Perfect score on Gen Chem II final??

[MrRed]

Hey all! Thanks for the continuing support; as always. Advice on this forum has been well - ****ing amazing!! Anxiety level is way down, guess I was just going through a rough couple days.

Back for a bit more advice:
So long-story short I wasn't able to take my Gen-Chem II final at the end of this past spring and so I have to take the final the first or second week of this coming fall semester. I have a solid 4-6 weeks to devote to studying for this exam starting at the beginning of August.

I have a low A going into it; and to keep that I'll need to get at least an A-/very high B+ on the final. The thing is -- I don't want an A-/high B+; I want to get a perfect score. I want to absolutely murder this exam! Can it be done!?

I've never gotten a perfect score on any quantitative final before (only in bio classes I've been able to). If you were in my situation; with 4-6 weeks to study chapters 10-18 of gen chem and know it literally like the back of your hand; how would you do it? I have already learned it all before; and during finals week I was decently prepared to take it; I only found out very last minute I wouldn't be able to.

It's definitely turned out to be a blessing in disguise to have not been able to take the exam during finals week, I've never felt fully prepared before when going into a quantitative-intensive exam. For Calc I+II and Gen Chem I+II I always felt like I could study more, learn the problems better, literally every single time I felt like I was "missing" something, if that makes sense. Even thought I got the A's I was never "solid" per-say when it came time to take the exams. However for Bio classes (memorization intensive) I always seem to feel ready to take it.

Maybe one chapter a day; with a practice exam + problem sets at the end?
Or maybe 2-3 chapters/day and literally just do hundreds of problems over the course of the 4 weeks?
Also, does anyone know of any good online resources/ good practice books for gen chem II problems?

The book I have for class is: Chemistry -- Principles and Reactions, 7th edition, by Masterton, Hurley, and Neth.

I'm taking Anatomy II + I this summer and they don't end completely until the first week of August; but I could most definitely fit in a few hours of chem studying/week.
Do you think it would be advised to do one chapter of chem maybe 2x per week leading up to August?
I really just want to plan this out perfectly!
So, would anyone like to help me plan out an MCAT-esque study schedule for this final? As always, very much appreciate the help from all of you here.

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[claduva94]

I'm unclear what your motivations are. It doesn't matter if your grade is a 93% or a 97%. It shows up on your transcript as an A. Why waste time pursuing a perfect score when you could use the time to volunteer or work?

 

[TheBossDoctor]

You want to put in all that time and create an "MCAT-esque" study plan just for a few extra points in a 3-4 unit class?

Talk about neurotic.

 

[Low Flow]

I know it feels good to get a perfect score on a test, but really your time would be better spent elsewhere. Just get an A in the class, nothing extraordinary.

 

[allantois]

Your professor should have provided you with all resources in order to succeed on this final. You don't need anything else in addition to what has been recommended to you by your professor; it is not MCAT, you should not study for it as if it was a standardized test. Your efforts to get extra points will be appreciated by no one; you need to get an A and move on to other things.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

If you want a MCAT-esque schedule, go visit the MCAT Discussion forums and pull something from there. Nobody is going to feed a schedule for this one test to you.

I'm in agreement that your goal, while admirable borders on neurotic and will be a waste of time that could be spent on better pursuits.

 

[Direction of Time]

It's not nearly as much material as the MCAT so no, don't even think about following an MCAT-esque study schedule. Studying follows the law of diminishing returns, after you have read and understood the concepts and done a ton of textbook/handout problems, your time is better spent doing something else as more studying will not help you.

 

[lmn]

Ugh having to have that loom over you all summer after finishing the class would be like hell to me. I would rather have just taken the test at the end of spring, then again I'm not the type to obsessively chase every last point..

