Many people taking CHY 252 find themselves in one of two situations:
- They took CHY 251 several years ago and find they remember little of it
- They took CHY 251 immediately preceeding 252, but did badly, and therefore believe they don't know the subject matter
What to do?
First of all, accept that this is YOUR problem, not your CHY 252 instructor's problem. He or she cannot be expected to teach you both semester's work at the same time. Having accepted that, get to work:
Yes, this is a lot of work. You are paying the price for not having applied yourself in CHY 251, or having chosen not to take the two courses in sequence. Actions have consequences. Responsible individuals learn to accept those consequences and develop strategies for dealing with them. They do not pass the responsibility on to someone else.
- Check the CHY 251 web page for:
- the subjects discussed
- the study goals - what students should have learned to do
- the problem assignments
- Add two hours to the time you set aside each week for studying organic chemistry (which should be in the 8-10 hour range to begin with)
- Use those additional hours to:
- read each chapter assigned
- work at least 25% of the problems assigned
- read any study aids posted on that topic on the CHY 251 web page
- identify the two most substantial ideas that you have trouble understanding, read over them again, and work another problem related to those ideas