Studying

[605136321]

What’s the best way to study for chem 14b

[SimranSangha4I]

I think the best things you can do for 14b are office hours, review sessions, and practicing problems like the ones found in our assigned homework problems for the different outlines we cover.

[Keya Jonnalagadda 1A]

I would recommend the homework and just browsing the solutions manual. The methods of answering the questions are very helpful for trying to answer similar questions on the test. It even includes extra explanations about the equations and the concepts that are written really densely in the textbook.

[Eugene Chung 3F]

1. Go to LA sessions if you can and TA office hours. Those are really helpful.
2. Do the HW problems.

[VioletKo3F]

For me, the workshops are really helpful since they give you extra problems to work on. If you have questions, I suggest going to the TA office hours or the step-ups/ drop-ins.

[Yailin Romo 4G]

Do the syllabus and study it he usually does hw problems on the tests, midterms, and finals.

[Jose Robles 1D]

I go to plfs and find them to be quite helpful. They are not a substitute for studying, but they really do help in solidifying the material.

[Nohemi Garcia 1L]

Study groups are also extremely helpful, as everyone can have different grasps on different topics.

[KSong_1J]

Doing all the practice problems he gives us is very helpful, as well as making sure you completely understand all the learning objectives! I also recommend watching organic chemistry tutor on YouTube if you don’t understand a concept

[Simon Ketema_1F]

Do all of the practice problems, read the textbook, do workshops and office hours. Use whatever resources to make sure you fully understand each topic and are comfortable. You know you got it down once you can explain it to someone else. Also don't cram.

[Celena Kim 2I]

Reviewing and practicing through all the homework problems several times would definitely help, as well as going to workshops and step-up sessions. It also definitely helps to look through outside sources such as Youtube videos from the Organic Chemistry Tutor

[Rida Ismail 2E]

The way I study is reading over the notes, read the book, do ALL the homework problems, and make sure to ask questions on everything you are confused on because Dr. Lavelle can ask questions on virtually anything out of those options.

[Yailin Romo 4G]

I do the hw problems because those are the most similar types of problems that we will see, as well as looking out the outlines.

[MTanikella_1K]

Homework problems, review sessions, lecture notes and online videos are great resources to use when studying for this class!

[Cavalli_1H]

reviewing notes after lecture and trying to process them helps me to retain information. i also find that, as difficult as it can be sometimes to do practice problems without cross referencing solutions, that is definitely a good way to train your mind on the content. hope this helps :)

[805291863]

I read over my notes after each lecture, do all the homework problems, and attend review sessions. Having access to past exam questions is also incredibly useful!

[Anushka Chauhan2B]

Notes, homework, and textbook reading

[san_2F]

What I usually do is take notes on the textbook, go through the notes from lecture, and then do all the homework problems. I also do the worksheets that my TA gives me over again.

[sarahartzell1A]

practice problems

[Naren_Ramesh_4F]

Attend lectures, Attend Discussion, and DEFINITELY Attend TA/UA sessions

[Lily Anne Garcia 1C]

just do textbook problems!

[alexandralopez 3F]

Going through the textbook problems and going to UA sessions are really helpful

[Daria Obukhova 2B]

For me personally, doing the textbook problems is what helps the most. As well as reviewing the Sapling homework because reading the solution explanations helps clear up details that I sometimes forget.

[jasonfarrales3D]

I believe the best way to study for Chem 14b is to do all of the assigned textbook problems, attend multiple UA sessions (as they give great practice problems and review the lecture), and to work on the Sapling problems. Furthermore, I heard TA and Lavelle's office hours are a great help if you ever get seriously stuck on a problem. Good luck on your studying!!

[Sana Nagori 2H]

As most people said, I found doing the textbook/outline questions at least twice helped me the most and then looking up random practice problems online for extra practice

[OmarArafat_2K]

I did not take 14A with Lavelle, but I heard from students that did that doing all the textbook questions really help. If you have any questions, feel free to go to Office Hours or Workshops.

