Advice for someone who didn't take 14A with professor Lavelle

[Isabel Luu 1I]

Hi guys! I took 14A last spring, with a different professor. For those that took 14A with Professor Lavelle, were any of his extra resources particularly helpful to you or do you have any general advice on how to be successful in his class? Thanks!

[Lea Baskin Monk 1F]

I found UA sessions to be extremely helpful. Especially right before a test because some UAs will host test review sessions with tons of practice problems (some even from past exams).

Here's the link to the UA session calendar: https://lavelle.chem.ucla.edu/wp-content/supporting-files/Chem14B/Chem14UA_PL_ALL.pdf

[Kiran Singh 3A]

I would recommend watching and taking notes on all of the lectures, attending discussion sections, completing the sapling homework, completing the outlines from the syllabus (they have helpful practice problems), and attending several UA/TA review sessions before the midterms and final. If there is a topic that you are confused about, you could go to your TA's office hours or a UA workshop on that topic. Chemistry community is also a good resource if you are confused about a problem or concept. Hope this helps!

[Lea Baskin Monk 1F]

Also, I recommend printing the formula sheet out and annotating it while you're doing the Sapling and textbook problems. It helped me to highlight little mistakes I would make when using the formulas or key points I needed to remember.

If you do this, you'll need to print a fresh sheet out before the test because you can't have any notes during the exam (also he might update the sheet during the quarter).

Current formula sheet: https://lavelle.chem.ucla.edu/wp-content/supporting-files/Chem14B/Constants_Equations.pdf

[JonathanSung_2G]

UA sessions are really helpful, and the UAs provide and go over worksheets that cover a specific topic. These sessions are useful especially before exams since the worksheets review all of the general material that will most likely be tested. Reading the textbook personally did not help me as much as watching lectures and taking notes, and I found that most of the questions I had were answered already on Chemistry Community. Hope this helps!

[Jacquelyn Challis 2B]

Also I would say make sure you're getting every point you can. Do all of the chemistry community points and homework points, because these are huge grade boosters and can really determine a passing grade from a failing grade in the end :)

[Ashley Kim 3H]

I would definitely do all the textbook problems and going to as many UA sessions as you can. If you can't make them, try to find the worksheets they make. All of those worksheets and the textbook have problems that are very similar to the ones on the midterms and final. Also, stay on top of your points because everything really does count.

[Vivian Chang 3L]

Hi! What really helped me last quarter was doing ALL of the textbook problems (these are by far the most helpful prep I did), review lecture notes super thoroughly and make sure you understand concepts (not just how to problem-solve!!), and UA sessions. I would say if anything, try to finish all the textbook problems first, then go to as many UA sessions as you can because they really drill the concepts into you. Some UAs I found extremely helpful last quarter (out of the sessions I attended) are Justin, Matthew, Michael, Hannah, Kate, Brooke, and Rosa! All of the UAs are amazing though, so attending any session would be super helpful :)

[Samantha Pedersen 2K]

I would definitely recommend doing all of the problems from the textbook that are listed in the outlines on Dr. Lavelle's website. I also like to star the ones that I got incorrect on my first try so I pay special attention to them when reviewing textbook problems before exams. I also highly recommend going to the UA Step Up sessions and Workshops on a regular basis! These are a great way to get practice with the types of problems you could see on exams. Finally, I would recommend making flashcards to test yourself on the conceptual information and biological examples that Dr. Lavelle mentions in lecture. Understanding the conceptual information is equally important as knowing how to solve problems!

[Wasila Sun 2I]

To do well on the exams, it is important to watch all of his recorded lectures, do the Sapling homework on time, complete all of the textbook problems given in the outline (many of them show back up on midterms), do the audio-visual modules he provides, and if you are having trouble with a certain section I find reading over the textbook really helps me. Concepts, not just problem-solving, are tested.

My mistake with Chem 14A was that I didn't understand the usefulness of the UA and TA sessions until the last 2 weeks. The TA's and UA's go over lots of practice problems and are super open to answering any and all questions (no matter how simple they are). I loved getting the student persepective/explanation in these sessions, and I will definitely be doing to more of them this quarter.

[SophiaJenny3I]

Hi! The UA sessions are super helpful! We always go over some practice problems, so they're awesome when you're reviewing later on for the midterms. Also, it's a good chance to check what you know and see what you're a bit shaky on. The textbook problems in the unit outlines are a lifesaver, and really are a great studying tool to understand the concepts. Make sure to have a firm grasp on what's happening conceptually too, don't just memorize the information. Hope this helps!

