Write everything out
It would be foolish for a musician to watch someone else play a
piece or to glance at a piece of music and say "that doesn’t look too
hard, I can do that". The concert would be a very bad place to realize
that they couldn’t play it. You don’t really know how hard it is until
you try it yourself. In chemistry, you must work it out for yourself in
writing. Solve the problem on paper or write out your explanation
before you are being tested. What you think you know and what you can
successfully write down may not be the same. The test is a terrible
place to find this out.
Practice daily
Wouldn’t it seem ridiculous for an athlete to put off practicing
until the night before the competition and then stay up all night
"cramming" for the event? Not only is there insufficient preparation
but the problem is compounded by not getting enough sleep. Several
shorter practices spread out over a period of time will do much more
good than a marathon session where your progress is impaired by fatigue.
When studying, don’t be afraid to take a short break and then return
to your work.
Don’t forget that the quality of your study time is as important as
the quantity of your studies. If athletes put on their gear and spend
two hours standing around drinking Gatorade, they should not claim to
have practiced for two hours. Likewise, a student sitting in the
library with the book open but socializing should not kid themselves
into thinking that they are studying. Find a place where you can work
with out being interrupted. Being a full time college student is a full
time job with lots of overtime involved. (And that does not even
include the extracurricular activities). It takes a lot of effort,
but the rewards are enormous.
Do your best work
Have you ever heard the expression "how you practice is how you
will play the game"? Just as sloppy play will often lose the game, and
sloppy playing will ruin the best piece of music, sloppy work habits
will ruin a good academic performance. The only way to avoid a sloppy
performance is to practice not being sloppy. When working a problem,
neatly and clearly write out your answer. Be sure your drawings and
figures are clear and labeled. Write out explanations in clear and
complete sentences. Check to make sure you chose the best words and
that they say what you really intended them to say. Being close to the
right answer may not get credit just as being close to the basket will
not score the points. Indeed, many points have been sacrificed for
inexact or unclear answers.
Think about the material all the time
Loving what you do and being good at it often go hand in hand.
People who love what they do think about it all the time and relate it
to their everyday lives. Good athletes seem to talk about their sport
all the time and always seem to be looking for a way to do it better.
Even when you are not formally studying, think about the concepts in
the course. While going for a walk, showering, or before you fall
asleep, think about the concepts and how you might explain it to someone
else. Relate the concept to what you see in life. This can be done
formally by thinking about phenomena in your daily life such the fizzing
of a glass of soda and thinking about what gas pressure and solubility
properties give rise to it. This can also be done less formally by
relating some abstract concept to a silly analogy such as relating the
concept of limiting reagent to making sandwiches. Don’t forget that
underneath the details is a topic that you used to find interesting.
Learn the material in small chunks
There may seem to be an overwhelming amount of material and
students have a tendency to go over all the material many times. With
so much information, very little is really learned even after several
repetitions. When learning a complicated piece of music, it is
fruitless to struggle all the way through a song day after day.
Instead, break the material into little pieces that you can concentrate
on until they are mastered. You may feel like you are spending a lot of
time to learn a small amount, but if the material is really learned you
will know it the next time you see it, and then, more can be added to
it. You may also find that once you really know a few concepts well,
the rest is easier to learn because it is related to what you already
know well. Athletes do not learn every play by running through all of
them quickly day after day. The plays are best learned one at a time,
step by step, until they become second nature. Don’t be afraid to
invest the time to learn it right. Take it one day at a time.
Concentrate on your work and let the grade take care of itself
The best performances in music or athletics require total
concentration. Paying attention to the score of the game or what the
audience is thinking takes away from you doing your best job. When
studying or taking a test, give it your complete attention. There will
be plenty of time later to think about the grade. The students who seem
to do the best in class give their full attention to learning the
material and, in the end, are often surprised by how good a grade they
get.
Prepare for class
Before coming to class, it is important to adequately prepare.