 

[MrRed]

Already volunteer in hospital + nursing home for prescribed amount of hours/week, work as emt + stone masonry. Getting a perfect score on the final would mean very much to me, which is why I want to do it!! It's not about the 93% vs 97% or whatever, I want to do it for myself; its a challenge.
My time is pretty much perfectly set up that I have several hours a day to study for whatever I need to that day.
Anyways thanks for replies I'll just figure it out on my own i suppose 🙂

 

[TheBossDoctor]

Already volunteer in hospital + nursing home for prescribed amount of hours/week, work as emt + stone masonry. Getting a perfect score on the final would mean very much to me, which is why I want to do it!! It's not about the 93% vs 97% or whatever, I want to do it for myself; its a challenge.
My time is pretty much perfectly set up that I have several hours a day to study for whatever I need to that day.
Anyways thanks for replies I'll just figure it out on my own i suppose 🙂

As someone that's graduated college, I want to emphasize the importance of having fun during college. Enjoy your youth. Go out, get dinner with friends, go bar-hopping, get drunk, go lift, etc. Especially during the summer. I'm pretty sure in 10 years, you'll be much less likely to remember your perfect score and much more likely to remember the memories from hanging out with your friends all summer.

 

[PleaseCallMeDoc]

Go out and have fun.

I understand your motivation, though. Last semester, my motto for every Gen Chem exam was "100 or Bust"
Do the best you can because even if you miss, you will still have the A in the class and will have some mastery of certain topics for MCAT Gen Chem
....or you can end up like me where I got 100s on the last 2 exams and the final.

But seriously though, learn the material well enough so you can lock in that A, then relax and meet some chicks

 

[Alucard6]

I hope in 4-6 weeks of studying for a final you can ace it! Most people only get a week since it is finals week.

 

[baxt1412]

oh jeeze.

 

[LMBLBM]

Oh my.... Do your minimal work to get an A and party hard. However, if you can see yourself having intense orgasm by getting 100% on your final exam, study hard by all means.

 

[claduva94]

As someone who got a 100% on an O Chem exam I can say that it isn't worth setting your sights that high though. The "high" lasts about a day and then it's back to work. I find so many things more enjoyable like reading or listening to music. Relax. When you have graduated you will regret the fun things you couldn't do rather than the studying you couldn't do that makes no difference in the end. Plus, sometimes no matter how well you know the content something will trip you up. And sometimes you just get lucky. It is difficult to predict. Especially on an exam as long as a final. So enjoy yourself and get your A. Don't use that valuable time on something that is not guaranteed that is inconsequential when you can be out living your life.

 

[jared_the_great]

I'll break with the trend here and tell you to go for it. Read your chapters, do loads of problems, master the material. Not because I think one perfect exam score is worth six weeks of your life. But because learning that material inside and out is ultimately what you'll need for the MCAT. And really understanding gen chem can be a big help in later classes as well.

 

[mjhhockey98]

I can't even imagine spending multiple weeks studying for a final exam. Usually I spend three days max, and it works out fine...

 

[WedgeDawg]

I can't even imagine spending multiple weeks studying for a final exam. Usually I spend three days max, and it works out fine...

Night before reporting in. I really need to change my study habits because there's no way this can be sustainable after college and I'm going to get my a** handed to me in medical school (assuming I'm accepted to one).

 

[BeancheBlanco]

I have devised the perfect study plan for you. Take the number of days you have before your final and divide that by the number of chapters that the test is over. Spend that number of days on each chapter. Read the ****, do the problems, and read the **** even more.

Please do not give this guide to others without my consent.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

I would not recommend doing this. getting 100s is fun and you feel good for a few days, but it's not worth it, if it means burning yourself out or giving up precious time to do more meaningful things. 2-cents

 

[PKA<0]

No way do you need to spend more than 2 weeks for a gen chem test. 3-4 days is more realistic. But, if you're hell bent on overdoing it then read the book and do every third problem per section. This will take at most a week if you spend 6 hours a day. This is how long I studied for biochem. Anymore and you're wasting time.

 

[Teleologist]

Judging from the sheer lack of competence on the part of SDN members with gen chem, as evidenced by the ridiculous posts in MCAT Study Questions Q&A, I say that actually putting in that effort for gen chem might pay off on the MCAT.

I have a low A going into it; and to keep that I'll need to get at least an A-/very high B+ on the final. The thing is -- I don't want an A-/high B+; I want to get a perfect score. I want to absolutely murder this exam! Can it be done!?

Of course, here, I'll just let you borrow my brain for a day.

