Courses For your Chemistry course, do you usually read the entire book,

[land_of_ice]

plus hear the lecture, or do you just do one and not do the other?

 

[Borek]

In most cases the more ways of looking at the problem, the better.

 

[symbolipoint]

No.
You usually read the parts of the book which are assigned, and if you are motivated, you read MORE from the book than has been assigned. You also attend the lecture section. If you want another description of the book material, you also can check one or more other books which may manage the same topics differently.

 

[land_of_ice]

No.
You usually read the parts of the book which are assigned, and if you are motivated, you read MORE from the book than has been assigned. You also attend the lecture section. If you want another description of the book material, you also can check one or more other books which may manage the same topics differently.

Helpful!

 

[land_of_ice]

In most cases the more ways of looking at the problem, the better.

Yes, that sounds like a useful way to study, ok thanks :)

 

[naele]

For my organic chemistry course I did all the examples in the chapter as well as 5 problems a day, 10 on weekends. Usually by the time the midterm came up I had done in between 120 and 150 problems usually spanning 3 chapters, so about 40-50 problems per chapter.

I also went to lecture, again focusing on organic chemistry but just being there and drawing out structures helps a lot so that come test time I'm not wasting any time wondering if I drew a molecule correctly or not.

 

[NEILS BOHR]

its always better to 1st study what's goin to be taught in the lecture bfore goin and then attending the lecture and then studyin the key points again...

 

[DBTS]

For my organic chemistry course I did all the examples in the chapter as well as 5 problems a day, 10 on weekends. Usually by the time the midterm came up I had done in between 120 and 150 problems usually spanning 3 chapters, so about 40-50 problems per chapter.

I also went to lecture, again focusing on organic chemistry but just being there and drawing out structures helps a lot so that come test time I'm not wasting any time wondering if I drew a molecule correctly or not.

How well did you end up doing? With that type of studying I would expect no less than an A(-).

I hear some professors make their students read the whole book, other professors do not. It depends on the one teaching the class ultimately. I always felt when you focus in on essential material rather than reading the whole text, you remember and conceptualize more of it.

 

[turbo]

My method was to always take my texts to class and underline concepts that the instructor lectured on, with explanatory notes in the margins. Run out of margin? Put an asterisk on the page and find the next partially-blank page, jot the old page number and continue the note. When you study, you can refer to these notes in context, which is much more helpful than trying to relate them to notes you took using a separate medium.

If you want to read more materials and do more exercises than what is assigned, that will be fine, but make sure that you study and understand the concepts that are presented in lectures - that material will certainly be on quizzes and exams. If you are unclear about a concept, you MUST take advantage of your instructors' office hours, and clear up the confusion. If you are afraid of looking "dumb" and don't ask questions, you will doom yourself to having gaps in your understanding at best, or falling behind at worst.

I had very poor study habits in HS because the material was 'way too easy. That changed drastically in engineering school.

 

[ehilge]

I think it would be difficult to do just one or the other. Personally, I'll go over information in the book after lectures as needed. I think the best way to do it would be to try and figure out what will be discussed in lectures the next day, and go over some of that material the night before. Then you'll get exposed to it again at lecture and also when you do problems. Given, I hardly every muster up enough initiative to do this but I'm sure it would help. And to actually answer your question, no, I don't read the entire book. I get a lot more out of working out problems than reading a textbook.

 

[nomilkforsant]

I have taken, 1 year of general chem, 1 year of organic chem, and 1 year of bio chem. From my personal experience lectures were a waste of time and the book was my salvation. Read what the teacher assigns, and drill problems from their old tests and the book itself.

 

[symbolipoint]

Lecture sections for General Chem and Organic Chem, if taught well, would not be wasted time. Far, Far more helpful, and the textbooks and the lectures supported each other. Also, try asking the book a question! It will not give you a responsive answer. On the other hand, a professor or teacher is interactive. He can give you a live answer.