Study Tips

[Kyle Harvey 4F]

Does anyone have any good advice for studying for this class besides practice problems? Right now I simply read the textbook and work on problems, but I haven't taken chemistry since my freshmen year of high school, so I am not exactly sure how well I know the material. If there are any tips or advice that you think would be helpful just let me know. All comments are appreciated!

[Andrew Liang 1I]

You can check out the class website and you'll see there are a lot of discussion sections, peer learning sessions, exam review sessions, and Step-Up Sessions you can attend. Online learning modules are also a great help!

[Nikki Razal 1L]

Outside the practice problems and resources Dr. Lavelle has, I (and my TA) think it'd be a big help to start familiarizing yourself with the different polyatomic ions because they make the "naming" section of the course easier, plus it'll help make work easier now esp when you have to write chemical equations!!

[plopezcordon_4C]

I find it best to work in groups and to quiz yourself and others too. Honestly I haven't taken chem in a LONG TIME and I struggle a lot with the problems (especially numbers) so working in groups and testing yourself works for me! Khan academy is great and youtube too! Hope that helps a bit!

[Amanda 3H]

Dr. Lavelle and his TA's have set aside many study hours outside of lectures and discussions!! They're almost daily, both on campus and on the hill, how convenient!! Thank you Dr. Lavelle!

[J Medina 2I]

I too have not taken a chemistry class in years but I found the Video Modules and Post-Assessments helpful in keeping me on the right track without being overwhelmed by the amount of content I believed I had forgotten completely.

[Drake Choi_1I]

Is it a good idea to review online modules before lectures so that I can be familiar with what is going to be lectured on? Or should I review after I have had the lecture? Thank you :)

[Oduwole 1E]

Personally, I think it is a good idea to review the online modules first, then attend lecture so you have a basic understanding of what is going to be taught. If you still don't understand the topic that well after lecture, or want to go over something that was said in lecture, you can watch the modules again.

[Matt F]

Aside from the lectures, what's helped me understand the material most has been the video modules posted and doing extra homework problems. When I do the problems, however, I try not to use my notes or the textbook as help to see if I've really grasped what I need to do. Reviewing notes is definitely helpful, but knowing how to do it on your own is a good way to test how much you know.

[Megan Ngai- 3B]

I personally read the textbook and take notes before lectures so the ideas will be explained again in different rooms. Whenever I have other questions I come to chemistry community and there are usually people who are having the same questions!

[KBELTRAMI_1E]

I'm really in need of tips for how to stay disciplined while studying rather than getting distracted after five minutes and giving up!!!

[KBELTRAMI_1E]

Is it a good idea to review online modules before lectures so that I can be familiar with what is going to be lectured on? Or should I review after I have had the lecture? Thank you :)

YES this is what helps me the most!

[Jasmine Fendi 1D]

Besides reviewing my notes and going over practice problems, I like to talk through problems and explain the solution to others.

[Hailey Kim 4G]

Personally, I think the videos on Professor Lavelle's website are a great way to review the content we went over in class. I also like to study in groups to avoid procrastination, as well as do practice problems from the textbook to improve my problem-solving skills.

[Jessica Tran_3K]

I personally watch videos on Youtube whenever I don't understand a topic or need a quick refresher on the fundamentals (Khan Academy, Professor Dave Explains, and Bozeman Science are my favorites!). Aside from that, I find that solving many textbook problems with a study buddy and going back to re-solve the ones I found particularly difficult helps me a lot.

[Naren_Ramesh_4F]

I also try to review my notes for the class and try to find relevant sections in the textbook and take notes on that as well.

[304976622]

Does anyone have any good advice for studying for this class besides practice problems? Right now I simply read the textbook and work on problems, but I haven't taken chemistry since my freshmen year of high school, so I am not exactly sure how well I know the material. If there are any tips or advice that you think would be helpful just let me know. All comments are appreciated!

I would say to watch youtube videos on the topics you are having the most trouble on.

[Drake Choi_1I]

Watching youtube videos from Crash Course helped me a lot in high school when reviewing concepts. When I was looking for more specific review, I would search for certain topics on Khan academy.

[Patricia Cardenas]

I'm on the same page, I also need some good review and I've been using youtube as extra learning.

[MTanikella_1K]

For any doubts I have with fundamental concepts, khan academy is a great resource! I definitely think that reviewing my lecture notes after class is a really useful way of solidifying the material Dr. Lavelle teaches.

