Improve Chemistry Problem Solving: Tips & Advice from Fellow Students

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around strategies for improving problem-solving skills in chemistry, particularly in relation to mathematical problems like gas laws and thermochemistry. Participants share their experiences with procrastination and seek advice on overcoming this challenge.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a tendency to avoid mathematical problems in chemistry, leading to missed questions on exams, and seeks advice on improving problem-solving skills.
  • Another participant suggests that simply attempting the problems could be an effective solution to the issue of procrastination.
  • A different participant acknowledges procrastination due to the perception that problems will take too long to solve, questioning their own motivation.
  • One contributor emphasizes the importance of not skipping over problems, suggesting that the textbook's structure necessitates understanding the math involved.
  • Another participant proposes budgeting specific time slots for chemistry work and creating a list of topics to cover, suggesting that structured study could help mitigate procrastination.
  • A later reply reiterates the initial participant's concerns about procrastination, noting that they seem aware of the necessary actions but struggle to implement them.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the recognition of procrastination as a common issue and the need to engage with the problems directly. However, there is no consensus on the best strategies to overcome this challenge, with various suggestions offered without a clear resolution.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about their motivations and the effectiveness of proposed strategies, indicating that personal experiences may vary significantly.

john16O
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Usually when I am reading my chemistry textbook and I come along a mathematical problem such as the gas laws or thermo chemistry I tend to shy away from doing them and vow to come back to them and look over them later but I never do. And in the end those are the questions that I miss on the exam. Can you guys give me some advice or if you had the same problem, what you did you do to fix it? I am also trying to improve my problem solving skills, is there any advice that you guys could offer up?

Thank you to all in advance!
 
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john16O said:
... tend to shy away from doing them and vow to come back to them and look over them later but I never do...

What about the solution 'do it'? It should be a very effective solution to your problem
 
lol, ill have to try that sometime. No but seriously, i tend to procrastinate when it comes to problems like that because it seems like if I stop and try to do the problem it will end up taking to much time to figure out. you know what i mean? and then I am just like, heck with this ill do these later. I guess i have to just stop being so lazy?
 
Don't skip over it. The book is written in that order for a reason. You'll need to know the math to understand everything all the way. You really just have to do it.
 
I agree with the other guys. It seems you know fairly well where your problem lies. You may not like that answer, but you are probably going to have to do the problems.:smile:

Have you tried budgeting time to them. For example, set an hour a day, say 7:00PM-8:00PM to work specifically on chemistry work. Make a list of stuff you want to cover during the course of the week. Eventually, you'll cover everything but those problems you don't care for. You'll then have to spend time on them to fill up the hours near the end of the week and check off everything on the list. Maybe some structure like this will help you to curb your procrastination a little bit.

Another idea, along the same lines, would be to budget a smaller amount of time everyday specifically to those problems.
 
john16O said:
Usually when I am reading my chemistry textbook and I come along a mathematical problem such as the gas laws or thermo chemistry I tend to shy away from doing them and vow to come back to them and look over them later but I never do. And in the end those are the questions that I miss on the exam. Can you guys give me some advice or if you had the same problem, what you did you do to fix it? I am also trying to improve my problem solving skills, is there any advice that you guys could offer up?

Thank you to all in advance!

john16O said:
lol, ill have to try that sometime. No but seriously, i tend to procrastinate when it comes to problems like that because it seems like if I stop and try to do the problem it will end up taking to much time to figure out. you know what i mean? and then I am just like, heck with this ill do these later. I guess i have to just stop being so lazy?

I'm puzzled here. It seems that you already know what the problem is and how to solve it. And from what I've read, several other people also see the same thing.

You know what you should do, you just don't do it. It is as simple as that, don't you think?

Zz.
 

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