# Was having a lab partner horrible for you?



## MojoCrunch (Mar 25, 2011)

Even though I'm technically done, I was reminiscing about all the moments I had a lab partner and how it was one of the things that increased my social anxiety to peak levels. Most of my labs I did very well in, but when it came to actually doing experiments with my lab partner I was such a screw up and most of them thought I was an incompetent fool. I would forget everything I diligently did the night before while we did experiments. Any time we were required to do individual work I did a great job, but when it came to partners I was such a wreck. I would over think things, or get so nervous that I would just drift off - anything to ignore the horrible amount of anxiety that I had.

Anyone have similar experiences? Sometimes I worry about how this will affect me working with people in the future.


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## Rabbitheartedboy (Aug 12, 2011)

Haha. I completely understand! Although the opposite could be said for me weirdly enough. Whenever i was with my lab partners i would be okay that we would do the lab experiment all altogether and help each other out. When it came to doing things by myself i would get so nervous and the professor would be there staring at each and everyone of us if we were doing the lab accordingly. Since i was alone, I'd feel as if people were just staring at me and i would get super anxious. In the end i would forget what to do and completely blank out. Thankfully i snapped out of it before class ended.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm terrified of taking Biology next semester for this very reason.


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## Fantas Eyes (Mar 23, 2011)

I never know what to do unless I'm told, so my lab partners probably all thought I was lazy.


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## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

I had some cute female lab partners who were very sweet. One for some reason had a terrible olfactory odor that I could never put my finger on. I am unsure if it was hormonal or what, but weirdly I tried to pinpoint it during the lecture also but could not. The strange thing, well, she would converse about her BF, and I wondered how he did not smell what I smelt.


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## this portrait (Jul 18, 2009)

Most lab partners I had were for science classes I was required to take back in high school, so they were usually people I hung out with. In college I didn't take science courses that required labs, so I didn't have to deal with that.

Having partners for projects in general is annoying, unless it's something I don't really get (in that case I just let my partner(s) do most of the work).


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## Manifold (May 14, 2010)

I can totally relate to that. I have a great deal of labs/group projects to deal with and I tend come off as an idiot and incompetent. If it’s an individual work, I’ll do fine though. 

I’m so focused in not messing up I forget everything else and, ironically, end up doing precisely that.
It worries me a lot since I’ll have to work with more people when I get a job.

You’d think that the more you do it, the easier it becomes, but that’s not the case for me. It’s always an excruciating experience.
It gets to the point where I’m not able to eat/sleep properly the whole week before.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

Yep. My first year chem lab partner was a guy from...I think he said Romania. He really did not like women. He felt they were not meant to be in "proper academic institutions." He would change my data to suit himself and unfortunately he was no good at chemistry. We failed the labs because he refused to use my data. Seriously. 

Other than that ridiculous child, I've had pretty adequate partners.


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## Ape in space (May 31, 2010)

I wouldn't say it was horrible having a lab partner, but it was horrible doing the labs. I was great with the theory and the calculations that had to be done, but doing the actual experiments was horrible and I'm actually glad I had a partner to counteract my Clouseau-esque misadventures. 

In my first year chemistry lab, I was trying to neutralize an acid by adding sodium hydroxide pellets before pouring it down the sink, but it wasn't neutralizing fast enough. So I added a whole bunch more pellets all at once, and all of a sudden the mixture started bubbling and hissing violently, and everyone in the lab stopped what they were doing and started backing away because it was gonna blow. It didn't go off after all, but that's the kind of **** I pulled every time I went into a lab.

Also, my lab partner in that class was a girl, and she was kind of nice looking and I used to fantasize about her. So having a lab partner wasn't all bad for me.


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## Puppuccino (Jun 29, 2011)

I had a lab partner when I was taking chemistry. I was not very good at chemistry but she was better at it than I was. I studied the procedures before labs so that I could be a good lab partner. It wasn't that bad, I managed to get through it. She was a really nice person. In my experience studying, patience, communication and courtesy are key. Just make an effort to be a good partner and you'll do fine.


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## minimized (Nov 17, 2007)

Oh God yes. Let me work alone, please. I always end up making myself look the fool.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I prefer having a partner to prevent screw-ups but it really depends on the person. I took chemistry this summer and the first partner I had was only 18 and moved quickly through everything, so she ended up doing most of the work. Didn't really like this cause I would have ended up not being prepared for the final lab practical. I'm kind of slow and like to take my time. The next partner I had was a bit older and kind of slow like me, so I was able to do half the work in the experiments.


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## Piko (Jun 16, 2011)

When I was in biology, I usually worked with the other 2 kids at my table. They didn't mind that I was quiet.

In chemistry, I ended up always working with another quiet girl so I suppose it was okay. But we were both really stubborn so we argued quite a bit > < I remember once I dropped a whole beaker of boiling water on the floor and it shattered and water went everywhere.
I had to wipe up all the water with a roll of paper towels while the teacher talked to me saying it's okay, just hold the tongs tighter next time. I felt so ashamed. 

Once, when my chemistry partner was absent, the teacher made me work with 2 boys that I had never talked to before and they completely ignored me. They did the whole lab and recorded all the data, not letting me do anything. So I had to grab one of their papers at the end and copy the data onto my own sheet. :blank

So I guess I had an okay experience with lab partners..


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## Wobble (Oct 8, 2010)

Yes. I preferred working alone on my own initiative. Being in pairs or groups was so nervewracking. My body and mind would freeze up so I would let them do everything even though I was dying to do the experiment myself. 
Although, being on my own didn't always go to plan either. I broke a mercury thermometer once in front of the whole class and had to crawl around on the floor scooping up the mess while the teacher made a huge fuss about how I was now responsible for poisoning the lungs of all present and future students. Mortifying..


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## Rodeo3point2 (Jun 18, 2011)

Yes and no. Biology was the only negative experience I have ever had and that was because I was working with people who refused to communicate. My main lab partner always acted as though I should just leave everything to her based on a couple of screw ups I made.

I made significantly higher than average on the quizzes, midterms and finals however! Mostly through doing the experiments myself. Working with others can bring out the worst performance in SA people sometimes. I don't usually make stupid mistakes...

My geology and chemistry lab partners were all very supportive and fun to be with however. I actually looked forward to going to the Geology ones.


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## equiiaddict (Jun 27, 2006)

Lol I was the same way in high school! I hated having partners for anything though, unless we got to pick them ourselves and I had a friend in the class with me. I typically work a lot more efficiently when I'm by myself, the only problem with that is I don't want people to think I'm a freak or something for opting to be by myself. :|


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