Lessons I Learned From Chemistry

As of today, I will be finished with my first semester of junior year..(only one left till I am a senior..ahhhh!!) While I did well in three out of my four classes, there was one I did struggle with: Chemistry. Before taking this class, I had aspired to pursue in career in the medical field. And now? Well, after a long conversation with my mother, looks like the fashion route is the route of choice. I honestly hated Chemistry, and that's something required for medical school. I loved Biology and finished well in the class, but that didn't mean that Chemistry would be a breeze. I'm sharing my the lessons I learned from my Chemistry class. 

1) Do your homework: Trust me, there are nights I don't even want to touch my backpack, let alone my Chemistry binder, but it really helps to practice and do your homework. The problems you do will occur in the same manner as they will on the test so if you can do the ones on your homework, you will more than likely be able to do them correctly on the test!

2) TH I N K: My teacher used this as her mantra for this year. (It's split up because she spelled it out with units from the periodic table) But, really. THINK! Think through the problem and don't be so easy to give up. Being able to do something well takes time, practice, and effort. 

3) Stay positive: I really struggled with this one, along with some of my other classmates. I did not do so well on tests and I would get very frustrated because I had never done so bad before. At the beginning of the semester, I would lay in my bed and cry because I could not understand why the material was not clicking. Now, towards the end of the semester, I reverted my mind to think positive, even if I despised the class, I knew one day I would look back and wish I would have changed my attitude. 

4) Studying is a must-do: Have you ever had a class you've never had to study in? Pretty sure we all have. Chemistry is not one of those classes. The content is filled with everything from math formulas to memorizing polyatomic ions, and you cannot do that without studying. It is so crucial to take a little bit of time out of each day to sit down and focus. Developing good habits now will help you even more when you go to college. 


* For those of you curious, I finished the class with a B, after having a C for a long time. Even though it was not an A, I am still very proud that I always worked hard and made the effort to raise my grade. Hope this helps!

Xoxo,

Carly