We Are Chemistry Blog: The Lab Notes

The Phenomenon

One of the most rewarding yet daunting elements of your degree is the laboratory. In the undergraduate lab, your days of conducting experiments on a table out in the open with somewhat primitive equipment are now over. Now you must adapt to working with the limited space the fume hood (and your lab partner) allows you. The chemicals have far more hazard signs, the equipment is unfamiliar, more delicate, more expensive, and highly prone to being dropped at the most inconvenient moment. Then there’s the haunting reminder that you are being assessed. That each Lab is not just a day of learning, but a day where your performance contributes to a percentage and overall, your degree. With all these elements to be conscious of in a seven hour day of focusing, is it any wonder that some students feel nervous the day of a lab?

Although most students enjoy their labs days without issue, from the conversions I have had with my peers over my time at Warwick, there is a portion of students that feel a sense of dread before a lab. Many factors can contribute to this feeling, worrying over the possibility of being late, confusion over the protocol, or the fear of failing to complete the experiment to a high enough standard. Despite there being students that relate, some students might feel hesitant to confide in their peers due to believing they are the only person experiencing this, making them doubt their own ability. However this fear can be eased by opening up to your friends or staff!

Pride and Perfectionism

Personally, I do believe a trait of being a STEM student is that pride can get in the way of discussing how confusing or anxiety inducing the lab can be. Admitting your confusion, especially to well respected professionals in the field, might seem like a scary thing to do at first. Sometimes it can feel safer to keep your questions to yourself. But the questions that you consider 'silly' or obvious are usually common questions demonstrators hear from students! It is always better to ask the question and gain more clarity on the experiment then continue your task in confusion.

Being a perfectionist and striving to achieve high quality in your work is a noble and useful quality. However, in the laboratory many things may not go according to plan, no matter how closely and vigilantly you followed the protocol. I have been guilty of this kind of obsessive behaviour. I would reread the protocol over and over, double and triple checking before each step. Although being cautious is necessary (especially regarding safety), not trusting your own intelligence and instead obsessing over the protocol will work against you. At that stage you are no longer learning, your fear of making a mistake takes over, leading to more stress than is logical or helpful.

Not obtaining a high yield, your calculations not aligning with your results, accidentally throwing out your product, these are all things which will occur at some point no matter how careful you are. Even seasoned professionals get things wrong, so it is perfectly normal for us developing chemists to do the same every now and again.

The beauty about how your lab work is assessed is that you are assessed on so many more categories than just one specific technique. The cleanliness of your glassware, content in your lab book, and your ability to even show up and engage are all taken into account when deciding your mark. Your ability to identify your mistake and furthermore understanding the science behind it will be seen positively by your demonstrator. As long as you show up and are willing to engage you will earn a decent mark. So, allow yourself some solace: you will not fail a lab due to one or two mistakes.

Being Prepared

So how can you ease this feeling? In my experience there will always be an element of stress to labs, which isn’t always a bad thing. Stress is not always your enemy, it’s the signal to your brain to go into action, ensuring you stay on track and complete your work. But if this feeling doesn't ease overtime or increases that is when you should apply some changes.

A few tips to make the day go smoother:

• Ensuring you had a good breakfast.

• Getting a good amount of sleep.

• Bringing a packed lunch.

• Complete the pre-lab ahead of time (I do this at the beginning of the week).

• Write your COSHH form, context and method the night before.

• Ask your demonstrator questions if you need a recap or clarification about method or techniques.

However if you have applied some of these changes and your experience is still the same, do not be afraid to send an email to Dr Dani Pearson and Dr Stephen Bromfield and inform them of what you are experiencing. THERE ARE THINGS THEY CAN DO TO HELP.

At the beginning of the year, you are asked to fill out a Declaration of Conditions form by the Lab Team. There is sometimes a misconception that unless you have a diagnosed condition, you have nothing to declare on the form. However, if you know you have struggled in the past, but you are not diagnosed with any conditions, you can still communicate this on the form. If you have missed the deadline for the Declaration of Conditions it is never too late to report any problems you are experiencing! Again, just email Dani to explain your situation so she can chat to you about options for reasonable adjustments.

The key thing to do is act. The support is available; you just need to reach for it.

Let Go of Perfection

The sometimes unavoidable bad habit we all develop throughout our years of education is comparison. Looking across the fume hoods and seeing your peers stirring a chemical that’s a colour vastly different from your own, hearing people finishing well ahead of time whilst you have yet to move onto your analysis, can make you feel like you’re failing. A lab should be challenging but fun. The phrase I always try to remember is that ‘comparison is the thief of joy’.

In my second year I learnt to laugh at the mistakes. I have some fond memories of giggling with people in my lab group at the bizarre experiment failures that occurred. Once you let go of perfection and start accepting each experiment as it comes, with all its triumphs and trials, finding the humour in mistakes rather than the shame, the more you will enjoy your lab days. Come prepared, ask the silly questions, and communicate with the people paid to help you when you need it.

In the lab, mistakes teach you far more than success. Now I am in my 3rd year I can confidently say that my comfort in the lab has only developed from making some VERY memorable mistakes in my first and second year. Remember you are learning, you will not be penalised for being confused. That is what makes you a student.