Some career options require you to take one or more chemistry courses in college. While this should not cause any alarm, many students feel threatened by the very idea of taking chemistry courses.
If you are one of them, this really shouldn’t worry you much. If anything, you should think of it as yet another challenge you will take on, and no doubt, overcome in your journey towards a stellar career.
Once you enroll in chemistry courses, you will notice that some students will make excellent grades right off the bat. So what are their trade secrets? Here are tips to help you study chemistry much better.
1. Explore Learning Tools and Resources
There are numerous learning aids and resources chemistry students can use to help support their studies.
A good example is the half-life calculator for any radioactive process with steps. Not only will this calculator give you answers to chemistry problems, but it will also show you the steps followed to arrive at an answer. Using it gives you answers and learning how to work out problems, which learning is all about.
Feel free to explore different learning tools and learn their usage so they can aid your studies.
2. Create a Study Schedule
Create a study schedule and include chemistry study time on it. At times, you will find that studying chemistry is the last thing you want to do.
Try not to give in. instead, push through with the study session and give it your best. You want to create a positive attitude towards chemistry and form a system that allows you to give your chemistry lessons the best shot.
Over time, you will likely notice reduced internal resistance when your timetable reads chemistry. The good news is that the harder you work at it, the closer you will get to better grades.
3. Make Flashcards
Your brain processes illustrations much faster than it does written text. As such, you can gain a lot of ground by making flashcards with diagrams and flowcharts to study with.
When you need to go through a chapter, use the flashcards to read the information or test your knowledge. During exams, you might find yourself almost visualizing what was in the flashcards. This level of memory and recall can be instrumental in helping you learn.
4. Join A Study Group
A good study group is a valuable resource in any course you are studying.
If you can join or create a chemistry study group, you will benefit immensely from it. For starters, you will have your peers bounce ideas off of, explain concepts, quiz each other, and so on.
This mode of study will also be a welcome break from lone study.
To make the most of it, however, you will need to maximize this time. This will mean being punctual to all sessions, remaining attentive during a session, and actively participating in the day’s discussion.
5. Read Ahead
Granted, the most common model is reviewing notes immediately after a class. However, chemistry calls for one to read on a topic before attending the lecture for it.
You might wonder how this is helpful, considering you might not fully grasp the concepts by yourself. However, this should not worry you.
This study method aims to give you an idea of what to expect and where problem areas lie. Then, when you walk into a lecture with this information in mind, you learn more consciously, as you know where the complexities lie. You will be keen in class to improve your understanding of problem areas, making each lesson more meaningful.