[Cecilia Cisneros 1F]

I would pick a few UA sessions to attend weekly because this helps you to review the information for the week and helps you to understand what problems you may or may not understand. Also, I recommend doing all the practice problems from the outline because they are helpful to make sure you understand the material prior to exams. Those two things helped me the most to study during 14A.

[chinmayeec 2H]

I would really recommend focusing on the textbook problems. In addition, read through the solutions for the Sapling homework problems (even if you got the problem right) since they really clear up a lot of confusion and small doubts that I had.

[Brianna Martilla 1C]

There a lot of resources available for extra help. UA sessions are where you can be given practice problems, whereas office hours are where you would ask for specific problem help. Of course, make sure you are doing the sapling, chemistry community, and textbook problems. To get used to the general structure, I would find a few classmates, maybe from your discussion section, to keep in touch with and ask about anything else, like midterm and final structure.

[Wil Chai 3D]

Do textbook problems!! Many of the exam questions are very similar (if not the same) compared to the textbook ones, which Prof Lavelle has said himself. In 14A, I often got exam problems that looked familiar to those found in the textbook.

[Justin Lin 1B]

I highly recommend attending the UA sessions. The step up sessions and workshops are both good ways to increase your understanding of what Lavelle has taught that week. I would also recommend doing the online textbook questions he assigned. They are optional, but they are great practice problems that could be similar to questions on the exams. I hope this helps!

[Melody Wu 2L]

The UAs are absolutely amazing! The workshops were the most helpful for me because it was all just practice questions. Michael Nguyen does really good mini recap lectures at the start of his workshops that I really like, and Justin/Matthew/Brooke/Kate are amazing at answering questions/providing practice questions too. The other UAs also are great, I just didn't make it to their sessions b/c of conflicts.

For the best gauge on what the test questions will be like, I suggest doing all the textbook questions and making sure you really understand them. Lavelle will pull a couple questions straight from there for the tests too.

[Sid Panda 3A]

Hi guys! I took 14A last spring, with a different professor. For those that took 14A with Professor Lavelle, were any of his extra resources particularly helpful to you or do you have any general advice on how to be successful in his class? Thanks!

Like everyone else said, you should use the UA workshops to reinforce what you learn in lecture. I found them super helpful last year. Make sure to do all of the textbook problems as well!

[Mary Gallo 1G]

The most helpful things for me in 14A were doing the textbook problems. They were often similar to questions that would appear on exams so it made for good practice. I also would recommend going to UA sessions for extra help whenever you have the time. Step-Up sessions are useful if you need a little extra push on a topic and the Workshops are great for practice questions.

[Marley Magee 3A]

Definitely attend those UA sessions according to your needs, so if you want something slower because you're a little confused go to a step-up, and if you just want practice problems go to a workshop. Also, don't be shy to ask questions! The UA's are really nice and helpful.

[Kayko Lee 1C]

Like what people have said the UA sessions are extremely helpful and although Lavelle calls it an extra resource I kind of see it as necessary sometimes because some UAs are really good about going over problems you'd never expect to see Lavelle throw at you but possibly could since many of the problems that UAs go over have been present in past exam material (Lavelle supposedly recycles his exam questions). I would definitely go to various sessions with different UAs and feel out which ones are your favorites because each UA goes by their own schedule/material that they prepare themselves.

[Vanessa Perez]

UA sessions are very helpful so I recommend going to those weekly, and as many as possible a week since the worksheets are not the same. I would also recommend watching video on the topics and reviewing old notes. Professor Lavelle also did mention that only ~20% is 14A material.

[Isabel Luu 1I]

So the step up sessions basically where people go through practice problems? I'm a little confused on the different between step up sessions and UA sessions.

[jadensteplight_2F]

UA sessions were so helpful! I also found the textbook problems to be pretty reflective of exam content, so I found them to be my best study tool. When going through them, make sure to ask any questions on Chem Community, that way you are able to fully understand how to solve the problem (and you also get points as well).

Overall, just make sure that you stay on top of your work. Points for Sapling and Chem Community are easy, so make sure you don't forget to do them every week. And always, try your best. You can do it!

[Anna_Mohling_1D]

Like a lot of the students above me mentioned, I recommend doing the textbook problems along with actually reading and taking notes on the assigned textbook sections! This helped me understand concepts in addition to just solving problems. I also highly recommend going to UA learning sessions. I specifically find step-ups and workshops most beneficial for me.

[Charlotte Adams 1A]

I would read the textbook lessons he assigns and make sure to both the sapling questions and DO THE TEXTBOOK questions even though it is not mandatory. They often show up on the exams. Also make sure you understand the concepts behind the math and not just how to plug the numbers into the equation.

