struggling

[Hana Sigsbee 3B]

Hi, so I am struggling in this class. I do all the problems outlined on the syllabus, I watch and rewatch lectures, I take notes on and read the entirety of the textbook sections but I got a pretty bad score on my midterm. Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I could be doing for better retention?

[Shanna Yu 1C]

Hi!

I think there are step-up sessions you can attend where you go over problems and practice concepts with some TAs! I heard those really help people.

[Nick P 3D]

When you do the problems do you feel confident about them? If so I would suggest trying other practice problems within the same sections of the textbook and even if those questions aren't on the test, it should help to further familiarize you with the content. If you don't feel confident about the problems, I would suggest attending your TA's office hours with specific questions to have the topics explained to you directly where you can ask follow up questions and ensure you're comfortable. Good luck!

[Summer_Corona 3L]

I definitely recommend going to the UA sessions, especially the step-ups if you have some loose ends of understanding on certain topics. However, if you do understand the concepts it's just when you get to the test you feel as if you don't know what to do then that is test anxiety. In order to help with that, what works for me is not overworking myself/studying too much before a test as it causes me to forget things that I actually know how to do because of the stress.

[Lisa Wang 3B]

I recommend trying out the "Pizza rolls" worksheet on here. You can search it up, it has been downloaded many times.

[Eric Ngo 1F]

The Step-Up and UA sessions tend to help a lot of people! Also forming a study group and going over practice problems together, explaining the rationale and actually verbalizing and having questions explained might help too. Good luck with studying!

[Sana Nagori 2H]

Maybe you need to spend some time focusing on the concepts and understanding what is truly happening. I think it makes approaching problems much easier and is especially helpful if you're stuck on a problem.

[Jada3J]

As many are saying above the UA and Step-up session are great Rose, Kate, Matthew, and Michael are the UAS I go to the most. Also your not alone in struggling I am as well :(

[Mahnoor_Wani_1I]

Hey!
I'm struggling too. I think what you are doing is more than enough to study for the exam. Make sure to take breaks so you are not overwhelmed :)

[Francesca_Borchardt_2D]

I am struggling a lot too and I do the same thing. The thing that I am doing more now is conceptualizing the concepts more and doing the practice problems over and over until I feel confident and understand how to exactly solve it without looking at my notes.

[Arti_Patel_3H]

I'm also struggling and honestly, I find it most difficult to start studying for this class. I've recently been spreading out my studying and trying to stay on a schedule so that I'm not super overwhelmed. I hope it gets better!

[Audrey Han 3L]

I'm in the same boat, I feel like 14A was much easier conceptually compared to this quarter. Going to the UA sessions was always a great resource for me in the past but my schedule this quarter makes it really hard to go. If you have the time, I would definitely go to those!

[Evelyn Silva 3J]

I think the UA session are a great way to review the content. I like doing the practice problems they provide because most of them are different from the ones in the textbook and it helps me see if I can actually understand the concepts rather than just memorizing how to do the same textbook problems.

[miguel zatarain 2B]

Im in the same boat and i struggled way more in 14a but i think what is helping me the most is the step up sessions so try going to those

[Katie Nye 2F]

I am also having a rough time in this class. Workshops have always been the most help for me because they focus on what will be on the midterm and explain problems step by step.

[lauren_tran_1L]

Maybe also watch some youtube videos to better understand concepts and problems! That definitely helps me a lot! Also, you should do the UA review worksheets they are really good to go over before an exam. Also, when I go through the textbook questions I circle the ones that are difficult and after I finish all of them I go and redo it so that I can make sure that I completely understood what I did wrong the first time! Hope this helps!

[Juwan_Madaki_3K]

I think the step-up sessions will be most useful to you because the chemistry content is explained at a slower pace. Utilizing office hours and forming study groups with peers can also be very beneficial.

[Mary Gallo 1G]

I find that when I am struggling with certain topics in this class, the UA sessions always help me understand them better. If you need help conceptually I suggest the Step-Up sessions and if you're looking for practice problems I would go to the Workshops!

[Alexis Sanft 1E]

You definitely are not alone! For me the book questions really help, but also going to office hours with your TA and getting one on one extra practice is also really beneficial.

[Isabel_Eslabon_2G]

Hello.

The UA sessions are pretty helpful. Even if you can't catch one of their sessions, it's helpful to do the problems they go over. I think usually someone uploads the worksheets after. Make sure not to overwork yourself before the exam. I've done that in the past trying to get lots of studying in and it ended up being my detriment.

Good luck with your studying.

[Winzel Payumo 1B]

I suggest doing the even problems to really test if you understand the concept well! I found the even-numbered questions a lot more harder than the odd ones, and the lack of solution manual for them really forces me to think about the problem. This is how I measure whether I actually understand what we're learning! Aside from that, UA sessions are pretty helpful! I haven't had the chance to attend them live, but doing the worksheets by yourself can be helpful too.

