Leung TheNATURALSOAPAWARDwinnersforthequarterofF2009are:
Bo CHEM 2A (C)
Randi Schuler CHEM 2C (A)
S e e at:
http://www.thelifecurv e. c o m/ s o a p winn er.htm
You can click on their picture s and read their advic e forstudying. Iam trying tocolle ct
this information also from my other past stud e nts which they were winners ofthe
NATURALSOAP AWARD.
Inthe me a n time you can read below what Ihav e alread y colle cte d.
Hop e you are enjoying your bre ak and waiting tose e you back.
Andre a s
Phat Lam
1. You have to want to succeed. People can say that they want to succeed, but few actually
do succeed. So it helps a lot if you know whether you want to succeed or hope to
succeed. For example: How many people say they want a good grade and how many
actually get that grade? The people that do not get their desired grade simply hope for it
and put little effort, while the people that want a certain grade try very hard.
2. Learn about things that you like to learn. It is rather apparent that you do really well on
the things that you like. If you do not like chemistry, math, etc. then thats fine. However,
just know that certain aspects of certain courses and fields might relate to the one you are
interested in so at least give them a try.
3. Find your level of expectations. For you studying and/or working 2-3 hours a day might
be trying hard, but for someone else 6-8 or even 9-10+ is trying hard. The clear
difference is the level of expectations.
4. If you havent yet, try to realize for the 100th time that education is a privilege. People say
they know this, but once again there is a difference. Doesnt it piss you off when people
say I know and do not act like they know. Understanding means acting or behaving in a
way that shows that you know. Thats the difference. Knowing it is not the same as
understanding it. So you know? Then prove it. Prove it through hard work.
5. Suck it up. Yes some classes are boring or hard as hell but complaining only makes it
more boring or difficult. Besides, complaining takes up valuable time.
6. Sometimes you become very frustrated and are more inclined to make decisions to give
up. When that happens it is best to just go take a nap or exercise. Try not to make
decisions when you are frustrated. We all know how well that turns out.
7. There is no secret list to success. You make your own. Following the basic things listed
above will eventually lead you to make a list similar to many others, a list that suits your
specific needs and interests. Listing a bunch of things telling you what to do in class will
not help because people learn and succeed through different and unique methods.
Karandev Singh
Hello fellow stud e nts,
Getting a good grad e ingen e r al ch e mi stry clas s e s is not a matter ofluck or how sm art
you are, but rather italldep e n d s on our study habits. Here is a brief listofstrate gy thatI
hav e be e n following inallthe clas s e s Ihav e taken so far.
1. Going toALLlecture s is a mu st. Even though there is a pos sibility thatyou can copy note s from a fri
yours, but thatoption should only be res e rv e d as a nec e s s ity. Sinc e your friend can not pos si bly write e
singl e word down, so you do not know what he/sh e is mis sing out on. Also, by skipping lecture s you los
opportunity toask que stion s and clarify your doubts which brings me tomy se c o n d point.
2. Try planning you clas s e s insuc h a way thatyou hav e a bre ak inbetwe e n two clas s e s . You can and,
opinion, mu st use this bre ak toclarify your doubts and tobriefly review your note s. Ther e is nev er a bet
toask que stion s than right after the lecture. Lecture material as wellas the que stion s you want toask i
inyour mind. Don'tset asid e thes e que stion s forthe office hours, you might forget by then. Also, re m e m
que stion is silly. Ifyou feel shy asking que stion s just hang out near the profe s s o r after clas s and listen
fellow clas s m at e s que stion s. You willbe amaz e d tose e how many stud e nts willhav e the sa m e que sti
had.
3. Now thatyou hav e allthe ne c e s s a r y material noted down inyour note s, how should you study foryo
exa m s ? Here is a little advic e thatso m e o n e gav e me , "Con c e ntrate your study time on the weak er are a
So, how do we find where we should conc e ntrate mor e on? Simpl e and mo st efficient way is tosolv e a
practic e exa m s . Ifthatis not availabl e, then simply solve one or two challen g e problem s from the chapt
cov er e d inthe exa m . You should not sp e n d this time on m e m o rizing ways on how tosolve a particular
rather us e this time todev el op a gen e r al strate gy tosolve proble m s relating tothatsubje ct and figure o
inparticular you ne e d tofocus mor e on.
