tips if you're struggling!

[connie ma 3G]

I thought I'd make a post to share some tips of what works for me to study for this class for anyone who is struggling since we just got our midterm scores back. I definitely make mistakes too so this isn't to "talk down" to anybody at all. feel free to add some more suggestions below!

*ultimately, different things work for different people so its best to find out what works for you individually and the things that i do may not necessarily work for others.*

-i make sure i thoroughly understand the lectures. i pause them probably about a million times every lecture to take all the notes i need and it ends up being pretty time consuming because i only watch them at 1.25 speed but it is worth it to me. i understand/retain the material a lot better this way than just rushing through the lecture

-if i am confused on anything i immediately ask chemistry community or try to google it. it stresses me out to leave unsolved things in my head so thats why this helps me

-i always copy down problems from sapling or the textbook into my notes as examples if i think theyre good/tricky problems because the examples we do in lecture are often pretty simple/easy. i think this helps a lot for when i go back to my notes to study.

-this honestly might be an excuse for my procrastination but i always wait to do the textbook problems in the days leading up to the exam so they are fresh in my mind. this helps because a lot of the time at least one of the textbook problems will show up on the exam. on our recent midterm this occurred and i didnt need to re-do the problem since i just did it the day before and remembered the solution. obviously it wont always be like this but this tip is probably the one that helps me the most.

-this isnt really a tip but find what works for u! personally, i never go to UA sessions or do the worksheets because (im lazy) I have found that my current "methods" have worked well enough so far. so find what works for u!

[Isabel Luu 1I]

Thanks for the tips!! Do you do all of the textbook problems or just the ones that seem more challenging? There are so many problems I think I might have spent too much time redoing the ones that were straightforward so I had less energy to really think about the harder ones.

[connie ma 3G]

Do you do all of the textbook problems or just the ones that seem more challenging? There are so many problems I think I might have spent too much time redoing the ones that were straightforward so I had less energy to really think about the harder ones.

I tend to skip some of the easier ones at the beginning just because they get repetitive and i understand them enough to where i would rather spend more time on the harder problems at the end. A lot of the times ill pick and choose some parts of a problem to do if i think its good practice. the ones that i dont do i just think about in my head and run through the process mentally and check the solutions page to make sure i had the right idea.

[Savana Maxfield 3F]

This is so helpful, thank you so much! :) I've personally struggled with when to do the textbook problems because they are a good method to check your understanding as we go through the material, but it also seems smart to do all of them closer to the exam. That being said, it's difficult to find time to do all of them twice. Does anyone have an opinion or tips for when to do them?

[America Alvarado]

thank you so much for these tips!

[StephanieGrigorian2J]

This is so helpful, thank you so much! :) I've personally struggled with when to do the textbook problems because they are a good method to check your understanding as we go through the material, but it also seems smart to do all of them closer to the exam. That being said, it's difficult to find time to do all of them twice. Does anyone have an opinion or tips for when to do them?

I do them once as homework trying to keep up with lectures (but most of the time I get it done in one whole day because I procrastinate) and then again during the week leading up to the midterm.

[Izamary Marquez 2H]

Yes!! I think it's a good idea to do some textbook questions as we study that specific topic/material and as the midterm approaches, redo the problems to make sure you have the concepts down!

[Sheryl Ocampo 1D]

Thanks for the tips! I do the same with the textbooks problems, I like having them fresh in my mind before the exam

[Yashvi Reddy 1H]

Thank you so much for spending time writing this advice! I think we can all learn from each other's study habits and work to support each other, and I really appreciate hearing other students' experiences in the class. Good luck with your studying this week!

[Gerardo Ortega 2F]

I have found that waiting until the days leading up to the exam (totally not procrastinating) to do the textbook problems helps me as well!

[Melis Kasaba 2B]

Thanks for the tips! I personally go to UA sessions because I find it helpful to be held accountable to study and do practice problems and I think it's useful to have someone explain the way to solve problems versus just struggling on my own. I also try to review the material after each week, so by the time we reach the final I don't forget the earlier material and have to relearn it all.

[Rylee Mangan 1K]

I do the textbook problems alongside the corresponding lecture and then review them all the night/morning of the test to jog my memory!

[Jasmine Yi 1G]

Thank you for the tips! I'm definitely gonna be using these.

[Julianna Shimabukuro 1D]

I found this very helpful. Thank you! Personally, I also pause the lectures many times to write down my notes thoroughly, which I agree is time consuming but very rewarding since you catch all of the explanations and understand rather than skimming through the lecture.