[RaniyaFeroz_1E]

I suggest reading/skimming the textbook and going to the UA sessions.

[Shana Patel 1C]

I think you are panicking when you study because of your midterm grade.You need to relax when doing this type of work. Use your tectbook and go througheach topic at your own pace, and answer the questions that come after. If you get stuck on anything, use chemistry community. The UA sessions help a lot too.

[Nicolette Simoni 3L]

Hi Hanna,

Just want to let you know that many people are in the same situation as you and you are not alone :), chemistry is a hard subject and it challenges us to do better everytime. I would try going to the UA sessions, they're students just like us and they were once in the same situation as you once! I would also reevaluate what you have been doing to learn, which parts do help a bit and which parts do not help at all? Also remember not to push yourself too hard, take breaks and return to your work with a clear head and you will do better! Good luck :)

[Gwen Casillan 3E]

I'm stressed and struggling too, so you're definitely not alone. I recommend attending UA sessions as they're super helpful, as well as checking your confidence/understanding of concepts. Remember, grades don't define you, so don't stress too much and remember to pace yourself and not be too hard on yourself. Wishing you well! :)

[Brenda Silva 1B]

As mentioned in many of the posts above, try to attend step-up sessions since they do go over the concepts much slower. Also, try to find people to study with since it might be easier to ask for help. Good luck on the second midterm!

[Izamary Marquez 2H]

I find that it helps a lot to review the material with others, whether it's talking about the topics via messaging or via zoom. It really helps to explain the concepts to other people because it assures that you have it down yourself!

[Katelyn_Ortega_1D]

I can get so confused in this class too, and the step-up sessions actually help me! They have been super useful

[TiffanyBrownfield 2I]

I wouldn't say it's so much about doing all of the textbook problems as it is understanding them. If you can go through them confidently then that's a good indicator that you are doing well. If you don't have an underlying understanding for why something is when working out a problem, then I recommend watching a video to help gain clarification. It's much easier to solve a problem when you know why values are the way they are and you're not just plugging in numbers into an equation.

[Tam Nguyen 2B]

A super helpful way to see what went wrong on your midterm would be going to the midterm reviews that the TAs offer. They let you see specifically what you got wrong and what you should look out for the next midterm. Also going to UA sessions or TA office hours is a good way to reinforce the principles.

[Brandon Pham 1H]

Step up sessions really helped me understand the material!

[Juliana Rosales 1H]

Just know that at least you are trying! Personally it is EXTREMELY hard for me to even attempt to do as much as your doing, so try not to be too stressed about it.

[nayha a 1E]

Hi! I'm struggling as well and I do all the work as well. I would suggest watching videos from other sources, I personally find Khan Academy very helpful.

[Selena Quispe 2I]

Hi! What I found helpful is making your own study guide before midterms to review all the material. I follow Lavelle's outline and answer the objectives we should know. This helps me go through his lecture notes and textbook notes. Then the day before midterms I try to make a one page summary of the important things I should know for the midterm! I hope this helps, you guys got this!!

[705512695]

definitely try to attend as many UA sessions as possible as those really helped me last quarter when i was struggling

[VanessaZhu2L]

I feel the same way, I did all the assigned problems and still had a really hard time on the midterm. I think that step up sessions were helpful to me in grasping a lot of the concepts, and also watching youtube videos that explained the topics. Also, maybe going to office hours to review the midterm could be helpful to see what you missed!

[Luveia Pangilinan 1A]

I think the other students have said it already but step up session and the UAs help are really helpful! Make sure to attend all the office hours and TA sessions and you can ask all the questions you need :)

[vanessanguyen3I]

GO TO UA SESSIONS! you do not have to go to a bunch; I only go to those once a week since they are pretty time consuming, but it seriously makes a HUGE difference. Even though it may seem like a lot of time, I noticed that once I started going to UA sessions, I struggle less with textbook problems, so it all balances out in the end. Most likely, if you have a question, someone else probably has the same question and they will ask the UA. The UAs go through the problems step by step too, and review the concepts you need to know to solve problems and show you how to apply them!!!

[Sachi Sengupta 2C]

I'm in the same boat :( I know midterm 2 was much easier than midterm 1 but I do feel like I was much more prepared. I recommend constantly doing practice problems and going to the UA sessions. Instead on continuously doing the outlines, try to focus on the ones you miss to make sure you're efficiently using you studying time.

[Norah Gidanian 3D]

The step up sessions really help me out! They do a bunch of practice problems so its a good way to see different types of ways questions could be asked!

[Lindsey_Su_3A]

I feel the same because I go to the UA sessions and do all the textbook problems but for this past midterm, most of it was conceptual stuff that we don't really go over in UA sessions. I was super prepared to do all the calculations but I was caught off guard by the true/false questions.

