How are kids studying of Chemistry?

[Anonymous]

My DD is doing really well on her other classes; her Chemistry concepts seem to be good I went over it with her. But when it comes to taking tests the results don't reflect.

Is there a trick to prepping for the Chemistry tests?

[Anonymous]

Do problems. Lots of problems.

-Chemistry PhD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do problems. Lots of problems.

-Chemistry PhD

Looked like the other kids had a watering hole for HS Chemistry problems - do you a site or a good book?

[Anonymous]

What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

[Anonymous]

Cheers to a helpful thread with nice people. Happy Friday you guys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

NO. Sorry to hijack - DS is interested in chemistry but unsure about path. Besides Chem and AP Chem, are there other high school classes? In college, what classes did you take/enjoy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

NO. Sorry to hijack - DS is interested in chemistry but unsure about path. Besides Chem and AP Chem, are there other high school classes? In college, what classes did you take/enjoy?

There is not a job market for a chemistry BS, so he'll need to plan on a chemistry PhD, medical school, or double major with something more marketable (e.g., business or communications).

Fun college classes include things like Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Analytical Chemistry, and lots of labs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

NO. Sorry to hijack - DS is interested in chemistry but unsure about path. Besides Chem and AP Chem, are there other high school classes? In college, what classes did you take/enjoy?

There is not a job market for a chemistry BS, so he'll need to plan on a chemistry PhD, medical school, or double major with something more marketable (e.g., business or communications).

Fun college classes include things like Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Analytical Chemistry, and lots of labs.

People have jobs after getting a degree in chemistry. Why do you say this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

NO. Sorry to hijack - DS is interested in chemistry but unsure about path. Besides Chem and AP Chem, are there other high school classes? In college, what classes did you take/enjoy?

There is not a job market for a chemistry BS, so he'll need to plan on a chemistry PhD, medical school, or double major with something more marketable (e.g., business or communications).

Fun college classes include things like Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Analytical Chemistry, and lots of labs.

People have jobs after getting a degree in chemistry. Why do you say this?

Because they're usually terrible jobs. If you stay in chemistry, you get to be lab tech at best, washing glassware and doing grunt work. Or you can try to move to another field, but you'll be a stronger job applicant if you've double majored or gotten a minor to show interest and aptitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

NO. Sorry to hijack - DS is interested in chemistry but unsure about path. Besides Chem and AP Chem, are there other high school classes? In college, what classes did you take/enjoy?

There is not a job market for a chemistry BS, so he'll need to plan on a chemistry PhD, medical school, or double major with something more marketable (e.g., business or communications).

Fun college classes include things like Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biomolecular Science, Advanced Organic Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Analytical Chemistry, and lots of labs.

People have jobs after getting a degree in chemistry. Why do you say this?

I was the chem major above (not the PhD) and I'll support the poster above: I very much think it was a mistake on my part to major in chemistry and not chemical engineering. I graduated in the 2009 slump and there was some bench chemistry work available but the pay wasn't great. I went to multiple job fairs that had positions for chem E, but not chem. If you want to try to get a job put of college with no further training, it's not a good choice.

I should note that I went to a very well regarded program (rated in the top ten specifically for chem), did undergrad research and had a ton of lab time under my belt.

At my university you were very much trained to go the academic route and not to get a job industry. So of my classmates (there were only a dozen of us my year) they're all professors at various universities or they went to law or med school.

If you do want to go into chemistry or chemical engineering, you also should take as much math as you can, physics, and biology. I was required to take college level math (beyond AP Calc), a year of biology and Biochemistry, and a full year of college physics for my major. My junior and senior level Chemistry classes were very very math heavy.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the recommendation to study chemical engineering instead of chemistry unless planning to get a PhD or MD. I took tons of chemistry classes and labs while earning my ChemE degree.

[Anonymous]

I had my child do the problems in the textbook. If you do not have a hard copy, you get buy one on alibris.com.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What specific elements of the tests is she failing at?

Very broadly, Chemistry has two aspects, one really math/equation heavy and then one aspect that's really just a lot of memorization. You can reason your way through the first aspect, but the second part just requires you to commit things to memory. I majored in Chemistry and I always found the memorization aspect much more challenging.

For the math/logic portion, practice problems will help. For memorization, I did a ton of flash cards and would go through them over and over.

DC is taking AP chem, and really struggling with the memorization part. She's not great at that regardless of the class. One of the reasons why they hated history class -- too much memorization. The math part is easier for them. They do make flashcards, too, but they still struggle.

They do fine on class assignments but come test time, they fail it. I bought an AP chem book to help, and they also have a text book, but I don't know what else to do.