The problem with you premeds is that you all see gen chem as a means to an end - a 6 figure salary, to be specific. So you guys all malign chem and don't learn jack squat in chem class and get crapped all over by chem on the MCAT, and rant about it here on SDN. Sad.

I'd venture so far as to say that I know more gen chem than anyone here on this forum.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Judging from the sheer lack of competence on the part of SDN members with gen chem, as evidenced by the ridiculous posts in MCAT Study Questions Q&A, I say that actually putting in that effort for gen chem might pay off on the MCAT.



Of course, here, I'll just let you borrow my brain for a day.

The problem with you premeds is that you all see gen chem as a means to an end - a 6 figure salary, to be specific. So you guys all malign chem and don't learn jack squat in chem class and get crapped all over by chem on the MCAT, and rant about it here on SDN. Sad.

I'd venture so far as to say that I know more gen chem than anyone here on this forum.

This was a strange thing to say.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

what the fck is this

 

[swollcat]

Hey all! Thanks for the continuing support; as always. Advice on this forum has been well - ******* amazing!! Anxiety level is way down, guess I was just going through a rough couple days.

Back for a bit more advice:
So long-story short I wasn't able to take my Gen-Chem II final at the end of this past spring and so I have to take the final the first or second week of this coming fall semester. I have a solid 4-6 weeks to devote to studying for this exam starting at the beginning of August.

I have a low A going into it; and to keep that I'll need to get at least an A-/very high B+ on the final. The thing is -- I don't want an A-/high B+; I want to get a perfect score. I want to absolutely murder this exam! Can it be done!?

I've never gotten a perfect score on any quantitative final before (only in bio classes I've been able to). If you were in my situation; with 4-6 weeks to study chapters 10-18 of gen chem and know it literally like the back of your hand; how would you do it? I have already learned it all before; and during finals week I was decently prepared to take it; I only found out very last minute I wouldn't be able to.

It's definitely turned out to be a blessing in disguise to have not been able to take the exam during finals week, I've never felt fully prepared before when going into a quantitative-intensive exam. For Calc I+II and Gen Chem I+II I always felt like I could study more, learn the problems better, literally every single time I felt like I was "missing" something, if that makes sense. Even thought I got the A's I was never "solid" per-say when it came time to take the exams. However for Bio classes (memorization intensive) I always seem to feel ready to take it.

Maybe one chapter a day; with a practice exam + problem sets at the end?
Or maybe 2-3 chapters/day and literally just do hundreds of problems over the course of the 4 weeks?
Also, does anyone know of any good online resources/ good practice books for gen chem II problems?

The book I have for class is: Chemistry -- Principles and Reactions, 7th edition, by Masterton, Hurley, and Neth.

I'm taking Anatomy II + I this summer and they don't end completely until the first week of August; but I could most definitely fit in a few hours of chem studying/week.
Do you think it would be advised to do one chapter of chem maybe 2x per week leading up to August?
I really just want to plan this out perfectly!
So, would anyone like to help me plan out an MCAT-esque study schedule for this final? As always, very much appreciate the help from all of you here.

Here's some advice because I too just finished CHEM II this spring and was successfully able to receive an A. As neurotic as it sounds, I aim for 100% on every exam not because I want to be the best, but because I like to account for error (Going over questions too quickly, narrowing down MC questions down to 2 and still selecting the wrong answer etc). My mentality is that in order to get an A in a class, I have to basically score a 90% on every assignment. if asked 10 questions, I can get a maximum of 1 wrong. Any more and I'm essentially digging myself out of a hole).

I had exactly 90% going into the final and was sweating everyday after school ended, literally unsure of the score I was going to get. What percentage of your grade is the final worth? Mine was worth 15% so I needed to get at least an 86% in order to pass. ultimately, i don't know what it was, but like I said I succeeded. First and foremost I would recommend writing down a list of topics and then writing down every single equation related to that topic by memory (I didn't get a cheat sheet or none of that BS). Then spend a little time doing some reading, especially on more complicated topics like electrolysis and transition metal stereoisomerism (I had a couple conceptual questions on my exam). Lastly practice every single type of problem from memory. Do a combination of easy and hard for each. Example: Do titration calculations for weak acids + strong base, vice versa, strong/base + strong acid etc. Include ICE TABLES, everything. DO NOT SKIP ANYTHING. Also do not cheat yourself by peaking, especially if your exam is like mine. My exam was NOT MC, it was 12 FREE RESPONSE QUEstions. all this is entirely doable. And dont forget, you have an A. Would it not be devastating to end up with a B on your permanent transcript? hope this helps

 

[WedgeDawg]

I'd venture so far as to say that I know more gen chem than anyone here on this forum.

