today.

September 21, 2025
The Chemistry of Personal Growth: A Campfire Analogy

From my perspective, as a chemist, the process of personal growth is not all that different from the processes of a chemical reaction. And to understand personal growth through the analogy of a chemical reaction, it’s helpful to first examine the basic steps and components of a chemical reaction. I hope to simplify the steps in chemical reactions by focusing on energy: the energy required to initiate and sustain the reaction, and the energy released as products. This focus on energy is crucial because when we explore personal growth, we’ll similarly concentrate on the energy we invest in our own development.

In its simplest form, a chemical reaction may be written as follows:

Reactants → (Reaction mechanism or process) → Products

For this discussion, I will use the example of a combustion reaction. Most of us should be familiar with building a campfire. Whether it is in our backyard firepit, or we are enjoying s’mores over a campfire. We can break down the individual components of this reaction as follows:

The Reactants: These are the starting materials. When we build a campfire, our reactants are newspaper, twigs, branches, or logs, and the presence of oxygen. You may not consider oxygen when you think of your starting materials, but it is the necessary component in almost all types of combustion reactions.

The Reaction Mechanism: It is the burning of the individual components – newspaper, twigs, larger branches, and logs, and the ignition pattern usually occurs in that order.

The Products: Our campfire produces ashes, heat, light, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and water vapor (H₂O).

Factors that affect the rate of the reaction, i.e., how fast our fire burns.

The concentration of the reactants. Higher concentrations generally lead to faster reactions – for a campfire, the more newspaper and twigs you have, the faster the fire starts producing heat and light. However it is important to take note of the fact the rate of reaction for the newspaper and the twigs is much faster than that of the branches and logs. While the burning of the newspaper, for example, does produce some heat and light, it does not last very long. Its purpose is to be an intermediate step in the reaction process, solely to light the twigs and perhaps small branches. It would be very difficult to make s’mores on a fire whose only fuel was wads of newspaper.

The activation energy associated with the reaction. This is the initial energy required to initiate a reaction. Think of it like the energy needed to start a snowball rolling downhill. In our example, the fuel, newspaper and wood, even in the presence of oxygen, won’t spontaneously combust. It needs an initial input of energy to start the reaction. This is the activation energy. You provide this energy by lighting a match or using a lighter. The heat from the match is what breaks the initial chemical bonds in a small amount of paper or wood, allowing the combustion process to begin.

Sorry, spontaneous combustion only exists in comic books, the X-Files, and Harry Potter novels.

The presence of a catalyst. A catalyst lowers the activation energy, which speeds up the reaction. By definition, and this is an important qualification, catalysts are not consumed in a reaction.

My Dad would soak the firewood with lighter fluid or, heaven forbid, gasoline before tossing in the match. You would assume, as I did initially, that my Dad’s addition of lighter fluid to the pile of wood would act as a catalyst because it lowers the activation energy, making it easier for the combustion reaction to start. The wood ignites faster and releases heat and light more quickly. This is especially effective when the wood may be damp. But, since the lighter fluid is completely consumed in the burning process, it is not considered to be a catalyst.

In a campfire, metal ions within the embers act as catalysts. These embers, formed from burning wood, retain heat. When new wood is added, the stored heat from the embers lowers the activation energy, thereby accelerating the combustion reaction.

Temperature: Increasing the temperature typically increases the reaction rate. The hotter the fire, the faster the fuel is consumed, requiring us to add more wood to keep the fire burning.

Foundational Background Concepts

Several critical concepts directly relate to chemical reactions. While these concepts aren’t part of the formal reaction process, they play an important role in the comparison between chemical reactions and personal growth.

Chemical Change vs. Physical Change: In a reaction where there is a physical change, that reaction is reversible. Which means that the reagents can be recovered and do not undergo a permanent change in their chemical structure. As an example, dissolving salt in water. The salt undergoes a physical change. I can recover the salt granules by evaporating the water over a hotplate. As long as I don’t boil the water too vigorously, I can recovered the majority of the salt I added.

