Chapter 4: Getting a Bit Recognized
As Michael stepped out of the classroom, he was filled with anxiety. He kept wondering why Mr. Delgado wanted to see him. Was it because his answers were too perfect, or did they look suspicious? Michael knew that the way the system helped him solve the problems was different from the usual methods taught in class. This difference might have caught Mr. Delgado's attention, making him curious or even suspicious. Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
That might be it.
"Shit...how would I explain this to him later..." Michael grumbled as he rummaged through his bag, grabbing his smartphone. Opening it, he saw his schedule for today.
"Differential equations and statics of rigid bodies huh? Just as difficult as the thermodynamics," Michael sighed and resumed walking towards the designated classroom. He'll worry about it later.
***
Thirty minutes later, in another room in building nine. Michael reunited with Psylemon, sitting next to each other once again. He has a shocked look on his face as if seeing a different person.
"What's with you?" Psylemon said.
"What do you mean?" Michael asked, tilting his head to the side.
"You earlier. You just finished the test in under thirty minutes. I thought you said you were going to have a hard time on the test. So how come you were able to finish it so early compared to our top classmates? Don't tell me, you just gave up in the middle. Wrote solutions to make it appear that you have solved the problems?" Psylemon's curiosity was evident.
Michael shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Nah, I didn't give up. Just had a moment of clarity, I guess. Sometimes things just click, you know?"
Psylemon raised an eyebrow, clearly not entirely convinced. "Clarity, huh? That's one heck of a moment. You were struggling with thermodynamics just like the rest of us."
Michael nodded, keeping his gaze fixed on his notes. "Yeah, well, sometimes pressure does strange things. Makes you focus in ways you didn't think possible."
Psylemon leaned back, still eyeing Michael with suspicion. "Whatever man, we are going to get zero anyway. The test was a torture. He didn't even teach that kind of problem to us."
"True...well, what can we do? It's Mr. Delgado after all."
As they talked, their professor in differential equations entered the classroom. Just as Mr. Delgado, their professor, Ms. Ocampo, was as strict as
him. She was known for her rigorous teaching methods and no-nonsense attitude.
"Alright, class, let's get started to maximize our time," Ms. Ocampo announced as she walked to the front of the room, her eyes scanning over the students. "One seat apart. Only calculators and pens on your desks, nothing else."
The students quickly rearranged their seats and cleared their desks, knowing better than to question Ms. Ocampo's instructions. Michael settled into his spot, pulling out his calculator and a pen, his mind still partially preoccupied with the earlier exam.
Then, Ms. Ocampo handed out the exam paper, which consisted of ten questions regarding Bernoulli's equation. And it's not a simple problem. From a glance alone, Michael could tell that this was going to be difficult.
But just like earlier in thermodynamics, the user interface popped up again, offering him a way out.
[Do you want to solve this technical problem for 50 mastery points?]
Well, the differential equations subject is hard if one isn't focused during the lessons. However, Michael is not a student who has the luxury of being attentive in class due to his background as a part-time student. If this meant passing the exam and giving him more chances of passing in the finals, he didn't hesitate to tap the yes icon. And just like that, the solutions and answers popped up on the holographic screen in front of him, invisible to everyone else.
"I... I've been studying differently," Michael stammered. "I found new study materials online and have been using them to understand the concepts better."
Mr. Delgado eyed him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "I see. Well, it's impressive."
Delgado pulled a paper from the sheaf of papers and then handed it to him.
"This is your test, and it has perfect marks," Delgado announced.
Michael felt his heart race at the mention of his perfect score. "Thank you, sir," he managed to say, trying to mask his surprise.
Mr. Delgado leaned back in his chair, still studying Michael. "Can you explain to me how you solved equation number one?"
Michael shifted in his chair, feeling the weight of Mr. Delgado's gaze. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "Okay, for question one," he began, his voice steadier than he expected, "the key was to apply the principles of thermodynamics in each stage of the process."
"For the isothermal expansion from state A to B, I knew that temperature remains constant. So, I used the ideal gas law, PV=nRT, to find the final pressure and temperature. Since temperature is constant, the pressure at state B would be lower than at state A due to the increase in volume," Michael explained, surprised at his own clarity.
"For the work done during this stage, I remembered that work in an isothermal process for an ideal gas can be calculated using W = nRT ln(V2/V1). So, I plugged in the values to find the work done by the gas."
"Then, for the adiabatic compression to state C, I used the adiabatic process equation, PV^γ = constant, to find the temperature at state C. Since the volume returns to its initial value and the process is adiabatic, the temperature increases," he continued, feeling more confident.
"Finally, for the isochoric cooling, I applied the first law of thermodynamics. Since the volume is constant, the work done is zero, and the change in internal energy equals the heat added or removed. So, I calculated the heat rejected by the gas to return to its initial state using Q = ΔU = nCvΔT."
As Michael finished his explanation, he realized he had understood more than he had thought. His explanation sounded almost expert, and he felt a strange sense of pride. He looked up at Mr. Delgado, waiting for his reaction.
Mr. Delgado leaned forward, his expression changing from skepticism to admiration. "Amazing, Michael. The fact that you can explain it to me so simply..."
"Thank you..." Michael said.
"Well, to see that you really improved, I have a proposal for you," Delgado said and continued. "I will give you a problem, all of them are difficult. And if you scored at least eighty percent of it, I might offer you a chance to join the PSME competition which has cash prizes and awards from the organization and the school. Are you interested?"
Michael rubbed his head nervously. "Are you sure sir?"
"I am, but only if you pass my assessment of course."
"I have to think about it sir," Michael said.
"Understandable," Mr. Delgado replied with a nod. "But keep in mind, this could be a great opportunity for you, both academically and financially. Let me know your decision by the end of the week."
Michael nodded, still processing the offer. "I will, sir. Thank you for considering me."
As he stood up to leave, his smartphone buzzed in his pocket. Michael pulled it out and checked the notification. It was a reminder about his part-time job at the mall. Glancing at the time, he realized he needed to hurry if he didn't want to be late.
"Sir, I have to go now. I have my part-time job to attend to," Michael explained quickly.
"Of course, go ahead. And Michael," Mr. Delgado added as Michael reached the door, "keep up the good work. You're proving to be quite a remarkable student."
With a brief nod, Michael left the office.