[Chesca Legaspi 2E]

Thanks for sharing Connie!! Always appreciate how helpful and positive you are both here on chem community and in the GroupMe :)

[Margaret Xu 3C]

Thank you for the tips, Connie! For some reason I never considered skipping around when doing the textbook problems and so I would be spending a lot of time doing tedious questions. It's really helpful seeing someone break down their study/homework routine.

[Laura 3l]

Thank you for the tips!

[AHUNT_1A]

Thank you for the tips !

[Jonathan Malau 1F]

Thanks for these tips.

[Gina Spagarino 3G]

Thank you! I also happen to do textbook problems last minute from procrastinating, this makes me feel much better about it :)

[Daria Obukhova 2B]

Thank you! I kind of agree with what you said about textbook problems. I try my best to do them as we're learning the specific topic, but I end up forgetting how to solve them by the time the test rolls around and just end up redoing them all over again.

[Jalyn Davis 3D]

Thank you so much for these tips! I'll definitely try some out to switch up my routine and see if it helps me feel better about this course!

[Hannah_Kim_1I]

Thanks for taking the time to write these out! I'll definitely be implementing some of them into my studying before our next midterm.

[Kat Stahl 2K]

Thank you so much! Love these tips! I also like reading the textbook because it explains everything pretty well. Also Khan Academy does a good job at explaining a lot of stuff!

[Racquel Fox 2I]

Thank you so much for these tips! I think my studying habits have definitely improved since 14A, but it is great to hear more I can do to do well in this class.

[Mahnoor_Wani_1I]

Those are really great tips :) To add on, if you are struggling with grasping concepts, watch organic chemistry tutor videos

[Jacquelyn Challis 2B]

Thank you for this!

[Catie Donohue 2K]

Yes, thank you! I definitely realized how important it was to do the textbook problems after last quarter. For people who go to the UA sessions, about how many do you go to? Do you think that they're better to attend in the week leading up to a test or is it worth it to attend them more consistently throughout the quarter?

[Mahi Kabra 2F]

Thank you so much for this!! This is super helpful.

[Shalyn Kelly 3H]

Thank you for sharing! I also pause the lectures a lot, even if it's just cause I write slow.

[jasonfarrales3D]

Thank you for these tips! I can definitely relate to you constantly pausing the lectures, as Lavelle sometimes says very important information but does not write it down. Good luck on your next midterm!

[Hannah Chang 3K]

This is so helpful, thank you so much! :) I've personally struggled with when to do the textbook problems because they are a good method to check your understanding as we go through the material, but it also seems smart to do all of them closer to the exam. That being said, it's difficult to find time to do all of them twice. Does anyone have an opinion or tips for when to do them?

If there's not enough time I'll just have the question and the solution manual side by side

[Courtney Situ 2B]

Thank you for sharing tips!

I do the same things (especially doing the problems in the days leading up to the exams)! I tend to prioritize sapling, then textbook, then lecture. I also wanted to point out that you should always check your answers several times if you have time left in the exams! I do this by redoing the entire problem and making sure I get the same answer as well as "checking it backwards" by plugging in my answer if possible. If I have time, I redo them twice (maybe even three times).

[Jalyn 3G]

Thanks for the tips! They're really helpful :)

[Kiana Tashakori 1D]

This is so helpful! Do you feel like any of these tips help more than others, or would you say you do them all equally while learnig/studying?

[Naomi Hernandez-Ramirez 1J]

Thank you for these tips! they are helpful tips and I especially think that they good because I didnt have Lavelle last quarter. Will definitely take these not for considerations--but actually our them into practice for MT2

[Shana Patel 1C]

These tips are so helpful! I think it is important to practice these techniques to improve our learning methods.

[Kiana Javier 3G]

Thank you so much for posting this (: The chem series has been really hard for me in general because I haven't taken chem since about 4 years ago, so I've definitely been struggling /: I admire your work ethic and ability to plan ahead! Best of luck for the rest of the quarter!

[Violet Kwan 3H]

Thank you so much for typing this all out!! I also like the textbook problem tip, I saved the last few problems from each section to review right before the exam, and were fresh in my mind when they showed up on the test.

[uclakat]

I appreciate the helpful tips...!

[Nicole Critzer 2L]

I appreciate the tips! But how do you guys check your answers to make sure you're doing them right ?

[Will Pham 1J]

Thank you so much for writing this out! I also second doing textbook problems nearer to the exam, as it can act as a review and I find it easier to forget how to do the problem if I do it a lot earlier than the exam.

[Lorraine Medina 3E]

thanks for all the tips y'all! definitely will be using them :) good luck!

