<p>^
that’s so true..</p>
<p>i think i’m doing well in my classes because i enjoy them. been working so far.</p>
<p>My grades have almost always been directly related to my interest. Consider a new major.</p>
<p>zero786, i’m actually in both of those classes.</p>
<p>i’m so rocked this quarter…
Physics 1C, 4BL Chem 30B, 30AL. These labs are killing me. I barely just brought my GPA above 3.1 too =/</p>
<p>:rolleyes: Sounds like academic suicide to me- any particular reason why you chose to do those all at once deuces?</p>
<p>I figured out that the 4BL grade isn’t based on aptitude or effort in retaining the knowledge of lab material. It is dominantly based on the effort on lab reports. If you write good lab reports covering all the discussion questions in an organized manner, then you will get an A or A+.</p>
<p>Knowing the theory behind the experiments is another story . . . TAs show you step by step of the experiment procedures, which is good and bad. I don’t think science could be learned from imitation (do what the TA demonstrated). Some people don’t even know what’s going on from this process!</p>
<p>It would be better if TAs did not do that so it allows the student to read the manual, and research about the experiment concepts. This is probably an odd analogy, but TAs showing you the procedure is similar to a “third world country production process”. They know how to produce items from instruction, but they don’t know why it is useful or how it works. </p>
<p>However, it would be a destructive if the student was confused from self-learning and had no idea about how to use the instruments (oscilloscope for example). </p>
<p>The TA should be the mediator somewhere down the middle of these extremes.</p>
<p>Anyone have views about this argument?</p>
<p>My TA didn’t show us step by step; he didn’t know anything during the lab, ever. He would word questions very vaguely, so that we had to go to OH to know what he was asking about. How could you write a good lab report if you don’t know any of the background? Even if you didn’t during the section, you’d have to look it up in a textbook or online, and you’d still get some information out of that process. </p>
<p>Do you really think it is necessary to know how an opamp works? There are upper div EE classes focused completely on opamps and diodes. Why should we assume that a chemistry or civil major would have taken those classes, not even related to their major, before 4bl?</p>
<p>For any lower div lab class though, it is always about how much work you put in. And it’s never about learning, is it? The most useful thing I learned in lab was how to make chlorine water. And that lead nitrate is sweet tasting, but is never really lead nitrate, but lead hydroxide from the bottle because of moisture. So to make solution, you need to add copious amounts of nitric acid.</p>
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<p>That’s kind of odd . . a lot of TAs pass out generic procedures for students to follow during the lab. To help them, they tell them what to do (like click this, the data will come out on the ADC, you should produce this graph, now you try it, etc.)</p>
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Kind of . . not the process, but a few sentences about its significance would be beneficial to interested students. What is the point of doing an experiment if the intended result is to walk out not knowing why the results occured? Why not take the lab out of the curriculum?</p>
<p>My point is that it should be structured a bit more like 20L; teach the basic theory behind the experiment beforehand (doesn’t have to be as thorough as the upper division EE class) instead of promoting a lengthy and chaotic lab manual that hardly anyone reads.</p>
<p>Yeah, your point about the chem labs are correct, but at least I could related intro-chemistry to what was happening.</p>
<p>My T.A. does a pretty decent job, but i still go to office hours since I don’t exactly understand it all… it’s pretty annoying. I got a 7/10 on my first lab report. I feel like if I write tons and tons, I’ll get a better grade.</p>
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<p>They really should.</p>
<p>As for lower div chem vs. phys labs… I think chem is slightly better structured because they have to deal with a bazillion premeds. I’m sure the labs for the 6 series are better done too.</p>
<p>Yeah it seems random as heck… I feel lost doing lab.</p>
<p>i missed 2 quizzes, 2 labs, countless lectures, you don’t see me going around and scare myself ****less…</p>
<p>calm down, you’ll get used to it. adversity always comes before success.</p>
<p>OP, I’m sorry to hear about your tests 
But you’re hardly alone; a lot of frosh are surprised 1st quarter as they discover life at UCLA is more challenging that back in HS.</p>
<p>That being said, what next? Clearly if you keep doing the same things you’ll get the same results. Here’s what I suggest. See if you’re able to sign up for tutoring. Go see the prof or TA and take your paper; ask them to explain what you need to have done differently to get a better grade. Take the answer in the spirit it is offered, and write down their comments. Arguing or saying “that’s not fair”, etc. (not that you’d do this, but some people do) is not the right tack; you need to take what they say to heart.</p>
<p>As for math & chem, there are review books out there called something along the lines of “calculus problem solver”, “chem problem solver”, etc. They should have them at the bookstore, but if not they’re at amazon. They have worked problems, so it’s like doing homework with a TA at your elbow. Cover up the answer, try to solve the problem, see if you’ve done it the right way. Repeat, ad nauseum ;)</p>
<p>BTW have you been studying enough during the term? The rule of thumb is that you’ll be spending 2-3 hours total outside of class (doing homework, writing papers, reading the text) for every class hour. Some people get by with less, some classes are easier, but it really comes down to college is a full-time job (30+ hours a week). In HS many smart kids get in the habit of waiting until the weekend before a test and then putting in a few hours. This isn’t going to be enough for most people at a top college.</p>
<p>thats the way i felt. i realy considered tkaing a year off too. but you’ll be fine. im doing a lot better this quarter. good luck</p>
<p>speaking of lost…i feel like lost right now and i got a midterm tomorrow at 11 on the same stuff…</p>
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To call those sections “labs” is a farce.</p>
<p>Are there lab reports for the 6 series? I remember being in 4BL and peeking at 6CL across the hall. They had the similar experiement equipment setup, but it only took 45 minutes for students to complete their tasks, while our class was in the dark doing the diffraction/refraction experiment.</p>
<p>No - no lab reports. There’s some binder you have to buy to write in some numbers from the computer screen, but that’s about it. There are probably only two ways of not getting an A- ditching the sections, or actually making it your goal to not get an A (going to section felt like that one Simpsons episode when Homer got a new job and drags his family along and Bart is in the remedial class and they play musical chairs except there were more chairs than students and the teacher exclaimed “Everyone’s a winner”)</p>
<p>That’s pathetic! Well I guess they do have to prepare somehow (somewhat postlab related?) How do they set up circuits? With the help of TAs? By reading any manual?</p>
<p>Your analogy to the Simpsons episode is hilarious. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>For the circuits lab, my section never really got it to work, so our TA just told us that everyone would get full credit since he was in a rush to get somewhere (it was a night section). I guess this wasn’t as bad as my friend’s section at the time (at least we ATTEMPTED to do that lab- my friend’s section was basically just the TA demoing it in front of the section and then everyone got full credit for it). For the other sections how they normally work is the TA demos it step by step and you like a diligent student simply repeat it (unless you’re lucky and just have to watch the demo). For the really anal TAs though (which I luckily avoided), you have to actually read the manual (which is not complicated at all) and just follow it like a cooking book recipe.</p>