That's an interesting and extremely generalized claim to make and probably not true.

Here's some advice because I too just finished CHEM II this spring and was successfully able to receive an A. As neurotic as it sounds, I aim for 100% on every exam not because I want to be the best, but because I like to account for error (Going over questions too quickly, narrowing down MC questions down to 2 and still selecting the wrong answer etc). My mentality is that in order to get an A in a class, I have to basically score a 90% on every assignment. if asked 10 questions, I can get a maximum of 1 wrong. Any more and I'm essentially digging myself out of a hole).

I had exactly 90% going into the final and was sweating everyday after school ended, literally unsure of the score I was going to get. What percentage of your grade is the final worth? Mine was worth 15% so I needed to get at least an 86% in order to pass. ultimately, i don't know what it was, but like I said I succeeded. First and foremost I would recommend writing down a list of topics and then writing down every single equation related to that topic by memory (I didn't get a cheat sheet or none of that BS). Then spend a little time doing some reading, especially on more complicated topics like electrolysis and transition metal stereoisomerism (I had a couple conceptual questions on my exam). Lastly practice every single type of problem from memory. Do a combination of easy and hard for each. Example: Do titration calculations for weak acids + strong base, vice versa, strong/base + strong acid etc. Include ICE TABLES, everything. DO NOT SKIP ANYTHING. Also do not cheat yourself by peaking, especially if your exam is like mine. My exam was NOT MC, it was 12 FREE RESPONSE QUEstions. all this is entirely doable. And dont forget, you have an A. Would it not be devastating to end up with a B on your permanent transcript? hope this helps

I've essentially TA's gen chem lecture for the past two years after getting the highest grade in the class when I took it (haha look this d*ckhead is bragging - shut up keep reading) and the advice I always give my students which produces outstanding results is literally just do problems. Every book problem, every problem the professor gives you, practice/former exam problems, do them over and over and over again. Through practice you'll come to understand concepts and more importantly which concepts you need to know and which are more peripheral. It's so much more efficient than simply going through concepts and hoping you'll know enough to do exams. General chemistry, the MCAT, classes in general, and really solving problems in life is all about critical thinking and adaptability. Knowing the concepts is not enough. Being familiar enough with them to think through the problem at hand using critical thinking skills you've developed by working 5 billion problems is what will allow you to succeed. Then, when you're done doing the problem yourself, TEACH OTHER. Seriously, this does wonders for both your peers who might be struggling with the concepts and you yourself who is going to be reinforcing them by being forced to coherently explain things. Don't give me any BS about "oh but then they'll score higher than me" - if you're at this stage, you should be already confident enough to be doing extremely well.

The reason I keep telling people this, ESPECIALLY for Gen Chem, is because it works. It's been proven to work. My students have done exceptionally well, and the people I taught informally even ended up scoring higher than me on a few exams.

For the record, my exams were all short answer style too, 6-8 questions, 3 hours. I was usually one of the first (/only) 5 to finish and I would finish in about 2 hours 50 minutes. Our 3 exams were 90% of our grade (25/30/35%) so we didn't have any "fluff" to mitigate a bad score.

 

[Teleologist]

I've essentially TA's gen chem lecture for the past two years after getting the highest grade in the class when I took it (haha look this d*ckhead is bragging - shut up keep reading) and the advice I always give my students which produces outstanding results is literally just do problems. Every book problem, every problem the professor gives you, practice/former exam problems, do them over and over and over again. Through practice you'll come to understand concepts and more importantly which concepts you need to know and which are more peripheral.

I agree that doing problems aids understanding as opposed to reading PowerPoints or the textbook.

