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How to Succeed in General Chemistry
(Adapted
from one my Andrews University mentors and long-time GChem
instructor, Dr. Bill Mutch)
General Chemistry is a challenging course for
many students and succeeding in it requires commitment, self-motivation, a
strong background in mathematics through Algebra II (second year high school
algebra), well-developed study skills and habits, daily study of the current
material, and solving as many problems
as necessary for you to gain an in-depth understanding of the concepts and
problem-solving techniques being studied.
Mastering the material studied at the beginning of the first semester
will enable you to build on it later without having to study it in-depth each
time you need it. This takes time
and repetitive study. Learning a
concept or skill well enough that it enters your long-term memory does not
happen by encountering the material 6 or 8 times or in a crash studying session
just before an examination; research has shown that it may be necessary to
encounter or practice something around 27 times before it becomes part of the
long-term memory and is accessible for later use! Even though this may seem daunting,
there are some things that you can do that will go a long way towards helping
you be successful in General Chemistry and other courses you will need to take
at Andrews University.
For example, if your mathematics background is
not as strong as you would like it to be, you can review your algebra II
textbook and study Appendix A in the General Chemistry textbook. Of course, I will spend some time in
class or in recitation periods covering specific mathematical techniques as we
need to use them, but this will not take the place of your own review, which
should also include solving a number of
problems.
In class you should take notes to help guide
your study after class. It is not
necessary to copy down everything I say or write on the board, but you should
get enough that you have the highlights or a good outline of what was
done. Note taking is an important
study tool because it requires you to think about what is being said in order
to translate it into your own words and write it down. Taking meaningful notes is easier if you
have studied the lecture material before coming to class. In addition, if you rewrite your notes
after class, incorporating material from the textbook to augment them, they
become a valuable study resource and the rewriting process constitutes an
excellent study session.
Probably the single most important way
to study and learn a quantitative science such as chemistry or physics is
through problem-solving. It is possible to memorize material from
your notes or the textbook as you study it, but understanding concepts is much
more than memorizing them; understanding means that you can restate concepts in
your own words, apply them or a mathematical technique to a variety of
problems. Therefore, in general,
memorization is not the same thing as understanding!
Reading and Problem Assignments: Serious scholars will give attention to
developing their problem solving skills. Evidence that you understood a reading
assignment is demonstrated by successfully working the problems and answering
the questions associated with it.
Learning scientific concepts and developing problem solving skills is very time intensive. Neglecting to work problem assignments
is a significant reason for failing the course.
In summary, the best way to do well in General
Chemistry = SOLVE as MANY PROBLEMS as YOU can.
Many students find the Student Solution
Guide as an important resource. This booklet shows you HOW to solve
problems and provides the answer to ODD numbered problems.
OWL (Online Web learning) is an excellent
guide to show you HOW to solve problems.
However, some students spend their time learning how to cheat the system
to get the little green checkmark…and they neglect HOW to solve the
problem. Don’t be that
student!
Advice from other General Chemistry
instructors:
Do a Google search on “Success in
General Chemistry”. You will find lots of similarities.
WebPage Author: Ryan Hayes
Version: 8/6/2015