Chemistry - Fall 2005

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 14, 2005

Sometimes I forget that this is accelerated, I just think how hard I think it is.

It seems so long ago that we learned all that! LOL

I wish this was a regular class, I would not have taken it if I would have realized it was only 8 weeks.

SkanauxRN2009 · Sep 15, 2005

I started this class last week. It is getting very hard already. We are given formula's and have to be able to identify what the formula is, for example...CH3,CH2,CH2,CH3 = alkane and it is butane, and it is also a isomer. Yikes, I haven't had chemistry ever, and there was not a pre req for this class. Here is another example, CH3,CH, OH, CHOH, CH3, this is an alcohol, the professor also wants us to be able to write in this format, C4, H7, we must know and identify that this is butanol. Hydroxy is the 3rd Carbon and 2nd Carbon is butanol. Hydroxy butanol is the formula. Does anyone have an easy way to identify these and memorize them? We are going to have alot of these on our upcoming test. I am starting to feel lost. I completed 4 science classes with chemistry in them, so I do understand the carbon backbone and the hydrogen can only bond once, carbon can bond 4 times. To identify what the formula stands for is the scary part. Help!!

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2005

I find that flashcards help me to memorize things, or writing things in a table, and then study the table over and over until I learn it.

I spent about 3 hours in the tutoring center today, mostly just doing what I already know how to do. I guess I had a tutor helping me for about an hour. It just seems like I can "get it" more being in the tutoring center trying to learn, instead of all the distractions at home (allnurses.com) LOL!

Anyway, good luck, and make sure you go to tutoring if you need it. That's what they are there for, and many of them get financial aid by helping, so they need students to come in. :)

I started this class last week. It is getting very hard already. We are given formula's and have to be able to identify what the formula is, for example...CH3,CH2,CH2,CH3 = alkane and it is butane, and it is also a isomer. Yikes, I haven't had chemistry ever, and there was not a pre req for this class. Here is another example, CH3,CH, OH, CHOH, CH3, this is an alcohol, the professor also wants us to be able to write in this format, C4, H7, we must know and identify that this is butanol. Hydroxy is the 3rd Carbon and 2nd Carbon is butanol. Hydroxy butanol is the formula. Does anyone have an easy way to identify these and memorize them? We are going to have alot of these on our upcoming test. I am starting to feel lost. I completed 4 science classes with chemistry in them, so I do understand the carbon backbone and the hydrogen can only bond once, carbon can bond 4 times. To identify what the formula stands for is the scary part. Help!!

Paula7 · Sep 16, 2005

i hope everyone is doing well.
i actually made an 101.2 on my first exam. i made an 86.2, but got the 15 point bonus question correct, so my total is 101.2! i'm not sure how i managed that one! i know i had seen a question like it on the worksheets i downloaded, so i guess i remembered how to do it. i didn't expect to get it correct!! i really needed that grade though!
my next test is this coming monday over stoichiometry and aqueous solutions.
i have to come up with a group presentation idea, although it is supposed to be a "group" decision, no one has e-mailed any ideas yet. ugggggh
11 more classes.....i can do this, just have to stay motivated to study!

congrats! i don't want to hear you every worrying again..you are getting an a++ in this class, no problem! that's great!.

i got a 99.5 on my first quiz but i just took the first exam and am quite nervous. did not enjoy conversions and specific gravity questions!! i'll let you guys know how it went, only if it's a good grade! :rotfl:

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2005

lol....i'm always more worried about a test than i should be, hopefully it will stay that way!!!

as for that test, the non-stop questions i had answered on here, and downloading the worksheets off of the intenet helped a bunch.

thank you all!!!! :)

ok, now, can i moan and whine about this test i have monday??? :rotfl:

i think my biggest problem to overcome this weekend is just figuring out when to do which thing. (make sense? lol) ok, say if i am trying to find the molecules in a compound, i have to try to remember the steps i have to take to get to my answer...and that is just one type of problem.

i think i pretty much have my insoluble preticipates memorized now. i made a new powerpoint quiz & uploaded it this morning over that. so, by making it, it really helped. now, just to keep that knowledge for the test. lol

anyway, you did great on your quiz!!!! i'm sure you will do just as well, if not better on the exam!

