In this episode, I talk with three graduates of AP Chemistry about what they liked best about the course, what they liked least about the course, what they did to be successful, and what advice they have for current AP chemistry students. Many thanks to the interviewees, who gave up an afternoon to help me record!
Current students should listen to this podcast episode either by streaming it below, or better yet, by subscribing to the podcast on itunes. This episode should be up there by Thursday at the latest. After you have listened through either medium, comment on this post. Did you get a good idea? Did you agree with some things the students said? Do you have further questions? These are great things to comment on.
episode 2
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51 comments:
After listening to the podcast, I agree with many of the things they've talked about. I definitely agree that the concepts are difficult, but this is Chemistry A.P., so I did expect this to be a hard class, but that didn't stop me from taking this class :) I also agree that the tests are difficult, especially the multiple choice, and I would understand the open response a lot more. Google chat is definitely a great way to discuss with your classmates about confusing homework questions and the concepts. I use it frequently, especially to consult my lab partners to confirm with data and results. Keeping up with the homework and reading has been very helpful to gain a better understanding of the concepts during class. I also agree that the chemistry jokes are pretty awesome to lighten the stress in the class. The jokes remind me of the worksheets used in Chemistry last year that sometimes had jokes, which I found to be very amusing as well!
-Sandy Chan
Erm...as a man of few words, I'll agree with everything Sandy says. Boy, you wrote enough to hurt my eyes.(><)
.__.
Adding some thoughts (and lines), AP Chem Class is tough fo'sho. Didn't really find the blog motivating as much as I imagined, but it was more of a reiteration/lecture of a lot of things we all should be doing (or shouldn't be...). But if these people can survive, I think we all can.
BTW, its Raymond LI (so as not to confuse with the other Raymond)
I liked the intro music, it helped me concentrate while doing my chem hw =D.
I also agree with Sandy, the concepts are hard. & Surprisingly, i'm not the only one struggling in this class. Knowing that students before me who have gone through the same struggles and did really well made me feel so much more confident.
-Ian Ding
This podcast is very helpful. I also know SW and JW so i can also ask them for help =). This podcast helps a lot and now i know how i can do better in this class. sorry if i didnt cap my i's. Also the tests are hard, and i dont like pop surveys, the labs also took a long time. yea...
o yea that was MIKEY Z!!!!
one more thing can i be called mikey from now on just to simplify the other michaels
S. and Jellybeans were here. Glad to give you guys extra credit for listening to this. It'll come in handy :) Hope first term went well for everyone.
So, someone was talking about awesome all inclusive flash cards and it reminded me of my favorite AP chemistry study guide... links:
http://www.chemmybear.com/stuff.pdf
http://www.chemmybear.com/stuff2.pdf
(2 links)
It will be more helpful when you've actually learned the material, but when May comes around - check it out.
Okay, end of long post. Bye!
PS. Our voices don't actually sound like that... (just putting it out there.)
PPS. Do we get extra credit? ;)
On top of what everyone has said, I totally agree. I knew that AP Chemistry would not be easy to learn and understand and I am trying at my own pace to absorb whatever is being taught. I totally agreed that g-chat is one of the most successful methods of acing AP Chem since we can communicate with other AP Chem buddies. I feel better now that others have had the same problems that I had for understanding the multiple choice questions on the tests. I guess I just need to become more and more comfortable with it as i take more and more tests. I think this podcast was comforting since former students have similar problems that we have and they turned out okay so I/we will probably turn out okay too. =]
-Jen Yu
So, some of what they said seemed useful. Like going on Collegeboard for AP Chem practice questions. And stop procrastinating, which is going to be pretty unlikely for most people so it's useful advice even if it is pretty much unheeded.
Study buddies is also a good idea. Two (or more) minds are better than one and all that. Helping each other answering questions increases the chances of your getting the answers correct.
And for the hardest part in AP Chem being the tests, the multiple choice section in particular, I have to agree. That is the hardest part. The open response is easy, it's the multiple choice that kills your grade.
--Raymond Wong
I'm surprised that everyone wanted the number system last year. It also seems like the tests were the same as last year. Multiple choice is the hardest for me. I can't wait for the light section! Rainbows!!!!! I'm going to start doing my homework according to the schedule now. My habits are good right now. No need to change them.:) I really want to know who these people are. Going to find out. This was really interesting. I can't wait to do one.
