Taking lectures only?

Would it be a bad idea to take science classes without the labs?


The university I attend has labs that are 2-3 credit hours and has two 2-4 hr sessions.


I’m thinking of taking Genetics and Microbiology lectures without the labs.


Or I could take Genetics and take 3-credit hour Genetics Lab.


I’m trying to decide which classes to take next semester.

I think it’s hard to take micro without lab but I took immunology and biochem (both without labs) during my glide year and I don’t think it hurt me.

You definitely need to take the science pre-reqs with lab (bio, chem, ochem, physics).


Cheers,


Judy

I would say before you take an advanced science class without the lab have a heart-to-heart talk with the professor of the lecture section and find out how closely lecture and lab are integrated. If everybody but you is taking the lab, it might be difficult. If few are, and if the course doesn’t lean on the lab to hammer in important concepts, you might be fine.

These specific courses (Micro, Genetics) at my school are designed to be independent from the labs. There are courses that require registration for both lecture/lab, but not for these. I’m mainly concerned with having bunch of advanced science classes in my transcript without the labs. I’m taking Cell Bio w/o the lab right now and doing just fine.


I’m currently considering taking lecture only for Cell Bio, Micro, Genetics, Biochem I/II. Labs take up too much time during the day and I work, so that’s why I’m looking into taking only the lectures.


And of course, I have taken all the labs for the pre-reqs.



If the lab is a standalone class then try to keep your combined lecture + lab credits to <= 6. Once you start going over that you’ll be spending a lot of time assimilating the lecture material and not be able to build on it successfully in the lab section.


Labs that are stand alone are designed so that you can take them all by themselves at a later semester.


Finally, if the lab requirement says “concurrent enrollment in lecture section allowed” instead of “…required” or something to that effect then take the lab after the lecture.

I’m working full time and taking labs separate from lecture (e.g. in a later semester). A lot of people in my post bacc program are doing the same thing.

Actually, I’m not planning to take the labs at all for these elective biology courses. That’s why I was a little concerned.