Practical Tips to Study Chemistry

Chemistry is one the most fundamental subject. Everyone needs to

have a strong foundation in this subject as it is the base for most of the
higher educational courses. Till 10th grade Chemistry is considered to be
one portion of the subject known as Science. In 11th and 12th Chemistry
is considered as a separate subject all together and this subject must be
given more priority. Here are a few tips to study Chemistry in a much
more effective manner.
Chemistry is majorly divided into 2 subtopics – Inorganic Chemistry
and Organic Chemistry. Both these subtopics should be given equal
importance.
Prioritizing
Some of the chapters are given more weightage according to the
marking system. These chapters are more complicated and require more
time to be understood. Hence more time needs to be spent on these
topics and one should make sure these topics are covered in the earlier
stages and must never be kept till the end moment. Here is a list of some
of the important chapters in 11th and 12th:
 Chemical Thermodynamics
 p-Block Elements
 Organic Chemistry – Basic Principles and Techniques
 Hydrocarbons
 Electrochemistry
 Surface Chemistry
 Coordination Compounds
 Alcohols, Phenols and Ether
 Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids
Connecting the Concepts
Along with theoretical Chemistry we also have something called
Practical Chemistry. In Practical Chemistry we go to the lab and
physically see the reactions happening between chemicals. The reactions
are identified by features like change in colour, production of smell,
evolving vapour and so on. All these physical observations could help in
remembering a set of reactions. Here are a few examples
 2Cu(NO3) 2 2CuO + 4NO2 + O2
(Blue) (Reddish Brown)
 H2S gas gives out rotten egg smell
Prepare a Summary Chart
Every chapter will have some keywords. These keywords will help in
connecting to the concept. Thus with the help of post-its and flash cards
remembering these terms and definitions becomes easier. Try to
summarize the entire chapter in few pages and include more number of
diagrammatic representation which makes learning a much more
interesting and easier process. Along with this prepare a separate
formula sheet for each chapter which helps you in solving sums of
various kind. Ensure that you place the summary chart and formula sheet
at visible place and distance.
Practice Mathematical Calculations
Most of the Inorganic Chemistry chapters have a lot of mathematical
calculations. These mathematical calculations are scoring areas of the
chapter. But constant practice is required to master the technique of
solving each sum. Always have the formula sheet while solving the sum.
Practice the sum in a step-wise manner so that in case there is an error
you are able to identify the mistake. Make sure that you practice at least
one problem under each type of sum in a chapter prior to the
examinations. For example, Structure of Atom has problems based on:
  Atomic Number and Mass Number
 Planck’s Quantum Theory
 Photoelectric Effect
 Rydberg Formula
 Hydrogen Spectrum
 De-Broglie’s Equation
And so on.
Follow a guide
Teachers are not available at all hours of the day. Always ensure that
you follow a guide. I would suggest the following guides:
 Together with Chemistry
 Exam Idea
A guide will have in-depth explanation of any concept. By referring to a
guide one will get to know how to systematically answer a question in a
stepwise manner. And most importantly it will have the answers to most
of the questions given in the prescribed textbook. Thus a guide will be of
great help to the students.
Follow a Time Table
Some of the students find Inorganic Chemistry easier than Organic
Chemistry and vice versa. Generally, the Human mind is more fresh in
the morning than the evening. Thus the time table should be planned in
such a way that the difficult topics are being covered in the morning
hours and the easier ones are covered in the evening. This will help in
understanding the difficult topics better. For example I found Organic
easier than Inorganic so I followed this time table:-
Morning (Inorganic) Evening(Organic)
Electrochemistry Haloalkanes and Haloarenes
Chemical Kinetics Alcohols, Phenols and Ether
Likewise, a time table was made including all the topics and this should
be followed on a regular basis.
Practice HOTS questions
HOTS is nothing but higher order thinking skills. These questions are
to be practiced only after understanding each concept thoroughly. This is
because to answer these questions one needs to apply the knowledge
gained from the particular chapter. These are application based
questions. As this involves a higher level thought process, this is also a
way in which one gets trained for IIT and NEET exams as well.
Answering these questions consumes more time and requires extra
effort. Try to take an external support to comprehend the solution. These
sums are comparatively more difficult and should be solved when one is
completely confident about that chapter.
Solve Sample Papers
This is the major part of preparation for the exam. Once every chapter
is read and understood thoroughly the next and final step is to practice
answering sample question papers. This will help the students in
answering the questions within the allotted time. It will also give a clear
impression about the paper pattern and it will help the students in
planning the pattern of answering the questions.

These are a few tips to study chemistry. Along with these tips a
nutritious diet and sufficient sleep would be beneficial. By following
these tips one will surely excel and achieve great results. Good Luck!

Author’s Details
Name – Pragathi Sendil
Course – B.Arch
Nata score – 121
Nata Rank - 235