General Chem I question--

[distancia]

A queston for those of you who have/had a dc taking college level General Chem classes. Not the liberal-arts chemistry of Life type of class, nor the Intro to Chemistry with Lab class, but the science track advanced Chem class that just precedes Organic (otherwise known as "O-chem")?

 

My dd is taking Gen Chem I, having completed Intro to Chem with Lab (science track with lab, 4 cr) this past June. DD is terrible at math but, we're discovered, does quite well with math when it is in an applied setting. With conceptual understanding she is exceptional, as she can visualize quite well.

 

Anyway, she asked me if "chemistry is this hard for everyone". She is actually taking the time to read the textbook (1 chapter per week) and look at the graphs and illustrations, to take notes, and review the chapter again. Then she does the homework assignment--this week, 40 problems! She is getting them all correct (a good sign) but it is taking her hours to solve them all.

 

I told her Chemistry is a difficult subject to being with; very complex and lots of info to remember. Her dad was a Chem major and he told her that he didn't have much time for anything else, other than the gym to blow off steam...no girlfriends, very little social life...His life was consumed by chemistry homework.

 

I think dd is expecting chemistry to come as easily to her as history, which was merely memorization of facts; or writing, which she does effortlessly.

 

Based upon what I have read online from instructors' syllabi, students are cautioned that Gen Chem can easily take 15 hours of work per week.

 

Can anyone support this, or offer experience?

[regentrude]

As a general rule of thumb we tell the students to plan for two hours of work outside of class for every hour in class. So, a four hour course requires 8-10 hours outside of class every single week. Some weeks more, some weeks less. Some students need a bit more, some a bit less - but that is the general order of magnitude.

Some classes are easier; but we find the above rule true for the science and math classes. I would expect chemistry to take at least this long.

 

Many universities offer learning assistance opportunities like help sessions for homework etc. I would encourage any student who takes longer than 10 hours per week for my 4 hour class to attend one of these (actually, I encourage EVERY student to use the support available). This may help your DD to develop more effective study techniques and maybe to do the homework quicker.

 

When I was a physics undergraduate, school was my full time job and took 60 hours per week.

 

 

A queston for those of you who have/had a dc taking college level General Chem classes. Not the liberal-arts chemistry of Life type of class, nor the Intro to Chemistry with Lab class, but the science track advanced Chem class that just precedes Organic (otherwise known as "O-chem")?

 

My dd is taking Gen Chem I, having completed Intro to Chem with Lab (science track with lab, 4 cr) this past June. DD is terrible at math but, we're discovered, does quite well with math when it is in an applied setting. With conceptual understanding she is exceptional, as she can visualize quite well.

 

Anyway, she asked me if "chemistry is this hard for everyone". She is actually taking the time to read the textbook (1 chapter per week) and look at the graphs and illustrations, to take notes, and review the chapter again. Then she does the homework assignment--this week, 40 problems! She is getting them all correct (a good sign) but it is taking her hours to solve them all.

 

I told her Chemistry is a difficult subject to being with; very complex and lots of info to remember. Her dad was a Chem major and he told her that he didn't have much time for anything else, other than the gym to blow off steam...no girlfriends, very little social life...His life was consumed by chemistry homework.

 

I think dd is expecting chemistry to come as easily to her as history, which was merely memorization of facts; or writing, which she does effortlessly.

 

Based upon what I have read online from instructors' syllabi, students are cautioned that Gen Chem can easily take 15 hours of work per week.

 

Can anyone support this, or offer experience?

[Kareni]

My advanced degree is in Chemistry.

 

 

Anyway, she asked me if "chemistry is this hard for everyone".

 

No, there will always be a variation due to student's interests and skill level. For some, Chemistry will be as easy as history is to your daughter. For many though, Chemistry is a class that will require much effort and time.

 

Based upon what I have read online from instructors' syllabi, students are cautioned that Gen Chem can easily take 15 hours of work per week.

 

Can anyone support this, or offer experience?

 

It is not at all unusual that a class will require two to three hours of work per hour of in class time (so a three credit class might require six to nine hours of additional work while a five credit class could require ten to fifteen hours).

 

Best wishes to your daughter!

Regards,

Kareni

[distancia]

Thank you both.

 

My daughter is comparing herself to other students in her class, and she says most of them are not reading the text, but merely listening to the lecture, reviewing the professor's notes on Power Point, and then doing the homework.