[Nathan Lao 2I]

the homework problems are your best bet. It's best to expose yourselves to different types of problems so that the first time you see that type of question isn't on the exam.

[Darren1j]

Does anyone recommend reading the textbook for midterm prep?

[Kiana Tashakori 1D]

I found that practice problems are super helpful while studying. I think you can solve problems more quickly and easily when you exposed to lost of different problems. Attending review sessions and asking questions you may have at office hours also extremely helpful!

[Lizbeth Garcia 1F]

Does anyone recommend reading the textbook for midterm prep?

I would mostly recommend looking through the problems. However, if you are a little lost on something, you can try reading the book to get a better understanding. Especially since the book has examples with answers that take you through every step.

[Hannah_Kim_1I]

For me, the textbook problems have always been a priority when studying. After I do those I usually look for any practice tests or worksheets from the TA/LA sessions.

[Sukhkiran Kaur 3I]

I write out the outlines and take notes on all the bullet points, do the textbook problems and check my answers, and then attend review sessions when possible!

[Eric Ngo 1F]

Does anyone recommend reading the textbook for midterm prep?

I definitely recommend reading the textbook. It's super helpful and its examples are really informative and detailed.

[Juwan_Madaki_3K]

I find that textbook problems are the most important resource when studying for 14B exams. Additionally, office hours are quite helpful. I usually study over a week so I can give myself time to thoroughly understand the maerial.

[Annette Fishman]

Watch lectures on time when they're posted. Understand Sapling. Textbook problems when you can. Reading the textbook is also very helpful to me. I never attend office hours but they seem to be helpful too.

[Jasmin Kumar 1G]

definitely do the textbook problems and keep doing them until you understand each one, cause sometimes they are on the tests

[Sydney Sullivan 2J]

I think watching lectures when they're posted, and really actively listening to them goes a long way. Same thing with homework and textbook problems -- don't just blindly go through the procedure, really pay attention to what you're doing. Other than that, everyone else had made great suggestions about office hours, UA sessions, etc if you want extra review.

[Anna Yakura 2F]

What I do is I do the textbook problems (the ones on the outlines) after each lecture (the problems pertaining to what I learned that way). That way I can do the problems while they are fresh in my mind. I also recommend the UA worksheets, even if you can't go to the live sessions, to complete the worksheets because they are a good way to get more practice. Before the midterm, I go over the textbook problems again (to see if I had any issues, if I need to review certain topics, and to refresh my memory). Also I recommend re-reading your lecture notes before the midterm because there are some conceptual details you may miss/forget if you only do problems. Hope this helps!

[Sam_Marasigan_3D]

I personally find the UA Workshops and homework problems really helpful.

[Darren1j]

At least 1 workshop a week is a must. Maybe a step up if you have time too

[AHUNT_1A]

Most definitely the textbook problems and office hours and UA sessions.

[Yashvi Reddy 1H]

Hi! Good question. I agree with the advice other people gave above. I prioritize doing the textbook problems and Sapling problems, and I make sure to be honest with myself about what I know and don't know on the outline bullet points. I have also found that textbook readings help me understand concepts really well as a supplement to these problems. I would also suggest going to Workshops and Step-Up Sessions, but try not to overload yourself by doing more than 1-3 in a week. Good luck with your exams!

[Anna Li 3B]

I really, really want to add that studying is an active process and it's all about being aware of how you process and categorize information. You need to know what you need to understand before going to office hours or just doing practice problems. It's good to keep a list of questions whenever something comes up, while doing problems, during the lecture, that you genuinely have that you can revisit from time to time to track progress. It's also helpful in keeping track what kinds of things you're not understanding or need more explanation on. Perhaps the questions are all pertained to assumptions made in formulas, or dealing with a problem that is missing one crucial piece of information and you don't know how to deal with that type of problem. For example maybe while going through lecture I see a question about heat and calorimeters, but the way the problem is solved conflicts with my understand of how calorimeters work. Sure I can remember what formula to use in this situation, but maybe I want to double check my understand of how calorimeters work and if there's any assumptions that I'm missing. It's all about being aware of what info you need to organize (and how) in order to fully understand the concepts.

