Numerous careers require chemistry knowledge; this aside, some colleges require students to take at least one chemistry class as a pre-requisite for graduation.
Whether you take chemistry because it’s required or it’s a stepping stone to your future career goals, you want a good grade at the end.
While chemistry can be a challenging class for some students, it doesn’t necessarily have to be. At times, all you need to do is find the right approach, and you will start seeing an improvement in your grades. Use these pointers to get you on the right track.
Try The Flipped Classroom Method
Traditionally, a student attends class and learns new material. They then go home and review what they learned that day. The flipped classroom method is the complete opposite of this.
Here, students read up on a topic or lesson before attending the lecture. This method has been effective in learning chemistry because students come to class with a level of familiarization with the subject matter.
This makes following the lesson much more effortless. In addition, students already know where they had difficulty and will focus on these areas during the classroom session and ask questions for clarity.
Utilize All Available Study Tools
Working smart is just as important as working hard. When studying chemistry, always look for tools and resources to support your studies and enhance your understanding.
Something as simple as a good half-life calculator can aid your study sessions and help you get your assignments done faster.
Aside from the calculator, online vlogs explain chemistry concepts in an easy-to-digest manner. Consider adding these to your study arsenal.
Seek To Understand
There is a lot to learn in chemistry. So much so that trying to memorize information is a sure way to get bogged down and overwhelmed. It’s simply not a working formula.
A better way to go about it is to make an effort and understand the fundamental concepts. Once you know the cause and effects behind the concepts you learn, it will be easier to connect other sets of information and even recall specific material.
Learn Actively
Even when you are feeling a bit tired, try and avoid sitting passively in class. Passive learning makes it easier for you to miss out on important information discussed in class.
Instead, go to class ready to listen and take notes, even if the instructor gives handouts. Listen to explanations and examples and make notes in a clear way that will help you recall the lecture and its content much clearly later on as you review your notes.
Take Advantage of Lab Time
You learn a lot during lab time, and not just that, but the lab offers more fun, practical way to learn. There is no substitute for hands-on experience.
As such, take every opportunity possible to get some lab time. If there is a possibility of getting extra time, consider it as well.
Learning at the lab is a fun way to learn, but doing things can further strengthen your knowledge and understanding of chemistry.
Use Study Groups
Because chemistry can get complex, studying solo with textbooks can get monotonous pretty quickly. It can also be ineffective because you have no recourse when studying a topic you don’t understand.
This is why study groups come in handy.
Studying in groups allows participants to share notes, books, explain concepts, teach each other different material, and so on. This is often much more productive than trying to study on your own, getting distracted, zoning off, and so on.
