In need of help before starting 3/4 chem...

[geminii]

Hey everyone!

So transition at my school begins this coming Wednesday, and I don't have school Monday or Tuesday.

Throughout this year I have struggled with Unit 1/2 chemistry and understanding it. This really showed in my Unit 2 exam, where I got 41% (the lowest I have gotten for any exam in the history of my schooling - in my other subjects like English, Business Management, and Health & Human Development, I am a straight A student).

I am at a loss at what to do because I am trying to get into either Medicine or Engineering and obviously those require very high ATARs, and I'm worried Chemistry is the subject that's going to let me down.

If anyone has any advice on what to do during these couple of days before transition, during the summer holidays, and throughout the year next year, I would love to read it!

Thanks so much!

[Elizawei]

In my opinion, one of the best things you can do is to learn ahead, especially for chem. This year I self-taught myself the chem course before we reached it in class, and it was incredibly helpful. Even though the first time learning a new topic was difficult, by going through it in class again and knowing where you need help with so you can ask is very valuable.  This also gets you ahead in SACs as well, which is also really important.

I would suggest start learning unit 3, or if you don't feel like it, at least skim through the contents so it's more familiar when you reach it in class next year. If your school gives you edrolo, utilise that, I know it may not be for everyone but I taught myself through edrolo and it was really helpful.
Another free resource is Chemisodes, a podcast series that goes over the course. However that was the old study design, so be aware of the changes/additions.

You're a straight A student, so your work ethics must be really amazing Chemistry won't let you down, if you're willing to work hard for it

Oh and AN will always be here to help you next year 
If you would like, you can PM me and I'll send you some chem stuff

Have faith!!! And enjoy chemistry, it's an amazing subject

[emilyb4398888]

Chemistry will be hell unless you love it.
I understand you may need it for university, but if the passion isn't there, you will not have the drive to work your butt off

[Swagadaktal]

Also keep in mind, that only 4 subjects go into your top 4! So if you're a straight A student, you'd only need the pre-req score for chem (also try hard for chem but dont feel too disheartened if u cant!)

[Sine]

For your situation I agree with Swagadaktal's advice.

But if your aiming for a high score in chem, for a boost to your ATAR or just for pride I believe that a strong chemistry foundation is very important as a lot of the times this sort of deeper chemical understanding helps answering some questions which otherwise would be difficult to others.

I am not 100% familiar with the new VCE chemistry study design but be sure to go over the 1/2 content (that is applicable to 3/4) and revise or learn whatever you are unsure about. From my study design this wasn't much that was directly applicable from 1/2 to 3/4. i.e A topic in 1/2 would be covered within minimal time in 3/4.

What I did for 3/4 chem - I learnt the course before it was covered in class, I went through Unit 3 chemistry by the end of term 1 and also around half of my Unit 4 chemistry since it was taught in semester 1 of uni chemistry that I did. If you learn before it is gone over it class you will be filling most the gaps in knowledge whilst in class not later when your studying for a Sac or exam.

I think for any subject that one is not strong it or is there weakest a sustained effort across the whole year is the best foundation to then tackle practice exams towards the end of the year, you don't want to be learning/re-learning the course material in late October when you could be churning out practice exams which are much more beneficial towards improving your study score.

[HopefulLawStudent]

Hey everyone!

So transition at my school begins this coming Wednesday, and I don't have school Monday or Tuesday.

Throughout this year I have struggled with Unit 1/2 chemistry and understanding it. This really showed in my Unit 2 exam, where I got 41% (the lowest I have gotten for any exam in the history of my schooling - in my other subjects like English, Business Management, and Health & Human Development, I am a straight A student).

I am at a loss at what to do because I am trying to get into either Medicine or Engineering and obviously those require very high ATARs, and I'm worried Chemistry is the subject that's going to let me down.

If anyone has any advice on what to do during these couple of days before transition, during the summer holidays, and throughout the year next year, I would love to read it!

Thanks so much!

What should you do?

Take a deep breath.



(Because stressing about the past and past marks will do little to help you improve)

Now, I think that you should look back on what went wrong so as to avoid repeating these mistakes.

You said that;

I have struggled with Unit 1/2 chemistry and understanding it.

What exactly are you struggling to grasp? Is it how to apply the content to new circumstances? Is it just a matter of not being able to retain the information? Or is it just you can't grasp the concept itself (i.e. it goes in one ear and out the other)? Do you struggle more in some areas than others? Like did you understand the stuff from chapter X hella well but failed to grasp the stuff from chapter Y at all? Did you study technique change between Unit 1 and Unit 2 (e.g. Did you go from like studying every night and doing a million questions to never studying?). If you want to improve, you must first identify what is holding you back. (You're under no obligation to share whatever conclusions you reach btw; this evaluative stage is the sort of thing that lots of kids prefer to undertake alone).

