What is the hardest subject in high
school? Some would say Calculus. Others would throw out AP World History or AP
Spanish Language and Culture. In all honesty, it depends. Some subjects are
harder than others because of the teacher or personal preferences. However, we
encourage students to develop a growth mindset, meaning that any subject can be
mastered with the right system. We are here to give students the tips, tactics,
and systems they need to master anything. Let’s start with Chemistry!
Chemistry is one of the most
daunting subjects that many students will face throughout their time in high
school. This math-science hybrid can be tricky for even the brightest students
but fear not. The following strategies and tips will help streamline any student’s
efforts in order to get the biggest return on time spent studying.
Memorize the Important Items and Master the Basics
Learning chemistry is like learning a foreign language. Just
like vocabulary is the key to progressing in Spanish class, elements and ions
are the building blocks for Chemistry. Master the basics early. Chemistry
students are asked to memorize a large list of vocabulary and abbreviations
from day one. While it would be nice to be able to skate by without taking the
time to memorize the periodic table of elements, it is not a feasible strategy
for someone looking to be successful in a Chemistry class. Time spent at the
forefront learning the abbreviations for common elements, polyatomic ions,
and nomenclature rules is time well spent! There will be an early exam on
these items, and despite the seemingly large volume of the material, it will be
one of the easiest tests to ace. Even after the first test has passed and the
material becomes more advanced, if a student is unable to name elements or
decipher chemical formulas, he or she will be unable to apply gas laws, predict
molecular geometry, or calculate acid/base titrations. Think about it this way.
Without the alphabet, a student cannot form words, sentences, or essays.
Without elements and ions, students cannot unleash their inner chemist.
Learn Units and Conversions
Students can get ahead and stay ahead when it comes time for
equations and formulas in Chemistry if they are well-versed in units and
conversions. Dimensional analysis and stoichiometry are two of the largest
components during the first semester and both of these topics are heavily
dependent upon the ability to convert materials from one unit of measurement to
another. Understanding which units account for which measurements can help
students to recall formulas, to predict the direction of a problem, and to pick
up as many points as possible on all computation problems. For example, if a
student knows that weight is given in Newtons (force), and that one Newton is
equivalent to one kilogram-meter/second2, that mass is given in
kilograms, and acceleration in meter/second2, it is relatively
simple to work backward to arrive at Newtons second law of motion:
1
N = 1 kg * meter/second2
(force)
= (mass) * (acceleration) à
F=ma
Chemistry can often seem like an entirely new set of rules
for math, but it isn’t. By mastering units of measurement early, students can
turn seemingly complex chemistry problems into relatively simple algebra
problems.
Do not Memorize Everything
Yes, memory is important, but trying to memorize everything
for a chemistry class is a recipe for disaster. The combination of the first
two tips makes it critical to say, “Students do not need to memorize every
single conversion factor!” If a student masters dimensional analysis and metric-metric
and imperial-imperial conversions, he/she only really needs to memorize one
conversion from metric to imperial for each of the base units. For example, if
a student knows that 2.54 cm = 1 in, they do not also have to know that 1.609
km = 1 mile, or 9.144 decimeters = 1 yard, or that 1 mm = 6.213 x 10-7 miles.
The key to learning is to slowly turn new material into stuff you can do
on autopilot. In other words, divide and concur. Learn a concept well enough so
that you don’t have to memorize the process each week. With most chemistry
concepts, strive for mastery, not memory.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Lastly, practice identifying the givens and working
problems. There are generally only a handful of ways that the problems can be
asked for any given set of material. If a student has practiced each of these
ways a few times, there should never be any surprise questions on an
exam. Teachers make an effort to preview the types of problems that students
will be tested on in lectures, homework assignments, and quizzes prior to each
exam. Students are sure to succeed if they pay attention to the clues that
teachers give and then practice what they have learned. Sometimes there is no
substitute for practice. You cannot learn to ride a bike by reading a book, you
cannot learn to swim without getting in the water, and you cannot truly learn
how to do some chemistry problems without putting pen to paper. Too many
students assume they know how to do certain problems without ever actually
testing themselves. Don’t make this mistake. Students should always put
themselves in a test scenario before the teacher utters the words, “Clear off
your desk of any notes and take out a #2 pencil.”
At the end of the day, chemistry is a class like any other.
With the right system, it can be easy. If your student struggles with
chemistry, let us know. We have a plethora of capable chemists on our team who
can not only teach executive functioning skills like organization and time
management but also pass along their chemistry tips and tricks. For more
information, visit our services page.
