Undergraduates often face an uphill battle with chemistry. It is one of those subjects that you either have a knack for or it knocks you over. Exploring life at its most elemental levels is fascinating but learning the equations and vocabulary can be frustrating.
You might assume that chemistry is one of those ultra-dry subjects that requires endless hours of toil and sweat over elemental properties and bonding theories. In many ways it is. Chemistry problems can get complicated in a hurry.
This is what makes it fascinating and fun if you have the right frame of mind and curiosity for the subject. Those who take chemistry simply to attain science credit may have the opposite opinion. Nevertheless, chemistry is unavoidable for most science majors.
Chemistry is a core class for students who aim for careers in medicine or the science industries and almost all majors require students to take at least one hard science course.
Because of demand, undergraduate chemistry students often experience large auditorium-style lectures and crowds of disinterested students. The professor may seem remote, lecturing from a far, talking in theory with little student interaction.
This is not a good dynamic for learning and contributes to the high failure rate in chemistry.
Up to one in five college students fail general chemistry on the first try. A recent study of general chemistry students at a liberal arts college near Chicago shows that less than 60% achieve the required pass rate of C or better to continue the course sequence.
While on some level failure is part of the scientific process, that might not be an option for you.
You can take steps to overcome the obstacles of overcrowded lecture halls, boring professors and complicated explanations of stoichiometry that make no sense.
Elements of Success in Chemistry
Conquering chemistry requires attitude and a high degree of tenacity. It is such a detail-oriented subject that leaves little room for interpretation. A chemistry problem is either right or wrong and professors do not usually give out partial credit for effort.
To succeed in chemistry, you need to stay on top of the game. It is easy to get behind in chemistry and once you are behind you may always be behind. Procrastination can be your Achilles heel. Chemistry professors cover a lot of ground and it is easy to be left in the dust.
Read that textbook no matter how dull it is. Listening to the lecture and taking notes is often not enough. In an average fifty-minute lecture, professors deliver about five thousand spoken words. Only ten percent are written down.
You might try using a text-to-speech app to listen while doing other things. University of North Carolina has developed good strategies that can help you read textbooks with greater efficacy. Textbook knowledge is a must in chemistry.
Look beyond the technical jargon. Chemists talk in a specialized language. Foreign students and even many native speakers of English often get freaked out by the big words. Words are only symbols and while they may look complex do not let them scare you.
Numerous studies show that across the sciences low marks are often due to a failure to understand the language of the questions.
Learn those vocabulary words but do not let them scare you. The language of science can make the concepts much more confusing.
While it may not be possible to ask questions in a classroom with hundreds of other students, simply being a passive, non-thinking, information receiver is not a recipe for success.
Unless you have a clear understanding of chemistry it is important to be more proactive. Find ways to supplement your learning either through a study group or a tutoring service, or pay a professional to provide chemistry homework help.
Take Charge of Your Chemistry Grade
At the end of the day, you are probably not a chemistry major. General chemistry can be a hazardous stepping stone and balancing on that stone may cause you concern.
Some of the obstacles are beyond your control. The podium lecturer writing complex equations on a whiteboard you can barely see. The crowd of distracted spectators, most of whom do not want to be there. The lengthy words that are easier said than spelled.
Despite these barriers to learning, you might not want to be the one of five who are repeating general chemistry next semester.
One way that you can resolve these common issues with chemistry is to seek extra help. A good tutor will have walked this path before and can offer perspective, advice and support. What is missing in most chemistry classes is context and a chance to ask questions.
First-year chemistry students need more than lecture notes, textbooks and long-winded lectures. They need opportunities to collaborate, explore, and connect information to real life. They need to know how to translate abstractions to real terms.
Sometimes you just need answers. Tutors go beyond books and confusing science terms. They can explain chemistry in ways that you can relate. They can lead you to accurate solutions.
Students lead busy lives and with a full-spectrum course load perhaps chemistry is not your top priority. Even if it is, tutorial services can ease your burden and activate your mind.