General chemistry classes are busting at the seams this semester, with more than 1.300 students enrolled in general chemistry and class sizes reaching 300 students per section.

Introductory course Chemistry 1315, also called “chem one,” has 1,131 students in four sections; Chemistry 1415, or “chem two,” has 224 students in one section, according to oZONE’s course search for fall 2011.

Students are being taught en masse, but professors tailor lectures for each section and cover the same concepts, professor Laura Clifford explained.

“I volunteer my lecture materials to other instructors, so sometimes you’ll see various instructors using my lecture notes. We all tend to change our notes term-to-term to improve them, so there will be some differences and individualization,” she said.

However, exam writing is not section-specific because all current instructors form tests together, Clifford said.

And lectures may differ by instructor, but the coursewide exam would not affect students’ exam results.

“Instructors may present the lecture material differently or may focus more time on some concepts than their colleagues, therefore we must have an exam that fairly represents the material to all sections,” Clifford said.

University College freshman Thomas Nguyen said sometimes the class size is a distraction, however.

“It’s hard to learn with all the distractions going on,” Nguyen said.

University College freshman Bri Reyna said asking questions in large classes is difficult.

“It is intimidating to ask a question or ask the professor to go over a problem again because you feel as though the class might think you’re stupid or something for not knowing how to do a problem,” Reyna said.

Chemistry was the one subject that OU Scholars assistant director Christina Norman said proved problematic during the summer’s high-volume freshman enrollment, according to Daily archives.

Clifford said the large number of students can pose problems for some students.

“Crowd control is the greatest problem I usually see in lectures. The vast majority of students are great and excited to be at OU. Some students enrolled, however ... talk, Facebook, text, etc., which often disturbs other students,” she said. “I often get complaints from students that they are distracted by the things students around them are doing on their laptops.”

Some classes at OU have banned laptop use during large classes because of such distractions, but general chemistry has not because some students type notes on their laptops, Clifford said.

Technology does have its benefits, though, for large classes. Instructors require students to use clickers to engage them in class questions. In general chemistry, clicker participation can count as extra credit. Clifford said it encourages students to come to class.

Another way to alleviate the effect of a lopsided student-teacher ratio is by dividing students into smaller study sections.

Chemistry is divided into three types of class: a lecture, a lab and a lab recitation.

Reyna said the separation is beneficial.

“It’s fun to apply what you have learned in a lab or get a better understanding of the topic through the lab. And recitation is a good time to ask questions and get more of a one-on-one atmosphere, which is less intimidating,” she said.

Nguyen said the smaller groups relieve student stress.

“I do like how all the aspects of the class are separated. It seems to take some of the stress off by having things due at different times,” Nguyen said. “I like the way the lab and recitation is set up to meet once a week and having things not due until next week. And the class size is much smaller, allowing for plenty of questions if need be.”

Reyna said despite some flaws, OU does its part to make sure students learn the material. She said the available University College Action Tutoring is a big help for students who might struggle in large lecture courses.

“I do like having the action tutoring for chem. It is a more relaxed atmosphere and makes learning chemistry easier,” Reyna said.

UC Action for general chemistry is offered weekly at the Physical Sciences Center and the Housing Learning Center in Adams Center.