So I'm taking general chemistry with a lab this semester.
The problem I'm foreseeing is the lecturer is already behind schedule after two classes... Since the lab is taught by a different instructor who is going on the assumption that we've gone over the material in lecture, umm... How do I not be completely clueless going into lab? I don't think simply reading the text and lab before class is going to cut it, as I've not done chem before... Ideas? Anyone? Lab is 25% of my total grade and I don't want to bomb it!

Read the lab manual. Are you in a university? If so, google online and you find find resources pertaining to the exact lab you're supposed to do. If you don't find any, you can try and contact some seniors who may be willing to sell you their previous lab notes.

Textbooks don't help much with labs in my experience, just read the lab manual and google everything you don't understand (which will be quite a lot if this is your first university lab, but no need to get discouraged, the gap in knowledge is normal for everyone ).

Prepare the following before going into lab:
1. know all the safety info about every substance you're expected to use and how to handle them. Eg. Fume hood/no fume hood, keep away from heat, do not inhale, cleaning up procedure, liquid/solid/gas, colour, odour, etc. You can use the Merck index for this which you'll probably find accessible from your university's library page using your student ID.

2. know all that you need to do in the lab. Details are very important here because one screw up and you need to redo the section, this costs you time and you may not get the results you need for your report. So write down what you need to do in ways you understand, highlight all the important parts so that you can look at your sheet and move right on to the next step during lab. You don't want to have to read the manual during lab, takes forever. Remember, details! One knob can screw you up!

3. Bring everything you need to the lab: hairties, gloves, goggles, closed toed shoes, lab coats. Nothing worse than being kicked out.

Good luck. I know this probably sounds intimidating, but that's how it was for me and I finished with 90+ for my course.

If you're not in university but in other types of school, I may be able to help with that, too.

I always found chem labs to be completely different than the lectures, and the TA for the lab went over everything we needed before the beginning of each lab. Honestly, knowing unit conversions is probably your best bet before going in there but you'll learn it there anyway. It was a lot like cooking with chemicals in those labs. And a couple calculations.

(August 30, 2013 at 11:48 am)Psykhronic Wrote: I always found chem labs to be completely different than the lectures, and the TA for the lab went over everything we needed before the beginning of each lab. Honestly, knowing unit conversions is probably your best bet before going in there but you'll learn it there anyway. It was a lot like cooking with chemicals in those labs. And a couple calculations.

Yea, calculations are important. I do them beforehand or have the formula done before hand so when I'm in the lab I just plug in the numbers from measurements. I tend to have very rushed labs XD.

You'll need grams/mol type info for calculations. You should look them up if you don't expect the TAs to provide them.

Also, keep an eye about oxy-red reactions, those can make you fall to a trick question. Very important also is to keep in mind Lab safety and such procedures.

Sorry, PBB, I'm at a community college doing prerequisite courses.

(August 30, 2013 at 11:48 am)Psykhronic Wrote: I always found chem labs to be completely different than the lectures, and the TA for the lab went over everything we needed before the beginning of each lab. Honestly, knowing unit conversions is probably your best bet before going in there but you'll learn it there anyway. It was a lot like cooking with chemicals in those labs. And a couple calculations.

Good to know the lab is supposed to be different than what's being gone over in lecture.
Our TA said, "I'm here for supervision and emergency problems only, not to explain what you are supposed to be doing." Evidently our lecturer/professor is supposed to do that... but... Or maybe no one is supposed to explain what we're doing in lab, which doesn't make sense...
I'm going to have to speak with the prof if this does prove to be an issue.

But I'll read through the labs before class, figure out any formulas I need beforehand, and figure out what data I need to collect.

Thanks and if anyone has any other suggestions, please post them!

(August 30, 2013 at 12:27 pm)festive1 Wrote: Sorry, PBB, I'm at a community college doing prerequisite courses.

(August 30, 2013 at 11:48 am)Psykhronic Wrote: I always found chem labs to be completely different than the lectures, and the TA for the lab went over everything we needed before the beginning of each lab. Honestly, knowing unit conversions is probably your best bet before going in there but you'll learn it there anyway. It was a lot like cooking with chemicals in those labs. And a couple calculations.

Good to know the lab is supposed to be different than what's being gone over in lecture.
Our TA said, "I'm here for supervision and emergency problems only, not to explain what you are supposed to be doing." Evidently our lecturer/professor is supposed to do that... but... Or maybe no one is supposed to explain what we're doing in lab, which doesn't make sense...
I'm going to have to speak with the prof if this does prove to be an issue.

But I'll read through the labs before class, figure out any formulas I need beforehand, and figure out what data I need to collect.

Thanks and if anyone has any other suggestions, please post them!

Hm, if your TA made it clear they're not going to help much, most of what I said still applies, XD. Especially if your lab has a strict time limit.

Yeah that blows that your TA is going to be mostly useless. Gawd, I don't miss chem labs. Geology labs, on the other hand...

Put a good Sodium chunk in a toilet 5 seconds before the exam

Don't worry, the first time I was in a lab, I had no idea what I was doing. By following the lab instructions and using a lot of common sense, I managed to do the lab with flying colors. You'll learn as you are doing. And take Piney's advice on preparations, that is as much as you can do beforehand really. The rest will come to you in the lab. I also recommend going through the terminology of the equipment used and taking extra care knowing what to to with apparatuses, in case you're using any.