hi, I’m feeling pretty disappointed and sad about my chemistry lab practice and recent WA1 test. I know grades aren’t everything but I just can’t help feeling disappointed in myself. Does anyone know how to score well in chemistry lab tests or lab test in general? I find myself feeling nervous and lost during the lab practical… plus, finding out I got a 1 out of 15, being the worst in class and having my results openly shown to the class is kinda making me sad lol… (why do I feel this way?) please do share some advice for me to consider, would really appreciate it , thanks 
Just to add on, I’m taking o levels this year and ahhh I feel numb thinking about it, and also really really nervous based off how bad I did for WA1…pls feel free to reply nicely 
Hey @user1813 , don’t worry, it’s completely normal to be feeling this way especially if you have done bad in a test. I know it’s really tough to go through it when your results are open to the whole class but it’s alright, you’ve still got time for improvement. To improve on lab, I would suggest you first get a clear view to familiarise yourself with the topic included and the experiments. You can try learning it like a routine, and don’t memorise any of it. Understand the theory behind it and learn it and I’m sure this way would help you better understand the experiment and practical sessions. You could also practice theory with past year papers and ensure that your lab reports are concise. I hope this helps and do let me know if you need anything else!! (:
Hi @user1813! Thank you for opening up on this platform! Grades aren’t everything but I know and understand how much it can affect us as I was from there too (Someone who cries over grades etc.).
Some tips or advice that I would give for lab practical would be to read and be familiar with it first. Remember to ask your teacher whenever you’re unsure and take your lab practice sessions seriously! I know sometimes it can be a little intimidating to ask questions but asking helps you to understand and I believe the teachers will be there to guide to help you 
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omg why did your teacher do that? not very nice.
but any way I hated chemistry as well and did very poorly for my chemistry O’s too. do you have a buddy that can guide you through lab practice?
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hi, thanks for the reply! it is indeed not nice for my cher to do that… but, I realised today that I should not take people’s discouragements personally! I actually went to redo the practical test again, and learnt from my mistakes. Thank you so much for hearing me out!
p.s. I hope to at least pass chem next round 
I do have a lab buddy, but during the practical, we are not really allowed talk to each other, the buddy system is just for seat allocation… I would actually try to ask some of my other friends for some advice though! You made my day much better, thank you ! 
Hi, thank you for the reply! I’m so glad, that I’m not the only one crying over grades even when it sounds silly 
. Thank you for the advice/tips! May I have tips on how to stay calm during the test? There’s a time limit and seeing everyone around me doing different tests and moving at a faster pace that I am, it stresses me out. So I hesitate before doing a test , worried that I would do something wrong/ potentially dangerous mistake and my teacher would call me out for it 
. Once again, I really appreciate your reply, it truly makes my tiring day go from a 2 star to a 5 star!
hi, thanks so so much for the reply! Thank you for hearing me out, reassuring and encouraging me! I’ll start practicing theory with past year papers on my own before the test day. Like you said- there is time for improvement, and I won’t give up here! 
I really appreciate your reply, I hope you had/ have an amazing day!
It’s definitely not a silly thing! It’s just a coping mechanism for me or us at least! Personally, I would try not to care about what others are doing because everyone goes at their own pace. However, I do understand that there’s a time limit therefore my advice would be to practice and be familiarize with the terms so that you don’t need time to think that long. Just think or imagine it like a math problem sum. All these require practice and understanding to be able to solve them. Most importantly, go at your own pace 
ahhh man must be really stressful having your grades flashed like that 
this reallyy doesn’t reflect your worth though!
i think for labs its about practice and being familiar with it you still have time to keep working on it!! all the best for your o levels
It’s understandable to feel disappointed. You could try asking your teacher for tips and help, reach out to other students who are better in chemistry and request for their help.
Hi @user1813, it is fine to feel sad about your grades, and I feel you. I tried going for more consultations with my teacher when I did not understand a concept, it greatly helped me understand some of my misconceptions. Olevels is a journey, and this is a process of learning Rooting for you op!
hi @user1813 ,
I am glad you are feeling much better with all the responses you had received. 
The point of labs is to test the knowledge that is found inside your textbooks. Like others have mentioned, try to understand what scientific theory/theories the lab session is testing you on. You can definitely approach your teachers and peers to help steer your train of thoughts in the right direction.
And remember, it is okay to feel nervous about tests and O levels. You should believe in your preparation and efforts, and don’t be too hard on yourself. If you are doing your best, then that is what really matters! Hang in there!
Hi user1813,
I hear your troubles with your chemistry results, and I believe you are not alone. Back then, i alao found chemistry really hard to grasp. Something that helped me was to approach my chemistry teacher for consultations either before or after school. Having someone to clarify my understanding really helped me. Additionally, you can try communicating with your tescher to not display the results with names explicitly.
Importantly, i hope you know that your academic results do not define you. Please take care of yourself while you study for O levels - take time to rest and recharge. I believe in you!
hey, just wanted to say i really feel you on this. it sucks when you try your best and still don’t do as well as you hoped, especially with lab stuff, which can be confusing and nerve-wracking. and having your result shown to the whole class?? honestly that’s so unfair and i get why you’d feel down about it.
please don’t be too hard on yourself though! one bad result doesn’t define you, and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re not smart. chemistry labs are tough for many people (even the ones who don’t talk about it), and it’s totally normal to feel lost during practicals, especially under pressure.
a few things that might help:
- try watching videos of common experiments! sometimes seeing it done helps more than just reading about it
- practice writing out steps for diff types of questions so it starts to feel more familiar and if you can, do some mini “dry runs” in your head or on paper just to get used to the flow of things
but honestly, the biggest thing is just being kind to yourself. the fact that you care and you’re reflecting already says about your character. o levels feel scary, i totally get that, but this is just one bump! you’ve got time, and you’re stronger than you think
sending good vibes your way, you got this 
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for your kind response. It really made my day!!
Uhh Idk about that… she probably is just blunt haha 
I’m doing a bit better now though
I have tried to do this, but I find it hard to find time to revise and pick out questions to ask for consultation. So, I end up not asking for consultation…
Hi, thank you so much for the advice and encouragement