Back to school

As some of you may have heard, Tyler is taking two classes at Colorado Mountain College this semester, which is helping him work toward his long-term goal to get into the brewmaster program at U.C. Davis. In order to be accepted, he needs to have some calculus, biology, chemistry and physics classes under his belt as prerequisites. He's taking both classes online: college algebra and chemistry 101.

What surprised me most about the online classes is that even his chemistry labs are done at home. It's not baking soda and vinegar projects, or water and cornstarch, but an actual kit with all the chemicals and flammable tools you need to make it through an introductory chem lab. In the above picture he's learning what colors different elements produce when they burn. And yes, that's the kitchen table. I've also caught him burning potato chips to determine their caloric content, as well as converting liquids to gases. 

Overall, he's doing well with his studies. He's disappointed when he doesn't receive an A on an assignment or test, and he's determined to nail the material. He told me the other day that school is much more interesting when you're working toward a goal. I'm just happy he hasn't set anything on fire yet.