[SamanthaTolentino 3D]

This is so helpful, thank you so much! :) I've personally struggled with when to do the textbook problems because they are a good method to check your understanding as we go through the material, but it also seems smart to do all of them closer to the exam. That being said, it's difficult to find time to do all of them twice. Does anyone have an opinion or tips for when to do them?

I usually try to do them closer to the exam so I start about a week or so before the test. I circle the problems that I struggled with on my first attempt and those then will be the questions that I try to do again, closer to the midterm.

[Eileen Quach Dis 2A]

This was really helpful. Thank you!

[Seraphina Joseph 1C]

Thank you! This really helped me because I was feeling behind since I haven't started this midterms textbook questions, so it helps to hear that you prioritize doing the hard ones and that you do them mostly right before the midterm

[Taylor Newville 1C]

Thank you, these are really good tips. I also read and takes notes on the textbook in addition to the lecture. I find that getting multiple explanations of a concept helps me understand it better. A lot of this material is review from AP Chemistry, so I also review my old AP Chem practice books to help me get a basic understanding of the material before going into more depth.

[LexyDenaburg_3A]

This is all super helpful thank you everyone!!!

[Emily_Stenzler_2H]

I can relate with a lot of the study methods in this post. I like to rewatch the lectures before midterms/ exams and it helps me catch the little things he mentions that I may have missed the first time. It's slow and I also take thorough notes, but I believe it works and it one of the main practices that helps me retain info. I also try to get the solution to any questions I have asap, to make sure no confusion builds up as I am studying.

[AlyssaMaynard1C]

I thought I'd make a post to share some tips of what works for me to study for this class for anyone who is struggling since we just got our midterm scores back. I definitely make mistakes too so this isn't to "talk down" to anybody at all. feel free to add some more suggestions below!

*ultimately, different things work for different people so its best to find out what works for you individually and the things that i do may not necessarily work for others.*

-i make sure i thoroughly understand the lectures. i pause them probably about a million times every lecture to take all the notes i need and it ends up being pretty time consuming because i only watch them at 1.25 speed but it is worth it to me. i understand/retain the material a lot better this way than just rushing through the lecture

-if i am confused on anything i immediately ask chemistry community or try to google it. it stresses me out to leave unsolved things in my head so thats why this helps me

-i always copy down problems from sapling or the textbook into my notes as examples if i think theyre good/tricky problems because the examples we do in lecture are often pretty simple/easy. i think this helps a lot for when i go back to my notes to study.

-this honestly might be an excuse for my procrastination but i always wait to do the textbook problems in the days leading up to the exam so they are fresh in my mind. this helps because a lot of the time at least one of the textbook problems will show up on the exam. on our recent midterm this occurred and i didnt need to re-do the problem since i just did it the day before and remembered the solution. obviously it wont always be like this but this tip is probably the one that helps me the most.

-this isnt really a tip but find what works for u! personally, i never go to UA sessions or do the worksheets because (im lazy) I have found that my current "methods" have worked well enough so far. so find what works for u!

Thank you for these! Do the textbook (none homework) problems really help on the exams?

[705512695]

I thought I'd make a post to share some tips of what works for me to study for this class for anyone who is struggling since we just got our midterm scores back. I definitely make mistakes too so this isn't to "talk down" to anybody at all. feel free to add some more suggestions below!

*ultimately, different things work for different people so its best to find out what works for you individually and the things that i do may not necessarily work for others.*

-i make sure i thoroughly understand the lectures. i pause them probably about a million times every lecture to take all the notes i need and it ends up being pretty time consuming because i only watch them at 1.25 speed but it is worth it to me. i understand/retain the material a lot better this way than just rushing through the lecture

-if i am confused on anything i immediately ask chemistry community or try to google it. it stresses me out to leave unsolved things in my head so thats why this helps me

-i always copy down problems from sapling or the textbook into my notes as examples if i think theyre good/tricky problems because the examples we do in lecture are often pretty simple/easy. i think this helps a lot for when i go back to my notes to study.

-this honestly might be an excuse for my procrastination but i always wait to do the textbook problems in the days leading up to the exam so they are fresh in my mind. this helps because a lot of the time at least one of the textbook problems will show up on the exam. on our recent midterm this occurred and i didnt need to re-do the problem since i just did it the day before and remembered the solution. obviously it wont always be like this but this tip is probably the one that helps me the most.

-this isnt really a tip but find what works for u! personally, i never go to UA sessions or do the worksheets because (im lazy) I have found that my current "methods" have worked well enough so far. so find what works for u!

Thanks for all these helpful tips I will definitely try doing more textbook problems on days leading up to test!

