I believe this rule applies to anything and everything that you will ever learn! Preparing for a chem exam without understanding is challenging. Also, you probably will take much longer than you ideally would like to.
If you find a topic challenging, get back to basics. The complicated concept is uncomplicated the moment you understand the basics! For instance, mechanisms for chemical reaction- its the movement of electrons. Instead of learning just that electrons move, learn why they move. This makes mechanisms easy!
Having good notes goes a long way in decreasing the time for studying. The more detailed the notes, the easier it becomes to prepare for the exam. It might feel like it is taking a long time to prepare the notes, it’s worth it. Besides being easy to understand the topic more,you remember it too!
Loaded with incredibly long chemical mechanisms, organic chemistry is often the most annoying to endure! But over time, I realized it’s not as difficult as I once perceived it to be! Honestly, organic chemistry involves two things, understanding the underlying concept and practicing chemical reactions. The length and number of chemical reactions make organic chemistry seem daunting! However, with enough practice, reactions are easy too!
I used to practice chemical reactions thrice while studying. Also, I made it a point to go through the reactants and products as frequently as I could.
Ugh! I hate physical chemistry! To this day, when I make content, physical chemistry usually takes the longest!(I wish I was lying). Physical chemistry involves math, physics and chemistry. Make well-written notes for physical chemistry. Have the information of every variable for every derivation! The units are vital too. Try and relate the graphs to the corresponding equations. It saves a lot of time in an exam hall! One need not wonder if it was a straight line or a parabola.
This branch has a lot of concepts and theoretical information too. Inorganic chem can often times feel very dry. The concepts start to make sense the more you read them. Don’t forget the exceptional case.
Remember, have fun learning the subject. Thou-shalt-not let the stress get to you. Happy learning!
