Improvement in chem!

[cjsmith]

I now believe I know how to study for chemistry exams with this teacher.

1) When in doubt, memorize. How many joules in a calorie? How many joules in a liter-atmosphere? What's the gas constant in your instructor's favorite units? What's Planck's constant? What's the density of mercury (for water barometer problems)? What's the constant in Balmer's equation for hydrogen lines? Know them all.

2) The day before exam time, do one homework problem of each major type. Molarity, gas stoichiometry, redox titration, heats of formation, pressure-volume work -- anything that was covered in the appropriate chapters needs to run through the brain once at this point.

3) During the exam, show every last possible detail of work that can possibly be imagined. Explicitly multiply by "1000 mL / 1 L" when needed, and do not skip a single step of algebra. FILL the page. Use the back.

I got a 98. Now if only I can do it again the Monday after Thanksgiving, and then one last time on the final.

Comments

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Yay for 98%. Memorizing constants sucks. My good science profs have given constants on exams. Conversions between units, sure. Good to know, but constants? Sheesh.

Your study method seems quite similar to my own. The day before, I'd take a single sheet of notebook paper and write down, with reference to notes, text, etc., all the important formulas, facts, etc. Then I'd go through and do one of each type of problem, again with reference. Next, do both things again, this time w/o reference.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes! That single sheet of paper approach has helped me numerous times. Sometimes I cover the sheet of paper with sticky notes (to obscure the "answers") and study by lifting up the flaps. When I don't even need to lift the sticky notes to check myself, I'm ready.