[Ryan Agcaoili 2E]

Thank you for the tips! I also redo the problems that I had trouble on.

[VanessaZhu2L]

These are all really helpful! Thank youu!

[connie ma 3G]

Thanks for sharing Connie!! Always appreciate how helpful and positive you are both here on chem community and in the GroupMe :)

of course! thank you for your kind words that just made my night :)

[connie ma 3G]

This is so helpful! Do you feel like any of these tips help more than others, or would you say you do them all equally while learnig/studying?

i think my biggest tip would be the one about doing the textbook problems in the days leading up to the midterm. personally that helps me the most and seems to have the most tangible effect/outcome when i do it that way

[connie ma 3G]

Thank you for these! Do the textbook (none homework) problems really help on the exams?

yes definitely! a lot of the times he will take them directly from the textbook and if you did the textbook problems you may even remember the right answer without having to redo it on the test!

[connie ma 3G]

I appreciate the tips! But how do you guys check your answers to make sure you're doing them right ?

there is a solutions manual that i believe is posted on the sapling website. i might be wrong but if you cant find it then just ask in the groupme or here on chem community someone is bound to know where it is posted

[Rayna Irving 2C]

Thank you so much for the tips! I do the same thing with the textbook problems because I find I forget the problems and how to solve them if I do them too early.

[Sarah Hernandez 1F]

Thanks for posting these tips! Just adding that I also like to read through the textbook for topics that I'm less confident since I find the explanations in there very thorough

[705383815]

I like watching videos about topics until I feel like I understand it well enough to work on problems without looking at my notes.

[Emily Jacobo 1C]

Thank you for the tips! I also wait until the week before to do the textbook problems as it keeps it fresh in my memory and it’s also a great way to gage where my understanding of the concepts is at. I would recommend checking the solutions manual when you’re not sure of the answer as sometimes seeing the question worked out can help you understand the steps and thought process behind a certain question.

[AlyssaMaynard1C]

Thank you for these! Do the textbook (none homework) problems really help on the exams?

yes definitely! a lot of the times he will take them directly from the textbook and if you did the textbook problems you may even remember the right answer without having to redo it on the test!

wait no way! I've been working through them all day! thanks

[AlyssaMaynard1C]

I appreciate the tips! But how do you guys check your answers to make sure you're doing them right ?

there is a solutions manual that i believe is posted on the sapling website. i might be wrong but if you cant find it then just ask in the groupme or here on chem community someone is bound to know where it is posted

I found them thank you! I also find checking the group me often super helpful as students explaining it can make it easier to explain.

[TiffanyBrownfield 2I]

As someone who is also lazy and procrastinates a lot, these tips are really helpful! Thank you so much for suggestions.

[Caelin Brenninkmeijer 1G]

This is so incredibly helpful, thank you!!

[Victoria_Sauceda_1B]

This is so nice thank you

[Victoria_Sauceda_1B]

Yes!! I think it's a good idea to do some textbook questions as we study that specific topic/material and as the midterm approaches, redo the problems to make sure you have the concepts down!

Its good to practice the problems because its most likely he'll base his off the textbook ones

[Marley Magee 3A]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I would actually also like to say that for me personally, doing the textbook problems early and figuring out what I don't understand is most helpful. Then I can ask my TA or go to a step-up and have those questioned cleared up. After I have resolved those issues, I do the textbook problems again to make sure I know how to do them.

[Alara Aygen 3K]

Thank you all for the tips; these are really helpful!

[Faith Lee 2L]

This is super helpful! I redo a lot of the homework problems too, especially because they help me identify which areas I may be weaker in :) Thanks for sharing!

[Jasmin Kumar 1G]

I feel the same as you! I do the textbook problems when we learn the content, and then redo them right before the exam so that they are fresh in my head! I also don't attend the UA sessions or step up sessions because I just don't have time for it! thanks for the tips!

[Pierce Newman 1A]

Thanks for the tips. for anyone who does attend UA sessions are they worth it? at the moment I am having some trouble with electrochem and I am considering attending some of these sessions

[Akriti Ratti 1H]

These are some really helpful tips! On the most recent exam I also waited until a few days before the midterm to do the textbook problems, and I definitely think I retained more information than last time.

[Keeryth Sandhu 1H]

Thanks! I agree, doing textbook problems is really helpful!

[Keeryth Sandhu 1H]

Thanks! I agree, doing textbook problems is really helpful!

[alebenavides]

thank you for these tips !

[Arti_Patel_3H]

Thank you so much, this is really helpful!

[Jonathan3B]

I really appreciate all the tips and advice, Ill be sure to try them! Good luck on the Final!