(and....you would have done better than i did, if i hadn't received that 15 points on the bonus question, so..... you go, paula7!!!! lol)

i would have made 86.2, and for my past thoughts about chemistry, i would have been elated with that grade! (other than the fact that i could have made at least a 90 if it wasn't for the stupid mistakes i made! uggggggh again. lol)

so, if i can at least make a 85 or above, i will be satisfied, not happy though. i will moan and gripe about it at home, but i'll be satisfied that at least it's a passing grade, and somewhat consistant with my pre-bonus grade. :rotfl:

congrats! i don't want to hear you every worrying again..you are getting an a++ in this class, no problem! that's great!.
i got a 99.5 on my first quiz but i just took the first exam and am quite nervous. did not enjoy conversions and specific gravity questions!! i'll let you guys know how it went, only if it's a good grade! :rotfl:

casi, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2005

Labs are KILLING me!

Our labs aren't set up in a class period we get the assignments in class and the labortory has daily hours and a lab assistant to help.

One assumes that if a class is 5 credits this means 5 hours a day of in school work. Nope. 5 hours a week of lecture, then a lab that takes 2-8 hours. I've been in lab for 5.5hrs this week and still haven't finished it. One of my friends in the class has clocked about 10 lab hours and still isn't done.

These labs also make me very nervous. In chem labs there are to many thing's klutzy Casi can easily break. I use to thrive on having partners who could deal with hot things and glass, and I would be the one to kind of guide and do the math, but now I don't have any lab partners. Though I have startted going to labs w/ another student in the class and we sit together and help eachother. But back to the nervous part, I've flunked out of highschool chemistry and I've done the easier of the college chemistrys, but never have I had to deal with such strong chemicals before. The other day we had to dilute 16M sulfuric acid (That even kind of made the lab assistant nervous), yesterday I had to add non diluted hydrochloric acid to a concoction we had mixed up. The stuff litterally smoked.

I really don't mind the book portion of chemistry. I acctually find doing conversions kind of fun. The labs are just really wearing me out. I also work nights so it's hard for me to find time to go. I find myself sitting in lab thinking... mmkay I have to be up for work in ____hrs. I'm sure I'll get use to the extra time and comitment, but right now it's really getting to me.

I'm so glad allnurses has this thread and people who are so willing to help!

Also one good note about labs. There are laptops with internet connection at each station. This means when I'm sitting around waiting _____hours for soemthing to happen I can play online :)

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2005

Our labs are set up a little weird. Each group chose 2 labs to do from the "B" list. One day we did one, the next lab we did the other. Monday we had to turn in 2 lab request from group "C". Wednesday we did the first "C" lab, this coming Monday, we will do the other "C" lab. They are getting harder as we go, though. The "C" labs required a little more thought than the "B" labs did.

We turn in lab request ahead of time requesting items we will need that our group doesn't have in our locked closet (chemicals, thermometers, timer, etc.).

So, each group may or may not be doing the same lab. I think there is 1 lab that everyone does. We have to keep a lab notebook on a composition book.

Overall, I like the setup, but it is just a little weird, or different. It takes us a while to actually figure out what we need to do first, but the instructor is very helpful. That is good, he seems to know and enjoy his job.

Anyway, good luck, I hope it gets better for you!

It's cool about the laptops! :)

casi, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2005

What kind of labs does your class have?

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2005

What kind of labs does your class have?

So far we have been just weighing & measuring, and have used the hot plate and bunsen burner...nothing extravagant yet. lol

I'll give more detail this afternoon....getting ready to go take test #2 & do our second "C" lab.

Paula7 · Sep 19, 2005

thanks fun2care. i'm getting my exam back today and we'll see how that goes. i'm envisioning around a 70!! :uhoh21: :uhoh21: i don't feel too confident!! your test will be fine today. (i think you said monday right?) i'm sure we'll be seeing another a!!

if anyone just hates conversions or is just stuck on a specific one, i just found this great website. http://www.onlineconversion.com

you just click on what type you are looking for (length, weight) and type in what your trying to convert and it calculates it for you.

i found it helpful on ones that were driving me crazy!!!

talk to you all later!!