[MinjooPark_3I]

One thing I regret not doing last quarter is not going to the workshops and step up sessions until finals week. They helped a lot, but I know if I went from the beginning of the quarter I would've gotten better results so I would go to workshops if you do not understand or are having trouble understanding topics. Also, don't be afraid to post questions on chemistry community because everyone is so nice and helpful! I would definitely do the optional textbook questions because they are good practice and some( not a lot though) problems are on the exams! Hope this helps :) and good luck this quarter!

[Juwan_Madaki_3K]

Professor Lavelle provides TONS of live resources to assist you in this course and is always willing to help. I would utilize officer hours, UA sessions, step-up sessions, and etc. for any areas of confusion. In my opinion, doing the textbook problems is the most important thing you can do to succeed.

[Nadya Higgins 3F]

As someone who took Lavelle's class last quarter and didn't do as well as I hoped, I found the most helpful things that I should have taken advantage of were UA sessions. I also should have focused more on practicing textbook problems because much of the information on his tests reflect the textbook work.

[Keeryth Sandhu 1H]

I found the UA sessions and the optional textbook problems to be the most helpful last quarter. Good luck this quarter!

[Allan Nguyen 2G]

Like everyone else has replied to on this post, I highly recommend the UA workshops because they expose you do different types of problems that are very similar to questions on midterms and final exams.

[Audrey Han 3L]

Specifically, Justin, Matthew, Michael, and Kate are my go-to UAs and they all had great workshops last quarter (they're the only ones I could attend, but still). If you're looking for practice problems that aren't textbook problems or sapling but are still challenging and develop your understanding, I highly recommend going.

[Abby Lam 3F]

Going to UA sessions really helps because I sometimes don't have to motivation to study by myself. I really like how some UAs do a mini lecture because it's useful to hear the material again but in someone else's words. I would also recommend doing a lot of the homework problems.

[Adalia 3E]

The textbook problems helped me the most, especially since if I had problems with them I could either ask on Chem Community or search and see if others had the same problems as I did

[Annette Fishman]

In my opinion, watching lectures on the day they come out is the way to go. At one point, I was behind on fourteen lectures for a midterm, and it is almost impossible cramming that much. Asynchronous classes make it very easy to procrastinate, but promise me it will be way easier to follow along as you go. Same goes for the Sapling. Textbook problems are also helpful because they might also show up on exams. I also found the textbook reading to be a good summary of the sometimes "scattered" lectures.

[Kaley Qin 1F]

I'd say to do well on exams just do a lot of practice problems. As people mentioned above, UA worksheets are really helpful. And additionally, the homework problems on the outlines are good practice. The problems on sapling are relatively easy and only scratch the surface of the difficulty of problems that Lavelle usually covers.

[Khushi_Gupta_1A]

If you're someone who doesn't tend to well in exams, Lavelle's classes still give you an opportunity to get a good grade with all the points you get from the chemistry community and homework points so make sure you do those!

[705512695]

Make sure you use all the resources Lavelle has for us. Step up sessions, office hours, lectures, the sapling problems, text book homework, and his website all have things that can lead you to be really successful in this class.

[Hana Sigsbee 3B]

what I found to be most useful was ensuring I did all the assigned bookwork and then before exams making my own study guide out of questions from each topic that was assigned and doing even more practice.

[Truman Chong Dis 3G]

If possible I would definitely try to do as much practice as possible especially through the textbook questions. I would try to exhaust every possible resource that Professor Lavelle has provided for us such as the UA sessions, and office hours. For studying for the midterms, the outline serves as an effective study guide to help know what and how to study.

[Catie Donohue 2K]

I'd recommend doing textbook problems and going to UA sessions. Staying on top of Chemistry Community and Sapling to get all of those points was also a significant grade boost for me last quarter. Personally, the Sapling questions were not as helpful as the textbook problems. It can be tempting to skip them, but I think those were the most helpful resource for me last quarter (and then asking on Chemistry Community or in discussion section if there were problems you had trouble with).

[Savana Maxfield 3F]

So the step up sessions basically where people go through practice problems? I'm a little confused on the different between step up sessions and UA sessions.

Yeah! So basically, the step up sessions are UA sessions. The UAs (undergrad assistants) host peer learning sessions every week--the weekly schedule for these can be found on the 14B class website under the "Peer Learning Sessions and Step Up Program" tab. There are three different types of peer learning sessions: Step-Ups, Drop-Ins, and Workshops. Step-Up sessions go through step-by-step fundamentals working through prepared topics and worksheets for students who want step-by-step assistance. Drop-In sessions are for all students to ask questions and get involved in discussion. Workshops involve working through prepared topics and worksheets for students with a stronger chemistry background. These are all incredibly helpful, I highly recommend attending as many as possible, especially before exams. Hope this helps! :)

[Seraphina Joseph 1C]

I'd recommend staying on top of the work and lectures since the class goes very fast.

