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Do not assume that Chemistry 110 is merely a repeat of your high school course. Pay attention and do the work even when the material seems the same. We will cover many additional topics and do the familiar ones in greater breadth and depth than most high school courses. We will also expect a greater level of understanding.
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Attend all lectures. Pay close attention and take good notes. After the lecture go over the notes and work through in detail any examples or problems that were presented. In our lectures we will not only be presenting the "facts" but also trying to show you by example how to think about the material and how to approach problem solving. Many of the general principles we show by example will be applicable not just to chemistry but to almost any kind of quantitative science or engineering discipline.
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Do the homework. Study the sample problems in the text and then try the assigned problems. Make a note of any questions that you have or problem steps you do not understand and raise them in recitation class. If you need more help see your teaching assistant or one of the other teaching assistants in the Chemistry Resource Room promptly.
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Schedule your study time to allow a few large blocks of time for studying this course. Do your studying in a quiet place free from distractions. These habits will enable you to study more efficiently. They will also enable you to develop the ability to work intensively on chemistry for an extended period; this will help you maintain your concentration on the 75-minute mid-semester exams and the 110-minute final.
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Get together with two or three other Chem 110 students to form a study group. Educational research and the experience of former students have shown that this is one of the best ways to learn in almost any course. If you don't know anyone introduce yourself to the people sitting near you in lecture or recitation.
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Don't underestimate the study time that your courses will require. We are presenting more material in a fifteen-week semester than you covered in a 36-week high school year. We are also expecting you to do more of the learning on your own. A traditional rule-of-thumb says that you should be spending two hours of study time outside of class for every hour spent in class. This will vary widely from student to student, from course to course, and from time to time in a given course. Nevertheless a typical successful student with a normal full-time course load is probably spending at least forty hours a week total on courses, in and out of class. You can do this and have time for other things if you plan and budget your time carefully.
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Don't fall behind. Because of the pace and the cumulative nature of the material in this course, procrastination can quickly lead to a situation from which it may be very difficult to recover. Also, don't wait till the last minute to study for exams. You may find it difficult to get help if you need it.
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If you are repeating the course ask yourself what will be different this time. If you cannot give yourself a good answer chances are that nothing will be different including the outcome.
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Finally, if you have problems, academic or administrative, that you cannot get resolved at a lower level, see your instructor.
