Ive taken calculus and several science courses, including biology and physics. Chemistry is similar, right?
I frequently hear this comment. I tell my students that learning chemistry is like learning a foreign language. Chemistry, although a math-based science, is different in that conceptual understanding is critical. Some memorization is necessary (e.g., names of elements, ions, and polyatomic ions, common charges, geometric shapes, etc.), but the student must go well beyond simple memorization. They must be able to apply concepts in problem-solving. While not a difficult thing to do, most students have not been taught to think like this before. Back to Questions Closing Comments Chemistry is a very exciting subject. It empowers you to think, analyze and UNDERSTAND things and changes that happen in the natural world around you. With the right mindset, you will enjoy the subject. View it not as a hurdle that you must jump successfully but a great opportunity to become a more learned, analytical, positively critical citizen.