You've identified that you've struggled in 1/2 Chem. And, by this stage, you'll have (hopefully) identified what went wrong this past year. At this stage, your future mark(s) won't necessarily be defined by what has already happened and how you have previously performed; what will ultimately determine your mark is what you do next and whether you choose to change something to enable you to maximise your mark when you sit your chem exam at the end of next year.

[Buddster]

Chem 3/4 involves a lot of memorisation as well as application. Some of the 1/2 content is not a big deal in 3/4, I'd make sure that you have a solid understanding of what is relevant to units 3 and 4 of the study design before starting 2017

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/chemistry/ChemistrySD-2016.pdf

[geminii]

Thanks so much for all the info guys! I'll be sure to take it all on board, and study ahead before the course starts.

Thanks again!!

[One Step at a Time]

Sorry, not sure if I can butt in like this, but I was just wondering how we can learn the course ahead during the hols? Especially since there's a new study design next year and the textbook (the Heinemann one, at least) hasn't been published yet?

Thanks 

[geminii]

Sorry, not sure if I can butt in like this, but I was just wondering how we can learn the course ahead during the hols? Especially since there's a new study design next year and the textbook (the Heinemann one, at least) hasn't been published yet?

Thanks 

Hi! No worries
I'm assuming we just read the new study design and then study ahead using the old textbook, making sure what we're studying from the old textbook is also relevant to the new study design. If you can't find an old textbook I'm pretty sure you can find information online, just study each point on the new study design by searching on the internet.

[Swagadaktal]

Sorry, not sure if I can butt in like this, but I was just wondering how we can learn the course ahead during the hols? Especially since there's a new study design next year and the textbook (the Heinemann one, at least) hasn't been published yet?

Thanks 

The study design is so similar that using an old textbook would be perfectly fine! Just the order of things have changed so look at SD and try pair it up with the textbook (i think its like the unit 3 was our unit 4 or something)

[sweetiepi]

The study design is so similar that using an old textbook would be perfectly fine! Just the order of things have changed so look at SD and try pair it up with the textbook (i think its like the unit 3 was our unit 4 or something)

Following on from this, if you do end up using the old textbook, I'm pretty sure back titrations are definitely out and the food chemistry (vitamins and metabolism of food as an energy source) has been added in.
The old unit 4 essentially is the new unit 3, bar from calorimetry, which is still in unit 4 and the old unit 3 is essentially the new unit 4, bar the stoichiometry (such as the mass/mass or mass/volume kind), which was originally done and still going to be in unit 3.
There is also a third area of study in the new unit 4, which is basically just a practical report, so make sure you know which variables are which (the independent, dependent and control), what goes in a method and ethics and safety considerations, as well as being able to formulate hypotheses.

[One Step at a Time]

Hi! No worries
I'm assuming we just read the new study design and then study ahead using the old textbook, making sure what we're studying from the old textbook is also relevant to the new study design. If you can't find an old textbook I'm pretty sure you can find information online, just study each point on the new study design by searching on the internet.

Hi geminii 

Sounds like a great plan, thanks heaps. Hoping there won't be too much overlap between Units 1/2 and 3/4 (at least with what I'm not the best at haha) 

The study design is so similar that using an old textbook would be perfectly fine! Just the order of things have changed so look at SD and try pair it up with the textbook (i think its like the unit 3 was our unit 4 or something)

Lol sometimes I feel like VCAA has a lot of spare time on their hands to be changing the order but not the content  But who am I to complain haha Thanks so much, the study design is going to be my best friend these hols... well at least for a few days!

Following on from this, if you do end up using the old textbook, I'm pretty sure back titrations are definitely out and the food chemistry (vitamins and metabolism of food as an energy source) has been added in.
The old unit 4 essentially is the new unit 3, bar from calorimetry, which is still in unit 4 and the old unit 3 is essentially the new unit 4, bar the stoichiometry (such as the mass/mass or mass/volume kind), which was originally done and still going to be in unit 3.
There is also a third area of study in the new unit 4, which is basically just a practical report, so make sure you know which variables are which (the independent, dependent and control), what goes in a method and ethics and safety considerations, as well as being able to formulate hypotheses.

Wowow thanks so much, appreciate it  Will defs use what you wrote as a reference for what to focus on 

[HopefulLawStudent]

Sorry, not sure if I can butt in like this, but I was just wondering how we can learn the course ahead during the hols? Especially since there's a new study design next year and the textbook (the Heinemann one, at least) hasn't been published yet?

Thanks 

Meet chemguide (http://www.chemguide.co.uk/), your new best friend. You should always use it with the study guide in hand though because not all of the information there will be relevant (though it does make for an interesting read whenever you have the time).