by Calvin Howley
Cape Breton University
For an introductory chemistry
course a good solid foundation in basic math is a must. In
particular, you should know how to work with fractions, negative
numbers, exponents, scientific notation, logarithms, how to manipulate and solve
algebraic equations, and know how to operate a scientific calculator. To review
theses basic math skills see
Basic Math Skills.
Most students are intimated by chemistry and many say that they hate chemistry. If you go into a course thinking you will hate it, odds are that you will. It is easy to say that you hate chemistry, but if you have this attitude you will find it harder to study and attend class. Who wants to spend time with something they hate?
Decide that you will be positive about chemistry. There is something fun and interesting in any subject if you look hard enough. Many students regard chemistry as an obstacle to obtaining their degree. In actuality it is a necessary component for your education. Remember that the purpose of university is to learn, not simply get a degree. While much of the information you learn in an introductory chemistry course may not be used in future courses, the skills you will learn(problem solving, manipulating equations, etc.) will be used throughout your degree program.
Students should also approach university as a job. If you submit sub par work, complain when work is assigned, are late and only show up every other week eventually you would be fired by your employer. Your professor can not fire you but they can give you a failing grade. One of the goals of university is to prepare professionals for the work force and the first step in achieving this goal is to treat students as professionals.
Time and Work:
The number one reason students fail introductory chemistry is that they failed to recognize that chemistry is a subject that requires a lot of time and work from the START . Many students make the fatal mistake of putting chemistry on the shelf and only dusting it off a few days before the major test or exam. Due to the pace and large amount of material covered in introductory university chemistry by the time students realize they can not adequately prepare, it is too late.
While it is understood by all faculty that students have other responsibilities requiring their time(work, other courses, social life, etc.) when that exam is placed on your desk students must understand that you are being tested on what you should have learned, not on what you had time to learn. If your life is such that you do not have the time to adequately prepare for a course then you must either drop the course or adjust your life accordingly.
Remember that learning chemistry is the students responsibility. The professor can help students out as much as possible, but the professor can't learn it for them. It's just like taking a drink. Someone can show you to water, but you have to drink for yourself.
While attendance is not mandatory at Cape Breton University, the importance of regular class attendance can not be over stressed. Be sure to arrive on time and don't miss class if you can avoid it. Remember you are paying to attend these lectures. Most people stay when they pay to see a movie, even a bad one. University lectures cost much more.
Be sure to have a clear view of both the professor and any overheads/slides. While it may not have been cool to sit up front in high school, remember you are now in university and are paying to attend this class. When going to a movie you want the best possible seat to see the movie. If you sit up front, you will see better, hear better, and generally be more alert.
Do not be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand what the professor has just done. Do not worry about your classmates thinking you are stupid, many of them will probably not understand it either. Many professors will stop and ask if anyone has any questions. This is a tool used by professors to control the pace of the course and also to seek input from the students. With input on difficult material the professor may go over the material again, or in a different way. If the professor gets no feedback, he or she will proceed to the next topic whether you are ready or not. So if you don't understand, say so!
Come to class prepared. Always bring your notes and calculator. If you know what topic you professor is going to lecture on, you should try and review it prior to class. This will help in understanding the material introduced in the lecture.
Chemistry Lab:
Many chemistry students believe that lab is a chore. The purpose of labs is to give you hands-on practical experience with many of the basic and practical aspects of chemistry. Chemistry Lab is your chance to have hands-on experience with chemicals and equipment. In lab you get to observe the very topics you are discussing in lectures.
Go into lab prepared. Read the lab ahead of time. Read the theory and read the procedure. Going into lab without preparing is like watching a movie after missing the first hour. Sure you can follow along but you do not understand many of the things that are occurring.
Most lab instructors will require you to answer and hand in the questions at the end of the lab. Do NOT copy the answers from someone else. Not only is this plagiarism but you are also cheating yourself out of a valuable learning experience. The questions are designed to help you understand the lab. They generally try to guide you into making connections between what you saw and did, and the theory behind the lab. If you simply copy someone else's answers you will not get to much out of them. If you do understand them, they should help you with the rest of the course.
Attend all the scheduled lab days. At Cape Breton University students must pass the lab component of chemistry to pass the course. A student who misses more than two scheduled lab days will adversely affect their lab grade and will most likely fail the lab and course.
