Our group, self entitled the "Hydrogen Bombs" met consistently
every week from the beginning of the group formation to date. We met
Wednesday evenings at Memorial Union and spent about an hour going over
chapter problems and notes even when there was no project work to be done.
Our group members related well and the meetings were enjoyable socially as
well as academically productive. Five of us are pre-vet students and there
is one pre-med student. Having a common short-term goal (organic
chemistry) and long-term goal (vet school and med school, respectively)
was conducive to accomplishing the tasks at hand. 
	When the time came to choose a newspaper article to base our
project on, we thought an article having to do with a biological process
would be relevant considering our academic interests. During a
brainstorming session, we decided to focus on the effects of ultraviolet
light, genetic mutations (such as thymine dimers), skin cancer awareness,
and tie this into chapter 23 of WadeÕs Organic text. We then did web
searches independently, and altogether considered about a dozen articles
before selecting one.  
	Although it was necessary to form a group for the semester
project, working with 4-5 other students in a familiar, informal setting
proved to be beneficial in other ways as well. We were able to encourage
and motivate each other before and after tests, and many discussions were
sparked over questions that came up during individual study sessions. The
only problem we encountered was that it was difficult to keep everyone at
the same level of preparation (some had read the chapters before meeting,
some only worked the problems, some had done neither...). Overall, it was
an effective way to be kept accountable for what was covered in class. The
collaborative learning did go beyond working on the group project.  One
week a girl from another group who was unable to meet with her own joined
us. 
	The interactions we had as a group were definitely positive; we
felt comfortable enough with one another to maintain an honest and open
environment, and develop personal friendships. Incidents included sharing
test scores and voicing discrepancies in understanding the concepts. Group
meetings allowed us to obtain one-on-one interactions with fellow
students, which led to an enhanced learning environment. We would
recommend meeting in small groups for large classes like organic chemistry
210, even if a group project is not assigned.  

Group members:
Tonya Collop
Annie Dey
Hope Gole
Christina Largay
Shanta S.
Dave Thompson