Why Study Chemistry?
Chemistry is the study of the properties of matter and its behavior. It explains why carrots are orange but tomatoes are red, and why sugar tastes sweet but a lemon tastes sour. It explains why you are tall but your friend is short (or vice versa). It also tells us when we damage our planetary environment, and teaches us how to undo that damage. Chemistry is an exciting intellectual challenge and a vital area of study for solving real problems that will face our world in the next millennium.
Chemistry at Waldorf is designed to engage students in seeking the answers to questions about the physical world around them. The classroom and laboratory periods focus on group learning and day-to-day applications of chemistry. These can include field trips to collect water and other samples for analysis in the lab.
Beyond the classroom and laboratory sessions are Directed Study, Independent Study, and Internships. Directed and Independent Study projects can involve students seeking answers either to their own questions or to questions posed by their research director. Students are encouraged to design their own experiments to solve a real problem. Internships can involve spending time at an industrial or federal lab, at a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Site, or at a research university.
Chemistry at Waldorf will prepare students for a variety of endeavors. It is important for many pre-professional programs, such as medicine, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, dentistry, nursing, and engineering. Waldorf has an excellent record of students successfully transferring to Drake and other Universities for their pharmacy and other programs.