You should read the material several times if necessary. It may be
helpful to quickly scan the chapter to get an overview and to get a feel
for how the material will be presented and then go back and read more
carefully. Don’t forget to read the assigned questions as well. It is
always helpful to see what kind of skills you will be expected to have
so you can pay attention to the most important information. The reading
may be difficult and you may feel that you don’t get much out of it.
Remember that a chemistry book is not a novel that can be read briskly
but must be read slowly, several times, and digested as you go. One of
the most important skills that you will get from your college education
is to learn how to teach yourself. That is what you will take with you
when you forget most of the course material. By reading technically
difficult material and struggling through it, you improve your reading
skills and your ability to learn on your own.
Take an active part in class
Don’t forget the value of each class. With current tuition
rates, this course is costing you (or someone else) approximately
$50/hr, so pay attention! Coming to class overly tired or with a
hangover can be quite costly, especially if you remember that this is
probably the only time you will have to devote yourself completely to
academic pursuits. If you are able to convince yourself that this is
important to you, being involved will be easier. You should be involved
enough that you have an answer for each question posed during a
lecture, even if it is a wrong answer it is better than no answer at
all. You should be relating the lecture to the material that you read
in the book and thinking about whether it is consistent. You could also
be asking yourself the questions "does this make sense with what I
know from everyday life?" If you are really tuned in to a lecture, you
will often anticipate the next step of what is being presented.
Re-read the material
Now that you have gone to class and have some familiarity with the
material, it is important to re-read the chapter. This gives your brain
another chance to go over the material and it develops your ability to
read technically difficult material. Remember that your reading skills
are one of the most important things you will take with you when you
leave college. A musicians ability to read music is enhanced by reading
through a piece which is known well so that the brain can make
connections between the symbols and the ideas behind them. This helps
you to think in terms of those symbols. The material must be read again
when it will make sense. You are learning the language, you need to
practice reading it.
Write out everything you know
Reading and working problems are an important part of learning
chemistry. It is also important to take a blank piece of paper and
write out what you know about the topic as if you had to teach it to
someone else. This will force you to sift thought the mountain of
material and pull out the most important parts. Write out what you
think are the most important parts of the material and give examples,
draw pictures, make up a problem or think of an analogy to some other
topic. This is a great learning exercise as well as a confidence
builder. You need to practice facing a blank page so that you are
familiar with doing it before you get to the exam.
Work the problems without looking back at the chapter
Many students have a tendency to read a problem, find the
relevant section in the book, take the approach the author used and
apply it to their problem, quickly write down an answer and think that
they are done. Working problems in this manner gets students good at
finding answers in the book and perhaps recalling key words or
recognizing correct answers when they see them. The problem is that
exams do not usually ask you to find a section in the book or relate a
few key words. You need to be able to generate the answers on your own.
Again, "how you practice is how you will play the game". Being able
to play the chemistry game well, means a student can generate correct
answers without assistance. This skill is required on an exam, so you
will need to practice it. When you read a problem and you do not
immediately know the answer, resist the temptation to look back in the
book. Close the book, take a blank piece of paper and write out
anything you know about the problem. Try any way you can think of to
solve the problem. Many ways may not work, but try something. Some
people who are perfectionists have a very difficult time with this.
They do not want to write down wrong answers so they don’t write down
anything at all. By not writing anything down they can not solve the
problem so they get stuck. When you get stuck, start writing. When you
first try this you may feel like a rat crawling through a maze and you
will make a lot of wrong mental turns and bump into a lot of walls. But
after going through this maze several times you will be able to travel
it rapidly and get back on track even after making a wrong turn. This
maze that I am referring to is your thought process and it is different
for everyone. Only you can figure out how to get through yours. The
sooner you do this the better you will perform.
Study offensively rather than defensively
In sports, it is often said that the best defense is a good
offense. If you are only concerned about defending yourself on an exam,
you will make very little forward progress in your education. Many
students look at the material and say "I better go over this in case it
is on the test". With this attitude the student has already determined
that the only value this material has to them is that it may be on the
exam. The chances that the material will truly be learned, much less
retained, is small. Instead, try studying offensively. Say "I am
going to master this topic because it is important (and maybe even
interesting)to me. If I see it on the exam I will know it". See the
exam as a challenge and an opportunity to score some points, not as a
defensive play in which you may lose the game. It is important to be
balanced here because being too confident may also be detrimental; don’t
celebrate until after you are in the end zone because you may still
drop the ball. In short, attack the material and avoid overconfidence.
