Best help books for gen. chem. 1?

[HenryH]

Hey guys,

College freshman here; we just started school last Thursday, and I'm already feeling the burn in general chemistry 1. My professor is very foreign and very fast, so it's especially hard to keep up when he throws a single sample problem on the board and rushes to the next section. I'd be screwed to high-heaven had I not taken honors chemistry during my second semester of my senior highschool year.

Can anyone recommend any supplemental chemistry books that make it easier (more understandable) to learn concepts? My problem in chemistry last year was that the teacher taught class while bungled up in his own chemistry language -- it seemed like he never actually just told us "what to do." You know what I mean?

I'd like to get ahold of a guide that plainly tells you what to do (e.g., "first, since this number represents that, we take it and multiply it to this because...").
Thanks,
Henry

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[dentaldentist]

I found the Schaum's Outline books to be helpful. Its thourough, reasonably easy to read for a Chemistry book, and the best part is its cheap. I used this book to help me review chem before taking the DAT.

Schaum's Outline of College Chemistry

 

[jackbauer!]

the best help book: your textbook. no other book compares....don't waste your money on anything else.

jb!

 

[reapply2007]

The next time you find yourself in Barnes and Noble or Hastings or whatever flip through the general chemistry section of a DAT/MCAT prep book. They are pretty good outlines but you need to have some clue of what you're doing. It is also critical to work problems.

 

[pmantz]

The next time you find yourself in Barnes and Noble or Hastings or whatever flip through the general chemistry section of a DAT/MCAT prep book. They are pretty good outlines but you need to have some clue of what you're doing. It is also critical to work problems.

Hold on tight don't get behind, remember chem is kinda weird it takes some getting used to. The text might look confusing but I am sure if you put in the time it will come to you. I think everyone except for super geniuses had to swet a little to get their grade in Gen Chem 1 & 2.

 

[jmick101]

Gen chem is kinda a butt kicker, no doubt about it. In fact I thought it was, in some respects, harder than Ochem. Mainly because Ochem is conceptual and Gchem is lots of math, and I suck at math. Anyways, a few people have recommended that the DAT/MCAT prep books and they are right, but the best thing that you can do is work the problems. Get your concepts from the prep books, then do practice problems from your text. If the concept still eludes you, go back to your text and study it in detail and then do more problems. This way is more fun, because problem solving is more exiting (and more work) than just rote memorization. Good luck!

 

[KSDDS]

I found the Schaum's Outline books to be helpful. Its thourough, reasonably easy to read for a Chemistry book, and the best part is its cheap. I used this book to help me review chem before taking the DAT.

Schaum's Outline of College Chemistry

I also found Shaum's to be helpful in studying chem for the DAT. I found it to be easier to read and more concise than my old chem textbook. It might be a good additional book if you are having trouble with chem, but I would also recommend that you just go through and make sure you do the problems at the end of every chemistry chapter in your textbook. I think thats the best way to learn chemistry. It took me until 2nd semester in undergrad chem for me to figure that out. Too late for my first semester grades, but helped me out a lot and really improved my grad second semester just by doing more of the end of the chapter questions.