Chemistry students who are struggling in class might now be able to find help on YouTube.
The UF Chemistry Club created a YouTube channel that includes videos of members working through and explaining problems from the textbook for the General Chemistry 1 class.
Erika Klump, 20, a chemical engineering junior, was one of the club members who helped the idea become a reality.
With many students taking General Chemistry 1 every semester, it became difficult to meet the needs of all the students who sought help from the club's tutors, she said.
Klump said they needed to find an alternative to traditional weekly tutoring and test review sessions in classrooms on campus.
The club members who create the videos are all students who study science and love chemistry, she said.
"When I was in high school, I had spent over 100 hours tutoring students for AP Chemistry and occasionally CHM2045 when my friends came down for the weekend, so it was just natural for me to keep tutoring," said Frances Ooi, 19, a freshman club member and tutor.
Ooi, a materials science and engineering student, is one of the tutors who solves problems similar to past exam questions via video.
"I usually get asked by people to help them with chemistry, but I think that these videos allow students to feel more comfortable asking chemistry questions," she said.
Akshay Deshpande, 20, a biochemistry junior and club historian, said the videos allow an unlimited number of students to learn and review at their own pace.
The tutors used to use time from the live tutoring session answering questions, but now they have time to get into the nitty-gritty details of the chemistry problems.
The tutors quickly answer any questions students may have through the club's Facebook group, he said.
The YouTube channel can be found at www.youtube.com/user/UFChemistryClub. More information about the club can be found on the UF Chemistry Club group on Facebook.
