Well, you do know that each year in this country, the bottom of the barrel just keeps getting lower and lower, right? That's how I explained the "surrounded by fools" thing to myself...

Don't worry about the faking your yield...I was a pro at hiding my mistakes in lab until I got out in the real world. Just put on the same expression as your new classmates when you talk to your TA, and say something along the lines of "I have no idea why the yield is so low". Add in a few buzzwords from lecture to make you sound like you actually read the texts (who does, anyway?), and your TA will eat that right up! With a spoon.

Mmm...or if your'e feeling too honest to make a straight-faced lie up, you can learn the wonders of desperate salvage attempts. I was good at lying, but this is the area where I really shined:

*Let's see...I spilled my mixture with only one step left in purification...I'll just mop it up with these napkins I saved from dinner and squeeze it out back into the flask*

Sorry for the rambling post, but in my current state of intoxication, it's a wonder that I can write at all. (So accept it and like it, hear?!)