RECAP_Week 1

Today I finished my first week at RECAP. I went to UNC’s chemistry lab from 8:30 to 4:30 every day and had information poured into me like never before. In just the past 5 days, I have learned so much about organic chemistry and the processes in a chemistry lab.

The first couple days I felt overwhelmed and kind of useless in the lab because all I did was ask questions, but as time went on, I knew how to use some of the equipment and knew what was happening. This week I worked on several reactions so that in the end I could create a cyclopropane. Cyclopropanes are useful because they have both a positive and negative end so they react with many other compounds. Also, the compounds they create can be used as pharmaceuticals and other biological products.
Friday I discovered that what I had been working on did not work, and that I hadn’t created any cyclopropanes, but my graduate student told me that this happens often in the lab. Next week I will be working on more reactions and hopefully be getting good results.

The experience so far has been so much fun. The part I enjoyed most about my chemistry class was the lab work, and I’m glad that I’m getting to spend so much time in the lab. I feel very independent being away from home, having to find my own meals and various other things. This is a totally different experience from going to NCSSM because I have my own schedule and there is very little supervision.

We’ll see what the next weeks have in store and hopefully, there will be good results in the lab!