How to Get an A In Chemistry | Study Tips, Advice, Resources | Gen Chem, Orgo, Biochem

Kyeisha Laurence

23 Aug 202033:18

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this educational video, Kaisha Lawrence, a senior at the University of Maryland and a blogger at stylebykai.com, shares her experiences and strategies for excelling in college chemistry courses. She candidly discusses the challenges of chemistry, emphasizing the importance of early preparation, consistent studying, and diverse practice. Kaisha provides specific tips for general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, highlighting the significance of understanding concepts and the power of a positive mindset. She also recommends resources such as Crash Course videos and 'Organic Chemistry as a Second Language' to aid in mastering the subject.

Takeaways

📚 The video is a comprehensive guide on studying for chemistry courses, aimed at college students preparing for the academic challenges ahead.
💪 Kaisha Lawrence, the host and a senior at the University of Maryland, emphasizes the difficulty of chemistry but encourages viewers with a growth mindset and the belief in their ability to succeed.
🔬 General Chemistry 1 (Gen Chem) is the foundational college chemistry course covering atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical reactions, and acids and bases.
📈 To excel in Gen Chem, the video suggests starting preparations early, reviewing high school material, and using resources like Crash Course for conceptual understanding.
📝 The speaker shares personal study tips, such as giving 110% effort, practicing actively, and seeking diverse problems to avoid rote memorization.
🧪 Organic Chemistry is described as learning a new language with a significant amount of new material, requiring constant studying and avoiding cramming.
📒 For Organic Chemistry, maintaining detailed notes, engaging with practice problems, and utilizing resources like 'Organic Chemistry as a Second Language' are recommended.
🔍 The video highlights the importance of understanding concepts rather than just memorizing, especially when preparing for exams that test conceptual knowledge.
🧬 Biochemistry is presented as a more integrated and user-friendly course that connects chemistry to biological functions, with a focus on learning amino acids.
📉 The script provides transparency with the speaker's own grade breakdowns, showing that high exam scores are possible even with challenging coursework.
🤝 Lastly, the video encourages community and support, offering open communication for sharing tips and experiences in tackling chemistry courses.

Q & A

Who is the presenter of the video?
-The presenter is Kaisha Lawrence, a senior at the University of Maryland studying cellular biology and genetics with a French minor on the pre-medical track.
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is about chemistry courses, specifically focusing on study tips and insights for succeeding in these courses.
Why does Kaisha think it's a good time to talk about chemistry courses?
-Kaisha thinks it's a good time to talk about chemistry courses because it's August, and students are getting ready to head back into school.
What was Kaisha's initial interest in chemistry?
-Kaisha's initial interest in chemistry began in high school, where it got her thinking about a STEM track and possibly becoming a doctor.
What is one of the biggest challenges students face in chemistry courses, according to Kaisha?
-One of the biggest challenges students face in chemistry courses is the difficulty and complexity of the material, with class averages often being low.
What study tip does Kaisha suggest for preparing for General Chemistry 1?
-Kaisha suggests starting to prepare early by reviewing high school chemistry material, such as significant figures and balancing equations, using resources like Crash Course videos.
What strategy does Kaisha recommend for understanding and practicing chemistry concepts?
-Kaisha recommends active studying by practicing problems, understanding the concepts behind them, and not just passively rewriting notes.
How did Kaisha's perception of Organic Chemistry change over time?
-Kaisha initially found Organic Chemistry intimidating but eventually it became one of her favorite courses due to its challenging yet interesting content.
What resources does Kaisha recommend for studying Organic Chemistry?
-Kaisha recommends resources like Leah4Sci.com, the book 'Organic Chemistry as a Second Language,' and attending office hours and study groups.
What was Kaisha's experience with Biochemistry, and what study tip does she emphasize?
-Kaisha found Biochemistry to be more manageable compared to other chemistry courses. She emphasizes the importance of learning amino acids thoroughly using flashcards and whiteboard reviews.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Study Tips for College Chemistry

Kaisha Lawrence introduces her video and blog on study tips for college chemistry, highlighting the difficulty of the subject and her intention to provide helpful advice. As a senior at the University of Maryland studying cellular biology and genetics with a French minor on the pre-medical track, she shares her personal experience with chemistry and her background in blogging about college life, lifestyle, and fashion. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging chemistry's challenges without seeing them as insurmountable obstacles and sets the stage for discussing study strategies.

