I’m a freshman at a community college and I’m taking my first science course next semester. I have already taken classes with labs, but from my knowledge I know that science labs are more demanding and take up more time. What exactly do you do in science lab courses?
To start, what sort of science lab class are you taking? (Biology, Chemistry, etc.)
I have limited experience with high school science lab experiences, but to my understanding they are generally just worked into the regular lecture portion of the class. This gives a sense of containment; that the lab is just a small portion of the class as a whole.
With college labs, you will typically take them during a time separate from the lecture, giving the impression that lab is generally just as important as the lecture material supporting it. In my experience with separate lab/lecture courses, you will be given a lab session that lasts a few hours (in my case labs were typically 3 - 3.5 hours). During this time, you will be given brief instruction on lab procedure, and occasionally a run-down of materials or equipment. Then you will be left to your own business to complete whatever laboratory procedure you are given. In my experience with chemistry labs, the session would take anywhere from half an hour to four or five hours, depending on the actual procedure and quality of data. Longest lab I remember taking involved the construction of three separate voltaic cells using varying anode and cathode materials and severely limited materials, followed by a rigorous justification of our resultant data based upon theory that wasn’t fully taught during lecture. The results will be submitted in lab report form with whatever level of formality your instructor expects.
Lab courses will also generally forego a typical “final exam,” instead requiring a lab practicum in which you perform a laboratory experiment (either a new one or one you have done before), and your grade is based upon results as well as technique and proper procedure.
Overall, college lab courses will typically expect more of you than a lot of other courses you have or will take, and will require more outside work than you may expect. However, so long as you don’t waste your time in the lab, put care into your work, and ask for help whenever you need it, you shouldn’t have any trouble.
Hope this slog of information helps.