Out of the Labs

Undergraduates concentrating in Chemistry often are unable to devote any time to extra-curricular activities, outside reading, or other non-course work because of the many hours which they are required to spend in the lab. Although most instructors in the Department are perfectly willing to admit the value of activities outside the bounds of Mallinckrodt, little was done up to this term, to enable more chemistry students to participate in them.

Last week, however, it was announced that lab work in Chem. 20, which both concentrators and pre-meds must take, would be slashed to conform more nearly to the official description in the course catalogue. During the fall term, checks were made every half hour in Chem. 20 labs to determine just how much time each student was spending there. The survey showed a few men working for almost twice the stated requirement of approximately six hours a week, while the largest proportion of the class was working from eight to nine hours. Under the revised plan, it is expected that everyone in the course will have ample time to complete the assignments in a six-hour lab-week.

The Chemistry Department has a right to expect graduate students to spend most of their time in the lab, but undergraduates, on the other hand, should have time enough to participate in the many other activities which the College offers them. The administrators of Chem. 20 were wise in changing the lab assignments to fit the requirement. Some courses are already following their example; still more should.