Chemistry is one of those subjects that people find both intriguing and difficult.
It weaves together topics like math, physics, and biology in a way that can be hard for students to make sense of. Chemistry is one of the most difficult subjects for students. But once you understand these ten secret techniques, making sense of it will be a breeze. Always take example problems. Example, calculate the ph when 12.875 ml of hcl has been added. No matter what the book says, always make sure you take the example problems in each chapter. First, it will help you see how problems should be done, which can make problem-solving easier for yourself.
#1 Get organized:
To help you get your thoughts in order, it’s best to write out the specific steps of what you will do before actually doing them. This technique also comes in handy if you are studying a new idea and are not sure how to proceed. Study more efficiently by following this top 10 list of lab safety precautions and inventing your own mnemonic device to remember them all.
#2 Speak the language:
How do you describe something that is not at all like anything in known human language? Chemistry still has its own language, don’t forget to learn it! (Tip: Plenum, ionic bond, Lewis dot structure). Learn how to diagram organic molecules using VSEPR theory before you start memorizing Dalton’s atomic theory and other memorization-type things.
#3 Take notes:
Write down the important things you want to remember from the lecture and practice the art of synthesizing informatics. When you are learning vocabulary and concepts, take notes. When you are studying for exams, take notes on what you want to memorize. If you’re a chemistry nerd like me, take notes on all the things that pique your interest. This is invaluable for remembering stuff later down the line.
#4 Take pictures:
If you are taking notes, you need pictures to go with them. Attach a picture to your notes so that you can quickly glance at it and remember what the teacher is trying to get across. You can learn more by seeing pictures of molecular structures than by reading about them, especially if they’re comic book depictions. Movie clips are best because the images stay with you longer than black and white drawings in a textbook. Be sure to label the pictures with dates or names so that you know who’s who and when something was discovered or made.
#5 Study with friends:
If you’re in a chemistry class, your classmates are also probably revising for exams. This can be a great opportunity to study together, learn from each other and make chemistry more fun. In fact, doing homework together can improve your grade by up to 20% because of the increased effort you put in and collaboration that occurs.
#6 Read smart:
Chemical reactions are not fully predictable and may not occur at all under certain conditions. Therefore, read books and articles while listening to music or watching movies or playing video games—whatever helps you relax—to take your mind off learning the material. This prevents burnout, reduces stress and makes it easier to retain the information.
#7 Use mnemonics:
When learning about chemical reactions or equations, try using a mnemonic device to memorize them. For example, “There are 9 planets in the solar system” is a better way of remembering the first nine elements on the periodic table (hydrogen through neon) than just reading the name of each element and then fudging around with other numbers. Mnemonic devices also help you learn certain formulae. For example, “My very eager mother just served us nine pizzas” can be used to remember the numerical values of each letter in PEMDAS (parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division and addition, subtraction).
#8 Get creative:
People typically remember things better when they’re presented in a way that’s associated with a strong emotion or feeling. For example, if you have to remember the elements between Ca and Sc, imagine being taken on a rollercoaster ride; Ca might be the front seat and Sc would be the back seat. This is helpful in remembering how many electrons are found in each period (row). If you have to remember an unusually large number of elements, try linking them together using Mnemonics.
#9 Watch movies:
Watching movies about chemistry or using them as background noise as you study is a great way to absorb information better than just reading or listening alone. This is because movies are more of a multi-sensory experience and desensitize you to the fact that you’re studying or revising, which makes it easier to learn.
#10 Teach someone else:
Helping people who have less knowledge than you can make chemistry a lot more interesting and comprehensible. This also has benefits for your grades because teaching others helps you understand concepts better than just reading a textbook or listening to a lecture without questions being asked.
Conclusion:
The next time you’re revising for a chemistry exam, remember these 10 secret techniques and you won’t have to sweat it out in that high-stress environment. As the old saying goes, “When the going gets tough, start using these ten secret techniques.”
