PAL is a series of free, collaborative twice-weekly review sessions open to all students enrolled in CHEM 181: Atoms & Molecules, and CHEM 221: Organic Chemistry 1.
The sessions are led by Peer Assistance Leaders (PALs), strong chemistry students who have previously taken and succeeded in the course. Your PAL will help answer your questions about course material and challenge you to work with other students to practice learning strategies designed to help you succeed in chemistry.
Fall 2018 Schedule |
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| Section | PALs | Session Times | Location |
| Prof. Herrick | Christina Manxhari & Joie Dillon | Sundays 6-7pm & Tuesdays 8-9pm | SML 255 |
| Prof. Hagan | Alex Poluha & Sumner Moore | Sundays 5-6pm & Tuesdays 5-6pm | SML 255 |
| Prof. Farrell | Caroline Roy & Emma Flanagan | Sundays 6-7pm & Tuesdays 7-8pm | SML 259 |
| Prof. Hupp | Lauren Canha & Seanan Tarrant | Sundays 7-8pm & Wednesdays 7-8pm | SML 259 |
Meet the PAL's
Name: Andrea Bucknam ‘19
Hometown: Wethersfield, CT
Academic Services PAL & STEM+E Workshop Intern
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Stay on top of the material. Figure out at least one session of office hours that works for you every week, and commit to going and talking about current material. Even if you don't have specific questions, professors certainly won't mind if you practice walking through a certain problem or concept. By keeping the material relevant, you won't feel overwhelmed before an exam.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
No matter how much you have studied/haven't studied, you will benefit from coming to PAL. All of the PALs are trained to plan sessions around all levels of preparedness, and we anticipate having a lot of questions. Come to PAL to figure out what you don't know, what you DO know, and what you need more help on. Also, coming to PAL regularly makes sure you are familiar with the material before the week of the exam--and you meet people from class!
Name: Lauren Canha ‘20
Hometown: Westford, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Work together! You are all each other's best assets. Chem 181 is a subject that is best learned through collaboration. Meeting with others and talking over the major concepts will help solidify your own knowledge as well as your peer's. Furthermore, it's a great way to meet new people.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
PAL sessions are the perfect time to come practice the skills you are learning with your fellow classmates. It's a great way to keep up with the material and hone in on your chemistry skills. The key to success in chemistry is all about practice!
Name: Joie Dillon ‘21
Hometown: Peabody, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Definitely go to Office Hours, and try your best to keep up with the material, because the course work definitely piles on fast.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
To get extra practice studying chemistry and doing practice problems as well as learning how to create better study strategies for future chemistry courses.
Name: Emma Flanagan ‘21
Hometown: Braintree, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Seek help when you are lost because when you fall behind it is very hard to catch up and learn new material at the same time, and some of the material is cumulative, so you will need to know it for future units.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
Especially for the math problems, it is helpful to work through the problems as a group and with someone who's taken the course before in order to better understand and conceptualize the ideas behind them.
Name: Christina Manxhari ‘21
Hometown: Worcester, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Keeping up with understanding material is critical to succeeding in any college science course. Always remember that if you put in the effort, little by little, you will reap the rewards.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
PAL sessions are a great way to check whether or not you completely understand class material as you will do practice problems and have the opportunity to ask questions about both old and new learned concepts. These sessions also provide an interactive space where you may gain from your fellow peers at times.
Name: Sumner Moore ‘20
Hometown: Temple, TX
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Keep up with the material! It's not so bad if you study some each week rather than waiting to study until a few days before the test.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
It's more fun to study chemistry with your friends! Even if you're an independent learner, it can be nice to see other people's approaches to the material.
Name: Alex Poluha ‘19
Hometown: Sutton, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Ask questions
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
To advance your knowledge of the material, and to make friends that can help you further your interest in chemistry.
Name: Caroline Roy ‘19
Hometown: Holliston, MA
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Go to office hours and establish a relationship with both your professor and your peers.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
Students should come to PAL sessions so that they can get to know people in their class, study groups are incredibly helpful for a class like CHEM 181 that has a lot of material and multiple exams. Students should also come to PAL sessions in order to get consistent practice with the material.
Name: Sean Tarrant ‘21
Hometown: Corvallis, OR
What is the most important advice you would give students taking CHEM 181?
Plan ahead and manage time effectively! The class is extremely doable if you study more than just the night before.
Why should students come to your PAL sessions?
PAL is a great opportunity to get questions answered and review, so that your understanding of the material is test-ready.