GUNTHER ROLAND: So at the beginning of each semester,
I ask the students, what have you heard about Junior Lab?
And what I find is that some of them
have been worried about having to take the class since they
joined MIT as a freshmen, even before they declared
their majors.
And the characterization that I've heard multiple times
is that Junior Lab is a black hole that
swallows up all available time.
And this reputation was not, I would, say
completely undeserved.
It is a very challenging class and it is very time intensive,
and you really have to be very judicious in how
you invest your effort.
On the other hand, many of the elements
that we have introduced in the last few years,
like flipping the classroom, like rearranging
a lot of the curriculum were meant to address this worry
and to really preserve, and maybe even purify
the essence of the class while removing
some of the elements that really caused a lot of students
stress.
And I think the best way to see what we've done
is to really come and try it for yourself.
And I think many students will found at the end
that it is a time consuming, but extremely rewarding experience.