05:01

🔍 Breaking Down General Chemistry One

The video segment focuses on General Chemistry One, explaining its foundational role in college chemistry education. It covers topics such as atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical reactions, and acids and bases. Kaisha emphasizes the importance of reviewing high school chemistry knowledge and using resources like Crash Course to prepare for the college-level material. She also stresses the importance of understanding concepts over memorization and the value of active studying and practice, including attending office hours and engaging with the material beyond lecture notes.

10:01

🧪 Navigating the Challenges of Organic Chemistry

Kaisha discusses the notorious difficulty of organic chemistry, comparing it to learning a new language due to its extensive and unfamiliar material. She shares her personal journey from anxiety to mastery, including her strategies for success such as constant studying, avoiding cramming, and practicing diverse problems. She recommends resources like 'Organic Chemistry as a Second Language' and emphasizes the importance of understanding reaction mechanisms and utilizing all available study aids, including office hours and study groups.

15:02

📝 Deep Dive into Organic Chemistry Two

This section delves deeper into Organic Chemistry Two, where the focus shifts from learning new concepts to understanding reactions and mechanisms. Kaisha shares her study techniques, including whiteboard reviews and maintaining a list of reactions. She discusses the importance of practicing with a variety of problems and creating her own practice exams with challenging questions. Her approach to mastering the material involves muscle memory and storytelling to understand mechanisms thoroughly, which she finds particularly helpful for exam success.

20:02

🌐 General Chemistry Two and the Importance of Textbook Study

In this part, Kaisha talks about her experience with General Chemistry Two, noting the reliance on the textbook for the first time in her chemistry journey. She recounts a challenging exam experience and the importance of staying calm under pressure. Her study tips for this course include using the textbook, doing practice problems, and recognizing that exam questions often provide the necessary information to solve them. She also discusses the grading scale and how curves can affect final grades.

25:04

🧬 Embracing Biochemistry: The Intersection of Biology and Chemistry

Kaisha expresses her enthusiasm for Biochemistry, which she found more manageable than her previous chemistry courses. She attributes this to the slower pace, thorough review of concepts, and the applicability of chemistry to biological systems. Her top study tip for biochemistry is learning amino acids early and thoroughly, using flashcards and whiteboard reviews. She also recommends using textbooks, creating practice tests, and utilizing online resources like AK Lectures for a comprehensive understanding of the material.

30:06

🏆 Reflecting on the Journey and the Power of Mindset

In the concluding segment, Kaisha reflects on her overall experience with chemistry at the university level, the challenges she overcame, and the importance of maintaining a positive mindset. She encourages viewers to believe in their ability to succeed, despite the difficulties. She offers her support through open direct messages and invites viewers to share their tips in the comments. She also provides links to her blog and resources for further study and ends with well-wishes for the upcoming semester.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Chemistry courses

Chemistry courses refer to academic classes focused on the study of chemistry, which includes the study of matter and its interactions. In the video's context, the speaker discusses her experiences and strategies for succeeding in various college-level chemistry courses, emphasizing the difficulty but also the manageability of these subjects with the right approach.

💡Study tips

Study tips are practical advice or strategies that help improve learning efficiency and retention. The video's theme revolves around the presenter's personal study tips for chemistry courses, which include starting preparations early, practicing beyond just memorization, and understanding concepts deeply rather than superficially.

