[vuman]

I am going to be taking chemistry next year and I just wanted to hear some people's opinion on some memory improvement courses. I mean there is a lot of information to comprehend in Chemistry and I feel that I won't be able to remember it for tests. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had any experience dealing with memory improvement courses like the School of Phenomenal Memory or Dr. Bruno's Course. Any one with any experience with any memory improvement course would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Mitch]

You'll fail Chemistry if you try to memorize it all. If you try to understand it and rationalize the questions the professors will ask of you, you'll be better off.

[enahs]

I agree with Mitch. I always hated science professors that did try and teach based off of memorization.
The only real thing you have to remember that can be put in a chart form are the common strong acids and bases.


The best way to retain everything else is to work as many problems as possible. Get the solutions manual, use it to check your answers. Or just use the schools library, as it will more then likely have a solutions manual to your book.


If you had a super memory you would not be asking this question. By working problems and critically analyzing problem you will use many more parts of your brain then you use when just reading and trying to remember; and thus being more likely to learn. Having a super memory does not mean that much when it comes to science, it is marginally helpful at best.


The best way to get good grades and learn the material is to work as many problems covering the material as you can, and in as many different ways.


Go ahead and start learning now.
http://www.learner.org/resources/series61.html
While some parts are very boring, and some get to preachy about the environment, it is still decent, especially for those who either did not have high school chemistry and did not do good in it.

[organoman]

For initial days just try and improve basics. Don't let anything not understood. Once basic concepts are clear you will find that any complex problem is only a combination of these simple basics.

[AWK]

Memorizing is only a small part of success in chemistry. It is mainly needed for nomenclature rules, classifications and mechanisms. Much more important is a very fast association of different facts from chemistry, physic, mathematics (and sometimes biology) using your brain. Chemistry joins two basic mode of thinking - mathematical induction and deduction (like Sherlock Holmes did) - its mean you are mathematician and detective together.

[vuman]

I agree AWK that memorizing would only be a small part of success in Chemistry. My question now is that even if memory wasn't a huge component in chemistry or biology. Wouldn't it still help? I mean I have had times in chemistry where I would understand the material but when it came to test time I just couldn't remember it. So my rationalization is that if I could just improve my memory and maybe even my attention and take the time to take one of these courses. I am pretty sure I would see improvement in studies. It is summer break and I really don't have much of anything else to do, I am just guessing it will be just like taking a little bit of summer school but hopefully it will help me in the long run.

I did a little more research and read a little of Dr. Bruno's Course but it didn't help me much and the website looked like it hasn't been updated in a while. However, the School of Phenomenal Memory had this free manual that I could download and read. And damn this thing is pretty long. Well I just got it and will start browsing through it today and will tell you guys what I think later. But if anybody has tried any of these courses just give me a reply. Thanks

[organoman]

No Vuman...I don't agree.
Actually most of the time in chemistry practice can be much more effective than memorizing things. Hi have never tried to memorise IUPAC rules or spectroscopic values. Instead what I would do is to collect lots of problems... say of spectroscopy. Then I take the value sheets along and start solving the problems by referring these value. After solving some good number of problems I found that now I have started remembering those values. Not only that by doing so I can develop many valuable ideas to solve these problems which one can never memorize. Similar things I have done for IUPAC nomenclature, for organic chemistry reactions. Some times this way of study looks slow and time consuming but I find this is much more lasting in memory than mere memorising things.

[vuman]

Hey Organoman, I understand what you are talking. And it does help, the repetition of practice problems, but time consuming. But when I was reading this manual it said that this school and it's course improves memory and improves your attention too. Not only would it help me focus but I think it would lessen the practice it would take to understand a problem. Don't you think?

[Ms. Buckyball]

I agree with organoman.  Most chemistry students and professors (as well) do not like memorization...and nobody does!  That's the best option you can do.  Be familiarize on chemistry terms and concepts.  Understand.  The worst thing you do is to memorize. 

[profmsg]

understanding and memorizing  both of these are important to get success in chemistry. But never try to memorize everything and never think you dont need to memorize anything. for example, when you balance equations, there are certain rules which you must rememeber. even you have good understanding,  you cant solve anything because you need rules. same in advance organic chemistry but of the reactions are followed by rules. once you get rules, you can solve any different reaction that follows this rule.

if you try to memorize everthing then its called educated fool.

so i think memorize rules, understands in its application

cheers

[Ms. Buckyball]

As much as possible, always ask yourself what have you understand for each concepts/principle.  Do not repeat what the author had said in textbook.  Use your own words.

[organoman]

Exactly buckyball,
reading can only make you aware of existence of certain topic. Actual learning happens in brain. I have realized that many of the things i have not been able to understand even after reading several authors. But I could clarified these things while I was not actually studying  but thinking deep on what I had studied may be some time in bed or so. I would also say that I scientist has to think philosophically on certain issue.
By the way I am enjoying this topic. Got to know a lot different views in one of the most debatable issue in science studies.