[Nishka Vipul 1J]

I would definitely recommend attending Step Up sessions and Workshops! What really helps me is that different UAs have different ways of explaining the same concept, so if there is a particular concept you are not able to grasp, you can ask them to explain it and maybe hearing about it a different way helps the concept stick!

[705512695]

Step up sessions, online videos and rewatching lectures are what help me the most.

[905409193]

I feel the same way! I think we should focus on trying to master the concepts before attempting to do any of the problems.

[jasonfarrales3D]

For further help, I feel like UA step-up and workshops will be perfect for you. Every week, I try to attend Hannah's step-up session, as well as Michael, Kate, and Justin's workshops. Sacrificing a few hours every day just to go to these sessions really help with a better understanding of the material.

[Emily Vu 1L]

hi! first it's great that you're reaching out and sometimes it's not about not studying hard or putting in the time - it's more so about finding the best way to study for a particular class given your study habits. if that makes sense. i find that rewatching lectures, for me, is time-consuming and not necessarily efficient so instead i make sure i listen carefully and take good notes the first time so that when i have to refresh, i just reference my notes instead of scrolling through the lecture. textbook problems i think are great to do as well just make sure to correct them and be harsh on yourself sometimes to make sure you're getting the concepts right and learning from mistakes :)

[josephspindler2H]

I always recommend going to the UA sessions it can help give you more advanced practice and help reinforce concepts as well as open up the opportunity to ask questions in a pseudo-in-person sort of fashion.

[Jenny Chau 1I]

hi! first it's great that you're reaching out and sometimes it's not about not studying hard or putting in the time - it's more so about finding the best way to study for a particular class given your study habits. if that makes sense. i find that rewatching lectures, for me, is time-consuming and not necessarily efficient so instead i make sure i listen carefully and take good notes the first time so that when i have to refresh, i just reference my notes instead of scrolling through the lecture. textbook problems i think are great to do as well just make sure to correct them and be harsh on yourself sometimes to make sure you're getting the concepts right and learning from mistakes :)

I have to agree with Emily. Sometimes doing the most might not be the most efficient way to study for certain people. I had the same issue where I was using a lot of my time reading the textbooks and reviewing lectures and all that and it didn't end up helping me. I agree that better note-taking might be more helpful than re-watching lectures especially if you don't understand a concept. What I usually do is annotate his own notes so that way when I review, I can understand my notes better. I also think if you have trouble understanding what's happening in lectures, you can always find additional resources like Khan Academy or the organic chemistry tutor on Youtube.

[Jalyn Davis 3D]

Hi! I totally understand how you feel because I felt the same both in 14A and after the first midterm for this class. I was also doing the textbook problems and watching videos that explained concepts in different ways, but still I felt like my scores were really disappointing. However, for this most recent midterm, I started going to Step-Up sessions and to be honest it made such a huge difference for me. I feel like it really helps hearing other people who took the class explain the concepts and work through the problems, so I highly recommend attending UA sessions!

[Lucy Weaver 1K]

I also recommend reading the textbook, it helps me because it concentrated on minute details and gives lots of examples on how to work through problems, and I find that it often includes things that Lavelle sometimes leaves out of his lectures.

[Janna Shakiba]

I'm not sure if anyone has said this yet, but maybe consider your standards for yourself and loosen them up a bit. I know we are UCLA kids and we are born perfectionists, but recognize that you are being forced to continue your education through an incredibly hard time, and that is no easy feat! The fact that you are working so hard already is enough of a sign to yourself that you are doing well. An A is nice, but it's not everything. Keep that in mind :)

[Simran Bains 2C]

I was having the same trouble with the final back in 14a. I would say to try to do as many workshops as you can and do those practice questions.

[Bryan Le 2K]

I would suggest trying to get a blank a piece of paper and write out everything you know about the specific topic. From there, you can see what sections you really need help on. I hope you excel in this class! Good luck!

[Nathan Lao 2I]

Something that really helps with this class if forming a study group with some friends and teaching them about a topic we're discussing in class. Being able to explain something to someone or teach them is a sign that you yourself know the concepts.

[Karen Zheng_2K]

Highly recommend going to office hours and Step-Up sessions, or even the youtube videos the GroupMe recommends!

[Kelly Singh]

I like to repeat questions until I understand how to do them. Keep your head up, only a few more weeks!

[Joanne Yuh 3I]

I recommend UA workshops because they're really helpful with summarizing lectures and giving advice. If you still need help, you can look up youtube videos like Organic Chemistry Tutor for extra help!

[Nicole Critzer 2L]

I would say instead of reading the textbook attend the UA workshops and step-up sessions. If not those then the organic chemistry tutor on YouTube is also really helpful.