💡General Chemistry

General Chemistry, often referred to as 'Gen Chem' in the script, is an introductory college-level course that covers fundamental principles of chemistry. The speaker discusses the importance of this course as a foundation for all other chemistry courses and shares specific study tips for mastering its content.

💡Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry is the study of molecules that contain carbon, including the structure, properties, reactions, and synthesis of these compounds. The script highlights the subject as being particularly challenging, but also interesting, and the speaker shares her journey from anxiety to mastery, including the use of specific study resources and techniques.

💡Pre-medical track

The pre-medical track is a course of study designed to prepare students for medical school, typically including rigorous science and math courses. The speaker mentions being on the pre-medical track, indicating the challenging and competitive nature of the chemistry courses she discusses.

💡Conceptual understanding

Conceptual understanding refers to the ability to grasp the underlying principles and ideas of a subject, rather than just memorizing facts. The video emphasizes the importance of conceptual understanding in chemistry, especially for solving complex problems and performing well on exams.

💡Practice exams

Practice exams are mock tests that replicate the structure and content of actual exams, used for studying and preparing. The speaker frequently mentions the use of practice exams as a key study method, suggesting that they help in familiarizing oneself with the exam format and deepening the understanding of the subject matter.

💡Office hours

Office hours are times set aside by professors or teaching assistants for students to ask questions and seek help outside of regular class time. The script includes office hours as part of the speaker's recommended study strategies, indicating their usefulness in clarifying doubts and deepening understanding.

💡Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes within living organisms, combining biology and chemistry. The speaker expresses a particular fondness for biochemistry, noting how it applied the principles of chemistry to biological systems and made the subject more relatable and interesting.

💡Amino acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, each with a unique structure that contributes to the protein's overall function. The video script mentions learning amino acids as a crucial part of studying biochemistry, indicating their importance in understanding protein structure and function.

💡Growth mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. The speaker concludes the video by emphasizing the importance of having a growth mindset when approaching challenging chemistry courses, suggesting that believing in one's ability to improve and succeed is key to overcoming academic obstacles.

Highlights

Introduction to the channel and the video's focus on study tips for college chemistry courses.

The importance of acknowledging chemistry's difficulty while maintaining a positive attitude towards achieving a 4.0 GPA.

Personal introduction of the speaker, Kaisha Lawrence, a senior at the University of Maryland studying Cellular Biology and Genetics.

Emphasis on the foundational role of General Chemistry (Gen Chem) in building upon high school knowledge.

Advice on starting preparation early for Gen Chem 1 with review of high school chemistry concepts.

Recommendation of Crash Course videos as a fun and effective review tool for chemistry.

The significance of understanding concepts deeply rather than just memorizing for college chemistry exams.

Study tip: Give 110% effort in Gen Chem 1 to counteract the unknowns and adjustments of college studying.

The value of practice and active studying over passive methods like note rewriting for chemistry courses.

Importance of understanding concepts through diverse practice problems rather than memorizing specific examples.

Benefit of attending office hours to explore hypothetical scenarios and deepen understanding of chemistry concepts.

Organic Chemistry's reputation as a challenging subject and the speaker's personal journey from anxiety to achievement.

The analogy of Organic Chemistry as learning a new language due to its unique concepts and terminology.

Study strategy for Organic Chemistry: constant reviewing and practicing to avoid cramming.

Use of 'Organic Chemistry as a Second Language' book as a helpful resource for demystifying Organic Chemistry concepts.

The speaker's success in Organic Chemistry and the importance of a growth mindset in overcoming academic challenges.

Transition to discussing Organic Chemistry 2, focusing on reactions and mechanisms as the core of the course.

The effectiveness of whiteboard reviews and creating one's own practice problems for mastering Organic Chemistry 2.

The speaker's experience with General Chemistry 2, highlighting the importance of the textbook and practice problems.

Reflection on the speaker's journey through chemistry courses and the value of perseverance and self-belief.

Encouragement for viewers to reach out for support and share study tips, emphasizing community and collaboration.

Transcripts

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