Difficult Does Not Always Mean Important
Difficult does not always mean important. You have to know the difference between difficult and important material.
Yes There are a lot of topics in Chemistry that are difficult. Calculations and word problems too.
However, it is incredibly important to remember that not everything thats difficult is important.
Let me explain.
Back when I used to teach, I would always have a handful of students that would get hung up on ONE SINGLE PROBLEM. They would go find the hardest problem in their homework, and dissect it for hours.
Sometimes, they would bring me a problem and say, Ive spent hours on this problem and keep getting the wrong answer.
They would want me to solve the problem in front of them and other students.
I would tell them, Look, youve spent too much valuable time on this one problem. You need to move on and practice the other topics.
I would often have students get angry. But I wasnt going to spend 30 minutes of a study session working out the most complicated problems in front of all the students.
Why?
Because they wouldnt learn much. Yes, I can solve the problem. If I do it at my speed, nobody will learn anything. If I spend 30 minutes working out the most complicated problem, people tend to get frustrated and in some ways give up.
We dont need people to give up. Its just one problem.
Remember, difficult doesnt always mean important.
If you get hung up on one problem for too long. Just move on.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Major
Does the work interest me? You will have a much harder time securing good grades and retaining concepts if you are pursuing a major that does not interest you. We are not saying you have to choose something that fascinates younot everyone can be a professional musician or writerbut make sure you choose a major that holds your attention.
Do I have natural talent in this field? Everyones brain is wired a little differently. It follows that certain subjects will be easier for certain students. Natural talent is not a prerequisite for pursuing a given major. In fact, many leaders in their field report initial setbacks that they had to work hard to overcome. However, choosing to major in an area where you already have an intellectual advantage based on your brain chemistry is a good way to make your college years easier.
How much time do I want to spend studying? Realistically, academic coursework is not every students top priority. One of the best parts of college is making lifelong friendships. Another is exploring your interests through clubs and internships. Only commit to a time-intensive major if it really is your top priority in college.
Study In A Small Group With Others
There are so many benefits to studying with others. When you study in a small group, you have a lot of learning opportunities.
For example, if you are struggling with a specific topic in General Chemistry, someone in the group might be able to help you understand it better and tutor you through it.
On the other hand, if you understand a topic really well, you can help others that dont understand it.
Research shows that studying in small groups, or even helping to teach someone else, enhances your ability to understand and retain knowledge.
Remember, the key here is to actually understand the topics of General Chemistry. Especially early on in the beginning.
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If I’m Planning To Major In Biology Which Courses Should I Take
You will need to take Chemistry 1A, 1B, 12A, and 12B. Nearly all transfer institutions recommend that you complete Chemistry 12B before transfer. You may need to enroll in Chemistry 31 before tackling Chemistry 1A, depending upon your background.
If your question is not answered here, please email for an answer.
For more information please contact:
Christopher Dudzik, PhD
Why Is Organic Chemistry So Darn Difficult
Organic chemistry is the most dreaded of all science classes. It has the highest failure rate, lowest class average and more retakes than any other science course.Yet most schools weigh organic chemistry about the same as general chemistry or physics.
Lets compare the other standard HARD classes
- Biology can be mastered by continuous reading, review and memorization. You may need help understanding the concepts, but once you get it, youve got it for good!
- General chemistry and physics are all about grasping a concept, learning how to apply a formula, and then manipulating the formula in just the right way so that the numbers fall into place and your answer easily emerges. They contain a TON of math and many formulas to memorize and apply, but once you get it, you’ve got it!
In other words, biology, chemistry, physics all have a very clear study process:
Memorize key terms or formulasLearn how to apply the terms/formulas to a questionPracticeIf you follow the simple steps above, you will know clearly when you have finished studying’ for these classes. You will also typically be able to tell if you’ve answered a homework or exam question correctly.
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How Do You Get Into Chemistry 1a
There are two prerequisites for Chemistry, one involving mathematics and one involving basic chemistry. The math prerequisite is equivalent to intermediate algebra or two years of high school algebra. You may either complete Chemistry 31 or demonstrate sufficient knowledge of chemistry on the Chemistry Placement Exam. This exam may be taken at any time in the Testing Center. No appointment is necessary, but you should plan to arrive at the testing center at the beginning of the testing period. Testing schedules are posted in the testing center which is Building 1000.
Consider Your Plan For College
One major factor for deciding on AP Chemistry is your plan for college.
Two elements go into this: your major and whether you plan on pursuing a job in the medical field. Taking AP Chemistry in high school can help you on your future career path, but its not necessary for some situations.
