Understanding vs.... just doing the problem?

[Kong Bu]

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I'm having problems in my Gen. Chem I class when it comes to understanding some of the problems that are required for weekly online homework and the paper homework. I know that when it comes to the sciences/maths, understanding is key and also doing a ****load of practice problems helps in getting through these courses, but my dilemma lies in understanding the concepts revovling around specific practice problems.

For example, the online homework due this week regarding thermochemistry is ridiculously complicated that even our recitation TA admitted that the homework was a bit too much. When going through these problems, I can't seem to undestand why I have to do certain steps - I just try to memorize the steps all together after my recitation TA goes over the problems. I know this isn't good, but if practice problems are the key to getting through scientific courses but there are problems you can't seem to understand how to do without memorizing the steps -- what's next?

 

[BlueElmo]

I'm having problems in my Gen. Chem I class when it comes to understanding some of the problems that are required for weekly online homework and the paper homework. I know that when it comes to the sciences/maths, understanding is key and also doing a ****load of practice problems helps in getting through these courses, but my dilemma lies in understanding the concepts revovling around specific practice problems.

For example, the online homework due this week regarding thermochemistry is ridiculously complicated that even our recitation TA admitted that the homework was a bit too much. When going through these problems, I can't seem to undestand why I have to do certain steps - I just try to memorize the steps all together after my recitation TA goes over the problems. I know this isn't good, but if practice problems are the key to getting through scientific courses but there are problems you can't seem to understand how to do without memorizing the steps -- what's next?

If you understand the concepts, then doing problems should come pretty easily. Personally, for really difficult concepts, I just basically memorized the steps and applied them to the problems. Might not be the best method for others, but it worked for me.

By the way, SNSD rocks.😀

 

[CoolWhipp]

Read the book.

 

[Kong Bu]

If you understand the concepts, then doing problems should come pretty easily. Personally, for really difficult concepts, I just basically memorized the steps and applied them to the problems. Might not be the best method for others, but it worked for me.

By the way, SNSD rocks.😀

That's what I'm doing! Doing something like that would make a chemist cringe but it seems the most convenient. And yes, I love them 😀.

And I have read the book. In fact, I have supplemental readings too, but what occurs is that in these books, they don't go over all the different ways a problem can be asked. Thanks but that advice didn't really help 😉

 

[premeding]

That's what I'm doing! Doing something like that would make a chemist cringe but it seems the most convenient. And yes, I love them 😀.

And I have read the book. In fact, I have supplemental readings too, but what occurs is that in these books, they don't go over all the different ways a problem can be asked. Thanks but that advice didn't really help 😉

100% on your avatar...

"I am not satisfied until I am the best"....

"thanks but that advice didnt really help"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH .... you are the type of pre-med that makes all of us look like idiots ... please stop being so weird - please! AHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[FutureScaresMe]

That's what I'm doing! Doing something like that would make a chemist cringe but it seems the most convenient. And yes, I love them 😀.

And I have read the book. In fact, I have supplemental readings too, but what occurs is that in these books, they don't go over all the different ways a problem can be asked. Thanks but that advice didn't really help 😉

It's nice to understand the concepts, but sometimes it just isn't practical for the harder problems as it takes too much time, and I'm sure you have other classes you need to study for as well. I think that was a big problem I had in college. I would try so hard to understand everything that I found over 60% of my time spent studying was dedicated towards searching the internet for my relentless attempts to answer "Why?" which would often lead to more questions.

In the end, I just told myself sometimes you do need to understand to memorize, and other times, you have to memorize to understand.

 

[Kong Bu]

It's nice to understand the concepts, but sometimes it just isn't practical for the harder problems as it takes too much time, and I'm sure you have other classes you need to study for as well. I think that was a big problem I had in college. I would try so hard to understand everything that I found over 60% of my time spent studying was dedicated towards searching the internet for my relentless attempts to answer "Why?" which would often lead to more questions.

In the end, I just told myself sometimes you do need to understand to memorize, and other times, you have to memorize to understand.

That's how I'm feeling now! I'm digging my way through trying to understand every single thing behind a problem, but now I realized that memorization of steps for certain types of problems is easier and, like you said, more practical.

I just didn't know if that was how many of you did it. I'm relieved now!

And my avatar/siggy are just more motivation-based than actual, lol

 

[obgyny]

I'm having problems in my Gen. Chem I class when it comes to understanding some of the problems that are required for weekly online homework and the paper homework. I know that when it comes to the sciences/maths, understanding is key and also doing a ****load of practice problems helps in getting through these courses, but my dilemma lies in understanding the concepts revovling around specific practice problems.

For example, the online homework due this week regarding thermochemistry is ridiculously complicated that even our recitation TA admitted that the homework was a bit too much. When going through these problems, I can't seem to undestand why I have to do certain steps - I just try to memorize the steps all together after my recitation TA goes over the problems. I know this isn't good, but if practice problems are the key to getting through scientific courses but there are problems you can't seem to understand how to do without memorizing the steps -- what's next?

it's okay, sometimes it's just necessary to memorize it. i took gchem one of my first years when i had a LOT more time on my hands. i liked gchem, so i really tried to understand the concepts behind problems by reading the chapters ahead of time and taking notes both from the book and the professor. i also went to a lot of office hours. but then i took ochem in my junior year... there was no time to read the book ahead of class!! and i honestly don't understand the concepts behind ochem, so i just memorized steps to problems/mechanisms and did a lot of practice problems. i aced all my ochem classes, but i don't know anything about ochem lol. now i'm paying for it because i'm studying for my mcat and it would make things easier if i understood the concepts...

but ideally of course you want to understand the concepts if you have the time, patience, and interest.