Class attendance is important, reading the textbook is important, but nothing is as important as practicing the problems. Work as many problems as you can. Practice, practice, practice! ONE REASON WHY STUDENTS FAIL CHEMISTRY IS THAT THEY DO NOT PRACTICE ENOUGH PROBLEMS.
When the professor is working problems on the board, students often think, "That's easy!" Do not be fooled! Watching the professor or your tutor or your friends work a problem is not the same as doing it yourself. Simply watching someone else fly a plane would not enable you to fly it too. You have to practice it yourself. Chemistry requires a lot of practice. YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE.
Your textbook and lecture notes show you how to work problems. If you can read an example and understand it, that is a good start. But it is not a substitute for doing the problems yourself. After you have read the book and the examples on how to work a kind of problem, try one yourself, without the aid of the book. After you have finished the problem, check yourself with the book. Make sure you understand what you did before moving onto the next problem. Make sure before you're done that you can do a type of problem from beginning to end without having to peek at the book along the way.
When working on a problem you should first ask yourself what is this problem asking me to solve or calculate. List what you are given in the problem. Clearly show each step of your calculations and label units. When you study your work later, you will have no trouble figuring out how or why you did what you did. If you need to show your work to someone else, to get help from the professor, for example, the other person will be able to understand exactly what you did.
After you solve a problem, explain it to someone else. If you can explain it to someone else so that they understand it, you can feel confident that you really do understand it yourself.
You should set aside at least one hour every day for working on chemistry problems. This does not include reviewing your lecture notes or reading the textbook.
ONE REASON WHY STUDENTS FAIL CHEMISTRY IS THAT THEY DO NOT PRACTICE ENOUGH PROBLEMS!!!
If there is a problem you can not do or a topic that you just do not understand, GET HELP!!! One of the best resources for help with chemistry is your professor. Students who see their professors for help on a regular basis tend to do much better. Most professors have office hours. The office hours is time set aside specifically for students.
Don't be afraid to come see your professor if you are having trouble. Many students feel intimidated to go see the professor. The worst thing that can happen is that the professor can not see you at that time. So simply schedule a later time with the professor. Remember that the professor is there to provide help. There is no shame in asking for help. Your professor would much rather help you than watch you get a failing grade and tend to respect students who care enough about the course to get help when they need it.
When you come for help, have a specific problem or topic you would like reviewed. This will show the professor that you are working hard at this course and makes there job of assisting you much easier. A professor can't help you much if you come in and state, "I just don't understand this course." In fact statements like this often leave the impression that you have not been putting enough time into the course. The professor will be able to do much more for you if you say, "I tried to work this specific problem and I keep getting an answer of 5.0 but my textbook has an answer of 200. Where am I going wrong?" Or "I can follow this problem in my textbook down to this step here but do not understand this step."
When you approach your professor for help be as specific as you can and try to avoid complaining about the course material, workload, etc. While constructive criticism is welcome by most professors, simple complaining can annoy your professor and leave a bad impression.
Get help as soon as you start having trouble with the material. If you wait until a week before the final exam before seeing the professor for help, then it's too late. This is like calling the fire department after your home has burned down. It is simply too late for them to properly help you.
Many students feel a great deal of anxiety when preparing and writing an exam. This anxiety can be reduced by practicing as many problems as possible. Practice allows you to get accustomed to the different ways certain problems can be asked and improves your skills to interpret and solve these problems.
Studying for tests and exams should begin the first day of classes. Study a little each day. Studying one, two or even three nights before a major exam simply does not work. A sharp mind is very important during any exam so be sure to get a good night sleep the night before an exam.
If our professor gives frequent quizzes be sure to prepare and write these. Quizzes are meant to encourage attendance, indicate what material you should now know, and they give a preview of what will be on the exam. Some students blow off quizzes because they usually are not worth many points. Don't do it! Not only do those points add up but could make all the difference between a failing and passing grade. The quizzes are also a valuable study guide. Make sure you know how to work the problems given on a quiz, particularly the ones you got incorrect.
Observe what the professor spends time on in class. If the professor assigns specific problems, make sure you know how to work every one of those problems and then practice more. If your professors give out practice tests or put old exams on reserve in the library or on the internet be sure that you know how to do every one of the problems on these exams. Sometimes a professor will even say, "This problem will be on the exam." If a professor says this, believe it!