[Joanna Mendoza 3J]

I've been watching youtube videos that pertain to specific topics I'm confused about. Sometimes it's tricky to find really good ones but I find it really helpful to see someone else explain specific topics I need review on since you can rewatch them.

[ShreyaKannan1B]

Find a lounge with a white board and work things out on there, it really helps to have everything larger and in front of you.

[Chanel D_4E]

You may also go to the test bank and see what Lavelle's previous tests consisted of so you have a general idea of what our's may possibly look like :)

[ahuang]

Besides doing practice problems, I like to retake my notes again even though it is time consuming. This way, I can understand and remember the conceptual parts of the topics better.

[Brian J Cheng 1I]

I would personally focus on exposing myself to as many problems as possible to get used to applying the information we've learned in lectures in multitudes of ways. External resources (Professor Lavelle's webpage, Youtube, Khanacademy) can help clarify information, but the true essence of understanding Chemistry is understanding every little step of your thought process as you tackle problems (at least for me). Hope this helps!

[faithkim1L]

Studying chemistry is really just practice. I find it best to do practice problems. Lavelle's Step Up Program is also really helpful if you're struggling with the material in general.

[plopezcordon_4C]

Does anyone have any advice on how to take really good notes during lecture? I usually copy the slides but I always feel like he says some important things, I just never catch them on time since I'm too busying copying what the slides say

[304976622]

Does anyone have any advice on how to take really good notes during lecture? I usually copy the slides but I always feel like he says some important things, I just never catch them on time since I'm too busying copying what the slides say

I would say you should try to listen more to his lecturing because what he says is very relevant to the Hw and tests. (at least from what I have noticed) However don't fully ignore the slides as well. Try taking photos of them and then incorporating them into your notes after lecture. Hope this helps.

[Naren_Ramesh_4F]

Are the old tests in the Student Activity Center a good resource for studying for midterms?

[Michelle Chan 1J]

I like the compile my notes into one big study guide on google docs and also do (redo) practice problems from the homework.

[KayleyW_3L]

I have been working through textbook problems and the learning modules to study

[Lizette Noriega 1H]

Personally I have found YouTube to be very resourceful because the videos provide extra material in addition to lectures which helps me understand the concepts better and relate them to the practice problems we go over. I would also suggest taking notes while you're watching the video because it's helpful to look back onto the notes for when you begin to practice problems

[Alexis 3F]

All these tips were actually really helpful, thank you!!

[plopezcordon_4C]

Does anyone have any advice on how to take really good notes during lecture? I usually copy the slides but I always feel like he says some important things, I just never catch them on time since I'm too busying copying what the slides say

I would say you should try to listen more to his lecturing because what he says is very relevant to the Hw and tests. (at least from what I have noticed) However don't fully ignore the slides as well. Try taking photos of them and then incorporating them into your notes after lecture. Hope this helps.

Amazing! thank you so much! I'll keep that in mind when I take notes from now on :)

[DesireBrown1J]

Does anyone have some creative tips for memorizing certain things that are not on the constants and equation sheets?

[Rosa Munoz 2E]

Watch YouTube videos and go through the homework problems.

[abby hyman]

The online modules and assessments are so helpful for this class you can really see if you understand the material. I have found youtube videos helpful as well for more knowledge on sections I do not understand.

[KayleyW_3L]

I would also highly recommend Khan Academy to study for material, because it explains concepts and reinforces ideas in your mind.

[Micah3J]

I would also highly recommend Khan Academy to study for material, because it explains concepts and reinforces ideas in your mind.

Which chemistry course has majority of the topics we are covering? Or do you just search around for the topics we are discussing?

[GEOVANNAO_3F]

I personally watch videos on Youtube whenever I don't understand a topic or need a quick refresher on the fundamentals (Khan Academy, Professor Dave Explains, and Bozeman Science are my favorites!). Aside from that, I find that solving many textbook problems with a study buddy and going back to re-solve the ones I found particularly difficult helps me a lot.

this is also one of my favorite ways of studying!!

[Kendra Barreras 3E]

Does anyone have any advice on how to take really good notes during lecture? I usually copy the slides but I always feel like he says some important things, I just never catch them on time since I'm too busying copying what the slides say

The first few weeks I would focus too much on taking notes and not enough on what he was actually implying/explaining, however what works best for me is to take quick notes and focus more on lecture and then later recopy my notes and try to understand the concepts a bit more.

