How useful do you find lab/experiment reports for IA?

[flinquinnster]

Right now I'm procrastinating/getting angry at my Physics CE. I'm particularly wondering whether anyone else finds doing D/DCP/CE just as useless as I'm finding it. Frankly, a lot of the work we've been doing for DCP/CE seems pedantic. I don't particularly see how formatting our analysis of errors is particularly relavent, or even scientifically enriching. Ditto with significant figures, though I appreciate how they might be useful.

Perhaps it is just the way I am being exposed to it, but I do not feel that writing these reports is in any way teaching my skills that will help if I were ever tempted to design or conduct a useful, mildly original experiment. Writing reports just seems like an agonising way to document practical work.

And besides, they're incredibly painful to write. They are slowly killing my interest in ever working/studying in science, ever. Surely, that's not a good thing?

I know that I am biased - I am a very unpractically oriented science student. I hate doing hands-on learning. But still, I think most IB students would sympathise that the science IA process can at times be highly, highly painful. But I would be interested to know conflicting opinions, because I'm sure there are many people who would tell me science IAs are very useful.

[Nabz]

Right now I'm procrastinating/getting angry at my Physics CE. I'm particularly wondering whether anyone else finds doing D/DCP/CE just as useless as I'm finding it. Frankly, a lot of the work we've been doing for DCP/CE seems pedantic. I don't particularly see how formatting our analysis of errors is particularly relavent, or even scientifically enriching. Ditto with significant figures, though I appreciate how they might be useful.

Perhaps it is just the way I am being exposed to it, but I do not feel that writing these reports is in any way teaching my skills that will help if I were ever tempted to design or conduct a useful, mildly original experiment. Writing reports just seems like an agonising way to document practical work.

And besides, they're incredibly painful to write. They are slowly killing my interest in ever working/studying in science, ever. Surely, that's not a good thing?

I know that I am biased - I am a very unpractically oriented science student. I hate doing hands-on learning. But still, I think most IB students would sympathise that the science IA process can at times be highly, highly painful. But I would be interested to know conflicting opinions, because I'm sure there are many people who would tell me science IAs are very useful.

They are useful especially when you have just studied that topic. In exams they can help you a lot since you've done something practically on that specific topic e.g mechanics. I usually get pretty average grades on my IAs so i wouldn't say that i like them but they're alright. Try to build up your interest by thinking that they're easy grades for you in your final report, that might get you started.

[onur basman]

Right now I'm procrastinating/getting angry at my Physics CE. I'm particularly wondering whether anyone else finds doing D/DCP/CE just as useless as I'm finding it. Frankly, a lot of the work we've been doing for DCP/CE seems pedantic. I don't particularly see how formatting our analysis of errors is particularly relavent, or even scientifically enriching. Ditto with significant figures, though I appreciate how they might be useful.

Perhaps it is just the way I am being exposed to it, but I do not feel that writing these reports is in any way teaching my skills that will help if I were ever tempted to design or conduct a useful, mildly original experiment. Writing reports just seems like an agonising way to document practical work.

And besides, they're incredibly painful to write. They are slowly killing my interest in ever working/studying in science, ever. Surely, that's not a good thing?

I know that I am biased - I am a very unpractically oriented science student. I hate doing hands-on learning. But still, I think most IB students would sympathise that the science IA process can at times be highly, highly painful. But I would be interested to know conflicting opinions, because I'm sure there are many people who would tell me science IAs are very useful.

it is very useful if you are planning on continuing your studies in university.

there you will also be forced by your professors write lab reports. we are gaining a great skill that will be very useful in the future. We will be one step ahead of the other students.

I guess this is what the call investing in the future