How can I improve in chemistry lab with no chemistry background?

[JoeyCentral]

I just got out of my chemistry lab class at school, and needless to say, I don't think I am going to get a good grade. Basically, I felt like a complete idiot today. My professor was getting frustrated with me because he thinks I wasn't listening to him (even though I was). I never in my life did chemistry within the 20 years of living, nor did I ever step foot into a lab. The things he was discussing before the experiment was a bunch of stuff that people who taken chemistry in high school level would understand.

How can I improve in chemistry lab so I can do better and finish this semester with an 'A'?

 

[Borek]

There is no magical recipe, other than hard work. Start by identifying what are things that you are expected to know, and learn them.

 

[JoeyCentral]

I understand that and I do work hard. However, what lab goes over is supposed to go over things that we learned from the chemistry lectures. I am all good with that (so far) since I got a 90 on my recent test. However, the lab itself is confusing. I don't know if it's just because the instructor is terrible, but I feel like the experiments just do not make any sense! Is there an experiment guide that I can read that will help me improve in chemistry lab?

 

[Lok]

I understand that and I do work hard. However, what lab goes over is supposed to go over things that we learned from the chemistry lectures. I am all good with that (so far) since I got a 90 on my recent test. However, the lab itself is confusing. I don't know if it's just because the instructor is terrible, but I feel like the experiments just do not make any sense! Is there an experiment guide that I can read that will help me improve in chemistry lab?

You should take a chemical laboratory manual from your library. Even the most basic one can put you on track with some of the common laboratory practices. If you hope there is some logical way to determine what to do in a lab, well there is, just as the unexpected can literally blow up in your face.
Read the manual, it is a basic collection of good practices. Then go to a more specialized one.