Most Helpful Resource

[Korosh Bahrami]

Since I did not take Lavelle for CHEM14A, I was wondering which academic resource he provides is the most beneficial and helpful? Is it Lavelle's office hours, TA office hours, UA office hours, etc.?

[EmmaSaid3C]

Each resource has a different format, so it really depends on which setting you prefer. However, each resource offers the chance to ask questions, so they are all beneficial in that regard. UA office hours are more of a group work setting while TA office hours are more similar to discussion sections.

[Mikaela Gareeb 3G]

I found the UA hours especially helpful because there are so many of them, but also because there are fewer people there so you can ask more questions. Also, since the UAs are usually third- or forth-years they can give you practice problems from earlier versions of the course reader.

[Angela_Kim_1N]

I personally really liked the UA office hours because they are students that have taken this class before. So they tend to know what topics we would struggle in and they explain it in a way that is easy to understand. Also, UA sessions are done in small groups so it was easy to get my questions answered. I also found posting questions on Chemistry Community really helpful as well.

[Martha Xuncax 3G]

If you can you should also join AAP. They meet twice a week for an hour and a half, and the peer facilitators have taken the class so they know what's to be expected. Plus, they go along with Lavelle's lessons, so it's really helpful!

[christy_zambrano_2E]

I believe AAP helps a lot! I had it last quarter and felt it was a life savior, especially because I felt required to go. The program takes attendance and there in small groups. However, I think the best action to do is try out all at least once and see which system works best for you.

[Amy_Bugwadia_3I]

Attending the UA office hours was definitely beneficial to me last quarter, especially before the quizzes. My TA's office hours were also very useful, because he was able to provide me with often one-on-one help in solving certain homework problems step-by-step or anything else related to the course.

[Mizuno_Mikaela_1D]

All of the office hours are extremely helpful! I would suggest going to as many as possible and also try to figure out which of the UA/TA's teaching styles are a good fit for you because they all hold their sessions a bit differently!

[Yuchien Ma 2L]

I personally found the chemistry community to be the most helpful out of all the resources available, because it is available 24/7 and you can post whenever and wherever.
Whenever you have a question, you can always post it online, and then multiple people will answer your question through different approaches and methods.

[Flamingos 3L]

In my opinion the TA office hours and UA have been a blessing. They're all know what they're doing so asking them to explain most of the problems helps greatly, especially on HW since there are some really confusing ones out there.

[Rika Jitosho 2E]

Something that I don't believe has been mentioned yet are the practice exams that Dr. Lavelle provides for us. They are a fantastic resource in terms of being able to test whether or not you can apply the concepts you've studied. In Chem 14A, I found that sometimes reading and studying a concept can be quite different from the actual application of the material, and completing problems as practice proved very useful.

[DBaquero]

Yeah I'm inclined to agree. The practice exams and quizzes in the course reader were probably the most helpful resource for me, especially because they had some more difficult, or at least different, questions than the textbook. Of course, like everyone else is saying attending UA (or TA) office hours are great ways to become more familiar with the course material.

[Tiffany_Luu_1F]

I too did not have 14A with Lavelle and was wondering how useful you all think it is to read from the book? I am trying that right now and am not retaining that much information.

[Grace 3G]

Try finding other people to create a study group! I have trouble sometimes concentrating on studying in my room so I have found that especially for harder subjects like chemistry, study groups are great for homework and understanding the material better in preparation for quizzes and exams. Study partners are especially nice because other people might also still be up at 2AM working on assignments.

[Mana_Sheykhsoltan_1A]

I find it helpful to read the book first. I like to take notes while reading so I have a greater tendency to retain the information. I then go over the course reader notes and do the assigned problems. Afterwards, I do practice problems, such as the quiz problems in the course reader. Hope this helps!