How much to research and study .

[Chemer]

Hi, everyone. I just wanted your advice as at bachelors level, how much material you need to study for a topic? For example, if you're asked to describethe valance bond theory applications in chemistry, should I study and write the points of VBT and give 4-5 applications and explain the theory in detail etc? What will be the accurate method? If I'm studying it in detail, am I wasting my time? There would be limited time at exam to cover all the questions, so how much material should I study? Please guide me.
Thanks.

 

[Quantum Defect]

Hi, everyone. I just wanted your advice as at bachelors level, how much material you need to study for a topic? For example, if you're asked to describethe valance bond theory applications in chemistry, should I study and write the points of VBT and give 4-5 applications and explain the theory in detail etc? What will be the accurate method? If I'm studying it in detail, am I wasting my time? There would be limited time at exam to cover all the questions, so how much material should I study? Please guide me.
Thanks.

I would try and find out what the expectations of the instructor are. Most science examinations that I have taken test your knowledge of a subject by having you do worked problems. Something like VBT would be something that I would expect to be tested in this way. I have known some professors who want students to regurgitate definitions, exactly as provided in class, but this is anomalous in my experience. I think that a reasonable expectation is to expect problems that are similar to what was provided for homework (if you are in the typical US institution). I usually found that if I did all of the homework, and reviewed the homework and my notes prior to an exam, that was enough to do well. The main thing was to learn the mateiral through worked problems as they were assigned in class.

Can you talk to people who have had the class before? If you can, this can help with predicting what kind of exam you will have.

A good professor will write an examination that will test how well her students have learned the material. Most problems will be doable by most students. A very small number of problems will be a challenge. Remember, the test is pretty much a useless measure of knowledge if everyone fails or if everyone gets 100%. The professor wants the test to help her evaluate the students.