 

DD says that doesn't work because there are some small details in the text which cannot be overlooked, and the knowledge is critical to build upon. Thus, deep reading of the text is mandatory.

 

Can successful chem students do well without reading the text, merely skimming here and there?

[creekland]

 

Can successful chem students do well without reading the text, merely skimming here and there?

 

I think it depends on their background. I had such a good teacher/course in high school that it was almost all review for me. I tutored some other struggling students. They had chem in high school too, but not nearly up to the same quality or depth.

 

This was in a class for science majors.

 

Interestingly enough, I couldn't stand my chem class/teacher in high school. :lol:

 

I learned to appreciate him much later!

[Tullia]

A queston for those of you who have/had a dc taking college level General Chem classes. Not the liberal-arts chemistry of Life type of class, nor the Intro to Chemistry with Lab class, but the science track advanced Chem class that just precedes Organic (otherwise known as "O-chem")?

 

My dd is taking Gen Chem I, having completed Intro to Chem with Lab (science track with lab, 4 cr) this past June. DD is terrible at math but, we're discovered, does quite well with math when it is in an applied setting. With conceptual understanding she is exceptional, as she can visualize quite well.

 

Anyway, she asked me if "chemistry is this hard for everyone". She is actually taking the time to read the textbook (1 chapter per week) and look at the graphs and illustrations, to take notes, and review the chapter again. Then she does the homework assignment--this week, 40 problems! She is getting them all correct (a good sign) but it is taking her hours to solve them all.

 

I told her Chemistry is a difficult subject to being with; very complex and lots of info to remember. Her dad was a Chem major and he told her that he didn't have much time for anything else, other than the gym to blow off steam...no girlfriends, very little social life...His life was consumed by chemistry homework.

 

I think dd is expecting chemistry to come as easily to her as history, which was merely memorization of facts; or writing, which she does effortlessly.

 

Based upon what I have read online from instructors' syllabi, students are cautioned that Gen Chem can easily take 15 hours of work per week.

 

Can anyone support this, or offer experience?

 

Is she far enough into the term to see how her classmates' strategy works for them? My son spent quite a bit of time on Gen Chem I and II, but the work paid off. His instructor gives the NCE and therefore assigns LOTS of problems to his students. The slackers and the unprepared were out of luck.

 

I do agree that background may make some difference. Ds didn't run into anything really new until Gen Chem II, so that helped give him an edge conceptually. Doing the problems was time consuming, though, partly because of the number of problems assigned and partly because he doesn't work quickly in math.

 

ETA: He used lecture notes primarily, but also read the text, did all the homework, and talked with the instructor outside of class regularly. All the students (both semesters) who received A's somehow found each other and they seemed to be doing the same things. Also, language and humanities courses come very easily to my son. He's doing well in his science math courses, but he puts in a lot of work.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Martha in NM

[Mama Geek]

Not chemistry specifically, but the same topic. I did very well in Calculus classes because I could visually see what was going on. When I took Physics, it was much more difficult because I had a hard time visualizing the information. My dh grew up working on a farm. Physics came much easier to him because he had seen how things worked and just had to learn the whys. He struggled more with Calculus. His undergrad degree was in Physics and there were some classes that he spent 40 hours a week on or more and still ended up retaking.

 

The other thing that can really make a difference is the teacher.

 

I guess what I am getting at is that people have different strengths in different things. It is good to struggle with things, that is one of the things that makes us stronger and builds confidence. Encourage her to keep working at it and she will be pleased with the results.

[In The Great White North]

Anyway, she asked me if "chemistry is this hard for everyone". She is actually taking the time to read the textbook (1 chapter per week) and look at the graphs and illustrations, to take notes, and review the chapter again. Then she does the homework assignment--this week, 40 problems! She is getting them all correct (a good sign) but it is taking her hours to solve them all.

 

Not to ask silly questions, but did she not expect to read the textbook and do the exercises? Isn't that the idea?

 

Is she far enough into the term to see how her classmates' strategy works for them? My son spent quite a bit of time on Gen Chem I and II, but the work paid off. His instructor gives the NCE and therefore assigns LOTS of problems to his students. The slackers and the unprepared were out of luck.

 

This. By the time finals roll around, they might not such happy campers.

 

I do agree that background may make some difference. Ds didn't run into anything really new until Gen Chem II, so that helped give him an edge conceptually.

 

I had two years of chem in high school, so I didn't run into anything new in chem in college at all. (I still read the book and did the homework.)

