Lab Tips for Honors Chemistry and More
Below is a list of tips compiled with Honors Chemistry labs in mind. Hopefully, though, some of this list can apply to any of your science courses -- Biology, Physics, etc. -- that have lab assignments. Special thanks to Kat Davis for these tips!
#1) QUALITY. Do the entire lab and do it well. Labs can be a lot of work, so you may find it tempting to cut corners or “tweak” the results to what you believe is the right answer, so you don’t have to redo the experiment. Whatever you do, NEVER EVER cut corners or falsify results! Not only is it academic dishonesty, but it is a sure way to find yourself with no understanding of the material. Instructors assign labs for a reason, and that reason is to have a better understanding of the course concepts and ideas. Do yourself a massive favor, and do not cut any corners on lab work. I recommend checking to make sure you have all of the supplies needed for the lab a week before its due since odd things happen. Supplies break or get lost in the time between receiving the lab kit and having to use the supplies (trust me, I learned the hard way). Before you do the lab, read all of the instructions and be sure to follow them closely. If you aren’t getting the results you expected, check to make sure you did everything correctly. Never turn in results that you didn’t get yourself even if you think the ones you did get are “wrong.” If you follow the lab correctly and do it ethically, then you have already set yourself up for a good grade on the lab questions.
#2) UNDERSTAND. Understand the week's lesson before you answer the lab questions. Honors Chemistry lab questions are based on the lessons from that week, and the key to understanding the lab experiment and correctly answering the lab questions is to understand the concepts that the lab is based on. I suggest at least completing the MasteringChemistry homework before the lab and even the weekly quizzes before answering the lab questions. If there is a missing piece in your understanding of the week’s concepts, go to office hours and ask your instructor for clarification. By understanding the material that the lab is about, you are setting yourself up for success.
#3) PREPLAN. As I touched on in tip #1, do yourself a favor and read through the lab instructions and materials at least a week before the lab is due. There is no worse feeling than when you are reading the lab instructions 3 hours before it’s due, and it says to let the paper filter dry overnight before finding its mass. Or when your lab is due in a day, and you find that your rubber tip on your burette has melted and you have no way of getting another one in time. There are many smaller opportunities to preplan and set yourself up for the next lab as well. For example, clean and put away your lab materials as soon as you are finished (this will also help with not losing your supplies). Then, when it comes time for the next lab, you don’t find the lab supplies a mess and waste valuable time cleaning it up. All in all, preplanning will help you avoid stressful situations, allow you to have more time to think through your results, and give you the right foundation to get an A on that lab!
#4) IDENTIFY. Understand why labs are given, and use it to your advantage. This tip is universal for all assignments that require some written explanation, and it usually has the same answer. The written Honors Chemistry lab questions, like most (if not all) other school work, is assigned so that your instructor can see your thought process and understanding of the material. Do not reiterate textbook quotes or write a single answer with no explanation (unless told to do so) when you are asked to explain a concept in a lab question. Instructors are looking at your ability to use your knowledge of the material to figure out how something works, not your skill of Googling. Think of written lab questions as a puzzle; you have the pieces (aka the background knowledge from class, the textbook, lectures, etc.), and you just need to put them together in a logical way that completes the puzzle (aka answers the question).
#5) HAVE FUN. Make the most of the lab and enjoy the experience. You probably saw this tip subtitle and thought to yourself, “I don’t want to have fun. I want to get a good grade.” But, there is a connection between enjoying the lab and getting a good grade on it. Labs can be tedious, and sometimes after hours of trying, you just want to answer your lab questions as quickly as possible and move on with life. You probably recognize that if speed is most important to you, it’s definitely not going to be your best work. There is no “one answer” to making lab work a positive experience; it depends on the day and the lab. However, by following all of the tips above (especially #3), you can make your labs less stressful and allow your curiosity to flow. If something’s not working, and you’d rather be doing a thousand other things, take a break (even if that break just includes doing your math homework) and come back later when you are ready to start it again and do your best work. The nice thing about Honors Chemistry labs is that a lot of them tend to be super cool, like when you watch a precipitation reaction or when your homemade penny battery lights up an LED light. Enjoying the lab experience will make it feel like you don’t “have to do it” and whether you realize it or not, will make it much easier to ace your Honors Chemistry lab.
