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Topic: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?  (Read 56206 times)

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Offline XGen

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2012, 07:21:27 PM »
So, how do you feel you did?

I hope you did well! :D
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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2012, 09:42:27 PM »
I felt relatively good!

We were supposed to take the test, go out for dinner, and come back in an hour for the award ceremony to get our results... but their scantron machine broke and we don't get back results until next week.
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Offline XGen

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2012, 10:13:11 PM »
Wow, that is extremely unfortunate... I wish you the best! Hopefully you made it :P
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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #18 on: March 26, 2012, 04:51:59 AM »
Woo-hoo, I got nominated! I scored 65/70.

I get $150 in prize money... Probably gonna use that money to purchase a used college-level general chem textbook and organic textbook to prepare for the national exam.
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Offline Olympiad_Tutor

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #19 on: March 26, 2012, 06:23:28 AM »
Sophia7X, Congrats!  Good luck at the National exam!

Does this mean that the problems are released already?

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Offline Borek

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #20 on: March 26, 2012, 06:47:20 AM »
Quote from: Sophia7X on March 26, 2012, 04:51:59 AM
Woo-hoo, I got nominated!

Congratulations!
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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #21 on: March 26, 2012, 03:50:51 PM »
Thanks, guys.

@Ch_ : No, they don't release exams until a couple weeks after the testing window (which ends on early Aprl).



I'm planning on buying either Loudon's organic chemistry or Organic Chemistry as a Second Language by Klein. I read reviews on Loudon: people said it was understandable and easy to read yet somewhat lacking in content, while Klein received higher ratings. However, I'm not sure about how easy Klein is to read and I'm the type of person who cannot stand boring textbooks.
Anyone ever have experience with Klein books? Which should I get?
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Offline XGen

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #22 on: March 26, 2012, 06:17:25 PM »
On the nationals tests, they don't really put any difficult organic chem. Would it be wise to get an orgo textbook for nationals? I have bought the (general) book "Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight" by Atkins and Jones as I have heard that some (or many?) campers studied from it.
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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #23 on: March 26, 2012, 06:58:02 PM »
Quote from: XGen on March 26, 2012, 06:17:25 PM
On the nationals tests, they don't really put any difficult organic chem. Would it be wise to get an orgo textbook for nationals? I have bought the (general) book "Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight" by Atkins and Jones as I have heard that some (or many?) campers studied from it.

The organic knowledge would be extremely useful if you happen to get into study camp.
I looked at a few organic questions on the national: they had stuff like Sn1 mechanisms and stereochemistry, which is definitely above high school level organic chemistry. I'm currently taking organic chem right now and my textbook for that class barely mentions mechanisms. I think reading a few chapters (specifically reactions, stereochemistry, etc) would go a long way.

I might buy the Atkins book but its too expensive, even used. How would Linus Pauling's book work? I'm worried that it's a little too old and possibly difficult to read.
Or could I survive with my AP Chem textbook (Zumdahl)?

Did a few national tests and scored from a crappy 45/60 to 54/60. I've got a lot of work to do :P
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Offline XGen

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #24 on: March 26, 2012, 10:35:04 PM »
I didn't find the organic chemistry too hard, but perhaps that is because my father is an organic chemist. The book I am reading for organic chemistry is Organic Chemistry by Morrison and Boyd. However, I quickly found that the text is too advanced for what I can see on the nationals test. After the first 4-6 chapters, there seems to be nothing else. Is there any way we can find material covered in the camp online?

The Atkins book I bought for 15 dollars (hardcover, textbook style and all). Linus Pauling's book I also have, and it is in a very different format, at least for me considering I have looked through only introductory high school texts. It takes a (very?) mathematical approach into subjects such as thermodynamics and properties of gases, and it devotes many of its chapters to specific elements and their properties in compounds. My impression of the book is that it is indeed hard to read, and the mathematical aspects, while interesting, seem not useful at least for our interests.

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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2012, 09:26:22 PM »
The organic part seems to include basic biochemistry and high school to first semester college organic material. If you're pretty good with the fundamentals like nomenclature and basic reactions, going through the organic chem study guides on http://www.sparknotes.com/chemistry/ could be helpful (unless you're familiar with stereochem, Sn1 E1 Sn2 E2 reactions (I've only encountered Sn1 so far).

I could only find an Atkins book for $150 cheapest :(
I just got Pauling. Forcing myself to read the important chapters, sometimes it's just too wordy and difficult to read.


I found out the mean national exam scores last year... 55.2 on multiple choice and 88.4% on the free response. Wish I had more time to prepare. I didn't even know chemistry olympiad existed before late February, when my teacher registered me. XD
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Offline PIQgoogleme

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2012, 11:49:48 PM »
^^^
No way is that the mean overall. Is that the mean among people who qualified for the camp?
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Offline Sophia7X

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Re: How do you study for Chemistry Olympiad?
« Reply #27 on: April 02, 2012, 12:44:23 AM »
Yes, I forgot to specify. The overall mean for multiple choice was like a 32.
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