[distancia]

Not to ask silly questions, but did she not expect to read the textbook and do the exercises? Isn't that the idea?

 

 

I think she is accustomed to relying upon Power Point notes and lecture notes. In her previous college science classes NONE of the instructors required textbooks, having the students rely solely upon notes and PowerPoint.

 

In other words, the instructors reduced the material to the basic concepts of each chapter and eliminated all the (seemingly superfluous) "fluff".

 

So now DD is wondering if she is unnecessarily spending time reading the "fluff", which none of the other students appear to be doing. BTW, these students are not engineering majors or anything like that; they are all Liberal Arts majors who want to get chemistry under their belts. My daughter has 1 year of high school chemistry, 1 semester of community college Liberal Arts chemistry, and 1 semester of community college (science track) Intro to Chemistry, As in all classes. Surely her peers, LA majors, can't all be significantly more advanced than she.

[regentrude]

My daughter is comparing herself to other students in her class, and she says most of them are not reading the text, but merely listening to the lecture, reviewing the professor's notes on Power Point, and then doing the homework.

 

DD says that doesn't work because there are some small details in the text which cannot be overlooked, and the knowledge is critical to build upon. Thus, deep reading of the text is mandatory.

 

Can successful chem students do well without reading the text, merely skimming here and there?

 

I all depends on the setup of the class.

the reality is: my students pay $100+ for the textbook and prefer not to read it. Those who DO, however, have a better understanding of the material, get more out of the lectures and will ultimately perform better than the students who just skim to extract the bare minimum necessary to do the homework.

She should discuss this with her instructor. If the instructor assigns reading, she should read. If he structures his class so that the reading is optional and reviewing the class notes suffices, he would tell her.

Comparing herself to other students this early in the semester is not useful - she should wait until after the first exam and THEN see who is doing well and compare herself to these students. Just because most students do xyz does not mean they will succeed.

[kiana]

So now DD is wondering if she is unnecessarily spending time reading the "fluff", which none of the other students appear to be doing. BTW, these students are not engineering majors or anything like that; they are all Liberal Arts majors who want to get chemistry under their belts. My daughter has 1 year of high school chemistry, 1 semester of community college Liberal Arts chemistry, and 1 semester of community college (science track) Intro to Chemistry, As in all classes. Surely her peers, LA majors, can't all be significantly more advanced than she.

 

Those wanting to 'get chemistry under their belts' are often quite delusional about how they're doing in the class and/or satisfied with a C. There are many students in math/quantitative science who believe they're doing fine until the exam, whereupon they complain it was too hard because it was harder to do the exam than it was to do the homework with the book and solutions manual open.

 

This is not at all an unreasonable amount of time for her to be spending, especially since you indicated she has to work harder at math.

[FaithManor]

Once past introductory classes, chemistry classes tend to be rather intensive. So, I think what your daughter is experiencing is quite normal.

 

College really should be a more than full-time job. I took a lot of physics classes in college - another passion and I needed some classes outside of music so I wouldn't lose my mind - and many of them were 3 or 4 credit classes and would spend 12 hrs. outside of class/lab time doing homework, studying the text and lecture notes, etc. At mid-terms, I always had A's while my classmates who seemed to be floating by on less study time, suddenly discovered they were only carrying a C or D and had to scramble to adopt better study habits and get straight A's in order to bring that grade up. I continued to go along with a more reasonable stress load because I had instituted good habits up front and had some breathing room in my grades.

 

Congratulate your daughter on being dilligent and mature. Even if the subject material is more difficult for her than for the others who appear to be "coasting" well, in the end, she is likely to have done much better than they.

 

Faith

[emubird]

If one wants to do well, chemistry is harder than many other classes and takes lots of time. The other kids may just not have realized this yet.

 

As far as reading the text goes, it depends on the text and the quality of the lectures, and whether the professor expects students to get information out of the text that isn't covered in the lectures. It is entirely possible that one can get through a difficult chem course without cracking the book for anything more than reading the problems IF the professor is covering everything necessary in lecture.

 

But even with a really great professor who tries to cover everything, the book may still cover the material in a slightly different way that makes it more comprehensible to a particular student. And it would be difficult for a professor to fit every type of example into lecture. At the very least, it's important to find the examples in the text that pertain to the homework problems.

