 |
Information | Policies | Grades | Labs | |
| Calendar | Notes | Hints | Safety |
Hints - Updated
August 20, 2010
|
||||||||||
Hints - Updated
August 20, 2010
|
| Chemistry 152/152L Fall 2010 Syllabus: Study Hints | |
| Learn chemistry in
class and lab;
don't wait til you get home and don't hope that the book will
make more sense than I do (although in some cases, it probably
will). My exams are directly related to the material I cover
in class. Practice problems, quizzes, laboratory questions, and
in-class or take-home activities are meant to reinforce and
enable practice of the knowledge you gained in class. Learn
now, while you're sitting here with me, so don't put it off
until you get home. I'm here to help you learn chemistry. Take excellent notes on everything I say and write in class. You're here to listen, ask questions, and learn actively. This is your chance. Scribble quickly and learn chemistry during class. Don't wait until the day (or hour) before each exam. Go home after class and copy your notes neatly into another notebook. Recopying your notes in your own words, with the textbook nearby to amplify and clarify the information) is often a good way to learn things. Read the book. Skim each chapter before I cover it, then you will have some idea of which questions to ask. You'll also be more aware of what I am skipping. After lecture, use the suggested practice problems to focus your reading toward the parts of the chapter that I talk about in class. More Suggestions: An understanding of chemical concepts and calculations requires thought and practice. Don't expect to fully comprehend everything. And don't just give up when you don't "get it" immediately. Expect to study hard; strive to study effectively; figure out what I want you to know. This course is as much a course in problem solving ("word problems") as it is a conceptual and descriptive chemistry course. My goal is to make everyone comfortable with science and to help each of you earn an "A" in this class. If you pay attention, follow directions, ask questions, challenge yourself to learn in class, actively review at home, figure out what you'll see on exams, and read the manual before you arrive to lab, then you'll do well. Exam Preparation. I expect each of you to take responsibility for your own learning both in class and while you're studying at home. You'll soon realize that actively challenging yourself to do the problems during class or lab, and practicing at home are the best ways to figure out what I want you to know and to get ready for my exams. Start now. |
Be Interested. You'll
get best results if you listen carefully while you're in class. Try
to act interested (it may be habit-forming). The first things you
should expect to see on a test are the topics that I cover in class and examples that I provide for practice.
If you realize this truth now, you'll be happier with your performance
on exams and quizzes later in the semester. If you focus on learning only
from the book, you'll probably be misdirecting your time and effort.
Ask questions! It is my job to answer them. Scientists are curious characters! People either know all of the answers or they ask. I usually assume people understand me. If you are so lost that you don't know what to ask, then ask me what to ask! Yes, try it. I have never heard an unnecessary question, and I am not one of those people who judges students negatively based on the questions that they ask. On the contrary, I admire those of you who are smart enough and brave enough to clarify things before you need to take an exam and before an assignment is due. Don't ever think that you don't deserve to ask a question, or that you're going to "drag the rest of the class down" if you ask a "simple" question during class. Those are the lamest excuses I know. The best time to ask questions is during class. The second best time is anytime via email. I've had email for about 30 years now, and I've never been bothered by a message from someone I know. Those of you who ask questions eventually become the smartest people in the class. Those who neither know nor ask will find this course very difficult to pass. Okay, now read this paragraph again. The PLACe, our tutoring center, is located in D-106. They have tutors, practice tests, advice about studying, computer drills, and more. Textbook Website. Our textbook has an optional website called http://www.masteringchemistry.com. An access code comes with the new textbook. Contact the publisher to buy a code if you bought the textbook used. Although not required, you may use and will benefit from the learning tools on this website. Notes Page. Check this website's "Notes" page often for copies of handouts, exams, answer keys, presentations, and other resources. |
| "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun." - Mary Poppins |