Originally Posted by shine

Does anyone know how labs (for chem and bio) are in university? I'm going into first year, and I was wondering if you have to do the experiments individually or with a partner. What happens if you get stuck or are confused with something? For some reason, I'm really nervous about what labs will be like. I mean, will the TA's just stand there and watch you to see if you're doing everything right or not? Will you lose marks if you make a mistake in an experiement (like if you mix substance A with B, instead of A with C (i.e. small mistakes))?

edit :: I started typing this response, left my computer for like 40 minutes and posted it waaaay too late. Read Eva's response =P

-Go to your lab making usre you understand what you're doing and bring your labcoat/goggles

Do we need to buy the labcoat and goggles? And if so, does it have to be a lab coat or is a lab apron sufficient?

Originally Posted by Leraison

Aw man labs sound tedious. Do you get tested on the concepts you learned in labs and do you have to write up lab reports that get marked?

http://icanhascheezburger.fi les.wo...07ef12f4. jpg
--> hamster picture

hey. They aren't that bad. Its just annoying to prepare for bio ones b/c you have you copy stuff in your lab notebook b/c in the end you will get a lab notebook test where you will get to bring your notebook in and its open book with questions on all of hte labs. Some of the quesitons can be rediculous in the fact that you have to be VERY CLEAR and write every little thing from your lab in your book, like the materials you used, their catelog number, etc.

you will have to hand in lab reports for some. Where you get all your results, then bring it home for a night or sometimes a few nights to finish up, which could mean making graphs, answering questions, etc.

part of your final mark is for labs depending on the class it can range from 10-20% of your final mark.

Genreally, read and prepare for your lab at least a day before! If you have trouble, you can always ask people who have already had the lab

Originally Posted by jhan523

Do we need to buy the labcoat and goggles? And if so, does it have to be a lab coat or is a lab apron sufficient?

i think it has to be a lab coat. and you will need a lab coat and goggles. When you go in for like safety training for like the chem labs you can go ask the TA or someone there. You can buy them at the bookstore. Lab coat and goggles i think were around $15 each? not sure. something like that.

Ah, ok Thanks Eva. I should probably look harder for my goggles...

Also, do the graphs have to be hand made or can they be made on the computer? And if they are hand made they have to be on that green graphing paper right?

um.. i'm assuming you are in science. depends on waht you are doing, the lab instructionsw ill say if you are going to do it by hand or on comp. Sometimes you have to do it on log paper. If not, they usually have you print a page with the graphed lines on it. you dont' really need to buy graphing paper
i've never used any. save your money.

Oh, ok. I have some left over from last year. Those stuff cost a lot >.<

bring it anyways. but i don't think you will be needing them

Hey,
I am planning to go to my friends lab on wednesday while mine is on Monday. Does it matter? Like do they mark is during the day. Because it say's full but I am one student would it make such a big idea. Because I have been busy i didnt have time finishing some stuff. So, if I attend my friends chem lab, it would be suitable for me.
Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Hi Jake, for chem labs you really can't just drop in on another section that isn't yours. Chem lab TA's have a set of students they are only responsible for and get to mark their labs, so if you're not on their list they really can't mark your lab. Also, if it says it's full there probably isn't enought room for one more person to use all the apparatus and space in the lab room. You can only really attend another lab section if you get permission to, like you missed a previous lab due to certain circumstances or you're going to be missing a lab and would like to do it ahead of time on another day. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

ENG MATH or STATS = CHILDS THE BEST GET INTO HIS LECTURE WHATEVER IT TAKES

- from a concerned second year engineer

Personally I would completely advise against going to different sections for a better prof or whatever the case may be because the sections are usually completely different. One prof has a completely different syllabus than another prof. My brother teaches one section of poli sci - for example - and his section and material is completely different from the other sections. He may choose to indulge on one topic much more than another prof, or include topics that the other prof wont even bring up at all. This is because there are no guidelines at all for courses - just the title. Exams are different too - it depends on which prof you have. Hope this helps!