# Anyone else do much worse in lab than lecture?



## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

This has been a steady pattern in my grades. For example, in the last exam, I am expecting to get points less on my lab than written. This is not one off thing, in every exam in this particular course, I have scored atleast points less on lab compared to written. Even in all four years of undergrad, I did worse in lab. 
I have a hunch it is due to performance anxiety. Anyone else with this kind of problem?


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## livingnsilence (Feb 4, 2008)

Generally I do worse in lab than lecture but it has nothing to do with my anxiety lab is just generaly harder. Most people without anxiety disorders have the same problem especially when it comes to anatomy lab. One of my aquaintances had a C in lecture and a 17 average in lab when she dropped anatomy last year and she is extreamly out going and I doubt it was performance anxiety for her or most people that are in the same boat. I've always been glad lecture counts more than lab otherwise my gpa would be a lot lower.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

It varies from person to person but I think anxiety should play some role in a lab environment where you generally have to work with other people. I do not learn well in groups of 4. 

My grades got back and I did poorer than expected. I am going to get help for this problem.

Is there anyone who thinks their lab work (hands-on work) is being affected by anxiety?


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## mindy88 (Mar 30, 2007)

..........


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## jaayhou (Jun 20, 2007)

I generally did better in lab. For some reason, it's in my nature to do better at hands-on application of concepts rather than abstract thinking. What's real--what I can see and touch--is easier for me to grasp mentally. I think it's a question of learning style.

Ag, are these cadaver labs you're taking? Do they involve memorizing anatomy, calculations, etc.?


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

jaayhou said:


> Ag, are these cadaver labs you're taking? Do they involve memorizing anatomy, calculations, etc.?


Well, a cadaver lab exam is soon but the one I was talking about was a histology class, in which you basically use a microscope to identify stuff. So yes lots of memorization, not much in way of calculations. Also, I am not the most calm during lab exam (anxiety?), so no wonder I make mistakes even though I know the material. 
Part of me is thinking that I am using anxiety as a scapegoat here. My preparation for this set of exams was awfully inadequate, I crammed like nobody's business last week, now I am just hoping to reach a standard I had set myself earlier this year.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

oh looky here, I just made my 600th post


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## jaayhou (Jun 20, 2007)

Here's a tip for histology that worked wonders for me:

Get a list of all the slides/structures and have a general idea of what they should look like. Then, do a Google image search of each structure until you find good representatives of each (you should be able to find just about anything and everything). Put all the images together into sort of a slide show (windows picture viewer works fine) and quiz yourself by running through them all until you can identify each. This saves a lot of wasted time scrolling through dozens of mediocre slides on a microscope. The only tricky part here is the variable of which magnification they'll use on the practical. Good Luck!


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## emptybottle (Jan 3, 2005)

Yes, this happens to me too. I get A's and B's in tests and quizzes for bio, chem, and physics lectures, but in the lab sections, I appear to be the dumbest person on the class. I regularly screw up and have to re-do procedures, and I have to have the TA or classmates sitting near me explain even the simplest concepts. It's performance anxiety for me. My mind's just not functioning properly.


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## WhatsThePoint (Feb 6, 2008)

Only two lab sciences that I've taken so far in college were calc. based physics 1 and 2. They were both very small classes because I was at a community college at the time. Did pretty well in both, I got an A in 2 and a B in 1 I believe. I would definitely consider myself to have severe social anxiety, but I seemed to do fine. Only thing I really hated though was that the lab teacher always wanted us to get with partners we hadn't been with before, or least hadn't been with in a month or so. Sucked when there was an odd amount of people in the class. Had to force myself to ask a group if I could join them, usually ended up alright though.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

jaayhou said:


> Here's a tip for histology that worked wonders for me:
> 
> Get a list of all the slides/structures and have a general idea of what they should look like. Then, do a Google image search of each structure until you find good representatives of each (you should be able to find just about anything and everything). Put all the images together into sort of a slide show (windows picture viewer works fine) and quiz yourself by running through them all until you can identify each. This saves a lot of wasted time scrolling through dozens of mediocre slides on a microscope. The only tricky part here is the variable of which magnification they'll use on the practical. Good Luck!


Thanks!

A good online resource for histo., (which I discovered 2 days before the final of the class, unfortunately), is 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQqmzzqN ... re=related
Quite interesting eh?

I also suck at the cadaver lab exams, which is surprising because I am strong with visual spatial stuff. I will be getting a tutor next time though, like everyone else.


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## jaayhou (Jun 20, 2007)

I probably can't really offer much advice for cadavers. We only had a 3-4 cadavers at a time, each prosected to different degrees. It helped to know which structures were visible unique to each cadaver and which weren't. It also helps to go in on your own time and have someone else quiz you. Don't forget to go in by yourself and shut off the lights just for fun!


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