Preparing for Unit 1&2 in 2018

[mollyf21]

Hi!
So I'm doing unit 1&2 of chemistry next year...but I am pretty terrible at chemistry . Just wondering whether anyone has any tips for organisation, study and what to expect from chemistry 1&2?
Also, if you know of any good resources that would be amazing!
Thanks so much!
Molly

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

Might not be the best person to give advice here as Chemistry is consistently my worst subject in Year 12 and the only subject I'm not aiming for a 40+ in (dropped Physics last year so I'm rid of that sorcery) but here are some things you can do to better prepare yourself:
1) Actually make notes on theory>calculations (for 1&2), and attempt to understand all key knowledge as most of it carries over to 3&4, if you don't understand a particular concept/calculation it's better to ask someone to explain it to you, than skim through it because it all adds up to the final day of Year 12.
2) Practising with the questions at the end of a topic helps (actually), for 1&2, doing these questions would be sufficient for a strong foundation for 3&4.
3) What I used to do was studying ahead by 1 or 2 weeks, or essentially engaging in self-study/group-study with my friends because honestly, my teacher was crap, and that really helped as well.

Edit:
You can go over your textbook in the holidays, for some exposure at least, just don't stress too much if you don't get the content, as you'll be able to do the studying for it when school starts.

[mollyf21]

Might not be the best person to give advice here as Chemistry is consistently my worst subject in Year 12 and the only subject I'm not aiming for a 40+ in (dropped Physics last year so I'm rid of that sorcery) but here are some things you can do to better prepare yourself:
1) Actually make notes on theory>calculations (for 1&2), and attempt to understand all key knowledge as most of it carries over to 3&4, if you don't understand a particular concept/calculation it's better to ask someone to explain it to you, than skim through it because it all adds up to the final day of Year 12.
2) Practising with the questions at the end of a topic helps (actually), for 1&2, doing these questions would be sufficient for a strong foundation for 3&4.
3) What I used to do was studying ahead by 1 or 2 weeks, or essentially engaging in self-study/group-study with my friends because honestly, my teacher was crap, and that really helped as well.

Edit:
You can go over your textbook in the holidays, for some exposure at least, just don't stress too much if you don't get the content, as you'll be able to do the studying for it when school starts.

Thanks so much LifeisaConstantStruggle! You have some really great tips there that I will definitely give a go for next year! Thank you

[Bri MT]

If you can learn and understand the concept of the mole, and be able to balance compounds and equations, this will give you an advantage. There are many, many different resources online to help you learn this.
Not as crucial, but it would also be advantageous to have a good understanding of atomic structure (ie why are valence electrons important, how many valence electrons does an atom want to have etc.). Next year you will learn about subshells, don't panic if you find them difficult -they aren't in 3&4
You need to be able to read the periodic table

Chemistry is a mix of understanding & applying theory, memorising content, and doing some maths on the calculator.

I find having a zippable folder really useful for organisation as I don't lose handouts etc, and I'd recommend you explore if a paper based, electronic, or hybrid system works best for you in terms of scheduling and remembering when things are due.

Good luck

What do you struggle with?

[mollyf21]

If you can learn and understand the concept of the mole, and be able to balance compounds and equations, this will give you an advantage. There are many, many different resources online to help you learn this.
Not as crucial, but it would also be advantageous to have a good understanding of atomic structure (ie why are valence electrons important, how many valence electrons does an atom want to have etc.). Next year you will learn about subshells, don't panic if you find them difficult -they aren't in 3&4
You need to be able to read the periodic table

Chemistry is a mix of understanding & applying theory, memorising content, and doing some maths on the calculator.

I find having a zippable folder really useful for organisation as I don't lose handouts etc, and I'd recommend you explore if a paper based, electronic, or hybrid system works best for you in terms of scheduling and remembering when things are due.

Good luck

What do you struggle with?

Thanks so much for those ideas miniturtle! I will have to give some of those ideas a try next year!
We have done the basics of the mole and about balancing chemical equations and stuff like that, but it was year 10, not 11 so you guys probably learnt it all in a lot more detail. I am just a bit worried that I will get completely lost in the work next year and fall behind.

Also, just wondering, but how content heavy is chemistry? I guess the workload would differ from school to school, but just a general guide of what to expect?

[Bri MT]

Thanks so much for those ideas miniturtle! I will have to give some of those ideas a try next year!
We have done the basics of the mole and about balancing chemical equations and stuff like that, but it was year 10, not 11 so you guys probably learnt it all in a lot more detail. I am just a bit worried that I will get completely lost in the work next year and fall behind.

Also, just wondering, but how content heavy is chemistry? I guess the workload would differ from school to school, but just a general guide of what to expect?

I'd say the content level is low/moderate IF you are able to link concepts together and understand how things work. However, if you rote memorise things and have no understanding, the world load will be very big.
If you spend 2/3 hours a week on chem outside of class time, that is likely to be sufficient for units 1 & 2
Throughout the year you will be able to answer questions using mols such as: 
If 400g of C2H5OH is fully combusted to produce water and carbon dioxide, what mass of water is produced?     n=m/M
If 235 mL of water is added to 100mL of 2M HCl, what is the new concentration? n=cv    / c1v1=c2v2
If 500 grams of [reactant A] and 800 grams of [reactant B] react in accordance with [equation], what reactant is in excess? by how much?    n=m/M
How many molecules are in 1200 grams of carbon monoxide? (use Avo's number)

Edit: clarified molecule

[mollyf21]

I'd say the content level is low/moderate IF you are able to link concepts together and understand how things work. However, if you rote memorise things and have no understanding, the world load will be very big.
If you spend 2/3 hours a week on chem outside of class time, that is likely to be sufficient for units 1 & 2
Throughout the year you will be able to answer questions using mols such as: 
If 400g of C2H5OH is fully combusted to produce water and carbon dioxide, what mass of water is produced?     n=m/M
If 235 mL of water is added to 100mL of 2M HCl, what is the new concentration? n=cv    / c1v1=c2v2
If 500 grams of [reactant A] and 800 grams of [reactant B] react in accordance with [equation], what reactant is in excess? by how much?    n=m/M
How many molecules are in 1200 grams of carbon? (use Avo's number)

That sounds good. We have done some of the basic versions of those questions this year, however it is often with assistance from the teacher and probably not to this level, but I guess its a good foundation. Thanks so much for those question examples though...I might try to have a go at them sometime to try and get a little bit more of an understanding of the topic.