[Sahaj Patel Lec3DisK]

UA sessions are really helpful, and they go over a lot of problems that probably show up on the midterm exams. If I am being honest, I am struggling too, but as long as you work hard everything falls into place. You got this, and hope this helps.

[Anusha Chaudhary 1J]

Hi! I think everyone has already said this many times, but I definitely think UA sessions are very beneficial! I did really bad on the first midterm and was struggling a lot with my grade and this class, but I started going to UA sessions leading up to the second midterm. Though I still didn't do amazing on this midterm either, I still had a decent jump in my score between the two, and the only thing I did differently was attending UA sessions. Aside from all that, I just want you to know that you aren't alone in your struggles, but I know at the end of the day we will understand everything on the final, and do well in the class!

[Sheryl Ocampo 1D]

UA sessions are super helpful and I think it helps just overall taking the time to understand all the concepts

[Simer_Shera_2D]

I strategy I found that really helps me is to struggle with the textbook problems for as long as I can before going to a solution manual. Usually, if I'm not able to solve the problem the first two or three tries, I leave it and return to it a couple hours or days later with a fresh mind so I can reattempt it. If I still can't solve it, I read the corresponding textbook chapter or review my notes to fill in any gaps in my understanding. Then, if I have tried my absolute hardest, I will go to the solution manual. By going as far as I can into the problem and recording my steps, I can use the solution manual as a tool to identify where I'm going wrong. Before, I would go straight to the solutions whenever I was struggling and effectively learn nothing since I was just convincing myself that I understand the solution the way it is written. I also highly recommend checking out the UA sessions since I know those are very helpful!

[apurva-3E]

Try a ton of textbook problems and really try to understand why that's the answer. Then put it into a flashcard software and study it so you won't forget.

[Isabel Luu 1I]

I find youtube videos really helpful. I just search the topic we're learning about and a bunch of videos pop up and I'll watch a few when we start a new topic. They're usually pretty short so I don't get bored and space off and they give me a basic understanding of the concepts that we're learning so that when I watch the lectures or read the textbook the material isn't completely new to me and I've had some introduction to them. Also going to office hours can be really helpful if you're struggling with a particular concept. I personally get really nervous asking questions in discussion so if you go to office hours it's less scary in my opinion.

[Lisa Seidl 3H]

I really like the Organic Chemistry tutor on YouTube. I watch his videos often to understand trickier concepts since he is able to explain it differently than we may have learned in lectures or discussions.

[Julianna Shimabukuro 1D]

I really recommend attending step-up sessions since they go through the practice problems literally step-by-step, which I have found very useful. I also like to watch Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube. His explanations are clear and concise, and he goes over practice problems too.

[Jaclyn Dang 3B]

same I am holding on for dear life and talking to the universe at this point haha. just hang in there, we can do this.

[connie ma 3G]

i recommend first identifying which areas you are struggling in. if you are doing lots of practice problems but still struggle then thats not gonna help because practice is to reinforce what you already know so it wont really help if there isnt much to reinforce. i recommend taking the time to really process the content from the lectures and understand why things are the way they are. the lectures arent clear a lot of the time so it helps to do some learning on your own. ask questions on anything you are confused about on chemistry community or google them. watch youtube/khan academy videos on the topics we are learning bc a lot of the time those videos will be more clear than the lectures. once you have a strong fundamental knowledge base down then go ahead and practice what you know with the textbook problems and sapling.

[Simi Kapila_3E]

Definitely go see your TA to review your midterm problems, any extra sessions you can go to would be helpful, office hours or step up sessions. Also I find watching other videos online can be helpful and give you different perspectives on the content.

[Will Pham 1J]

I'm definitely doing worse in this class than I was in 14A. I think attending more workshops would definitely help a lot.

[Jonathan3B]

As others have mentioned, I think the step up and workshop sessions the TA's host are extremely helpful for understanding key concepts you will likely encounter on the exam.

[SLai_1I]

I'd recommend going to step up sessions and workshops. I've found those to be really helpful in preparing for exams. Good luck on the final!

[Sami Siddiqui 1J]

What I normally do to prepare for a given section is to pre-note the textbook. This allows me to get a basic picture of what we'll be discussing when Dr. Lavelle posts his lectures. Of course, when you're going through the text the first time, a lot of things aren't going to make too much sense. But once you start making the first few connections on your own, I find that the lectures become review sessions in of themselves. I'd highly recommend it.

[Margaret Xu 3C]

It's definitely frustrating doing worse than expected on the midterm after studying so much for it, but don't be too discouraged because thermo is the hardest unit for this class! For me, whenever I read the textbook I like to write short notes or equations at the top of my homework for each section. It's like a quick refresher before reviewing textbook problems. I also really recommend going to the UA workshops! I go to Mathew's and Justin's workshops most frequently.