 

[12345a]

genchem is pretty much "plug and chug" don't over complicate it

And my avatar/siggy are just more motivation-based than actual, lol

if you want some real motivation you should visualize a 19 MCAT

 

[loveoforganic]

I'm finding that as I'm advancing in chemistry, the concepts I never really 'got' in general are elucidating themselves without me realizing it.

 

[Tatastrophy]

Personally I can't believe you guys advise this person to memorize...

If your profs are any good....they aren't going to ask a problem straight out of the book on the exam. Then what are you going to do...memorizing isn't much help is it?

Granted, you are not going to understand the official "why" behind everything but as a tutor in physics, biology, chem and calculus this is what I advise my tutees to do:

I say take the steps that you would typically go through to solve a problem and talk yourself through it, figure out what it is supposed to tell you...using units may help.
Then put the entire sequence together and follow it through to see what your conclusions for one step let you to believe about the next....

Good Luck!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

these are not mutually exclusive cocepts.

 

[orthomyxo]

Personally I can't believe you guys advise this person to memorize...

If your profs are any good....they aren't going to ask a problem straight out of the book on the exam. Then what are you going to do...memorizing isn't much help is it?

I'm pretty sure everyone meant to memorize the math involved with each type of problem. Obviously memorizing answers to practice problems would be of absolutely no help.

 

[anxiousteen]

op, i think you need to relax.

i bet you already have an A, but you're stressing since you don't have 100%.

 

[Tatastrophy]

I'm pretty sure everyone meant to memorize the math involved with each type of problem. Obviously memorizing answers to practice problems would be of absolutely no help.

sorry to be a smart a@@ but the poster WAS asking about memorizing the math involved vs understanding what it is getting at.....

[edit] ridiculous how often clear things get lost in translation thanks to the internets

 

[Kong Bu]

sorry to be a smart a@@ but the poster WAS asking about memorizing the math involved vs understanding what it is getting at.....

[edit] ridiculous how often clear things get lost in translation thanks to the internets

Wait, what?

I was asking how to dig through a problem when I don't understand the concept behind the math, not memorizing answers. And it seems like memorizing the math and somewhat understanding why the math is applied seems the most convenient. I know it's not 'right' per se, but it just seems that I don't have enough time nor energy to go through every problem. Some problems have recurring concepts and that's fine, but others (like on my homework) were ridiculously complicated.

I don't think Gen Chem I is all about plugging and chugging, and my professor is good. In fact, he's the only one who teaches Chem I and II here, that's how much my university trusts him with what he's doing...but yeah.

 

[Tatastrophy]

Wait, what?

I was asking how to dig through a problem when I don't understand the concept behind the math, not memorizing answers. And it seems like memorizing the math and somewhat understanding why the math is applied seems the most convenient. I know it's not 'right' per se, but it just seems that I don't have enough time nor energy to go through every problem. Some problems have recurring concepts and that's fine, but others (like on my homework) were ridiculously complicated.

I don't think Gen Chem I is all about plugging and chugging, and my professor is good. In fact, he's the only one who teaches Chem I and II here, that's how much my university trusts him with what he's doing...but yeah.

what I was saying is that you need to know the equations/math and have a general idea as to what the answer tells you.....point being is that on the text you are going to see problems that you have never seen before and sometimes you have to rearrange the steps or combine several different concepts (all of my exams are like that...hard as hell)....thats where simply memorizing is useless.
I never suggested that anyone was saying to memorize the answers.....thats kind of an invitation to fail lol.

Good Luck though and take solace in the fact that as you take higher level classes you will have lots of eureka moments that make gen chem so clear (....thats where MCAT comes in 😛)

 

[Kong Bu]

what I was saying is that you need to know the equations/math and have a general idea as to what the answer tells you.....point being is that on the text you are going to see problems that you have never seen before and sometimes you have to rearrange the steps or combine several different concepts (all of my exams are like that...hard as hell)....thats where simply memorizing is useless.
I never suggested that anyone was saying to memorize the answers.....thats kind of an invitation to fail lol.

Good Luck though and take solace in the fact that as you take higher level classes you will have lots of eureka moments that make gen chem so clear (....thats where MCAT comes in 😛)

Oh okay. Yeah, I know that complete memorization is useless and I should make some effort to know what and why things are done. I like the method you mentioned above though- I think that's a great way to understand why a certain method won't work and why another would. Thanks.

 

[fastboyslim]

In a number of my advanced chemistry classes and in MCAT prep, I've still relied upon basic principles I learned in gen chem to guide myself and make sense of things. It's been invaluable. Especially in a class as fundamental as gen chem, my advise to structure your studying (ie, start studying early, ask questions, don't fall behind) to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you have to pick between understanding and memorizing.