The combustion reaction, our campfire, is an example of a chemical change. The chemical structure of our reagents, the newspaper and the wood, is permanently altered. This reaction is not reversible. I cannot take the ashes, reverse the reaction process and recreate the wood or newspaper.

Chemical Potential Energy: All substances have stored energy due to their structure or position, which can be converted to another form of energy. In a combustion reaction, each of the reagents has “stored” chemical potential energy due to its structure, which is then “converted” during the combustion process into thermal (heat) and light energy.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Analysis: A qualitative analysis focuses on the presence of a product of a chemical analysis. In the example of the campfire, strictly whether the combustion process occurs, reaching an endpoint, the production of heat, or light. A quantitative analysis quantifies, measures the amount of reactants consumed and products produced. For example: “How much firewood was burned?”, “What was the temperature produced in the combustion process?” or “How bright was the light due to the flames?”.

Use of an Indicator: Whereas one is not used in this example, an indicator is a substance that undergoes a visible change, typically a color change, to signal the current stage or the endpoint of a reaction. They must react sensitively to small changes in the surrounding environment. The color change should be clear and distinct, making it easy to identify a specific endpoint. Acid-base indicators, specifically phenolphthalein, are a good example. These change color depending on the pH of a solution, indicating whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral.

Exothermic versus Endothermic Reactions: An exothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that releases energy, typically in the form of heat, light, or sound. The word “exothermic” comes from the Greek roots (exo-) meaning “out,” and (-thermic) meaning “heat.” A common example is our combustion reaction, a campfire, where the energy released from the burning wood (heat and light) is much greater than the initial energy, from a match, needed to start the fire.

An endothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that absorbs energy from its surroundings. In these reactions, the products have a higher total energy than the reactants, so energy must be continuously supplied for the reaction to proceed. The word “endothermic” comes from the Greek roots (endo-) meaning “in,” and (-thermic) meaning “heat.” A simple example is a cold pack. When you activate the pack, a reaction occurs that absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, making the pack feel cold to the touch.

Products versus By-products: Products are the primary and intended substances formed during a chemical reaction. They are the goal, what we expect to achieve in the reaction. In the practical, real-world context of a campfire, heat and light are the primary intended products. We don’t build a fire for the carbon dioxide and water vapor it creates; we do it for the warmth and illumination. So, in this specific case, the heat and light are the desired output, making them the main products.

By-products are secondary, unintended, and often undesirable substances formed during a chemical reaction. Unintended outcomes that represent the inefficiency of the chemical reaction, meaning that the reagents are not completely consumed, forming products. In the case of the campfire, the common by-products are: soot, this is unburned carbon that forms when the combustion reaction is not hot enough to convert all the carbon in the wood to carbon dioxide (CO₂), Carbon Monoxide (CO), a toxic gas that forms when there is not enough oxygen for a complete reaction, and ash. While each is a predictable part of the combustion process, they are byproducts, in that they are not the intended energy-releasing outputs of the combustion.

In an upcoming post, I will explore the parallels between the constituents and steps of chemical reactions and the process of personal growth, including the role of our foundational concepts.

August 31, 2025
Using the Scientific Method to Overcome Adversity

Every one of us, at some point in our lives, will face adversity and failure. Times when we fall short of expectations, whether it is the expectations others have for us or the expectations we have for ourselves. As students, it may be a poor exam grade, an incomplete or missed assignment, or even failing a course. You may fail to get the ACT score you need, or fail to be admitted to the college you desire. As adults, we may face setbacks like a failed job interview or missing out on a position we covet. A negative annual performance review could mean not getting the raise you feel like you deserve. Relationships and marriages can fail, and communication breakdowns can leave us questioning what went wrong. Life inevitably brings challenges: the loss of loved ones, health concerns, retirement, and the realization that we’re not as young as we used to be. The key lies in how we choose to confront these difficulties.