Because AP Chemistry is a college-level course, many universities accept a successfully completed AP class as credit for an introductory course. If you take AP Chemistry in high school and get a 4 or 5 on the final exam, you may be able to skip the introduction level chemistry.
There are three reasons why you should take AP Chem over regular chemistry. Lets dive into why AP Chemistry is suggested for each of these three reasons.
1. You Want to Graduate in Less than Four Years
Taking AP classes in high school can potentially lessen the number of courses you need in college. You can receive college credit for an AP course if you have a high enough grade on the final exam.
Most colleges require 120 credits for an undergraduate degree. Taking AP Chemistry can give you several credits, decreasing the amount you need to earn once you start school.
If youre on an abbreviated timeline for college, taking AP Chemistry in high school is a great idea.
2. You Want to Pursue a Degree in a Related Subject
In the same way, AP Chemistry in high school can give an excellent foundation for the science classes youll take for your major.
3. You Plan on Going to Medical School or Other Graduate Programs
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Lab Sections Really Do Matter
Sections are constructed to highlight and guide you through particularly important concepts and chemical phenomena. Make sure that you can apply the main concepts of each section before the next exam. A good way to see if you are applying concepts rather than memorizing them is by checking to see if you can explain WHY to every step youre doing in a problem. Also make sure to finish any extra practice problems offered in section and on the lab-write-ups.
What Do You Learn In Chemistry
Chemistry is most frequently divided into two branches. You will probably study inorganic chemistry first and organic chemistry, which deals with carbon-containing materials, the following semester.
While I found inorganic chemistry to be the most fun and organic chemistry to be quite challenging, many of my classmates felt the opposite.
Here are just a few of the main topics that you will learn in each area of chemistry.
Inorganic Chemistry
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Che 180 General College Chemistry Ii
Continues CHE 170. Focuses on major chemical topics, including acid-base chemistry, kinetics, thermodynamics, and chemical equilibrium. Emphasizes solving of mathematical problems which illustrate the principles of chemistry. Designed for students in the sciences, engineering, and pre-professional programs. Prerequisite: and . Lecture: 4 credits . Components: Lecture Attributes: SN Science
The Key To Doing Well At Organic Chemistry
So, there you have it. The key to mastering organic chemistrytouted as the hardest college courseis learning its tenets like a language and applying it to each unique equation and scenario youre presented with.You dont learn a language by memorizing sentences verbatim but rather by learning sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammatical rules. Once you have those down, you can use them to construct unique sentences that meet the requirement of the given context. The very same applies to organic chemistry.And once you understand that, youll realise that you shouldnt fear organic chemistry at all!
If you’re preparing for medical school, we have the best study tool for you. Brainscape’s certified MCAT flashcards will help you master the science content you need to nail the exam, including organic chemistry!
Brainscape’s flashcards don’t just cover the right content, they also optimize your learning process. Our software is built using a combination of cognitive science principlesactive recall, metacognition, and spaced repetitionthat will not only make your learning more effective but you’ll actually engage more in your study for the MCAT.
Good luck!
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Jump In With Both Feet
As with other challenging subjects, including biology, jumping in with both feet is key to your success studying and learning chemistry. Partial efforts don’t cut it. Decided now that you’re going to succeed in chemistry and that you’re going to give it your all.
The following are links to other study skills resources we recommend for chemistry students.
Associate Degree In Chemistry
An associate degree in chemistry provides foundational training in chemistry. Degree-seekers complete inorganic and organic chemistry courses while taking general education classes in biology, physics, math, and the social sciences. The curriculum emphasizes analytical and critical thinking skills.
Earning an associate degree generally takes two years for full-time students.
With an associate degree, graduates qualify for chemistry technician, clinical laboratory technician, or environmental science technician positions. The degree also prepares learners for a bachelor’s program. Transfer students with an associate degree typically earn a bachelor’s with an additional two years of study.
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Do You Know How To Improve Your Profile For College Applications
See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now it only takes 3 minutes and it’s 100% free.
In 2020, 56.1% of test takers passed the AP Chemistry exam with a 3 or higher. As you can see, the AP Chemistry exam is one of the more difficult exams administered by the College Board. But, with the right study tools, such as CollegeVines Ultimate Guide to the AP Chemistry Exam, and through lots of practice, you will be more than prepared to pass the exam!
In this article, we will review some of the more difficult questions you may encounter on the exam followed by detailed explanations describing how to solve them.
What Do You Learn In Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry requires you to learn a lot of reactions and mechanisms. Youll be drawing these out, recognizing the patterns, and applying them to practice problems. Repeatedly.
A typical 101 , will look something like this
- General chemistry review
More advanced courses can also cover things like spectroscopy, redox reactions, and protecting groups.
Something that can make your course easier is obtaining a copy of the syllabus or curriculum beforehand.
