Writing Chemistry Notes (1 Viewer)

[Wohzazz]

I had a look at Frigids and jm1234567890's notes and they both did a semi-summary of each syllabus point- it that the best way to do write notes and study from?

I have long doubted whether making summaries of my own will help hence i have never actually written notes- after all for those long responces, don't they require great detail to actually obtain the full mark?

Also, after making such notes, do people usually study from their set of notes? I usually just read the text book (for the chapter test on) before an exam and that takes a few day if i were to remember nearly all the stuff and redo each Q to make sure i know everything

Am i studying the wrong way?

 

[Huy]

it that the best way to do write notes and study from?

If it worked for Frigid and others, it should work for you. I myself study from both your "textbook" method and making your own notes, designed by you, for you.

for those long responces, don't they require great detail to actually obtain the full mark?

With me, the summaries are not meant to be the be all and end all of syllabus dot points. You memorise your summary, and during an exam, you expand on each dot point or sentence to create the 'complete picture' - those "semi-summaries" are only meant for those students, and since they made it primarily for themselves, they'll understand it better and it can conjure up other important points, not necessarily written down in black and white.

after making such notes, do people usually study from their set of notes?

Yes, why else would you bother if you didn't use them?

I usually just read the text book (for the chapter test on) before an exam and that takes a few day if i were to remember nearly all the stuff and redo each Q to make sure i know everything

This will not work for the trial or HSC exam, if you simply read the entire textbook, cover to cover. It may work for you, but you won't remember everything (all 200-300 pages or more).

 

[Xayma]

Originally posted by Wohzazz
I had a look at Frigids and jm1234567890's notes and they both did a semi-summary of each syllabus point- it that the best way to do write notes and study from?

Thats the way I do it for Chem and Physics, after all they can't ask more than whats in the syllabus

 

[hipsta_jess]

i used to do:
syllabus point
detailed notes
separate paper
syllabus point
summary of point

oh, and then i do
syllabus point
one short question they could ask (1 or 2 marker)
one long question they could ask (say 5/6/7 marker)

 

[abdooooo!!!]

Originally posted by Xayma
Thats the way I do it for Chem and Physics, after all they can't ask more than whats in the syllabus

it all depends on your definition of the syllabus; if you include the outcomes then they can ask you anything in relation to science and its applications... you have to think outside the square

 

[spice girl]

Originally posted by abdooooo!!!
it all depends on your definition of the syllabus; if you include the outcomes then they can ask you anything in relation to science and its applications... you have to think outside the square

my experience has been that for HSC science you don't have to think very far outside the square

and besides, the purpose of making notes is so you have something less tedious than the textbook to read from. it's advisable to make your own notes cos it's a free exercise on how to write concisely and to-the-point.

yes, for long questions you have to happen to have written down everything they want to see, but usually what they want to see is all the basic points (which any good notes should have in completion), and not some obscure detail that you only pick up after the third cover-to-cover reading of the textbook.

just a side comment, some model-answers to long questions are absurd...i've seen one model answer to one of those "list 6 factors that blablabla" questions, and two of the listed actually meant the same thing, but worded differently. science teachers nowadays aren't very talented...which is why we tutors make so much more...

 

[abdooooo!!!]

Originally posted by spice girl
my experience has been that for HSC science you don't have to think very far outside the square

yeah i guess the bulk of the marks is just inside the square... but there will always be one or two question which is not strictly in those dop points that probaly seperates the top 1% of the students

Originally posted by spice girl
and besides, the purpose of making notes is so you have something less tedious than the textbook to read from. it's advisable to make your own notes cos it's a free exercise on how to write concisely and to-the-point.

yes, for long questions you have to happen to have written down everything they want to see, but usually what they want to see is all the basic points (which any good notes should have in completion), and not some obscure detail that you only pick up after the third cover-to-cover reading of the textbook.

just a side comment, some model-answers to long questions are absurd...i've seen one model answer to one of those "list 6 factors that blablabla" questions, and two of the listed actually meant the same thing, but worded differently. science teachers nowadays aren't very talented...which is why we tutors make so much more...

thats so true. you sumed it up

the markers or the marking guideline is really gay... i mean its totally weird. all they want is some basic stuff that you would never think is important enough to be stated. you spend all your time learning and writing the advanced stuff, but end up not gaining any marks for it. but one thing is for sure, they love chemical equations; use it like quotes in english... learn to back up your arguments with them

yeah and those model-answers... god some of them are crap. i saw one thats pretty funny, but i can't remember it now

 

[juggernaut]

^^ same...
and then i read over those notes and write a summarised version of them... then read over the summarised version and write out a further summarised version... basically just a main point/mind-map kinda thing

after that i use the mind map outline thing, just looking at the points, seeing what ive got in my head from all the writing i just did... i cross check with the 1st version of notes i did, seeing if i missed anything etc... i do this until i can confidently regurgitate(in my memory) what i first put in the full version by just looking at one word or a point or whatever

thats when i know ive got it down!