<p>I am a sophmore in college, have never taken a college level lab, and in high school when I did have labs I made the hot girls do all the work while I watched them. (I was actually smarter then them I just couldn't focus with all the good gossip'n high school sh%it going on.) </p>
<p>Anywho, how can I prepare myself for a college level lab? I would like to become familair with the instruments, recording results, carrying out the experiments, and just an overall orientation to a college level lab, or even just on the high school level! I am looking for a theoretical orientation to the lab as in just the form of a book I could read, I guess thats what I'm asking for a good book.</p>
<p>there’s really nothing to know…even if you don’t know how to work a bunsen burner my gen chem class had like an introductory lab safety video the first day.</p>
<p>The whole point of labs is to get you familiar with doing experiments and the like. More often then not your lab instructor will, at the very least, give you some general guidelines the answer specific questions on a case by case basis. Or that has been my experience anyway.</p>
<p>I don’t even know what a bunsen burner is! I remember the term from high school and that it uses gas to ignite a fire to heat liquids, but what exactly it is, or how it turns on? I don’t know! Like I said I was a goof in high school and I just didn’t contribute to the lab. (Welactually I did, but mostly only writting the conclusions, or if something needed to be licked up, but I never used my hands on the lab.</p>
<p>I’m saying they’re not hard. If you can read a lab manual, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Not to mention a lot of them are done in groups. And if they’re not, you can ask your neighbor for help… It’s not a test or anything.</p>
<p>And the instructors will usually give you some pretty good hints (as long as your TA’s not a goon) because they want you to get it done and get out and not **** **** up.</p>
<p>In high school my class required us to memorize the names of some lab equipment. That was enough for me to understand what some of the equipment was used for and how to use them. The rest, just follow the lab procedures.</p>
<p>I would like to comment that smart person does not make others do work at school because smart person realize that he will not learn anything by this and eventually it will backfire (which seems to be a case here). Other than that, fast clear writing skills are essential. Some lab reports take ton and ton of times even for straight “A” smart kids.</p>
<p>I don’t understand, how long could it take to type up a report? My reports in high school would consist of like 1-2 data tables, and a paragraph conclusion.</p>
<p>Most of my lab reports in college have included an abstract/introduction/theory, data and results (graphs, tables, calculations), discussion of results, and detailed conclusions. Some have required significant amounts of calculation, creating graphs in Excel, etc. Most have been 6-10 pages in length, give or take. Some have required the use of outside references (eg, textbook or papers).</p>
<p>Some of my labs have had simple reports where I essentially copy the objective and procedures from the book, the TA doesn’t even read it, and I get As. </p>
<p>Other labs have multiple week long experiments, and those require detailed lab reports like Goldshadow mentioned above.</p>
<p>I don’t think there needs to be any “preparation” for labs. Common sense will keep you from catching yourself on fire, and the basic ability to write/interpret data will get you decent grades on lab reports. If you wind up in a more intensive lab, you’ll have classmates and TAs to help you figure it out.</p>
<p>I personally like lab reports. Yes I may write ten pages for 1 grade, but I get a week to do it, and I get to go more in depth than a multiple choice homework assignment or something. </p>
<p>Not to mention if you do it all a little at a time (like all things), data tables one day, intro the other, etc, it’s really quite easy.</p>
<p>Most pre-meds have 2 -3 classes with labs, so usually when they start one report, they finish it in one shot, 10 pages or otherwise. It helps to have great writing skills and very good understanding of subject. Sometime they work much more for that 1 credit hour than for actual lecture class with 4 credits. And there is exam in that 1 credit hour lab class also separate from lecture class.</p>
<p>My D is only a Frosh, but definitely true for her too.</p>
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<p>Also true at D’s college. The one credit chem lab sucks up more time than any of her other three credit courses (semester units). OTOH, labs can be a lot more fun than a lecture by a snoozer!</p>
<p>But, that is true of practically every college: by definition, premed lab courses are a black hole to time. (On another thread, I asked a college science prof “Why that is the case?” and he did not respond.)</p>