Fall 2011/Spring 2012

Before lecture of new material, read the appropriate sections in your text.

After lecture, go through your lecture notes and the appropriate parts covered from the text book. Make sure you understand the Examples, and try the Section Exercises. Make sure you can work through any examples we go through in class.

Attempt the homework (online or from class) before the next class. It's important to get practice answering questions because that's how the Exams will assess whether you understood the material. If you have questions either about the material or how to solve the any of the problems, please come by my office and ask. I'm more than happy to help you!

Keep a notebook with your work as you go through the Mastering Chemistry homework problems. It will help you practice writing not just the answers to a problem but also showing your work, which will be expected on the exams. It will also be easier for me to help you if you come to my office with a question because you can show me how you have attempted to work a problem. It will also be much easier for you to review the material before the exam too!

Keep up with the material. Later topics build on earlier topics. Make sure you understand the previous material otherwise you'll struggle through the current material.

If you've been keeping up, then when exam time comes around you'll just need to review your notes, examples, problems you've tried. And if you like, you can try last year's exams (but take them with a grain of salt). There are also plenty more questions at the end of each chapter in the textbook that you can try.

As you look through examples and problems, think about how the questions can be modified, and how you would solve the modified questions.

If you're struggling through the class (or not doing as well as you think you should be), I will probably ask you the following questions in order.
1. Did you understand what was going on in lecture?
2. Did you do the homework after the lecture, before the next lecture?
3. Did you go over your lecture notes and the appropriate parts of the text shortly after we covered the topic in class?
My goal is to help you learn the material, but you also have to do your part in the learning process, which is essential.

For general principles of effective studying (for any class, not just this one), you can see the following series of short videos at Samford University: How to Get the Most out of Studying (by Dr. Stephen Chew)