It all starts tomorrow!!!! AHHH!

TerpGal02, ASN · Jul 2, 2008

hon you will be FINE in chem. I DREADED it but I have my final exam tomorrow and I have an A so far. In fact, if I just decided NOT to show up for the exam and got a 0% I would still have a high B. I havent had ANY science or math since 1998. Just make sure you pay attention, do the homework, and get as many practice problems in as you can. Dont be afraid of the math. It REALLY isnt anything terribly complicated. Everything builds on eachother so make sure if you dont understand something in the beginning ASK QUESTIONS. If you still dont understand something basic and the class moves on, you'll fall behind and you dont want that. DONT let it scare you! The more you let it scare you, the more closed off to learning you will be. Remember this is one of those times that self fulfilling prophecies DO hold true. If you keep telling yourself you cant do it, you wont.

steeldelica · Jul 3, 2008

Hi Kamdyn,

Well, by now you've already started your class. It's all going to be ok. You have to do this to get to your goal. You're gonna do great. I just completed this class in Spring 2008 with much dread, and surprisingly somehow I got an "A" for the class. I will say...it's not a gimme class and you could plan to spend more time on it because of all the math formulas that they will teach you throughout the class. Warning...there are many formulas and you're not expected to already know them. But if you have a good professor, he will teach you well.

You'll be identifying chemical symbols and their charges, using approriate metric units and need to memorize the periodic table of elements/group #s and they'll talk to you about oxidation and reduction numbers. Also, memorize the Polyatomic ions and their formulas. I wish I would have known that they were going to only refer to elements in formulas/charges during class from day one and you will be expected to know both. You might glance briefly at "gas laws" and "determining pH" and looking at Electron Configuration Charts since these things you will come upon in class and will seem like an old friend when you get there.

Ok...hope this helps. I'm headed into Micro in Fall 2008 and I have no clue what I'm in for and slightly dreading it. We'll both do great in the fall and leave it far behind.

Much success to you and your future.

TerpGal02, ASN · Jul 3, 2008

Hi Kamdyn,
Well, by now you've already started your class. It's all going to be ok. You have to do this to get to your goal. You're gonna do great. I just completed this class in Spring 2008 with much dread, and surprisingly somehow I got an "A" for the class. I will say...it's not a gimme class and you could plan to spend more time on it because of all the math formulas that they will teach you throughout the class. Warning...there are many formulas and you're not expected to already know them. But if you have a good professor, he will teach you well.
You'll be identifying chemical symbols and their charges, using approriate metric units and need to memorize the periodic table of elements/group #s and they'll talk to you about oxidation and reduction numbers. Also, memorize the Polyatomic ions and their formulas. I wish I would have known that they were going to only refer to elements in formulas/charges during class from day one and you will be expected to know both. You might glance briefly at "gas laws" and "determining pH" and looking at Electron Configuration Charts since these things you will come upon in class and will seem like an old friend when you get there.
Ok...hope this helps. I'm headed into Micro in Fall 2008 and I have no clue what I'm in for and slightly dreading it. We'll both do great in the fall and leave it far behind.
Much success to you and your future.

Oh yes! All this and more! If you are having trouble with writing chemical formulas I found it VERY helpful to actually write out the Lewis Dot structures for the elements you are talking about. Hopefully your instructor will teach this. If not, PM me and I can help you through it. Thats how it made the most sense to me, personally.

AB092504 · Jul 3, 2008

Well day 1 is over!!! YEY! Only 22 days left!!! LOL

LOL! I feel like this about my Algebra class right now! I count down the days after every class. Only 13 days left!

I'm glad your first day went OK though, I've also had professors in the past w/ accents and I think it gets easier to understand them as you go along and hear them talk more and more..

Keep plugging away, you'll do fine!