Survival of the Fittest! Chemistry Boot Camp at MIT

Have you been stressed by your chemistry lab experience? You're not alone - every January, groups of freshmen at MIT take a class called 5.301 Chemistry Lab Techniques, also known as "Chemistry Boot Camp". Noted for its intensity and very short period (4 weeks), students learn techniques and equipment that are commonly used in a chemistry research lab - NMR, organic synthesis, crystallization, gravity filtration, rotovap, thin-layer and column chromatography. In the process of learning, they spill chemicals, break glassware, generate toxic gases, and share some of their anxieties of meeting the challenges this course entails. During the course, each student has a transformative moment that helps them decide if they are meant for research.

The videos document the journey of these freshmen from nervous newbie to savvy lab assistant, all of whom survive the ordeal and emerge with newfound love for research and chemistry.

Being in chemistry lab is a human experience. There is laughter, crying, and cursing. But in the end, there is bonding and friendship from sharing a sometimes difficult experience together.

Episodes of Chemistry Boot Camp at MIT