Chem 14B is a problem/question-based class. Other than the fact that the professor explicitly states practice problems are used on the test/emulate types of questions on the test, practice problems are essentially different ways to present the concepts learned in class. For example, one of the learning objectives for acid/base was to calculate pH/pOH from aqueous solutions containing weak acids/weak bases. How do we calculate pH? We need to be given [H3O]+. How can the problems present [H3O+] besides just explicitly giving it? Maybe through Ka and initial acid concentration. Why do we need both? We need to know where the [H3O]+ are coming from and how the weak acid behaves in water because it's different for different acids and different concentrations. Okay, how do we use Ka and initial acid concentration to get [H3O]+? Well, we need an ice table. Do I know how to use an ice table? Maybe they give us the conjugate base instead. What do I do then? That thought process while doing the practice problems gets you familiar with all the different ways the learning objectives can be tested through questions. It's about being familiar not only what you're going to be asked to solve but also how. This also helps avoids the retrospective "I knew how to do the problem but just didn't know how to get started."

On just reviewing/learning conceptual things (like some parts of thermo), I personally like to do a lot of hand motions while verbally explaining what's happened (i.e. using a fist to symbolize a piston doing work against external pressure, moving hands to illustrate heat transfer). Just another way to think about the subjects in addition to reading the textbook or looking over notes. Studying also includes studying how you do in a testing environment to, so it's good to be aware of what kinds of mistakes you're prone to while testing. Do you forget to change L*atm to joules? Do you copy down the wrong numbers from the test to your work? Doing the practice problems should familiarize you with problems enough that you don't tense up at a problem that you've never seen before. It might be good to develop a fail-safe for problems you might really have no idea how to approach (though it's hard to prepare for the unexpected). This would include learning how to anticipate answers (the answer should be between these values) or how to utilize the multiple choice by working backwards with the answers. If it comes down to a conceptual thing (i.e. the answer is this if aqueous solutions are affected by this and the answer is that if they aren't), just keep a note of it, try to find where the answer to that concept is (learning objectives, textbook, certain part of the lecture) so you know what source you have to pay more attention to next time.

This is quite long, so I'm sorry. I wanted to expand on what others had previously mentioned. Everyone has different ways of studying, so it's also a process about learning what makes sense to you the most and knowing what to conclude after utilizing the opportunities the class gives you.

[sadiebrebes]

definitely do the textbook problems and keep doing them until you understand each one, cause sometimes they are on the tests

Does anyone else find the textbook problems more difficult than the achieve work he assigns? Would you say that the tests are of equal difficulty as the textbook?

[Naomi Christian 1E]

definitely do the textbook problems and keep doing them until you understand each one, cause sometimes they are on the tests

Does anyone else find the textbook problems more difficult than the achieve work he assigns? Would you say that the tests are of equal difficulty as the textbook?

I do find the textbook problems more difficult, I usually am able to solve the achieve work without referencing notes but not so much for the textbook problems. I am sort of lost on what to expect for the midterm and would like some input.

[405509920]

Review sessions, office hours, & practice problems. Make sure to do the problems/homework ahead of time so you can ask specific questions

[David Facio 3C]

You definitely should be reviewing lectures and asking questions here! The best way to learn is oftentimes to teach others and see if you understand the concept yourself! Peers are always willing to help! Also, Professor Lavelle has many practice problems listed on his website. Attending step up sessions is always a PLUS!!!!!

[Debie_Morales1D]

I would say using the outlines and trying to fill them in with you class notes. As well as all the resources like workshop help a lot when studying. And lastly doing the problems on the syllabus are very helpful and sometimes even make it to an exam!

[Emily Wu 2G]

personally I don't find the textbvook problems too helpful, I usually quiz myslef on the notes for concept and homeowrk problems for the math part.