4. Okay, by this point you know what you ne e d tostudy. Startby focusing your time on und er standing t
conc e pt s wher e you think you lack und er standing. The n, slowly progr e s s toward s conc e pt s about whic
hav e better und er standing. On a sid e note, Ihav e found itea si er tomak e a listofequations and key co
as Igo through my lecture note s and the chapter s inthe textbook. Itsav e s a lotoftime when you want
review befor e the exa m or the night befor e the exa m.
5 . So, you hav e fairlygood und er standing ofallthe conc e pt s thatare going tobe cov er e d inthe exa m.
time totest your und er standing. Tak e a practic e exa m or trysolving so m e challen g e
probl e m s . Again f
should not be on cra m mi n g a solution toa particular proble m ; rather itsh ould be on und er standing the
conc e pt and dev el oping a gen e r al strate gy on solving similar proble m s .
6. Allthe hard work is don e. You hav e studie d allnight, and now you are ready totakethe exa m . Well,
should do gre at and GO OD LUCK. Buther e is a catch. Alotofpe opl e get nervou s and lose conc e ntrat
befor e taking the exa m . So, hold allyour anxious n e s s tight. Ialways tellmy friend s "Learn tobeliev e in
yours elf. Back yours elf up. You hav e putinev ery pos si bl e effortyou could, so why are you worrying no
Ther e are num e r o u s ways tostay calm and focus e d insuch situations, but Iwillleav e thaton you tofig
be st pos sibl e strate gy foryours elf. Here is my little strate gy tostay calm: take a nap before the exa m; f
ev erything relating tosch o ol or your life.
7. Anoth er effortthatImad e todo wellinthe gen e r al ch e mi stry cours e s was toattend the Ch e mi stry
Worksh o p provid e d by the Learning Skills C e nter. Iam not very wellatsolving practic e proble m s by my
The ch e mi stry worksh o p allowed m e topractic e my probl e m solving skills. Itis free and there not muc h
toenroll into the clas s. Iwillrec o m m e n d taking fulladvantag e ofthis worksh o p .
Itmay se e m like a long list,but there is nev er a shortcut tosuc c e s s . Th e hard er you work, the better an
de sirabl end e result would be. Good Luck toyou. Hop e my thoughts hav e be e n ofso m e help toyou. R
tobalanc e your life. You should neither overburd e n yours elf und er the load ofsch o ol nor ignore your st
Learn toenjoy life than toget through life and then you willlove what you willdo.
Halema Buzayan
Tips for Success
1. Before each lecture, go through the notes for that lecture. If you feel you need more
clarification on a topic, find it in the book and see what the author has to say about it.
2. Attend every lecture. Even if you didnt prepare for a lecture, still attend the lecture you
will benefit a lot more by attending the lecture than by spending your time somewhere
else.
3. After each lecture, rewrite your notes. Its amazing how much additional information you
absorb by rewriting whats already there.
4. If a topic needs additional clarification after reading the book and attending lecture, go to
office hours. In fact, even if you feel one hundred percent comfortable with the material,
still go to office hours. There is so much to learn from your professor and your teaching
assistants regardless of your level of understanding.
5. Another great resource is your peers. Make sure to get to know other people in your class,
and there are two important reasons for this. First, in the case that you miss a lecture, you
will have someone who has the notes you missed. Second, on many occasions, you may
be confused by something that someone else understands relatively well. On other
occasions, you are comfortable with a topic that others need help understanding. You can
use others as a resource to clarify any confusion you have and you can also serve as a
resource for others who are confused by a topic you understand. I highly encourage
people to help each other because I found that when I explain things to others, I benefit a
lot more than by having things explained to me. Sometimes you feel very confident with
the material, but when you explain it to others, you realize you dont fully understand it
or you actually understand it better.
