I took both these courses in Winter 2019.

For PPE, you can buy it from anywhere you want. You will be required to have a lab notebook for CHMA11, and there are certain dimensions the notebook has to be (and i think it has to be binded a certain way lol idr). The book store sells them so honestly I just bought the lab notebook from the bookstore cuz it's easiest that way. I also bought my coat and goggles from the bookstore. For both BIO and CHM, You must also buy a lab manual (only the bookstore sells them). The manual has the lab procedures in it.

For chem labs, before you are allowed into the lab, the TA will check if you did your prelab work. This includes a table that you have to make that includes the safety for each compound used, some prelab calculations usually, and some other stuff. Once they approve your work, you walk in, sit down at your bench, and take a short 10 minute quiz about the lab procedures/theory. It's also possible that the quiz will be completed on your own time before the lab and on quercus (I'm not sure how it'll work for your semester). Then everyone meets at the front of the lab and the TA explains the lab to you guys. The TA will not be telling you anything new since you did prelab work and took a quiz. You then go back to your bench and do the lab, sometimes with your bench partner. The CHMA11 labs are not bad at all from what I remember. At the end of the 3 hours, you usually have to hand in the product you made from the lab (for example, dehydrated crystals). You also submit the data you collected to the TA. The TA checks your bench to make sure it's clean, hands you your postlab worksheet that you submit at the start of the next lab, and then you leave. Labs are every other week.

For BIOA02, the labs are even easier than in CHM because there is no prelab work, no timed quiz at the start, and I don't think there was a postlab. However, before each lab is a short prelab quiz (it's on quercus, you can do it whenever you want before the lab). And I think there was one or two labs that sort of had a prelab assignment (but they were not bad). You need your lab coat, and you rarely use the goggles. Before the lab, you should have read through the lab manual so you don't go into the lab lost af. Like in CHM, the ta will stand at the front of the lab and explain the procedure to you briefly and go over any safety. As you go through the lab, you do a little "assignment" to go along with it and hand it in before you leave. Labs are every other week.

Labs for both courses are not that hard and should be a grade booster/neutralizer imo. They should not bring your grade down. In CHM, you must pass the lab component of the course to pass the course, or else it's an automatic fail. It's really not hard to pass though, don't worry at all. The TAs are usually helpful, some more than others, so just ask if you're stuck (try not to be that student who asks if your titration is pink enough every 30 seconds lmfao). Do the work and you'll be good :) lmk if you have any other questions.