HOW TO STUDY ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Several stages of learning: Remembering (memorization) Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating new ideas

Several stages of learning: Remembering (memorization) Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating new ideas Where are you in this list? Think about how you think How you can progress to the next level

To advance through stages in O-Chem Learn to think logically about molecular properties and behavior. Be able to explain course material to others Get well-organized, now. Stick to a fairly rigorous and time-demanding study schedule. Explain material on examinations.

To advance through stages in O-Chem Learn to think logically about molecular properties and behavior. Be able to explain course material to others Get well-organized, now. Stick to a fairly rigorous and time-demanding study schedule. Explain material on examinations.

To advance through stages in O-Chem Learn to think logically about molecular properties and behavior. Be able to explain course material to others Get well-organized, now. Stick to a fairly rigorous and time-demanding study schedule. Explain material on examinations.

To advance through stages in O-Chem Learn to think logically about molecular properties and behavior. Be able to explain course material to others Get well-organized, now. Stick to a fairly rigorous and time-demanding study schedule. Explain material on examinations.

To advance through stages in O-Chem Learn to think logically about molecular properties and behavior. Be able to explain course material to others Get well-organized, now. Stick to a fairly rigorous and time-demanding study schedule. Explain material on examinations.

Allocate your time; set study goals in advance. You will require no less than 10 hours of study time each week, …

Allocate your time; set study goals in advance. You will require no less than 10 hours of study time each week, … …beginning in the first week of the semester, and continuing the rest of the semester.

What to Start Doing Choose these times and places to minimize interruption and distraction: this means no television and no loud music, no cell phone, no FACEBOOK, Twitter, YouTube, play calm music on your iPod. No Drop-by friends who want to chat about “B.S.”.

WORK PROBLEMS; really work them Looking at the problem, then looking at the answer in the Study Guide, then saying, "Yeah, OK, I get it!" This is a passive approach and does no good, it makes you overly optimistic about what you know. List questions to clear up with the TA or Instructor during office hours.

Practice daily! Multiple daily sessions isbetter results than one cram session each week or right before exam. Use larger blocks of time for large jobs, like working problems Use smaller time slots for small jobs, like refreshing with flash cards.

Study actively, with pencil or pen in hand. Outline text material rather than highlighting it. Highlighting is too passive. Because you don’t have to think when you highlight.

Study plan should include review for exams but does not include "all-nighters" or frantic scrambling right up to the minute of the exam.

Schedule short breaks at regular intervals during study. 10 min breaks each hour is a good proportion. If you plan ahead, major social events need not become interfere with good grades.

Use all of the resources available to you Many students don't. Your instructor. I am the most underutilized resource available to you. Change that! Use office hours and any other time the instructor makes available. But arrive prepared! Vague questions like "Could you go over NMR again?" imply that you have not done much for yourself.

Use all of the resources available to you Recitations. Go to them prepared. Seeing confirmation of a solution you have arrived by your own effort, or seeing an alternative solution, is very valuable. Exam postmortems. A returned exam may be painful, but it is an excellent learning aid. Know exactly how you made each mistake, and learn to avoid repeating it. Use the answer keys.

Adopt a positive attitude about the course Forget what you may have heard about the difficulty of the course or the personality of the instructor. The instructor's job is not to entertain you nor build your self-esteem. It is to instruct you.