ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Chemistry => Topic started by: Snow Leopard on January 23, 2021, 02:34:22 pm

Title: @40+ Scorers in VCE Chem, is taking notes for Chem worthwhile?
Post by: Snow Leopard on January 23, 2021, 02:34:22 pm

Hi,

If people who scored 40+ in Chem could please complete this poll, that would be really interesting to see different people's view on this.

Thanks

Title: Re: @40+ Scorers in VCE Chem, is taking notes for Chem worthwhile?
Post by: hel256 on January 23, 2021, 05:04:59 pm

I voted no, but it ultimately depends on your own level of comfort with the content.
I started writing notes at the start of the year but by the end of the course I hadn't written notes for months. Personally, I found doing practice questions far more beneficial than writing summaries, since by doing so you're adjusting yourself to answering the questions in a specific and targeted fashion.
For topics like fuels where you'll often be asked to explain things, summaries may be useful, but for calculation-heavy topics like galvanic and electrolysis, I'd recommend directing your focus towards practice questions.

Title: Re: @40+ Scorers in VCE Chem, is taking notes for Chem worthwhile?
Post by: colline on January 23, 2021, 05:09:11 pm

From comparing my study techniques to my friends who got mid/high 40s, taking really detailed notes really isn't as important as making sure you're doing constant practice. Not saying don't take notes, but make sure to use your time wisely.

Re: buying condensed notes - Everybody studies differently but just IMO, I 100% recommend against buying them simply because writing even a very short and brief summary yourself would aid your understanding much more than reading someone else's summary of a textbook. When you transfer the textbook content into your own notes, you actually have to think about what you're writing. Buying others' notes would take away that learning opportunity.

Title: Re: @40+ Scorers in VCE Chem, is taking notes for Chem worthwhile?
Post by: Owlbird83 on January 23, 2021, 05:26:42 pm

I agree with hel256, (edit: and colline)
Idk about other people but having a notebook to write notes in makes me feel pressured to write equal amounts summarising each topic . But for chem (unlike bio) I think it's more effective to get a blank sheet and draw up a colourful diagram/table only when you need to for certain areas. Eg reaction pathway flowchart/electrolytic cell labelling/fuel comparisons in table etc. And then if you do it like that you can stick them up in your walls.
Vast majority of chem learning comes from practice questions and you can't really get good from only notes.