Having just a little extra time to Google some of these weird-sounding topics , can do huge things for your confidence.
Youll see even advanced things can be broken down slowly and explained step-by-step.
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Che 275 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
Introduces common techniques used in the laboratory for purification, separation, identification, and reactions of organic compounds. Pre-requisite: CHE 185 with a grade of C or better. Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: CHE 270. Laboratory: 2 credit .Components: LaboratoryAttributes: SL – Science Laboratory
What Is The Hardest Chemistry Class
- Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
- B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Most students agree studying chemistry isn’t a walk in the park, but which course is the hardest? Here’s a look at difficult chemistry courses and why you might want to take them.
The answer depends on the student, but most people consider one of the following chemistry classes to be the hardest.
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How Hard Is General Chemistry In College
< p> if I got a 5 on the AP Chemistry exam, and I take General Chemistry 1 and 2?< /p>
< p> I didn’t take AP chemistry in high school, but I struggled with the class in college. Put, chemistry is not something I’ve very good at so…< /p>
< p> Since you’ve been exposed to it previously, you know some of it going into the class and you know a way to approach the material, it shouldn’t be extremely difficult for you.< /p>
< p> Easy for me. For the last few midterms/finals, I haven’t done any studying or practice problems until the night before the exam, and yet I still managed to get only 1-2 questions wrong. I really hate labs, however. They are extremely time consuming .< /p>
< p> It is very easy, and seeing you have taken AP Chem, you should have no problems.< /p>
< p> Gosh, I would’ve hated having the lot of you in my chem class throwing off curves. Lol. In both of my classes, the average grade was a C.< /p>
< p> Gen chem is always a horrible class in my college. It isn’t actually that hard though, you have to study though. I think a lot of the bad grades come down to freshmen not ready for exactly how college science works and the fact one of the professors purposefully made the test difficult.< /p>
< p> With a 5 on an AP test you should be able to get out of gen chem. I’m not sure if it shows up as a transfer credit or whatever but you’ll have the credit and be able to go on to the next level of chem or whatever.< /p>
Abstract Concepts Take Time To Understand
Explosive chemical reactions and state changes are easy to see, but there are also a lot of theoretical concepts at play in chemistry. Submicroscopic particles collide with one another, unseen electrons orbit a nucleusif youre a visual learner, some of these ideas might seem hard to understand.
Even other fields of science, like biology, are more tangible and, therefore, may be easier to grasp. With that said, technological advances are making chemical processes more observable than ever, and detailed diagrams and models help fill in the rest of the blanks.
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Ask Lots And Lots Of Questions
Scientists ask questions – all the time! Especially WHY! Instructors always appreciate when students ask questions because it shows they are listening and really thinking about the material.
- Ask what does that really mean? in each section while you read the chapter.
- Ask why of a problem as you decide what it is asking and how to solve it.
Ask questions about the lecture and section material. If you are reviewing material on your own write these questions down. If you can answer them on your own, great! If you are stuck, then take them along with you to office hours or a study group. Then you wont forget and youll make sure you get a more thorough understanding of everything.
Take Advantage Of Lab Time
When it comes to understanding and learning chemistry, there is no substitute for hands-on experience, and there is no better way to get this experience than by attending chemistry labs. Take every opportunity presented to work in the lab. Working through chemistry problems and conducting chemistry experiments in a practical environment will strengthen your understanding and knowledge of chemistry.
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Take Advantage Of Study Tips From Vptl:
- has useful quick tips on exam taking, note taking, study strategies, etc. that might help you to think about how you want to organize your study time more efficiently.
- For instance, when you read through the chapter or lecture notes, constantly ask and answer questions for yourself as you go. This website has a couple good strategies for doing this that might help you dig deeper into the reading and help you see relationships between new concepts. It might also help you structure your reading or lecture notes in a more useful way.
- You can also set up a personal Academic coaching session with Adina Glickman, to think about more specific study strategies for you.
What Is Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is the study of organic compounds and materials . Its a huge area of study that has applied uses in medicine, biology, engineering, and many other fields.
But is organic chemistry the hardest college course and, if so, why?
A lot of pre-med students think so! Heres one reason: The number of inorganic chemical compounds known to science is around 100,000, but the number of organic compounds clocks in at over 15 million, and that number is rising rapidly as scientists study and isolate further compounds.
The second reason ochem is so difficult to learn is that its a memorization nightmare. Not only are there more than 15 million organic compounds, but there are different rules governing the reactions and properties of each of these compounds. The trickiest part is how often the rules change. Depending on the environment in which a reaction takes place, the same conditions can lead to wildly different results. The rules are flexible, and there are always exceptions.
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