 

However, I have to admit that I don't read science texts straight through. Usually I go to the lecture first, take notes, and then use the book to guide me through the homework problems. I know everyone says to read the text before the lecture, but I just don't get much out of it before hearing what the professor has to say. I also don't really get much out of it by just sitting down and reading. I have to have something to apply it to (like the homework). My straight A daughter has the same problem, and generally doesn't go to the text unless she is confused by something.

 

So it might be possible for other students in the class to be doing just fine not actually reading the chapter from start to finish. But this is a matter of figuring out how one learns. If reading the chapter is what works for your daughter, then she should certainly do it, even if other kids don't do it that way.

 

To be honest, though, if she's getting every single chem problem right on the homework, I suspect this class may be easier than many chem classes I've seen. She may discover, as the semester progresses, that she won't get them all right anymore, even with the time she's putting into this.

 

Also, if it's like most chem classes I've taken, a 90 percent on a test will be an excellent grade and probably at the top of the class.

Edited September 8, 2011 by emubird

[distancia]

UPDATE: My daughter thought she was doing quite well and yesterday learned, when she received her homework back, that she is not doing well.

 

She was covering only Chapter 1 (!) and got more than 50% of the homework questions wrong. And dd spent so much time reading the book and taking notes!

 

I believe I know what is happening: for some reason she is not filtering out the "fluff" from the essential material. She doesn't seem to know what is necessary and what to leave behind. To her, everything is of equal importance. Therefore, in Section 1.5 a picture diagram of what is happening with a spectrometer means as much as a blurb about R. Buckminster Fuller, when the real intention of the author was to tackle scientific notation in Section 1.5!

 

I believe this is because dd has never learned how to read a Science/Math textbook correctly (she had this same problem in Math class, too--she was constantly distracted by color photos and different fonts).

 

This is why dd did so well in her previous Chem class, because the Prof taught the students only what they needed to know, and did not assign a textbook--his Power Point notes WERE the book. Whereas in this class, the instructor is not telling the students what they need to know, she is just assigning a Chapter per week and a list of homework problems, leaving it up to the students to determine what, exactly, they are learning, and how best to learn it.

 

Sigh. I don't know how dd is going to continue.

[JFSinIL]

Thank you both.

 

My daughter is comparing herself to other students in her class, and she says most of them are not reading the text, but merely listening to the lecture, reviewing the professor's notes on Power Point, and then doing the homework.

 

DD says that doesn't work because there are some small details in the text which cannot be overlooked, and the knowledge is critical to build upon. Thus, deep reading of the text is mandatory.

 

Can successful chem students do well without reading the text, merely skimming here and there?

 

I think she will be one of the more successful students if she continues into Organic Chem next, since she is really doing all the work now! Those other kids may well flounder.....

 

My sophomore did the full year of Chem. last year, is in Organic now (and a lab proctor for Chem 101). Yes - it is a LOT of hard work!

[regentrude]

Please encourage your DD to find out about learning assistance opportunities in the chemistry department. Most schools have help sessions for homework, free walk in tutoring etc. This will help her identify important information and complete the homework. It is fairly common to not do well on the first homework assignment - after all, students are just in the process of getting used to the class, to the specific teaching style, to the way questions are asked and answers are expected.

 

She should also make an effort to find a study group - this is one of the most valuable tools for students. Working with other students on the homework enhances understanding because they talk about the material, explain to each other, even just formulate questions.

 

One goal of college is to teach the students to learn independently. So, learning to work with a textbook rather than being spoon fed predigested information in sound bites by a professor via power point is an important learning objective to prepare her for life-long continuing education.

 

UPDATE: My daughter thought she was doing quite well and yesterday learned, when she received her homework back, that she is not doing well.

 

She was covering only Chapter 1 (!) and got more than 50% of the homework questions wrong. And dd spent so much time reading the book and taking notes!

 

I believe I know what is happening: for some reason she is not filtering out the "fluff" from the essential material. She doesn't seem to know what is necessary and what to leave behind. To her, everything is of equal importance. Therefore, in Section 1.5 a picture diagram of what is happening with a spectrometer means as much as a blurb about R. Buckminster Fuller, when the real intention of the author was to tackle scientific notation in Section 1.5!

 

I believe this is because dd has never learned how to read a Science/Math textbook correctly (she had this same problem in Math class, too--she was constantly distracted by color photos and different fonts).

 

This is why dd did so well in her previous Chem class, because the Prof taught the students only what they needed to know, and did not assign a textbook--his Power Point notes WERE the book. Whereas in this class, the instructor is not telling the students what they need to know, she is just assigning a Chapter per week and a list of homework problems, leaving it up to the students to determine what, exactly, they are learning, and how best to learn it.

