STEM students know the struggle of labs far too well. Labs are mandatory components of most STEM classes, and here at Mount Holyoke they go from 1:30 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. Some of them even last until 5:20 p.m. It’s also not uncommon for labs to run over, depending on the experiment. Speaking of the experiment, lab students have to do a set of preparation questions beforehand, perform the experiment in-lab, and write a report and/or discussion outside of the lab. Therefore, there is pre-class work, in-class work, and homework. Many students can’t go to lunch because of the small interval between classes and labs. Labs have their own syllabus, their own instructor, and their own grading scheme, which is different from the lecture portion. After hearing all of this, you realize that labs have most characteristics of an independent class. And yet, they grant no credit.
That’s right. No credit at all. Zero, zilch, nada. Sure, labs can’t give full credit because then everyone would be overloading, especially those who take multiple labs per semester. However, there is a solution to this: some colleges have reduced credit criteria for their labs. Amherst College, for example, grants .5 of a credit for each lab. MHC does not take part in such a policy. Why? I don’t know.
A lab is often considered a fifth class even by the standards of the college. Ask your advisor if it’s a good idea to overload, and their first follow-up will be to ask you how many labs you’re in. Students often talk among themselves about how much work labs have, even those in the humanities who have never taken one. If labs work exactly like classes, and their workload feels exactly like that of a class, I wonder why they still grant no credit.
Mount Holyoke is familiar with a reduced credit policy. Many dance and music classes give out 2 credits, even if they’re full-semester courses (which labs are, by the way). Allowing labs to grant one measly credit would not break their academic structure to the point of full reconstruction. It would be a small adjustment that would benefit and motivate students that ask themselves, “Why am I doing double the work in a class only to earn the same amount of credit?” By granting lab credit, MHC would definitely raise the morale of STEM students who are overworked and overwhelmed. Additionally, it could encourage students outside of STEM to try out some of those courses since they know the lab is an extra credit boost. At least the way I see it, making students happy and supporting academic exploration will never be an issue. So, MHC, what are you waiting for?