The Scientific Method’s Role in Dealing With Adversity

Most of us are familiar with the scientific method, a cornerstone of science education from middle school through college. For those who need a refresher, the scientific method consists of five steps or actions: Observation, Question, Hypothesis, Experiment, and Analysis/Conclusions.

How Can I Use the Scientific Method to Deal With Adversity?

I would argue that the key step is observation, being able to separate yourself from the emotion and act as an outside viewer of the situation, watching without judgment. Observation combined with self-awareness, asking yourself, “What are my strengths?, “What are my weaknesses?”, and “What truly motivates me?” These are the essential principles in applying the scientific method to adversity. It’s the perspective that allows you to treat a challenge not as an attack on you, but as a problem to be solved.

Once you accept this attitude and put it into practice, the scientific method becomes a powerful tool for dealing with adversity, changing it from an emotional crisis into a manageable process of observation and experimentation.

Real-life Example: You get a “D” on your chemistry assignment.

Step One: Observation

Adversity strikes, and your first step is to resist the emotional pull to react immediately. We often make the situation worse by reacting without thinking, responding in ways we’ll come to regret later. Not just in our words, but in our actions and decisions we make in the moment. We need to take a step back and become an objective viewer of the situation at hand.

First, you observe the situation without being judgmental or emotional, asking yourself:

“What are the facts of this situation?”

Break the situation down, make an objective, non-emotional analysis. The assignment was due three days ago, and I submitted it today, three days late. The classroom policy is that for every day an assignment is late, there is a letter grade penalty.

“What are the emotions am I feeling?”

Angry, I worked really hard on this assignment. Embarrassed, all my friends got better grades than I did.

“What thoughts are running through my mind?”

My teacher is just being mean; he doesn’t like me, and he’s picking on me. And this policy is really unfair.

“What are the other variables at play?”

I spent my time playing a new video game I just got instead of working on the assignment. I struggle with procrastination, putting off all my assignments until the last minute.

As you gather information, treat your emotions and thoughts as “data” points rather than truths to be acted upon.

Step Two: Identify a Question

From this place of calm observation, you formulate a specific, solvable question. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?”, you ask, “What is the real problem I need to solve here?” This question must be objective and actionable, similar to a chemist asking, “What are the souces of error causing this reaction to fail?”

For this situation, your core problem you need to solve is that you procrastinate.

Step Three: Create a Hypothesis

Next, you develop a theory about how to approach the problem. This is your educated guess about a potential solution. Your hypothesis is a path forward, a specific action you will take to test your theory. It might sound like this: “If I communicate my feelings calmly and clearly, then I can find a resolution to this conflict.” Or, “If I study more, then I will do better on my exam.”

Because you struggle with procrastination, you may decide to start on an assignment the day it is assigned, or do your work at the dining room table, not in your room where you’re easily distracted. Maybe ask your parents to help or ask a friend to be a “study buddy” to help keep you accountable.

Step Four: Perform an Experiment

This is where you put your hypothesis into action. You take a deliberate, measured step to test your theory. The experiment isn’t a rash decision; it’s a controlled action designed to provide data. You act or change your behavior, and you carefully observe the results.

For example, for the next assignment, you decide to test your hypothesis by starting the day it is assigned and doing your work at your kitchen table, not in your room.

Step Five: Analysis & Conclusion

After the experiment, you analyze the results. Did your new approach work? Did the situation improve, or did your emotions shift in a positive way?

Based on the analysis, you draw a conclusion. If your hypothesis was correct, you’ve found a new, effective way to handle that specific type of adversity. If it wasn’t, you haven’t failed; you’ve simply gathered new information. That new information allows you to formulate a new hypothesis and start the cycle over again.

While it is not always easy, assuming responsibility for our failures and admitting our shortcomings never is, by applying this systematic, analytical approach, you may find that adversity is no longer a personal attack. It becomes a solvable problem, and you become the master architect who learns from every challenge and uses that knowledge to become a stronger, more resilient you.

August 18, 2025