6. Do as many practice problems as possible. Dr. Toupadakis provides many practice
problems do all of them and understand all of them. After you do the lecture problems,
then go to the book if you feel you need additional practice.
7. Make sure to take advantage of the practice exams the professor posts online. Take them
as if you are taking a real exam, so study for them and time yourself. This will help you
recognize your strengths and weaknesses, so that you know what topics you need to
spend more or less time studying. If you find that you cannot complete certain problems
on your own, do not look at the key. Instead, search through your notes and book and go
to office hours to try to figure out the answer. Make sure the key is the last thing you look
at.
8. I highly recommend keeping up with the material. It is so easy to fall behind, so try your
best not to because if you do, it is quite challenging to catch up. You never want to save
studying for the last minute. It is always nice to be ahead of the professor, but at the least
you should have the same pace he has. You definitely want to avoid a situation where
you are on one lecture and the professor is a few lectures ahead of you. If you do get
behind, its not the end of the world, but it just means youll be saving an overwhelming
amount of work for yourself a short period before an exam rather than having that work
spread out over several weeks.
9. Most importantly, enjoy the class as much as possible. Ive noticed that when I take a
class and stress out over my grade, I dont perform so well. However, when I take a class
and strive to understand the material and have a fun time doing so rather than earn the top
grade, I do much better. Ive learned that stressing out can have really damaging impacts
on your performance in a class, so relax and have fun. Its important to study, but not
24/7. Make sure theres a balance between breaks and studying.
Lisa Corsetto
Tips for Studying
1. Before each lecture, do the assigned reading and take reading notes on important terms and
concepts.
2. Attend each lecture and take notes.
3. Keep up with the assigned homework and be sure to understand the homework problems
rather than just complete them.
4. Ask a classmate or go to office hours if something from the readings, lecture, or homework is
unclear.
5. Before each exam, go over the assigned readings, your reading notes, lecture slides, and
lecture notes. Rewrite equations and terms that you are uncomfortable with on a sheet of paper
to make a personalized Study Guide.
6. Before each exam, go through homework and practice exams. As you work through the
problems, mark the ones you get wrong, and then redo those problems at the end.
Minh N. Nguyen
1. Attend all lectures. Reading textbooks and listening to podcasts can never replace the role
of the instructor.
2. Participate in in-class discussion. Don't be embarrassed when your answer is wrong. Say
what you think out, the instructor will correct your idea, and you will remember that idea
for a long time.
3. Go to office hours. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Remember: you pay to be in the
class, so you want to get the most out of your money.
4. Listening to podcasts is NOT studying. Only go back to podcasts if you need clarification
on a concept, or to fill out the portion of the lecture that is missing in your notes.
5. DO AS MANY PRACTICE PROBLEMS AS POSSIBLE. A piece of knowledge cannot
be yours until you can apply it into the practical context of a problem.
6. NEVER rely on last-minute studying and caffeine. Get 8 hours of sleep the night before
any midterms, finals, presentations, etc. Last-minute studying the night before an exam
only drains your memory and impairs your brain's ability to think clearly and logically
7. Most of all: ENJOY whatever topic you are studying. There is no such thing called
"boring concept"; it is just a lame excuse for your reluctance to incorporate the concept
into your knowledge. Remember: if an idea is not interesting or important, your
instructors will not spend their time lecturing it.
Van Duong
1. Attend every lecture and ask questions. The more you understand in class, the less you have to
study at home.
2. Read through your/professors notes and after every topic or idea, think about what youve just
read and what it means and how it relates to other materials you have studied.
3. Give yourself plenty of breaks when studying for exams. You can cook a healthy meal
(although it seems quite time-consuming, its actually very relaxing) or go for a jog (its time to
release all those tensions and stress!).
4. SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP. Try to get at least eight hours daily and in the afternoon, take a 15
minutes nap, approximately the same time every day so that you will be able to get into deep
sleep much more easily.
Wenceslas Etzol
Kenneth Earl
Thomas Steele