 

Sigh. I don't know how dd is going to continue.

[distancia]

Please encourage your DD to find out about learning assistance opportunities in the chemistry department. Most schools have help sessions for homework, free walk in tutoring etc. This will help her identify important information and complete the homework. It is fairly common to not do well on the first homework assignment - after all, students are just in the process of getting used to the class, to the specific teaching style, to the way questions are asked and answers are expected.

 

One goal of college is to teach the students to learn independently. So, learning to work with a textbook rather than being spoon fed predigested information in sound bites by a professor via power point is an important learning objective to prepare her for life-long continuing education.

 

Tonight DD has enlisted the help of a TA to work with her on problem areas. DD knows her weaknesses at this point are scientific notation and dimensional analysis. I looked through a copy of her textbook (dd has two, one for home and one for school) and even though I am 50 years old and never made it beyond Algebra 1, I can see that these are fairly easy concepts to master and all they require is drill work. Boring, yes. Difficult, no.

 

I think it boils down to maturity and being responsible for oneself. DD is fine in easy classes or those in which, although difficult, she can excel because of her talents and abilities. And although the concepts behind chemistry certainly interest dd, the grunt work does not. That is where maturity steps in.

 

It's a learning curve, no doubt about it. Thank you all for your encouragement.

[April in CA]

Tonight DD has enlisted the help of a TA to work with her on problem areas. DD knows her weaknesses at this point are scientific notation and dimensional analysis. I looked through a copy of her textbook (dd has two, one for home and one for school) and even though I am 50 years old and never made it beyond Algebra 1, I can see that these are fairly easy concepts to master and all they require is drill work. Boring, yes. Difficult, no.

 

I think it boils down to maturity and being responsible for oneself. DD is fine in easy classes or those in which, although difficult, she can excel because of her talents and abilities. And although the concepts behind chemistry certainly interest dd, the grunt work does not. That is where maturity steps in.

 

It's a learning curve, no doubt about it. Thank you all for your encouragement.

 

Maturity, yes, but hopefully the TA can help her learn to recognize the BIG IDEAS in each section of the text so she can start to prioritize the importance of various facts and concepts presented in each chapter. She could try outlining (actively engaging with the text) and then making sure she can answer the questions that are usually given at the beginning of each chapter and the review questions at the end. This is a really important skill to master, and she can do it! Please encourage her to meet with the TA and her professor regularly - they really want her to succeed!

Blessings,

April

[In The Great White North]

help her learn to recognize the BIG IDEAS in each section of the text

 

What textbook is she using?

 

Some texts will have the "goals" for each chapter listed at the beginning of the chapter or have the Table of Contents subdivided into sections of each chapter, which would help her identify the important parts.

 

Some texts also have online study aids (even if you don't have to code) and there is always Hippocampus.

[distancia]

What textbook is she using?

 

Some texts will have the "goals" for each chapter listed at the beginning of the chapter or have the Table of Contents subdivided into sections of each chapter, which would help her identify the important parts.

 

She is using Chemistry: The Molecular Science 3rd edition by Moore, etc.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/049510521X

 

Unfortunately this book does not have a Chapter Overview, Chapter Goals section, or Basic Concepts Learned, or anything else that encapsulates what concepts will be/should have been covered in the chapter.. The review questions at the end of the chapter don't appear to be in any particular order, and jump around from Sec 1.5 to Section 1.2 then up to Section 1.7.

[kiana]

Tonight DD has enlisted the help of a TA to work with her on problem areas. DD knows her weaknesses at this point are scientific notation and dimensional analysis. I looked through a copy of her textbook (dd has two, one for home and one for school) and even though I am 50 years old and never made it beyond Algebra 1, I can see that these are fairly easy concepts to master and all they require is drill work. Boring, yes. Difficult, no.

 

I think it boils down to maturity and being responsible for oneself. DD is fine in easy classes or those in which, although difficult, she can excel because of her talents and abilities. And although the concepts behind chemistry certainly interest dd, the grunt work does not. That is where maturity steps in.

 

It's a learning curve, no doubt about it. Thank you all for your encouragement.

 

Yes. And usually there's a help room or the TA will have office hours, and at this point in the semester most of the TAs I know are sitting doing crosswords or their own homework during office hours due to lack of attendance. Go to office hours every time they're open. That's what they're for. Ask if she's on the right track on homework *before* it's submitted.