Check your answers
Many people think that they can sing quite well, until they
listen to a recording of themselves. It is only then that they hear
what they sound like to others. You can’t sing well unless you learn to
listen to yourself. The same is true in academics. Many times,
students think that they have a good performance on an exam and put down
answers that make sense to them at the time. After getting the exam
back they realize that their answers didn’t make sense. Each student
needs to learn to be critical of their own work. Again, this takes
practice. When working the problems, before you check your answers with
the book, take a minute and ask yourself "does this make sense?" "Is
this as complete as I could make it?" Double check your answers and make
sure they are perfect. It is important for you to be more critical of
your own work than the grader will be. Also go back and make sure that
you answer the question which was asked. Get in the habit of
correcting arithmetic, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and clarity
since these elements are essential for good communication (i.e. full
credit).
Relax on the test
The superstar athletes are the ones who perform the best under
pressure. Those who become anxious, go down in flames. Anxiety
destroys your concentration and detracts from you showing what you can
really do. And when you think about it, what good does worrying do
anyway? Remember that in a few million years the sun will blow up and
the Earth will be destroyed and then it won’t really matter how you did
on one little exam. Seriously though, instead of worrying, take the
attitude that you have worked your hardest to prepare and that you will
just concentrate on doing your best and that you will accept what you
get on the exam. Just do your best and stop worrying that you are not
good enough. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.
Learn from your mistakes
Many students have a tendency to get back an exam, look at their
score, get upset and use that energy to make them more nervous on the
next exam. This is missing a very important opportunity to do some
serious learning. When you get an exam back and after you have gotten
over the shock of the grade, it is time to look at your mistakes and ask
yourself what went wrong. Were you concentrating? Were you nervous?
Were you clueless about the material? Did you know the answer but have
trouble writing what you thought you knew? Did you think that all your
answers were correct until you got the exam back? Would you give the
same answers if you took the exam again? Most of these situations can
be remedied with the advice above. A bad exam score is trying to tell
you something, stop and listen to what it is. If you can truly say that
you did your best, then you need to change the way you study. This is a
golden opportunity to improve your performance next time.
Get help when you need it
The responsibility for learning the material is yours and no one
else’s. Talk to the instructor, or find a tutor. If you are having
trouble understanding the material from the reading, find another source
such as a different textbook that may present the material in a
different style. Find a student who has had the course in the past.
There is a tremendous amount of assistance out there, but it won’t help
you unless you ask for it. This is your education, you should care
enough to take the initiative.
Decide if you are willing to "pay the price"
Getting a superior grade is like winning an athletic or musical
competition, it takes some talent and a lot of hard work. Very often,
this comes at a price and those who do the best are typically the ones
who consistently work the hardest. Each student needs to determine
the importance of their academic performance and make the necessary
adjustments in their life. I point this out so that you at least
become aware of the importance of your studies in your life. If you are
honest with yourself about the importance of your academic career and
make the necessary lifestyle adjustments, your life will be much less
stressful. Think about your long term goals and decide what value your
academic performance, extracurricular activities, and social life will
have in the long run. Make the necessary adjustments in your schedule.
Balance does not necessarily mean equal time for all. Remember, there
is no room on your transcript for excuses.
Remember that you are here for more than a grade
One of the most important things that you can learn in college
is to learn how to teach yourself. Most of the material from the course
will eventually be forgotten unless it is regularly reviewed. What you
will take with you will be your education; the ability to independently
gather and analyze information, make informed decisions and communicate
them clearly. The course material is the medium by which we exercise
these abilities. The course material is important and interesting on
its own, but it is also a vital part of a liberal education. Learning
the material is important but not as important as the process of
learning how to learn.
Source: C. A. Liberko 8/18/98, Study Tips for Chemistry Students (What I Wish They Had Told Me As An Undergraduate).
