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How to Study for Chemistry – It’s a Daily Choice

When I was in high school, I was one of those students who hated everything about chemistry, and it showed. I didn’t “get” bonding, carbon rings, balancing equations, and a lot of other stuff, but the course had to be passed to get into college, so I was stuck. Fortunately the instructor was a kindly soul who took mercy on kids like me, and we were allowed to do “extra credit” reports which ultimately brought our grades up to a “C.” Otherwise we would have failed the course. Looking back upon that experience, it is clear what went wrong – chemistry was not on my daily list of studying. Homework could be copied from a friend; tests could be “crammed for” the night before in the hopes that there would be enough “multiple guess” questions that we could get correct.

Some Subjects are “Cumulative”

In a literature class, once you have completed a major work, it is over. You move on to the next novel or play without looking back. This is not the case with courses like chemistry. Everything you learn in one chapter is the foundation for what comes next. So if you fail to master the content in that chapter, you will not be able to master what comes next. The most important of all chemistry study tips, then, is to stay current at all times. And there are others too.

Tips for How to Study Chemistry

There are some things you can and must do if you intend to pass any chemistry course with a good grade. Here are the most important.

1. Don’t miss a class or a lab, even if you have to drag yourself there. If you do miss one, try to find the same class on the schedule and sit in on it. If that’s not possible, get in touch with one of the “brainiacs” in the course and get his/her notes and any explanations you need.
2. Complete any coursework assignment as soon after the class as possible. When stuff is still “fresh” in your mind and you practice it right away by doing the assignments, you have a much better chance of remembering it.
3. Join a study group either on campus or online. There are some great websites where you can join a group
4. Get help as soon as you do not understand something. You cannot afford to “miss a beat” in this type of course. Sometimes you can hook up with another student as quickly after class as possible to get some help. If you put it off, however, you will get “lost” and getting caught up is a painful process.

As you can see, all of these chemistry tips involve really “staying on top” of the course content on a daily basis. This is not like a history, sociology, or English class, where you can slack off and then get yourself caught up without any outside help.