Launching the dreaded "Unknown" project in Micro tomorrow

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I woke up at 4:30 this morning...I am a nervous wreck because we start the dreaded Unknown project tomorrow. We will be issued broth in a test tube which contains one or two( with my luck I'll get 3) "bugs". We need to streak two plates and incubate these at two different temps. We need to immediately perform an Acic-fast, and 2 Gram stains, if time permitts perform another kind of stain of our choice.

I have struggled in this lab because of terrible, uncooperative lab partners and also because we don't ever have enough time. If I am allowed to pace myself and take my time and nobody messes with me I might just do ok.

I am stressing right now. has anyone else started on their Unknown project and if how is it going for you all?

This class is a monster. Even though I have an excellent test average, this practical hands on stuff is just really kicking my butt.

I am scared to death that I won't be able to correctly identify my bugs :chair:

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You seem like a really great student to me. Go at your own pace and don't let any uncompromising lab partners bother you!!

We don't get our unknowns until April. So good luck and let me know how it goes.

(PS, I was up at 3:30am today but for an Organic Chem!! Nothing like those early mornings when the house is quite and you have a whole hot of coffee waiting!!)

:mad:

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You seem like a really great student to me. Go at your own pace and don't let any uncompromising lab partners bother you!!

We don't get our unknowns until April. So good luck and let me know how it goes.

(PS, I was up at 3:30am today but for an Organic Chem!! Nothing like those early mornings when the house is quite and you have a whole hot of coffee waiting!!)

:mad:

That's exactly what I did, got some coffee and read my notes. We have another pop quizz, and a major lab test coming up next week (pop quizz might also be given to us tomorrow, she doesn't announce these)

Good luck with Organic Chem, it's a hard class and thank you so very much for your comforting words.....I actually sit in another place in lab because one of the girls was really rude to me last time....I will be ok. Hopefully it's not as bad as it seems with this Unknown. I printed out all the procedures for these different stains and stapled them together so that I don't have to scramble around for them in the lab manual tomorrow. All unnecessary information is illiminated and I can go through each procedure step by step without wasting unnecessary time.

Thanks again and have a great day

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Specializes in LDRP.

We start that after spring break--arg. I know what you mean about lab partners. I wont go into details tho.

GL! :nurse:

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We start that after spring break--arg. I know what you mean about lab partners. I wont go into details tho.

GL! :nurse:

I can only imagine....

Good luck and hang in there like the rest of us!

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I started my unknown last week. When I go in tomorrow, I'll see if I have separation on my streak plate. When I did a practice run a couple of weeks ago, I had no separation of the two organisms. I love the class, but I am worried about this, too. I hope all goes well with yours!

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Every organism has traits and specifics related to it's kind. Relax and take a deep breath. When performing the required tests of identification trust your knowledge and trust your GUTT! You will do fine.

Jeffrey

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What does your teacher have to say...

My friend did all of her tests on her unknown, documented the results and typed her paper out. She guessed wrong and still got an a on her unknown paper. Our syllabus states, to document findings from the labs as observed, not the results that are expected.

That's what bites about labs, we can't go in and practice gram staining or any other tests.

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Every organism has traits and specifics related to it's kind. Relax and take a deep breath. When performing the required tests of identification trust your knowledge and trust your GUTT! You will do fine.

Jeffrey

My GUTT is in knotts right now and better untangles itself by tomorrow :chuckle

I think that I have paid enough attention and have taken good notes on previous tests to be able to do ok. It's the streaking for isolation technique that frightens me most. The agar tears so easily and I just have a hard time handling these slick little test tubes, everything is so awkward....

Thanks for your encouraging words :wink2:

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What does your teacher have to say...

My friend did all of her tests on her unknown, documented the results and typed her paper out. She guessed wrong and still got an a on her unknown paper. Our syllabus states, to document findings from the labs as observed, not the results that are expected.

That's what bites about labs, we can't go in and practice gram staining or any other tests.

The teacher is very dramatic and makes everything sound like it will be the end of the world....she took it very personal after 13 people got F's and D's on the first lecture test, she seems stressed,too.

I did good when we did the Acid fast and Gram staining.....I worked alone and had nobody distracting or bugging me. So I have hope taht I will be off to a good start tomorrow since it is individual work.

My stomach has been upset all day.....I need to get a handle on myself!

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What does your teacher have to say...

My friend did all of her tests on her unknown, documented the results and typed her paper out. She guessed wrong and still got an a on her unknown paper. Our syllabus states, to document findings from the labs as observed, not the results that are expected.

That's what bites about labs, we can't go in and practice gram staining or any other tests.

If we have two Unknowns and can only identify 1 we will get a 80, if we miss both it will be a 60. The Unknown project is 1/4 of the lab grade. The lab grade is 25% of the entire course. But you know if we want to get A's........???!!! We will have to turn in a written report and we will be interviewed for 20 minutes about this project by the teacher :uhoh3:

AAAArrrrgggghhhh ON the bright side, we have open lab times where we can go in and work outside the class setting. I will definitely take advantage of it.

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I started my unknown last week. When I go in tomorrow, I'll see if I have separation on my streak plate. When I did a practice run a couple of weeks ago, I had no separation of the two organisms. I love the class, but I am worried about this, too. I hope all goes well with yours!

Good luck to you and I hope that you get your organisms "straightened out"

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