[April in CA]

She is using Chemistry: The Molecular Science 3rd edition by Moore, etc.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/049510521X

 

Unfortunately this book does not have a Chapter Overview, Chapter Goals section, or Basic Concepts Learned, or anything else that encapsulates what concepts will be/should have been covered in the chapter.. The review questions at the end of the chapter don't appear to be in any particular order, and jump around from Sec 1.5 to Section 1.2 then up to Section 1.7.

 

Wow! In that case, lots of meetings with the TA or tutoring clinic are in order. She should ask for specific help in learning how to use this textbook effectively and efficiently, as well as asking for help with the specific chemistry concepts. One thing she can do right away is begin to outline by chapter section and see if she can pick out the big idea herself, paying special attention to any words in bold print and any questions asked in the text (rhetorical questions rather than example problems, which she is already noticing). She could also work all the example problems to make sure she understands each step and how to replicate it (sci notation is vital if she is to do well in the course.) Best wishes to her! She can do this!

Blessings,

April

[Janice H]

She is using Chemistry: The Molecular Science 3rd edition by Moore, etc.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/049510521X

 

Unfortunately this book does not have a Chapter Overview, Chapter Goals section, or Basic Concepts Learned, or anything else that encapsulates what concepts will be/should have been covered in the chapter.. The review questions at the end of the chapter don't appear to be in any particular order, and jump around from Sec 1.5 to Section 1.2 then up to Section 1.7.

 

just wanted to throw out the fact that many technical books have a study guide, often written by authors different from the textbook's. I have been "saved" by finance textbook study guides. They usually have summaries, short answer questions, matching, multiple choice questions, additional problems to solve, etc.

 

Of course, the TA, study group, and the other ideas in this thread are all good too.

[asta]

UPDATE: My daughter thought she was doing quite well and yesterday learned, when she received her homework back, that she is not doing well.

 

She was covering only Chapter 1 (!) and got more than 50% of the homework questions wrong. And dd spent so much time reading the book and taking notes!

 

I believe I know what is happening: for some reason she is not filtering out the "fluff" from the essential material. She doesn't seem to know what is necessary and what to leave behind. To her, everything is of equal importance. Therefore, in Section 1.5 a picture diagram of what is happening with a spectrometer means as much as a blurb about R. Buckminster Fuller, when the real intention of the author was to tackle scientific notation in Section 1.5!

 

I believe this is because dd has never learned how to read a Science/Math textbook correctly (she had this same problem in Math class, too--she was constantly distracted by color photos and different fonts).

 

This is why dd did so well in her previous Chem class, because the Prof taught the students only what they needed to know, and did not assign a textbook--his Power Point notes WERE the book. Whereas in this class, the instructor is not telling the students what they need to know, she is just assigning a Chapter per week and a list of homework problems, leaving it up to the students to determine what, exactly, they are learning, and how best to learn it.

 

Sigh. I don't know how dd is going to continue.

 

When I started reading this thread (before I got to this post), this is actually what I was going to ask about.

 

I strongly second the suggestion to talk to the learning center, as this issue will not be confined to Chemistry - it will bleed into every subject and just be compounded as the years pass.

 

When I was an undergrad, my advisor allowed me to reteach his lectures in the 20 min before the next class (so, Monday's lecture on Wednesday) to a group of students who were unable to "filter" the information properly. Our dept didn't have another option for them, so... It was a 400 level class - those kids wouldn't have been able to graduate. And it wasn't for a lack of dedication or effort - they just couldn't tell what was necessary. Which, if you think about it, is a very valuable life skill.

 

 

a

[emubird]

Unfortunately this book does not have a Chapter Overview, Chapter Goals section, or Basic Concepts Learned, or anything else that encapsulates what concepts will be/should have been covered in the chapter.. The review questions at the end of the chapter don't appear to be in any particular order, and jump around from Sec 1.5 to Section 1.2 then up to Section 1.7.

 

Actually, the assigned homework problems should indicate what the professor feels are the important points of the chapter.

 

Review questions don't necessarily hit the important concepts in science texts, because they usually only cover the verbal material and are a bit weak on the mathematical material. This is why most professors don't usually assign these as homework. If they do, it's often only a few in relation to the number of computational problems.

 

I suspect that's why the other students are only reading the text spottily. They've recognized that what they really need to do is search the text for information on how to do the homework. The homework is their map for the chapter.