[lauren_tran_1L]

Remember that this course is very individualistic so keep up with the assigned problems, lectures, and study sessions because it's really easy to fall behind.

[Bhuvan Kommineni 3L]

Hi! I'm in the same boat as you! I did not take 14A with Lavelle, so a lot of this advice is useful.

[Kristina Krivenko 3I]

Hi! I also found UA sessions to be extremely helpful last quarter. I'd suggest going to many different UAs in the first couple weeks to see whose style / worksheets you like and then stick going to those UAs for the rest of the quarter. In addition, I try to read the textbook and take notes on it (whenever possible, because it is definitely time-consuming). I'd say doing textbook practice problems is essential (and some of the problems have showed up on midterms and finals!) and even redoing them before the midterm or final to refresh your knowledge and what you might've forgotten. I hope this helps :)

[jasonfarrales3D]

Hello! For me, what really helped me the most last quarter were the UA workshops that were hosted every week. The UAs are so helpful, not only do they give us really good practice problems, but they also explain the topics and address any misunderstandings. Furthermore, the problems on the syllabus were also a lot of help, and many of these problems sometimes showed up on future exams. Hope this helps!

[jia207]

Even though the lectures are asynchronous, I would try and keep up with them each week. If you don't its really hard to catch up when there's a midterm and concepts really build off each other.

[Blas_Rodriguez_1B]

Dr. Lavelle has many resources out there but the way they best helped me was by reading and practicing the textbooks and whatever I needed help with or had questions with, I would then go to step up sessions and ask for help or extra practice.

[Arti_Patel_3H]

You should definitely be going to step-up sessions, workshops, and Dr. Lavelle's office hours, but I also recommend doing the homework problems for every outline. I did pretty well on the midterms last quarter, but I definitely underestimated the difficulty of the final, so don't do that.

[RaniyaFeroz_1E]

You should go to the UA/step-up sessions. Also, do the textbook problems that are in the outline. Those really helped me last quarter.

[Logan Wiedemann 3J]

The step up sessions are a big help! Also, watching each lecture and reading through the solutions on the Sapling Learning questions are both great ways to learn the content and then review the content after a practice question!

[nayha a 1E]

I would definitely recommend watching all of the lectures and taking notes as well as going through the textbook problems. Also, the step-up sessions are very helpful!

[Sable Summerfield]

You should definitely be going to step-up sessions, workshops, and Dr. Lavelle's office hours, but I also recommend doing the homework problems for every outline. I did pretty well on the midterms last quarter, but I definitely underestimated the difficulty of the final, so don't do that.

Where is the outline and where I can I find the extra homework problems? Are the only homework problems the assignments due on sapling?

[Sable Summerfield]

Dr. Lavelle has many resources out there but the way they best helped me was by reading and practicing the textbooks and whatever I needed help with or had questions with, I would then go to step up sessions and ask for help or extra practice.

How close to the homework and practice problems are the exam questions? Are you saying that practicing the textbook questions is the best way to do well on the exams? What tips do you have for preparing for the exams and completing the homework well?

[Ashley Wagner 2A]

I would recommend doing the textbook problems that are stated in the outlines as that is what helped me the most last quarter.

[Daniel Hernandez 1G]

I found that doing the problems assigned from the textbook is very useful. Dr. Lavelle actively uses a few questions from those questions and uses it in his exams!

[Lauren Strickland 1B]

I would recommend doing the textbook problems and attending the step-up sessions.

[Kristine_Aramyan_3K]

these are great advices, thanks everyone. I didn't take chem 14a with Prof. Lavelle either, so this is all really helpful!

[Liam Bertrand 3]

Go to workshops constantly (I try for 2 a week) not just before tests. It really helps

[505598869]

I suggest focusing mainly on the outline problems and making sure you understand how to do them. Very similar problems are often on tests. UA sessions are helpful for a lot of people too.

[Rylee Mangan 1K]

1. Definitely attend Justin's workshop! Matthew's is also really helpful.
2. Watch the lecture the day they come out -- do not procrastinate
3. Last quarter I crammed the outlines before the test but I do not recommend this. Set aside 2 hours a week (can spread it over the days) and do textbook problems. The solutions manual is extremely helpful when you do not know how to approach a question.
4. Review sapling!!! I always reviewed sapling before the midterms to jog my memory
5. Do not be too hard on yourself. The tests are difficult but you will be prepared if you put in the effort
Best of luck!