[ShreyaKannan1B]

At the test bank do they only give you five minutes to find what you're looking for?

[saigorijavolu2k]

What i would recommend doing is reading ur notes from lecture. Then attempting the hw problems for that section. And when u get stuck on a question write down the topics that correspond to it. Review those topics and reattempt the problem. This is a good way to assess your mastery of the material

[Patricia Chan 1C]

I would do all of the homework problems that are assigned, as I found that very helpful for preparing for tests. Additionally, the review sessions and step-up workshops are always a great resource and provide a different perspective on the material to be learned. Hope this helps!

[Angela Prince 1J]

Is it a good idea to review online modules before lectures so that I can be familiar with what is going to be lectured on? Or should I review after I have had the lecture? Thank you :)

YES this is what helps me the most!

I think you can definitely try it both ways and see which works best for you!, For me, I like listening to modules after lecture, but it definitely depends on your preferene and how you learn best!

[Salma Fawzi 4G]

I personally watch videos on Youtube whenever I don't understand a topic or need a quick refresher on the fundamentals (Khan Academy, Professor Dave Explains, and Bozeman Science are my favorites!). Aside from that, I find that solving many textbook problems with a study buddy and going back to re-solve the ones I found particularly difficult helps me a lot.

That's a great idea! thank you for naming specific online sites/videos to use for studying

[Yailin Romo 4G]

What most people have told me is to learn using the solutions manual and go from there if you cant exactly focus on all the material in the book.

[Rich Zodda 4B]

Has anyone found the peer learning sessions to be helpful?

[alex_4l]

Khan academy videos are super helpful! I also go to the Step Up programs that are taught by the TAs as well as office hours which are really beneficial as well. I've also found that just reading through the posts on chemistry community provides a lot of insight on topics that I don't understand or need a little more detailed explanation

[Robert Cross 1A]

For the current VSEPR material, I found that flashcards were helpful in learning the various molecule configurations and shapes, so I'd have to recommend those

[san_2F]

For the upcoming tests, a good way to memorize all the shapes, angles, and generla information would be to make a chart or study the pre-made charts that already exist on google.

[KayleyW_3L]

Has anyone found the peer learning sessions to be helpful?

I've only been to a few peer learning sessions so far, but in my experience they've been helpful because they go over and reinforce key concepts. If you have any questions about concepts they will explain them in-depth. This is my experience in the step-up sessions, at least.

[Debora Fernandez Clemente_ 4H]

I know that watching videos might not always replace other study methods but I would recommend watching Professor Dave Explains on Youtube. This channel is very helpful, topics may be oversimplified sometimes but its a good start.

[AArmellini_1I]

Flash Cards (especially with things that require memorization such as molecular shape) and I like making outlines of sections so I know what I need to know and can test myself to find out what I need to focus on (I pull a lot from Lavelle's outlines and my own notes)

[Rich Zodda 4B]

Has anyone found the peer learning sessions to be helpful?

I've only been to a few peer learning sessions so far, but in my experience they've been helpful because they go over and reinforce key concepts. If you have any questions about concepts they will explain them in-depth. This is my experience in the step-up sessions, at least.

Thanks! I really appreciate it. I might give it a shot

[NRodgers_1C]

Not having a strong foundation in chemistry coming into this class (I took chem sophomore year of high school and forgot much of it), I find it most useful to break things down a lot. I start from the very basics and work up. It can be discouraging when a good number of people are just relearning topics from AP Chem and seem to instantly get the material, but I promise just starting slowly and working up, though time consuming, is very useful (especially when it comes to the test and you need to be systematic about doing problems).

[NRodgers_1C]

I have a question about what we need to memorize, however. I know we need to memorize VSEPR geometries and angles, but what else are we expected to know? i.e. the chromium and copper electron configuration exceptions, etc.

[alex_4l]

I've been watching youtube videos that pertain to specific topics I'm confused about. Sometimes it's tricky to find really good ones but I find it really helpful to see someone else explain specific topics I need review on since you can rewatch them.

this is what helped me the most!! Kaplan videos were the best ones to watch too

[Rida Ismail 2E]

I like to get into a study group and go over key concepts that are addressed throughout the year. I also make flashcards to ensure I know the concepts