HOW TO DO WELL IN CHEMISTRY | high school & college/university chemistry tips & tricks

Nathan introduces himself and shares that he's about to complete his online term at Harvard and will soon begin pharmacy school at the University of Waterloo. He recognizes the stress of the upcoming exam season in December and decides to launch a subject series to share how he achieved top grades in his subjects, starting with chemistry. He also mentions an upcoming video on biology and English, subjects in which he excelled. Nathan emphasizes the importance of pre-reading and highlighting course materials, annotating during lectures, and creating summary tables for complex subjects like organic chemistry. He recommends his own comprehensive guide on note-taking for chemistry and admits to initially understanding only about 40% of the material during class, relying on post-lecture review and consolidation to grasp the concepts fully. He also discusses the challenges of digital document submission for lab reports and introduces Foxit, a sponsor that provides tools for creating and editing PDFs.

Nathan stresses the importance of reviewing lecture material before attempting homework and ensuring a thorough understanding of each step. He highlights the necessity of repetition in chemistry, advocating for the use of a dedicated notebook for practice problems. He shares his personal practice regimen, which involved filling a 200-page notebook with chemistry problems. Nathan also underscores the importance of marking and reviewing homework, correcting errors, and seeking teacher assistance for challenging questions. He reminisces about frequently consulting his teacher during high school, which he found invaluable. He also recommends watching others solve chemistry problems to understand the thought process and emphasizes the importance of completing past exam papers to familiarize oneself with exam formats and manage time effectively. In addition, Nathan mentions that while he prefers to study alone, studying with a small group for chemistry was beneficial for collaborative problem-solving.

Nathan discusses strategies for test-taking in chemistry, emphasizing the importance of showing all steps when solving questions, which is particularly important in high school where understanding the process is valued over the final answer. He also shares a trick for writing down the process in words when the numbers aren't adding up correctly. For university-level exams, which often use multiple-choice questions, he advises showing work to ensure accuracy. Nathan also covers the approach to short answer questions, suggesting providing an extra point as a 'backup' to cover for potential unclear explanations. After completing an exam, he advises reviewing it to identify weak spots and improve future performance. Finally, he stresses the importance of perseverance, sharing his personal struggles and the mental fortitude required to succeed in chemistry, encouraging students to find their own motivation to fuel their success.

In conclusion, Nathan encourages students to persevere through the challenges of studying chemistry, acknowledging the difficulty of the subject and the common struggles students face. He motivates students by reminding them of their goals and the importance of chemistry for their future aspirations. Nathan invites viewers to like the video and share their chemistry experiences, whether in high school or university. He teases upcoming videos on biology and English, urging viewers to subscribe for notifications to not miss out. He also suggests following him on Instagram for more personal content, and signs off with a positive note, promising that with the right strategies and mindset, success in chemistry is achievable.