However, gen chem textbooks suck donkey eggs. Give me any gen chem student, including any of yours, or yourself, and I don't expect them (or you) to be able to tell me [HN(2-)] for any solution of ammonia. They can't tell me the (correct) pH of a 1.0 * 10^-7 M solution of HCl either. Your cute little ICE tables fail so spectacularly when applied to dilute solutions of sulfuric acid. You lose your wits when asked to balance a complex redox equation because you forgot the dozen plus rules listed by gen chem textbooks, when you really don't need that many. Any of my students won't fall for any of these.

 

[WedgeDawg]

I agree that doing problems aids understanding as opposed to reading PowerPoints or the textbook.

However, gen chem textbooks suck donkey eggs. Give me any gen chem student, including any of yours, and I don't expect them to be able to tell me the concentration of [HN(2-)] for any solution of ammonia. They can't tell me the (correct) pH of a 1.0 * 10^-7 M solution of HCl either. Your cute little ICE tables fail so spectacularly when applied to dilute solutions of sulfuric acid. You lose your wits when asked to balance a complex redox equation because you forgot all the rules, when you really don't need any.

And that's why critical thinking is so important - so that you don't blindly ice table everything. I teach critical thinking and problem solving in the context of general chemistry, not concepts.

 

[Teleologist]

And that's why critical thinking is so important - so that you don't blindly ice table everything. I teach critical thinking and problem solving in the context of general chemistry, not concepts.

Can I audit your class 😉.

In any case it's clear to me that most students don't have gems like you or I, and that chemical literacy is severely lacking.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Why are you quoting me and who are you speaking to?

I was quoting you because I was sharing an experience that was relevant to your own. I am speaking to anyone who this conversation interests.

Can I audit your class 😉.

In any case it's clear to me that most students don't have gems like you or I, and that chemical literacy is severely lacking.

I don't think it's a problem exclusive to general chemistry. I see this all the time in biology (and I guess physics, though I've had far less exposure to physics classes and students). Many people think biology is a big memorization gauntlet and then take their first test and realize that having the information doesn't help if you don't know what to do with it. The reason I chose the college I go to is because students I talked to said that tests really stressed the adaptability and critical thinking aspects of learning in the sciences, not just the knowing. It's much more helpful to understand how to think rather than just what to think for nearly everything. Yes, you have to know things, but if you want to excel you have to be able to understand the application of what you know beyond how you first learned it. Professors aren't going to feed you back the exact problems you went over in class or in homework (at least in my experience), and life isn't going to give you repeat situations very often either. So many students continue to maintain the mentality that passive studying is useful, probably because it's easy and noncommittal, when active studying is where the real gains are made. You have to continually push yourself otherwise you won't make any progress and then your learning stagnates and, if we return to the chemistry exam situation, your grades will be unsatisfactory.

 

[Teleologist]

You can read something 1000 times and trick yourself into thinking you have a mastery of it, but draw an absolute blank if i give you a problem like predict the half rxn occuring at the anode and cathode for electrolysis of a mixture of molten AlBr3 and MgBr2

I'm guessing that at the cathode you reduce the most easily reduced at the system components and at the anode you oxidize the most easily oxidized of the system components?

I was going to tell you to choose your next words carefully

Lol or what?

 

[swollcat]

like i said too easy

 

[Teleologist]

like i said too easy

Would you expect me to know which is more easily reduced/oxidized or can we look that up?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Would you expect me to know which is more easily reduced/oxidized or can we look that up?

I personally think it's stupid to not give equations/information like that. The only reason not to give an equation is if the professor is explicitly trying to test whether or not the student knows the equation, which in some cases, is valid, but usually I don't think it is. We were given equations/redox potentials/solubilities/etc because simply knowing those was not the focus of our exams. You were expected to know which equations to use, how to use them, how to modify them to suit the situation, things like that. They were merely tools, not the end goals, and the questions themselves were certainly not "plug and chug" which meant that having the equations didn't really do anything for you. Application is a higher level of learning than knowledge. Knowledge is fundamental, but useless without the ability to apply.

Not trying to be argumentative, just voicing my personal opinion on the issue. Feel free to disagree of course, people learn in vastly different ways and shouldn't have to conform to a singular method. I'm just trying to convey what worked best for me and many of those that I taught in case anyone was struggling and wanted to try a different approach.

 

[tmn]