For CHEM 105 students -
The chemistry department offers many different tutoring opportunities, and what helped me the most was taking advantage of these programs. Obviously coming to the study to get individual attention helped, but another program that I really enjoyed was the Chem excel program. Chem excel is a two hour class that meets once a week in order to complete a problem set. It is led by a student who has already taken the course, but much of the actual teaching comes from other students in the course. Since different students in the class take turns answering the questions, it allows you to see multiple ways to work through each type of problem. In addition to that, it also gets you to teach problems to other students. This hands on approach to learning serves to reinforce the material in a very effective way.

The best piece of advice that I can give students is to read the textbook as new material is presented in class. Hearing material the first time in class is confusing but when you get home and go through it again at your own pace, it becomes much clearer. It's also important to actively listen in class rather than simply copying down what the professor writes. Finally, just use your resources. If a professor makes an old test available, study the way they write their questions. Use the free tutoring services on campus. Take the time to visit with your professor and let them know that you are interested in the subject.

For CHEM 105/107 Students:
First of all, make sure you attend every class - it is always good to hear the information one time out loud, regardless of how awake you are. Second, keep a running formula sheet throughout the semester with all the formulas you have learned to date. Make sure you write comments next to the formulas, such as when to use them, what the variables mean, and what units the variables must be in. This is integral to your success as the exams are based heavily off understanding/applying formulas to problems. Third, get help before you get behind, whether it's from your professor, TA, The Study, or the smart kid that sits in front of you. Anything that can help you learn the information will be beneficial. Last, make flashcards throughout the semester with concepts and formulas. These force you to keep up with material as the semester progresses, and more importantly, provides you with an excellent study aid to help brush up before exams.
Follow these helpful hints and I can guarantee (having taken both these classes and having been a TA for three years) that you will do well in these very difficult introductory chemistry classes.

In order to be a successful chemistry student, one has to be prepared to put effort into learning the material. Going to class is very important in order to introduce the material to students. Reading the book is a supplement and should also be done in order to understand topics that may not have been clear in class. Most importantly, the assigned problems at the end of the chapter should be completed before test time to practice. By the time a test comes around, reviewing and practicing should be all that is done. Cramming is not a good technique for this class. Taking old tests and reworking problems is a great way to practice.

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