Nicholas Hoang
I totally agree with what everyone said on the podcast as well as most of the comments. I love the fact that I have several friends who took AP Chemistry last year (two of which are in this podcast ^.^) so I can ask them for help or little study tricks to help remember difficult things XD
I also agree with a lot that the previous students said- I think the tests can be very difficult, partly because of time, and that the best way to prepare for them is probably to make sure I really understand all the important concepts. I feel like taking a lot of notes isn't really that important as long as you get down the most important concepts in them and understand how to do the problems necessary. I was also kind of surprised that the other students thought the grading system we use now would improve our grades, since I thought having a larger number to base grades on would be more accurate.
i agreed with all of them that much of the material were learning is complicated and takes time. i also agree that labs can be difficult and im glad its not just be having a hard time
that was me
So, I'm going to try to not be repetitive. Ummm... I kind of like the multiple choice on the test. They make you think but are do-able and so far they haven't been too ambiguous.
I started off absolutely hating the 4321 system, because it made no sense to me, but now I think it does help. Surveys have helped especially the unexpected ones because then it really shows what people remember rather than cram.
Note on the permanganate titration... we never got it to turn yellow... only pink or purplish... now I kind of wish I could have made it yellow.
Oh yeah... I like predicting reactions too and the fact that Mr. Balicki's name as a weird nonexistent compound would probably be soluble =D (well then there's the C...)
So...anyone hear the joke about the atom in the bar?
-Olive
ON WITH THE CHEM JOKES!!
i agree with the multiple choices being pretty difficult on tests, cant wait for the AP test
I agree that AP Chemistry is a tough course and that you need time to learn all of the material. The tests are difficult because of the multiple choice section. You really need to know the concepts to do well on the tests. Keeping up with the cornell notes and the reading assignments will probably help my understanding. G-chat is useful because you can talk to your Chem buddies about things you don't understand and or problems you can't figure out.
-Anna Tran
The previous comments mostly go along with my opinion of chemistry AP as well. The grading system is helpful, especially with the 4/3 incorporation. On the tests, the multiple choice questions require much more thinking. They would be much easier if there was more time to complete them, as the time constraint does bring stress while taking the exam. The study habits outlined by the individuals are good advice and their insight on preparing for the AP exam was helpful as well.
-Kerry
wow this was really informative thanks for sharing gp sw and jw. all i need now is motivation cause senioritis is hitting me hard. i seriously loled at the start when the music was playing i'm like whaaat?
After listening to the podcast, I thought it was rather interesting. I feel as if I know more about the class now. It was hit and miss in terms of helpfulness, study habits were helpful, likes and dislikes not as helpful, but still very interesting. I was surprised that even the "superstar" students had any problems, really.
I'm looking forward to the lights section and not so much, the AP exam.
All in all a very great method to get wisdom imparted to us.
Thanks!
Lisa Wang
I really liked the music in the podcast :D I agree that the tests, especially the multiple choice section is really difficult, but I agree with gp, the difficulty of the tests will really prepare us for the AP exam. I feel like this class almost feels like a real college course. The pace is really fast and I have to adjust to it and like jw said, just doing the work is not enough, there is a lot of studying involved. I'll be sure to study a lot when the AP exam comes about. It sounds beyond intense.
whoops, that was Sandy Liang
I thought that what they said is very true. Putting in a good amount of effort is absolutely needed to succeed. I to have a few chem jokes of my own.
Whenever I go to drink snapple I think it's tin flavored apple juice.
What do you do with a dead chemist?
Barium.
An atom walks into a bar and tells the bartender he has lost an electron. The bartender asks if he is sure he lost it. The atom replies yeah I'm positive.
I agree with a lot of the things discussed in the podcast. I thought the tips on how to do well were very helpful and definitely agree that google chat is a great way to review for surveys or tests and to go over difficult homework questions!!
~Bianca Valcarce
I definitely agree with a lot of the things the people said on the podcast. I know that personally, I use gchat a lot, and it really does help. The labs are time consuming, but they're not so bad. The multiple choice portions of the test are really hard I think because if one little tiny mistake is made, it really messes you up! This is an expectedly difficult class, but we'll all manage somehow =]
I agree with most of the comments the previous students said, especially about the tests being hard. However, it is AP Chemistry so I didn't expect it to be an easy class. I found the study habits the students talked about to be helpful. Studying with friends does help you understand a concept better if you didn't understand it at first.
