Did you perform miserably in your chemistry exam? Are you worried about your future endeavours? Are you thinking about giving up on the course altogether? Well, think again. You might have got an ‘F’ for a number of reasons.
Maybe you didn’t study enough, or maybe you just studies thenight before your exam, which is probably why you couldn’t understand much to write in exams. Maybe you are having some troubles understanding the subject or maybe you didn’t work on it that much.
No matter what the reasons are, you are bound to be disappointed and shattered with the results. However, you need to move on and try out different ways to cope with in order to achieve success again.
Failure: the necessary path to success
So, you have failed. Wondering what to do? Going over it in your mind and trying to find out what went wrong? Well, that’s of no use now. You need to find a way to cope with your grades and look at ways to improve it.
Wondering how you can do that? Well, listed below are some ways:
- Relax a bit and take in the news. Your mind will take some time to process the information and deal with it and the best way to do so is taking deep breathes.
- Think about what you have done, now that you have calmed down. Assess whether you had invested much effort into your studies or not. Also, find out whether you read the right material or understand the subject or not. Assess the chinks in your armour.
- Talk to your classmates and friends if you have to vent. Find out how they fared. Take in any advice that they might have for you and work on it.
- Get back in the game once you have composed yourself entirely. Remember to bounce back stronger and find out ways to improve your grades in chemistry.
“Do not be afraid of improving slowly. Be afraid of standing still.â€
How to improve in chemistry?
Now that you have regained your composure and gained some perspective about what you want to do, it’s time to find out how to do it. Just because you have failed, doesn’t mean that your life has ended there.
If you improve from thereon, then most employers would look over that one ’F’ and hire you simply because of your capabilities. However, it is imperative that you concentrate on your studies and work on it to improve your grades. How do you ask? Well, listed below are some ways to do so.
- Talk to your teacher
The first thing that you need to do once you have composed yourself is, go and talk to your teacher. Find out where you have gone wrong and how can you improve your marks.
Find out how you can score better and ask her what materials you should refer to in order to score better. Also, find out if there are any ways to recover from this ‘F’. Like would they be willing to assign some extra work or some project which might give you an opportunity to score some extra credit? Talk to them and clear your doubts!
- Improve your attitude
When you are working on bouncing back after failing miserably, it is imperative that you get your attitude right. You need to be motivated on your own to work harder on the subject. Simply moping around, staring at the book won’t do.
Harness a positive attitude each time you sit down with chemistry and be committed to it. Do not laze around during your study time, instead, go to the library and search out books. Be responsible and always believe in yourself.
- Attend classes
It is imperative that your chemistry lectures regularly if you want to improve your grades. This gives you an opportunity to learn. Simply attending classes when a quiz is held, or skipping class’s right after the quiz won’t do. Take down notes during the lecture so that you can refer to them later when you sit down to study.
Ask requisite questions to the teacher and clear out any doubts you might have in order to understand the subject better. If you think that your professor is probably teaching way to fast, or teaching something which you cannot comprehend, tell them immediately.
- Read
What many students do with chemistry is they do not read the textbook. They simply memorize the formulas and equations and go in blindly for the exams. It is imperative that you drop this habit, and make it a pint to read the textbook at least twice. This will give you an idea about the topic and will strengthen your concepts.
Moreover, it is imperative that you research the topic more in order to build a better answer that will impress your teachers.
- Practice the problems
This is another issue with many students who study chemistry. They don’t practice the problems and even the equations and think that simply cramming the formulas will help them get through the exam. It is imperative that you practice as it allows you to detect a pattern and anticipate what might come in the exam.
Follow your textbook to understand how to work out the problems and practice accordingly. It helps you to cram less and increases your memorizing power.
- Take advantage of the laboratory
There’s a reason why practical is so important in chemistry. Spend as much time you can in the laboratory and get a practical experience of all the things that you have learned. It allows you to practice what has been taught in the class.
Go through the procedures beforehand in order tocomplete any experiment and create the lab reports properly. Remember, your lab reports comprise of substantial marks as well which will be added at the end of the semester.
- Study efficiently
In order to improve your grades in chemistry, it is imperative that you study efficiently. Make sure that you are devoting enough amount of time required to your studies.
Never cram. Use flash card and other techniques to remember important equations and formulas. Also, practice enough in order to remember the various constants which are required to solve the problems. Also, never study the night before the exams, it proves to be counterproductive.
- Try other resources
It is imperative that you do not stick to just one material while preparing for a chemistry exam. Try out various websites, books and online portals to gather your information and write down notes and study. This helps you to form a well-structured and well-researched answer that allows the teachers to mark you better.
- Acquire help
It is imperative that you look for help when required. There will be some topics in chemistry which you might find harder to deal with.
For such instances, it is imperative that you ask for help. You can ask your teacher, classmates or friend, to help you understand the subject and improve your grades.
You can even opt for online educational websites to improve your grades by understanding the various concepts. They even suggest effective techniquesof improving your grades in chemistry.
Some common traps to avoid
There are some common mistakes which many chemistry students follow which prove to be counterproductive. Listed below are some such mistakes which you should avoid:
- Procrastination is the biggest enemy of students. So stop doing that and work on the subject ASAP.
- Never skip class
- Don’t rely on anybody else for notes. They might not give it to you or night just take down only bits of it.
- Copying blindly from friends or classmates
- Not working on the prerequisites
- Trying to catch up with your studies after missing out on classes for the entire semester.
So, avoid these traps in order to improve your grades successfully. Employ these methods stated above and work on the subject to pass with flying colours at the end of the semester.
“See every day as an opportunity to better yourself.â€