Q: What are the labs like for Chem 1A?
The Answer
Hi Sidra, Chem 1A labs are at first pretty painful (4-hour lab @.@...), but you will quickly adjust to the duration of the lab. Because Chem 1A is such a huge class, there are a lot of lab sections, hence a lot of GSI's. To my experience, the enjoyability of a lab section highly depends on the GSI. My GSI was someone who had just come from Mexico for grad school. He knew his stuff pretty well, but in terms of conveying it to the students, it was a little bit on the bad end of the scale. I hope you get a good GSI, one who teaches well and knows how to help his/her students do well in Chem 1A.
Lab materials are not too bad, but without proper preparation, it could potentially be hard and confusing. My advice is ALWAYS... ALWAYS go to lab prepared! By being prepared I mean that you should know what you're doing from the inside out: the lab procedures, the required pre-labs, readings before the lab...etc. And this advice isn't just for Chem 1A labs but it should be for all the labs. Get in the good habit of going to labs prepared will help you a lot through college. Think about it, if you didn't prepare for lab, you are going to be there for 4 hours bumming around trying to figure out everything on the spot and being miserable. I think you should be fine. Good luck with Chem 1A :)