I agree with Dan, keep telling Chem jokes, they're funny. I enjoy making chem jokes myself, even though my friends (vivianwarrendanhieu) don't appreciate it. For example, when you said: "Electrons have no feelings" I turned to my table and said: "Because they're always so negative!" Anyways, I also agree with what everyone said about the multiple choice portion of the exams. They're really hard, but the open responses are a lot better. The comments made about the AP Exam freaked me out a bit, espcially SW's comment. But it's nice to know that we can ask you for help anytime we need to, even if it's every day. And yes, ghat is probably one of the most useful tools for this class. Talking with my friends about Chemistry through gchat helps a lot, and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one stressing out. After listening to the podcast, there is no doubt in my mind that this class is extremely difficult. But hey, if those students got through it, then I'm sure that we all can too.
I agree with everyone. I had a rough idea that AP Chemistry was going to be a difficult course but I had not realized it would be this challenging or time consuming. It is truly a commitment and one that requires almost obsessive amounts of studying. My friends who took the course last year did in fact tell me it was a brain numbing course, but I chose to take it anyway. I did not do as well as I had hoped but this term I have definitely turned things around and used a lot of the strategies mentioned in the podcast. I cant say that I would be able to find it in myself to study weeks in advance or even in my spare time, but with this I definitely know how to plan things out and manage my time wisely. I dont use Google Chat that often because I'm honestly not on it that much but just forming little study groups or talking about it with friends is DEFINITELY helpful. It helps a lot to learn something from a perspective other than your own.
The class would be a nightmare without the jokes and awkwardness. It is definitely true to laugh at awkwardness rather than a joke that is not really funny.
If we just get into the right stride and continue with it through the year, success is a guarantee.
- Hieumongous NomNomNguyen
I thought the podcast was a cool way to pass on comments from past students to current students. I think the comment about getting work done in a timely fashion was spot on. Homework and labs should help bring your grade up, for sure, improving your test grades. Personally, I agree with Olive that the multiple choice questions are kinda fun. They can trip you up but if you have the concepts down and are accustomed to the problems they're not so bad. About the chem jokes, I think we all appreciate them. Or if you don't you should. Yeah.
i completely agree that the tests are extremely dificult. but theysaid that it helped them for th ap test so i hope its the same for me. And i google chat almost everynight with chem classmates on hw help.
-Amanda Ruiz
The tests can be difficult but it will help us be prepared for the AP test. I talk a lot with past AP students to get a better feel for the class.
On another note, this is a joke between myself, Miles Clark, and Dan Boyle, each playing a different part, (physics,chem,bio respectively)
http://xkcd.com/520
It was nice hearing about how the previous students disliked the tests because I was like "wow I'm getting more wrong on the multiple choice than open response. What's wrong with me?"
PS: SW: "PS. Our voices don't actually sound like that... (just putting it out there.)" Yeah, you do actually sound like that. hahah
-Yunci Qi (just in case, you know, there's another Yunci out there)
I agree with the ways to be successful in this class, but for me all I need is enough seep before the exams. XD
-Will Tang
While listening to the podcast, I was relieved that these previous students weren't students who excelled because they were geniuses. Their hardwork and determination were what helped them pass the course and the AP exam, and that gives me hope. Hope that even I, can pass this course and not fail miserably -- as long as I follow their tips and get to the core of every formula and law. So far, I am enjoying AP Chem so much. It's such a fun and chill class. I love Mr. Balicki and his awkward self. I hope that I can still say these things as the year progresses.
haha i agree with everyone too && i loved the music at the beginning. But um yeah i agree with what they thought about the tests, the multiple choice is pretty hard because you have to know both the concepts and calculations very well. keeping up with the reading is definitely very difficult for me because there's no real motivation that makes me want to read it every night and cause there's a lot of work already during most days. umm and i don't have g-chat...but i'm guessing it should make one. anyways that was very informative! -Fanny Lin
This interview was helpful for me. Like everyone else, I agree that the tests are hard, ESPECIALLY the multiple choice. However, as JW has said, it is crucial that the concept is mastered. So I guess if I knew it perfectly, it wouldn't be as hard. Procrastination can definitely be my downfall. For example, the cornell notes we have to take for each chapter... I usually cram it to the night before, so I should definitely start the notes and other work earlier. I don't use google-chat, but I will find a way to contact my classmates. This definitely helped!
- Alice Lee
I think the most important thing about what people said in this podcast is that you have to understand the "WHY" in AP chem, not just the basic concepts and memorization.
