Class Advice

To the incoming group of students taking Introductory Chemistry as a 1-block summer course. Below are comments from the previous group of students given near the end of the block. Heed their advice as they are deep within the course and have an excellent perspective. I hope they are helpful to you.

Advice-to-do: Some advice I would give to the next class would be to be prepared!! Dr. J is cool and super funny but this class is no joke. It starts the first day so soon as you get there. You need to be sure and read the chapters before the lecture and do the homework problems after the lecture, even though they are not for a grade. Also be preapred to study everyday. This class is very fast paced and difficult, but it is possible to make a good grade if you put in the effort. The only grades are the exams, so study hard. Good luck!

Advice-not-do-do: Do not come in to class late, Dr. J starts the lecture right at 8 (and he hates when people are late). Another thing is not to go into this class with a mind set that it wont be hard. This class is very time consuing and you need to be ready for that. Also do not skip labs, they are fun and an easy way to make a good grade. As long as you put in the time and effort is should be a good 16 days. :)

Who-should-not-take-course: I think someone who has no science or chemisrty background should not take this block course. It is way too fast paced and it requires a bit of prior knowledge.

Advice-to-do: If you want to be succesful in this class, you have to put in the work. Do NOT take this class with any other class. Coming to class everyday is not enough. If you aren't a fast learner or have no former science experience I don't reccomend this class. It's not impossbile to pass, but you will need to go over and beyond. STUDY STUDY STUDY. Read the chapters before class, take good notes, and come to class. If you miss one day you will be lost. Don't just take this class becuase its short and you think it will be an easy pass becuase its not. This course goes fast so make sure you know what you are getting into. If you devote enough time to this class you can pass it. GOODLUCK :)

Advice-not-do-do: I made the mistake of thinking I could do the bare minimum. I didnt do the readings and depth so it put me behind in lecture becuase it took me longer to understand the material. I advise you to do the readings before each class it actually helps. You will better understand what Dr. J is lecturing on.

Who-should-not-take-course: Someone who isn't a fast learner, don't have previous science experience, someone lazy. Anyone who isn't dedicated to learnining alot of information in a short amount of time.

Advice-to-do: I would recommend that the students coming into this class to difinitely read over the book, if they have a hard time understanding the lectures. Also to ask a lot of questions because this class is such a fast paced class. Otherwise, I would recommed to take this class during the summer, especially if you have a hard time with chemistry!

Advice-not-do-do: A mistake I made was not getting the book, because I took this class last semester and I rented the book and I rarely used it. Plus I still have all my notes!However, it was hard for me to continue when I barely understood last semester.

Who-should-not-take-course: I do not understand this question. I thought this class was a lot easier than my class last semester because Dr. J breaks down the lectures into layman's terms.

Advice-to-do: There are many ways to be successful in this class. The main tips are, attend to class, be organized, and embrace the challenge. Additionally, I recommend to make a study schedule and take breaks because it is much information to understand. Do all offer extra credit. This tips will help to succed in this course.

Advice-not-do-do: I didn't dedicate the exact amount of study, and this affects my results. Also, I never receive advice from a tutor and my sources online weren't good enough to support me and acknowledge my concerns.

Who-should-not-take-course: Involving this class is very challenging and need much more of time to process information. The lectures are long, weekly tests, and if your absent even particular day you will fall behind and there is not always enough time for a class discussion.

Advice-to-do: A couple things to be succesful in this class, study study study. Its important to go over and even rewrite your notes. Take lots of notes. Everything he says write down. Its huge in this class. Next read your book or atleast do the examples and vocab for each chapter, it helps a lot with understadning it. Lastly, show up to class ealry. You never want to miss a thing he says or goes over because its hard to catch back up.

Advice-not-do-do: The second test i messed up on because i didnt study near as hard. Its important to keep the same mindset through the whole course no matter how well you did on one test.

Who-should-not-take-course: I dont recomend this course to somebody who isnt going to show up on time, not put the effort inside the classroom, and importantly the effort outside of the classroom.

Advice-to-do: Dr J is a great teacher. He is great at responding to email and answering your questions. Ask lots of questions. Dr J is excellent about answering them. You definately need to put in the work. Reading the material and attending class is crucial.

Advice-not-do-do: I wish I had gone to Tutoring Central more. Chemistry is a challenge for me and I definately would have benefited from attending more sessions. I also would not recomend taking this class with another class. I made the mistake of taking this with Anatomy and it had a large impact on my abiilty to study a challenge. When you have two classes that require a large amount of time to study outside of class ...... probably should not take them together like this.

Who-should-not-take-course: If you need to take multiple classes, do not take this. If you do not have time to study and review, do not take this class.

Advice-to-do: This course is a no-nonsense course. Be prepared. I wouldn't recommend taking this class with another class, or if you are working multiple jobs. Listen constantly. You doze off and you're already behind. Don't play on your phone. And never EVER miss class. There's no catching up if you do. Ask all of the questions, even if you think they sound stupid. This class is definitely doable, but it isn't for the faint of heart. Dr. Jez gets excited aboout his work, so if you need him to slow down and repeat what he said - tell him! He'll explain things as best he can. Good luck to any future 4-weekers!

Advice-not-do-do: I made the mistake of not asking off work the day before the test to study two weeks in a row, and it hurt my grade. Always give yourself as much time as possible to study. And once you think you know the material, go back over it again. You should be dreaming about it because it's so engrained into your memory.

Who-should-not-take-course: Students who aren't good note takers or studiers should not take this course. If you don't have the time for it, it is better to just wait and take it a different time.

Advice-to-do: I would recommend reading over the syllubis and class schedule once the website is up. Also purchasing the textbook in advance so you can read over the first few chapters before jumping in on the first day. If you're willing to put in the time and tears this class is a huge reward if you get a good grade!

Advice-not-do-do: My mistake was working and not having a regulated sleep schedule. It is really hard to have a job and go through this class. You think you will be able to work after a day of this class and then once you get to work you are so mentally drain its a struggle to get through the shift. Part time maybe but full time? You're going to have a really hard time. Also staying up and studying all night hurts you in the long run too. When 8 am rolls around its going to be pretty painful.

Who-should-not-take-course: Someone who should not take this class is someone who has a full time job, is not willing to put in the hard work and time for this class, and someone who generally does not do well in chemistry. Some classes you can put in minimal effort and get a good grade, this is NOT one of those classes.

Advice-to-do: What I recommend to a new student taking this course to be successful in it is to defiantly take notes and go to every single class. This class moves very rapidly and not going to one class can put you behind. I also recommend to read the section he is going to cover before the day he covers it because it will make more sense when he is teaching it. I also recommend doing the study guides he makes for the tests and to not be afraid to ask questions because Dr. J is very nice and will help you with any questions you may have. I also recommend doing all of the extra credit he provides because it can really help your grade. I also recommend going through the labs the night before that way you know what you are doing in the lab the next day.

Advice-not-do-do: Some of the mistakes I made in this course was I did not study enough for the tests and not doing so affected my overall grade. Another mistake I made was not setting enough time aside to study and read the material.

Who-should-not-take-course: I do not think someone should take this class if they work a lot or if they are taking another class or have a busy scheldue because this class is so fast paced it is easy to get behind and feel over whelmed if you do not have proper time to study and review the material.