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2005

uggggh, Paula7. I don't feel confident at all about that exam that I took today!!!! After the first test, I *knew* I did well. I just went blank on this one. I'm hoping I did better than I think I did, but I'm not so sure.

After the test, I went out and called my husband. By the end of the conversation, I was in tears. My husband said, "I'm sure you did well. You always stress out too much over exams."

I went ahead and asked the instructor if he knew the drop date. (He didn't.) He said that he had graded the first 3 pages already, and everyone "in general" did pretty good. (That's not saying some of us didn't totally bomb the first three pages though!)

I hope I am over reacting. A couple of us were discussing the tests afterwards. One guy said, "I'm sure you made a 100 percent." If he only knew how I was feeling while taking that test!

Although I don't know how I did, I am so mad at myself. I spent 3 hours in the tutoring center, plus I study at home.

AND....here's another day wasted. No lecture after the test, so this Wednesday (9/21) & the Monday after (9/26), we will lecture for next Wednesday's test. (9/28).

The instructor said the rest of the tests are easier than this one because it was a lot of math. I just told him, well after spending 3 hours in the tutoring room on Thursday, plus studying at home, I *thought* I had it down. If I at least make a 70, I'll be sad, but happy b/c I feel like I bombed it! I really hope to make at least an 85. (There's no way I'll make a 100, unless somehow I managed to make an 85 & got the 15 point bonus question correct.) I should know Wednesday.

If I can stay afloat, there are only 4 weeks left after this week....which means: 9 classes & 3 exams left to do.

I have to work on my lab notebook because I think he's going to check it Wednesday, and look ahead at "Thermochemistry", which we will be lecturing over on Wednesday.

I feel better after rambling. lol Thanks for lending me a shoulder to cry on. :chuckle

I really hope you did well, Paula7!! Good luck to you all!

Paula7 · Sep 19, 2005

uggggh, paula7. i don't feel confident at all about that exam that i took today!!!! after the first test, i *knew* i did well. i just went blank on this one. i'm hoping i did better than i think i did, but i'm not so sure.
after the test, i went out and called my husband. by the end of the conversation, i was in tears. my husband said, "i'm sure you did well. you always stress out too much over exams."
i went ahead and asked the instructor if he knew the drop date. (he didn't.) he said that he had graded the first 3 pages already, and everyone "in general" did pretty good. (that's not saying some of us didn't totally bomb the first three pages though!)
i hope i am over reacting. a couple of us were discussing the tests afterwards. one guy said, "i'm sure you made a 100 percent." if he only knew how i was feeling while taking that test!
although i don't know how i did, i am so mad at myself. i spent 3 hours in the tutoring center, plus i study at home.
and....here's another day wasted. no lecture after the test, so this wednesday (9/21) & the monday after (9/26), we will lecture for next wednesday's test. (9/28).
the instructor said the rest of the tests are easier than this one because it was a lot of math. i just told him, well after spending 3 hours in the tutoring room on thursday, plus studying at home, i *thought* i had it down. if i at least make a 70, i'll be sad, but happy b/c i feel like i bombed it! i really hope to make at least an 85. (there's no way i'll make a 100, unless somehow i managed to make an 85 & got the 15 point bonus question correct.) i should know wednesday.
if i can stay afloat, there are only 4 weeks left after this week....which means: 9 classes & 3 exams left to do.
i have to work on my lab notebook because i think he's going to check it wednesday, and look ahead at "thermochemistry", which we will be lecturing over on wednesday.
i feel better after rambling. lol thanks for lending me a shoulder to cry on. :chuckle
i really hope you did well, paula7!! good luck to you all!

i'm so sorry you are so worried! i am sure you did fine! i have complete faith in you! everyone stresses after a test. i'm sure you are looking at an a. don't worry. i'm sure you got that bonus question right again!

you'll hear my horrible test score tomorrow and it'll make you feel all better about yours! :chuckle

you'll be fine! we're always here for you to ramble to! :icon_hug:

***Chemistry - Fall 2005***

Chemistry - Fall 2005