The Point of the Lab Component: It’s not Just Three Hours of Misery for the Sake of it 

Posted on by Haya Elamir

The image depicts an image of one of the more intensive lab components: organic chemistry. It's a depiction of my own experiment halfway through the procedure.
Organic Chemistry Lab Procedure in Frick, taken by Haya Elamir

For STEM majors, lab components of classes can be cumbersome. They can add stress to the classroom experience–not to mention the long hours. Unlike research in a lab as part of a thesis or independent work, these labs may not allow for self-direction, and can feel very methodical. Sure, they apply what we are taught in class, but for me personally, the rates at which lab and lecture move can be quite different, and I do not fee the benefits of the lab experience until later on in the semester when it finally clicks for me.

What’s the point of lab work then?

Continue reading The Point of the Lab Component: It’s not Just Three Hours of Misery for the Sake of it 

Preparing for ORGO, Overcoming Fear, & Rejecting Effortless Perfection: Interview with Tom Silldorff, Part 2

Posted on by Amaya Dressler

Tom Silldorff goofily posing for a photo while underwater scuba diving.
Organic Chemistry TA, RCA, and graduating senior Tom Silldorff ’23 reminds us that life is not about the outcome, but the fun we had getting there.

In partnership with the Princeton Perspectives Project (PPP), we’re back for Part 2 of our interview with Organic Chemistry TA Tom Silldorff ’23. While organic chemistry, or “Orgo,” may have earned its notoriety for its exceeding complexity, demanding exams, and time-intensive study, this does not mean that students have to struggle the whole way through. In our first interview, we discussed how Tom found his passion for Orgo and some of his key takeaways from tutoring on how students can grow throughout the course. This time, we’re tackling some of the deepest challenges students face while taking Orgo: What actually gives Orgo its difficult reputation? What can prospective Orgo students do now to prepare for the course? How did Tom face his own struggles with the demand for effortless perfection? If you’ve ever wondered how you can maximize your growth from Orgo or even academics more generally, then read on for one final reflection on fear, failure, and the beauty of Organic Chemistry with graduating senior, Tom Silldorff. 

Continue reading Preparing for ORGO, Overcoming Fear, & Rejecting Effortless Perfection: Interview with Tom Silldorff, Part 2

Reflections on Fear, “Failure,” & the Beauty of Organic Chemistry Part 1: Thank You ORGO LEGEND Tom Silldorff

Posted on by Amaya Dressler

Organic Chemistry TA and Princeton Senior Tom Silldorff poses in front of a chalkboard after a long night of tutoring at the NCW dining hall.
Princeton Senior and Orgo TA Tom Silldorff offers numerous tutoring sessions in Choi Dining Hall (Yeh/NCW) for all students in Organic Chemistry.

As part of our collaboration with the Princeton Perspectives Project (PPP), we’re exploring how the idealized notion of “effortless perfection”—the idea that a path to success must be free of failure—obscures the reality of both the research process and mastering a new subject. For many students, there are few better examples of this phenomenon than the Organic Chemistry course. Almost regardless of who is teaching or how it is taught, “Orgo” has earned near-universal notoriety for its complicated labs, unconventional approach, and the immense, complex breadth of material that students must learn to conceptualize and then apply. Orgo students must learn to think in an entirely new way, and this process can be uncomfortable. Challenges, mistakes, and “failure” are bound to occur along the way. Yet, often, it is through confronting these very challenges that students grow not only as future academics, engineers, or doctors—but as people. 

Continue reading Reflections on Fear, “Failure,” & the Beauty of Organic Chemistry Part 1: Thank You ORGO LEGEND Tom Silldorff