10 Tips for New Chemistry Students
An earlier version of this article appeared in Greg’s now-defunct chemistry website, Science Help Online Chemistry.
Welcome to Chemistry, the Science concerned with the study of matter. You are beginning your study of one of the most interesting subjects that you will ever come across. As is the case with all subjects, what you will get out of your Chemistry class will depend upon what you put into it. Chemistry can intrigue and enlighten you or it can confound and frustrate you. It all depends upon the effort you are willing to put into your studies. If you keep an open mind, and listen to your teacher, a course in Chemistry will change the way you view the world!
Chemistry is a skills based course, and many of the most important lessons will come in the first few weeks. You must start off with good study habits from the very beginning, or you risk falling behind. Unfortunately, some students who start off slow wind up becoming frustrated early on. They fail to develop the natural love for the subject that comes to those who work at it. Below are some tips to help ensure that you get the most out of the course:
Set a goal for yourself. - It is hard to stay on track if you don’t have a destination in mind. Successful adults got that way be setting goals and focusing on achieving them. As a student, you should be setting goals for yourself and then working towards them consistently. Having a goal in mind allows you to focus your considerable energy in a particular direction. Why not begin the year by setting a goal to earn an “A” in chemistry.? Don’t just tell yourself, “I want an ‘A’ in chemistry.” Aim for the “A” and direct your efforts, starting with the first day of class, on achieving it.
Tap into your inner curiosity. - Children are constantly asking, “Why?” questions. It is in our nature to be curious about the universe that we live in. One of the greatest things about chemistry is that, if you pay attention and actively explore the subject, you will find the answers to many of the questions that you have always wondered about. In fact, you will find answers to questions that you never even thought about asking. Learning chemistry is like reading the manual that comes with a new video game, except it describes the universe that you live in.
Do the reading faithfully. - Don't try to get through the course by just listening to your teacher. Your teacher will assume that you are coming to class having read the text, and he or she will expect you to have that background knowledge required to follow the lessons. Most importantly, you will not be able to ask clarifying questions, if you have never read the book.
Ask as many questions as you want to. - Like any teacher, your Chemistry teacher uses the feedback from the class to determine whether or not his or her lessons are clear enough. The types of questions that you and your classmates ask will tell your teacher more than the results of any exam. Some students are embarrassed to admit that something is unclear, but this subject is new to you. There is no shame in admitting that you are not sure about a subject that is new to you!
Take careful notes in class and at home. - Learning to take proper notes is one of the most important skills that you should be developing in High School. Note-taking isn’t only about recording information that you will need to recall at some later date. The very act of taking notes allows our brains to process the information. Don’t limit note-taking to the classroom. When you do reading assignments, or even when you do written homework, get in the habit of recording key ideas in your notebook.
Get help early and often. - As soon as you notice that you are not following along with the class discussion you should address the problem. Don’t let your lack of understanding turn into hopeless frustration. There are so many sources for extra help, and you should take advantage of them. Make an appointment to see your teacher after school, search YouTube for a series of videos or ask one of your classmates for help. Don't stop getting extra help until you feel confident in your grasp of the subject.
Take advantage of the learning opportunities in laboratory classes. - Many of the lab activities that you will do will seem exciting. Dramatic chemical reactions can cause any heart to beat a little faster. However, if you don't understand the concepts behind the activities than they become nothing more than magic shows! Strive to understand every aspect of these activities and you will find that they are a fun way to learn Chemistry.
Do your written homework correctly. - It may seem that you are saving time when you copy homework from a friend or from the back of a textbook, but you are really causing yourself some trouble. Each assignment is designed to reinforce a specific concept. If you don't do the homework correctly, you may not master the concepts. Remember that your task is never to complete a specific set of problems, but rather to master a topic or skill.
Grapple with the Abstractions. - One of the things that many students struggle with in chemistry is that much of the course is devoted to the invisible, submicroscopic world of; electrons, protons, atoms and molecules. You are being asked to learn about things that you can’t even see! However, you should do your best to understand that everything that we experience in the macroscopic world that we can see is based on the construction of the submicroscopic world. Why do many metals conduct electricity? Why are certain gases combustible? Why does water expand when it freezes? You can only come to understand so many things about the macroscopic world that you can observe, by making connections to the submicroscopic world that you can’t directly observe. By the way, computer simulations and applets are excellent resources for helping you make these connections.
Study in groups. - Chemistry is much harder when you try to learn it in isolation. Try to form a study group on the first week of school. Having people to talk to about Chemistry will help you avoid the frustration that comes from feeling that you are the only one having difficulty with a particular concept or type of problem. You will also be more likely to ask questions when you see that an idea may not be clear to others as well.
Students - I hope that these tips help! Teachers - Do you have any additional tips for our young readers? Join our team of teachers by joining the discussion. Comment in the section below.