[Ashwin Vasudevan 3A]

There are a lot of youtube videos that go through certain topics more slowly to help understanding. Aslo, going to the review sessions is helpful.

[David Facio 3C]

Study with someone who can teach you in terms you can understand. Sometimes a student perspective makes more sense and can relieve anxiety. This would also help the student who is helping you learn reinforce their own understanding.

[Debie_Morales1D]

Currently, just been practicing and practicing. Again the syllabus problems are golden and are really similar to those on the test.

[Sophia B 3G]

Doing the textbook problems and reviewing the lectures are good ways to study.

[Sammy Liu]

I have a method that I've been following since Chem 14A. It follows the outlines that Professor Lavelle posts on his chemistry website.
I'll first read the sections of the textbook that are mentioned in the outline, then I'll do all of the textbook problems.
Sometimes, if this isn't enough, I will go onto chem community to look for TA worksheets. These are usually the most challenging, and are a good way to apply the knowledge and study.

Hope this helps!

[oliviacarnot]

using the outlines throughout the quarter while learning the topics: do the textbook readings and problems

if that wasn't done(which don't worry, I am not on top of it all the time):
- writing notes for the readings
- doing the practice problems
- going to review sessions
- office hours for asking questions for confused parts
- watching general videos on the topics or searching up videos that will help give another explanation(with visual elements) to a topic you are confused about

[Emma Goellner 2I]

Do all of the textbook problems! It is unbelievably helpful to prepare for the exams and to practice the content learned in lectures. That is definitely my number one recommendation, but continue to keep up good homework and study habits along with it.

[Julia Todorov 2F]

doing the textbook problems and going to step ups/ workshops is what helps me study the most. flashcards are also super helpful and I would really recommend going to the final reviews to help prepare for the final!

[Jonathan Shyu 3L]

I personally like doing achieve and making sure I understand the questions 100%. Then I really like going through the outline that Dr. Lavelle posts on his website. Then to supplement all of that I go through the textbook questions.

[Violet Mbela 2B]

There are a lot of youtube videos that go through certain topics more slowly to help understanding. Aslo, going to the review sessions is helpful.

I second this. The OChem tutor on youtube has saved my grade many a time.

[Eszter Kovacs 1A]

do as many practice problems as you can

[Lea El Rassi - 1E]

Personally, doing Matthew's worksheets have been incredibly helpful. They are posted on Chemistry community if you want!

[905574994]

I would recommend the homework and just browsing the solutions manual. The methods of answering the questions are very helpful for trying to answer similar questions on the test. It even includes extra explanations about the equations and the concepts that are written really densely in the textbook.

Where can we access the solutions manual?

[Casey Fineberg]

Something that helped me the most was taking advantage of TA office hours. TAs are literally trained to help you stay caught up and fully comprehend the material that we are learning. Not only that, but they WANT to help you. My TAs for 14A were necessary for my success in that course: The the 1-on-1 work I did with them was the only thing that made me feel confident about understanding the material.

[905802613]

The UA Sessions are a good way to get in more practice!

[Kindersley Manchame 2J]

I believe making sure you understand the material each week is important so you don't completely get lost in the class. Attending lectures, discussions, office hours, watching videos that explain the concepts, study groups, and using all the other resources provided to us are great ways to study. Also, doing a lot of practice problems and reviewing the material so that it stays fresh in your mind.

[Yuliana Urrutia 1H]

Personally I can say that going to the LA sessions, and browning through textbooks problems has helped me fully understand the questions and concepts being asked. Also being able to work with peers and trying to teach them what you know helps you actually understand the concept being taught.

[Akilah Beatty 2k]

I recommend attending the step-up sessions on Fridays and reviewing everything we covered in the week. I go to them as a refresher and ask any questions about something that stumped me in class.

[Ojas Sharma 2G]

I find reading the textbook and working through problems similar to those seen in lecture are very helpful.