I really liked the music =D.
On of the previous students said that electrochemistry was one of the hardest concepts to learn for him/her, and I agree. I also believe that once we get through this, it'll be a bit easier to throughout the year. (But then again, we can't let our guard down...) I also liked the open-response more than the multiple choice. But a tip about the multiple choice is -- most of the stuff are actually from the book, so if you perused the book, you'll get most of the things on the multiple choice. By the way, I think this podcast is going to change how people think of the 1234 system. =]
~Alice Ly
I don't know, I actually get concepts fairly easily, its the memorization of terms and what not that gets me (like chemical names to formulas).
I do find tests hard, but there's only been two so far, so it's hard to say if its just the content on the test, or the tests themselves.
The Chem jokes are also a favorite of mine. (Go look up Far Side)
- Henry Viereck
I thought that this podcast was very helpful! i know GP and I talked to him about AP Chem last year which gave me an idea about what the course would be like. However, all of the comments by all 3 students really gave me a better idea of what to expect for the rest of the year as well as giving me a few pointers for doing well!
I liked the beginning of the podcast, the music made me go "huh?" and continued to listen. I agree with GP. After you understand the concept, the problems are easy and it's just like math problems. I also agree that when you have a cooperate group you learn better. It worked for me very well! I agree that the tests are REALLY hard too. Listening to the podcast was very helpful, and it gave me pointers for the rest of the year.
Props for giving us a heads up on the chapter about lights and looking at rainbows, can't wait for that. =D This podcast was pretty informative, I felt like a lot of the things that were discussed are things most of us are going through, definitely will go ask for help after school more often as the year goes on.
I agree with predicting reactions isn't the most fun thing to do and studying till my mind is numb?! What has this world come to? Anyway, as with everyone else the multiple choice are very hard but they are probably going to prepare us for the AP exam.
Thanks for making the podcast.
After hearing that previous students have had similar struggles as I, but still learned to succeed, I am now much more relieved. I agree with basically what everyone else has stated about the test… I find the multiple choice really difficult, but then again a lot of it is from the book, so it really forces us to understand everything and apply it as well. To be honest, I also cram my cornell notes, as the book is sometimes just really dull and hard to read, so I will definitely improve on that. I also use g-chat as well and it really does help me a lot. :]
For me personally, I feel that if I studied too hard or long for one class my brain would just explode. Some of the things mentioned by the students do take away some stress though (such as the "heads-up" for the AP exam). I also agree that there are parts of the class that can be time consuming (labs) or irritating (tests; one test tanked my grade :[ ). I think the podcast helped me out in terms of my approach for this course.
Ray Feng
I find this podcast pretty interesting and helpful. I have to agree with a lot of things the 3 students said. I actually thought the 1234 system would be too confusing but I actually think it's a way to help us realize that we should and can improve things. The tips they suggested also seem pretty good. I'm going to look forward to numbing my brain with everything haha.
-Michelle Chen
Such profound wisdom =O thanks to all who shared the wealth with us. Finally! a way to survive in this class! i can see the light to teh end of this tunnel! ok no but srsly this is very good advice and i'll take it all to heart to do better in this class.
-D.Fun
I am particularly struck by the comment the former students made about understanding. They said that just trading and doing practice problems does not assure you success on exams, but if don't do those things you are unlikely to succeed. The advice about google chatting is something that never occurred to me that I now should consider. I would like to make a comment about the former students. Only one of them seemed to truly enjoy chemistry. That is probably a false impression, but that is the impression i received. This streaming radio idea is cool in of itself, and I want to see how it develops.
David Magrass
I thought that this was very informative and gives us a good idea of what to expect for the year.
Although Mr.Balicki has already described many the habits without which no good Chem AP student may succeed, it serves as consolation to know that others went through the same things we are now facing. Judging from the responses that each student gave to the question concerning his/her "favorite" part of the class, one might say that they thought of the class as just one more AP they might be taking, and although it is fine to simply "succeed", when I signed up for Chem AP, as I am sure many others did, I was hoping for a class that would inspire, that would allow me to view such a wonderful science as something much more than the burden of another AP class; I am still searching for the way to achieve this and I wonder if others think similarly.
Author of last comment = Brayan J.
I definitely agree with what the students said. I really do gchat with my friends. It is very convenient and fast way to discuss chemistry. I understand it's a hard class but I still want to explore chemistry. I am grateful for their advice. thanks
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