How to study for chem

[Maali]

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I'm taking chem 1 and basically just read the textbook and do the problems after each chapter which are alot harder than my actual exam. Is their a better and more efficient way to study for chemistry and any tips that can help me out. Studying for chem is different than bio were I can just read my slides a few times and can Ace the test.

 

[deleted407021]

So you aren't doing well so far? It sounds like the book is challenging you to understand the material via practice and the tests are simply for you to demonstrate your skills on an easy problem set. That's actually backwards from the norm.

 

[Maali]

I don't know I mean we only had one exam which I think I under studied and got a B. I just want to make sure I don't get another B so I just want to make sure my studying is efficient and the best way to study for chem.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Best thing to do would be to ask the professor during office hours on what you should place emphasis on when studying.

Those problems at the back of textbooks are usually easier than what is asked on an exam. Try to master those because they will help you understand the material best. The questions on the MCAT will require you to have a pretty good grasp on the material.

 

[deleted407021]

The way one person studies will be best for them, while for another it won't work. It sounds like you are doing just fine. That B could have come from nervousness, stress, chance, etc... You may want to get with your professor and ask about what specifically will be on the next exam and focus on that.

 

[infinitessimal]

Try outlining the chapter, either by hand (my preference) or on Word. You'll quickly realize if you're prioritizing the right things while reading/absorbing info.

Many professors provide practice tests from previous years, and for some of my science courses we were even able to find super old tests from when the prof taught at a different university by perusing the internet. Chem's different than bio in that it's more practice than memorization, so practice is your best bet.

 

[Entadus]

You have to emphasize doing problems. Treat it like you would a math class. You have chemistry homework (problems) every night or every other night. And only do problems you have solutions to. Doing problems without at least an answer key to check your work is pointless.

If you don't know how to solve the problems, you'll have to try and read the textbook. Also, go to tutors, office hours, watch youtube videos, look at your lecture notes, etc. in order to learn how to solve the problems. Then practice, practice, practice on real problems with verifiable answers.

 

[AtomicPancakez]

Ironically enough it sounds like you are doing TOO much work that necessarily isn't helping you on the exam 😛 Speaking from my experience I find that usually professors tend to test on material presented in their lecture and not test on much information if any that isn't directly presented in their lectures. I would focus on mastering anything that is directly presented in class first much like you say that you do in your biology class and use the text as more of a reference material and then if you have time go and read through the chapters in your chemistry text. In summary, anything presented in lecture is seen by the professor as being "more important" and thus will be tested more on exams compared to things that are not presented in class.

Also if you are looking for basic chemistry info MCAT books are a great resource if you've already purchased one. Saved me from a horrible organic chemistry professor who didn't know the subject at all and allowed me to 4.0 a departmental final and the class.

 

[Entadus]

Ironically enough it sounds like you are doing TOO much work that necessarily isn't helping you on the exam 😛 Speaking from my experience I find that usually professors tend to test on material presented in their lecture and not test on much information if any that isn't directly presented in their lectures. I would focus on mastering anything that is directly presented in class first much like you say that you do in your biology class and use the text as more of a reference material and then if you have time go and read through the chapters in your chemistry text. In summary, anything presented in lecture is seen by the professor as being "more important" and thus will be tested more on exams compared to things that are not presented in class.

Also if you are looking for basic chemistry info MCAT books are a great resource if you've already purchased one. Saved me from a horrible organic chemistry professor who didn't know the subject at all and allowed me to 4.0 a departmental final and the class.

In my experience, this is poor advice. With limited lecture time, it is impossible for the professor to cover everything in lecture (and by everything, I mean every variation and permutation of a problem that could be asked on an exam). They will simply brush up on a few representative examples in class, and *hopefully* at least mention all the relevant and testable topics/concepts. However, everything in the textbook is still fair game.

The rest is up to the student. Typically, the textbook problems seems 'hard' to the new chemistry student because they are slightly (or not so slightly) different from the examples given in class. As the problems get harder, the student is challenged to apply their growing understanding of chemistry to new situations. This is the true test of whether someone truly understands chemistry: can they correctly approach a chemical problem that they have never seen before, using relevant past experience/knowledge? (And not surprisingly, exactly what most professors testing for an an exam).

EDIT: I totally agree with you about using the text as a reference, though!!! I think our opinions are actually not very different at all. You make an excellent point about the value of lecture notes! 🙂