Intro Organic Chemistry Lab I BC3328

You should absolutely take the introductory Chemistry sequence at Barnard because the Barnard Chemistry Department is delightful. So many office hours, and such approachable, engaged faculty.
Now that you've entered the Barnard Chemistry sequence, the greatest piece of advice I can offer you is to ignore your lab report grades. Think of each returned grade as the results from a lottery. Be happy when you get an A- because you won a completely random lottery, but it's irrational to get upset at the other random grades they throw your way.
DO NOT think of your grades as any reflection on your ability as a chemist.
That said, read through the grader's comments because, if you got a concept wrong, the comments can be helpful, and if there was something the grader disliked about formatting you can change that.
Have a good attitude in lab. It gets very tiring after about 4 pm, but performing experiments is such a great opportunity to interact differently with the material you learn on paper. You do some really cool experiments, actually. Think about what's actually happening in front of you.
Also don't watch the videos; that's a compete waste of time. Just click through them to familiarize yourself with basic setups.

This woman is a gem. Makes the labs fun and stress free. She is the most popular instructor in the help room and for good reason she explains things well and doesn't make you feel stupid. She's so nice and not intimidating and grandmotherly that it's easy to forget that she has a PhD from Harvard. Go to her help room hours if only just to chat!