One of the first things I ask my new students and interns to make is solutions.  I ask them a simple question that I think they should know, how do you make a 1% solution of “?” for a total of 100 ml?  This is something that has perplexed many students and histology co-workers (What?) for years.  Most of them just over think the solution and fumble through to the correct answer.  Some however, truly do not know how to do it.  It is a skill that many lab oriented companies wish for.  Many see a sheer number of students hired with a 4 year degree from all types of colleges that cannot do basic math.