I have couple of questions about lab grades and more

[alexfoleyc]

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In terms of prereqs, I'm done with bio, chem, and physics. My lab grades are not outstanding. I'm talking about a C, C+, and couple of B-s. I'm not a science major so these lowered my science gpa, since all I took was prereqs. Now, my goal is to break this cycle of bad lab grades, by doing really well in my O-chem lab. My questions are:

1. How should I explain poor lab grades to adcom?

2. For those who received A's in o-chem labs, please list all your tips, hints, and advice on how to get an A in an o-chem lab. Please.

Thank you in advance!

 

[zmkelchn]

what were your grades in the class itself?

 

[alexfoleyc]

what were your grades in the class itself?

The grades in the lectures were much better than the lab grades.

And do you have any advice for o-chem labs?

 

[CougarMD]

OChem Lab is all about;
1.) Really doing a pre-lab. Do a writeup before hand, google the reaction you will be doing, and have a vague understanding of what should happen.
2.) Follow directions explicitly. Chemistry is not like cooking; you can't just add a little extra salt in to taste. It is like baking; if you don't do things exactly the way you are supposed to, it won't work.
3.) Ask questions to the prof/TA/lab tech if you don't understand what is happening. Concepts are important; get the gist of what you are doing. If you can, do this BEFORE the lab; they may be more receptive to questions in the lab period before the lab you are asking questions about.

 

[muhali3]

O-chem lab is probably the hardest lab of the prereqs. At least in my lab, it's not really how smart you are or how accurately you do the procedure, its being able to write really fast and knowing how to format your report correctly before the lab period is over. It's almost like an English class in that they'll take easy points off for not doing your report according to syllabus requirements.

 

[n3xa]

OChem Lab is all about;
1.) Really doing a pre-lab. Do a writeup before hand, google the reaction you will be doing, and have a vague understanding of what should happen.
2.) Follow directions explicitly. Chemistry is not like cooking; you can't just add a little extra salt in to taste. It is like baking; if you don't do things exactly the way you are supposed to, it won't work.
3.) Ask questions to the prof/TA/lab tech if you don't understand what is happening. Concepts are important; get the gist of what you are doing. If you can, do this BEFORE the lab; they may be more receptive to questions in the lab period before the lab you are asking questions about.

1.) and 3.) YES YES YES. OMG nothing frustrates me more when students ask things in the middle of lab like, "What's recrystallization?"

"We went over that two weeks ago."

"But I forgot."

That just shows a lack of effort on your part. If between your book, lecture notes, and/or The Internet™ you still find yourself confused, by all means ask before lab. I've also taught students how to use things such as the index and the table of contents and that usually results in this sort of expression by the end of the day:

The only time where following directions explicitly might not work is when you're doing recrystallization, so just stay calm. 🙂

Write everything down. Paying attention to detail gets you places if you're graded on your notebook and come time to write up formal lab reports if your lab does that sort of thing. This will also serve you well if you decide to do research.

You might even be graded on percent yield and purity (via NMR or GC). And be wary about fudging the numbers.. when I suspect people are lying out of their ass, I would announce that everyone submits their product so I can double-check the numbers.

 

[ThaliaNox]

Can you tell us what you're currently looking at for science GPA? That'd help us know how much hot water you're in. A low science GPA as a nonscience major is a bit of a red flag.

Organic lab can be vicious. You'll have to put in a lot of time if you didn't do well in previous labs and want to do better. My advice, know the procedure flat down before you walk into the lab, and google it so that you know what problems to expect. Most undergrad organic labs are classic, and have been done tons of times all over the country. Don't rush anything, and don't schedule anything right after your lab so you have time to organize your thoughts right away, as well as to stay after if things don't go perfectly.

 

[ohgodidonteven]

First-year lab was easy, because even if you ****ed up, if you could write a good lab report, you got a good grade. Quantitative chem was hell because it required you to be accurate in lab, had a wacky accuracy/precision grading scheme, lab reports that were marked off based on a whim, and to say the least was an enormous cluster****. Taking O-Chem after that seemed like a piece of cake (still got a B+ in it though lol). The good thing about O-chem lab is that they probably won't grade you on accuracy and precision, instead resorting to grading your lab report. Taking the lab while having a background in O-Chem is good, you'l understand what reactions are going on. Do not be afraid to google for help, I found what was probably the exact experiments the instructor had copied from and was able to read up on what was supposed to happen and why (and talking about it in your lab report = good points!) Our lab included a practical which requires good lab skill, a good plan, and luck. If this is your case, make you're prepared by knowing what is going on before going into the practical.