Welcome to
Chemistry, the Science concerned with the study of matter. You are beginning the
study of one of the most interesting subjects that you will ever come across. As is
the case with all subjects, what you will get out of Chemistry will depend upon what you
put into it. Chemistry can intrigue and enlighten you or it can confound and
frustrate you. It all depends upon the effort you are willing to put into your
studies. If you keep an open mind, and listen to your teacher, a course in Chemistry
will change the way you view the world!
Chemistry is a skills based course,
and many of the most important lessons will come in the first few weeks. You must
start off with good study habits from the very beginning, or you risk falling behind.
Unfortunately, some students who start off slow wind up becoming frustrated
early on. They fail to develop the natural love for the subject that comes to those
who work at it. Below are some tips to help ensure that you get the most out of the
course:
Do
the reading faithfully. Don't try to get through the course by just
listening to your teacher. Your teacher will assume that you are coming to class
having read the text, and he or she will expect you to have that background knowledge
required to follow the lessons. Most importantly, you will not be able to ask
clarifying questions, if you have never read the book.
Ask
as many questions as you want to. Like any teacher, your Chemistry teacher
uses the feedback from the class to determine whether or not his or her lessons are clear
enough. The types of questions that you and your classmates ask will tell your
teacher more than the results of any exam. Some students are embarrassed to admit
that something is unclear, but this subject is new to you. There is no shame in
admitting that you are not sure about a subject is new to you!
Get
help early and often. As soon as you notice that you are not following
along with the class discussion you should address the problem. There are so many
sources for extra help, and you should take advantage of them. Make an appointment
to see your teacher after school, or ask one of your classmates for help. Search the
Internet for sites with additional information.Don't
stop getting extra help until you feel confident in your grasp of the subject.
Take
advantage of the learning opportunities in Laboratory classes. Many of the
lab activities that you will do will seem exciting. Violent chemical reactions will
cause every heart to beat a little faster. However, if you don't understand the
concepts behind the activities than the activities become nothing more than a magic show!
Strive to understand every aspect of these activities and you will find that
they are a fun way to learn Chemistry.
Do
your written homework correctly. It may seem that you are saving time when
you copy homework from a friend or from the back of a textbook, but you are really causing
yourself some trouble. Each assignment is designed to reinforce a specific concept.
If you don't do the homework correctly, you may not master the concepts.Remember that your task is never to complete a
specific set of problems, but rather to master a topic or skill.
Study
in groups. Chemistry is much harder when you try to learn it in isolation.
Form study groups from the first week of school. Having people to talk
to about Chemistry will help you avoid the frustration that comes from feeling you are the
only one having difficulty with a particular concept or type of Math problem. You
will also be more likely to ask questions when you see that an idea may not be clear to
others as well.
Use the S.H.O. system often. Science Help
Online has been created to make learning Chemistry easier. Take advantage of it.
Review each of the lessons, make use of the worksheets, and practice with the
online quizzes. Become familiar with the navigation of the site, so that you can
find what you need quickly.
Try
the Homework Helpers series. The author of this website has teamed up with
other teachers to create a series of review books from Career
Press. Look for Homework
Helpers: Chemistry and other books from the series on
Amazon.com. Click on the image on the right to learn
more.
Do
the reading faithfully. Don't try to get through the course by just
listening to your teacher. Your teacher will assume that you are coming to class
having read the text, and he or she will expect you to have that background knowledge
required to follow the lessons. Most importantly, you will not be able to ask
clarifying questions, if you have never read the book.
Ask
as many questions as you want to. Like any teacher, your Chemistry teacher
uses the feedback from the class to determine whether or not his or her lessons are clear
enough. The types of questions that you and your classmates ask will tell your
teacher more than the results of any exam. Some students are embarrassed to admit
that something is unclear, but this subject is new to you. There is no shame in
admitting that you are not sure about a subject is new to you! 
Get
help early and often. As soon as you notice that you are not following
along with the class discussion you should address the problem. There are so many
sources for extra help, and you should take advantage of them. Make an appointment
to see your teacher after school, or ask one of your classmates for help. Search the
Internet for sites with additional information.
Take
advantage of the learning opportunities in Laboratory classes. Many of the
lab activities that you will do will seem exciting. Violent chemical reactions will
cause every heart to beat a little faster. However, if you don't understand the
concepts behind the activities than the activities become nothing more than a magic show!
Strive to understand every aspect of these activities and you will find that
they are a fun way to learn Chemistry.
Do
your written homework correctly. It may seem that you are saving time when
you copy homework from a friend or from the back of a textbook, but you are really causing
yourself some trouble. Each assignment is designed to reinforce a specific concept.
If you don't do the homework correctly, you may not master the concepts.
Study
in groups. Chemistry is much harder when you try to learn it in isolation.
Form study groups from the first week of school. Having people to talk
to about Chemistry will help you avoid the frustration that comes from feeling you are the
only one having difficulty with a particular concept or type of Math problem. You
will also be more likely to ask questions when you see that an idea may not be clear to
others as well.
Use the S.H.O. system often. Science Help
Online has been created to make learning Chemistry easier. Take advantage of it.
Review each of the lessons, make use of the worksheets, and practice with the
online quizzes. Become familiar with the navigation of the site, so that you can
find what you need quickly. 