Studying for chemistry is always a challenge. Not only does the subject require a lot of memory work and time, but often, there are other subjects as well you will need to juggle as well. Unlike other subjects, where you could scrap by with last minute work, chemistry requires a lot of consistent effort.
Studying for chemistry requires a lot of time and commitment. Ask any of your friends who have taken and completed chemistry at the junior college level and you will find answers that range from “Chemistry is the hardest subject,” to “Chemistry is the most time-consuming subject.”
Leaving things to the night just before the exam is a bad idea. With so much information and concepts to remember, the best way to go about studying for chemistry is to be consistent.
That’s why we are going to present some tips which can help you be effective in studying for chemistry. Be it the O’ Levels or A’ Levels, these tips will definitely help you out.
Do not cram
This is the most important point about studying for chemistry. Although chemistry is content heavy, so much of the content is reliant on you being able to connect ‘the dots’ between different concepts.
Which is the reason why consistent effort pays off in chemistry. So, chart out a plan of the topics you would study each week, and stick to it.
One of the most overlooked points is that while planning your revision schedule, you should never cram it into a single day. Instead, spread it out over the week. Being consistent is more important. By cramming the revision into a single day, you might not be able to retain what you have revised.
So remember to take a chill pill and spread your schedule out.
Practice solving chemistry problems
Chemistry is extremely content heavy, and each topic requires in-depth understanding. To be able to prepare well, you will need to dedicate time to chemistry each week. Just looking at your notes may suffice for other subjects, but for chemistry, it won’t help you learn.
Most of chemistry is problem solving. Having a dedicated time to sitting down and practicing the questions can help familiarise you to the skills needed for solving complex questions.
Furthermore, while solving questions, you should try to time yourself. This will help replicate the exam conditions, and help familiarise yourself to the pressure you might face during the exams itself.
Draw a summary diagram
The easiest way to consolidate all the content knowledge is to draw your own organic reaction summary diagram. This will also serve to help test your knowledge at the same time as well when you are drawing it. Drawing a summary diagram for organic reactions is a great way to consolidate all the content you have learnt. You will be able to refresh your memory with this diagram.
Sometimes, having a diagram helps you visualise the concepts better. You might not be a visual learner, but the process of creating a diagram will definitely help ingrain the knowledge.
Seek help
If you are feeling the stress or you feel yourself starting to fall behind in your studies, the best way would be to seek help.
Reach out to a friend who is good at chemistry, or better yet, find yourself a tutor. While there are many chemistry tutors available in Singapore, at ChampionTutor, we have selected the best few tried and true chemistry tutors who have the testimonials to back it up.
Searching for a tutor may be harder than asking for help from your friends, but it can be rewarding. The most important thing when searching for a tutor is to check the testimonials.
While there is no one size fits all method to effectively study for chemistry, being consistent in your effort is the most important no matter how you choose to go about studying for the subject.
So just create a plan or a schedule and make sure that you stick to it. That way, you do not have to worry about getting distracted and forgetting about revision that needs to be done.
Writen by- En Hao
