I think I might fail HL Chemistry?

cygnetab

In the beginning I loved chemistry and the experiments and all but it all started to build on my head. Now 3 days before the exam and I have an awful feeling that things may not go as planned. Can someone give me advice because I can't even look at my book before getting a massive panic attack of the proximity of the exam.

randylonghorn

cygnetab wrote: »

... but it all started to build in my head.... I have an awful feeling that things may not go as planned.... a massive panic attack ....

... and you're posting this at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning?!

This is the problem, not the chemistry! You're in panic attack mode! And you won't do a single useful thing until you get out of that mode ...

... so ...

- forget about chemistry to-day! (Yes, I AM serious!). Get out in the sun, get some exercise, meet up with friends, do something fun! I'm very serious about the exercise ... even if it's only a long walk, do something which will tire your BODY out, because for the last couple of weeks, your mind has been going nineteen to the dozen, while your body has been under-employed! Result -> being awake at 5 in the morning!

- get an early(ish) night to-night. Don't even let the word chemistry enter your mind, just get a decent night's sleep.

- Tomorrow, get up, get a decent breakfast, sit down and CALMLY figure out what areas you most need to revise. Do a couple of hours concentrated work, stop, take a break, get out in the air. Come back later and do another couple of hours concentrated work, stop, put the books away. Relax for the evening, go to bed, get a decent night's sleep. (Again, a brisk walk / some exercise fitted in some time during the day will help!)

- Monday, and Tuesday morning, do much the same.

You have studied this course for two years, you know it, you just need to pull it to the front of your mind after sitting all the other exams.

The best way to do that is calmly and in manageable chunks!

There is nothing like panic and stress for causing us to forget that 2 + 2 actually equals 4! :cool:

cygnetab

This is so relieving to hear, the exams are making me go crazy. I really appreciate it thank you.

minion35

randylonghorn wrote: »

... and you're posting this at 5 a.m. on Saturday morning?!

This is the problem, not the chemistry! You're in panic attack mode! And you won't do a single useful thing until you get out of that mode ...

... so ...

- forget about chemistry to-day! (Yes, I AM serious!). Get out in the sun, get some exercise, meet up with friends, do something fun! I'm very serious about the exercise ... even if it's only a long walk, do something which will tire your BODY out, because for the last couple of weeks, your mind has been going nineteen to the dozen, while your body has been under-employed! Result -> being awake at 5 in the morning!

- get an early(ish) night to-night. Don't even let the word chemistry enter your mind, just get a decent night's sleep.

- Tomorrow, get up, get a decent breakfast, sit down and CALMLY figure out what areas you most need to revise. Do a couple of hours concentrated work, stop, take a break, get out in the air. Come back later and do another couple of hours concentrated work, stop, put the books away. Relax for the evening, go to bed, get a decent night's sleep. (Again, a brisk walk / some exercise fitted in some time during the day will help!)

- Monday, and Tuesday morning, do much the same.

You have studied this course for two years, you know it, you just need to pull it to the front of your mind after sitting all the other exams.

The best way to do that is calmly and in manageable chunks!

There is nothing like panic and stress for causing us to forget that 2 + 2 actually equals 4! :cool:

This is amazing advice, everyone struggles with exams in the LC and college, it's not healthy to overthink about it. Some pressure is good but turning yourself into a ball of stress about it isn't. Relax and take the exam one step at a time, the Leaving Cert isn't the end of the world. In a few months you'll look back and laugh about it. Best of luck with the exams, but remember, they are just exams.

daraghwal

cygnetab wrote: »

In the beginning I loved chemistry and the experiments and all but it all started to build on my head. Now 3 days before the exam and I have an awful feeling that things may not go as planned. Can someone give me advice because I can't even look at my book before getting a massive panic attack of the proximity of the exam.

Think of the Chemistry logically. Don't panic saying oh it's so complicated, it's such a big course! It doesn't have to be. Think of it this way. You said you loved it in the beginning and the experiments. Q1, Q2 and Q3 are the experiments. There you have 37.5% of the exam. You do 2 or 3 of them. That's up to 37.5%. You then have to do 4 or 5 more from section B to make up the other 5 questions. You said you liked the start of chemistry, so I assume you mean stuff like the atomic theory. Thats question 5. There you have 4 questions. 50% of the exam. Question 4 is short questions on little things like atomic theory, radioactivity and gas laws. They are definitions that can be easily learnt off. The same with radioactivity where you can look at the learning bit and the equations for the decay. That could bring you up to 5 questions. 62.5% of the exam. There is always a full question, usually question 6 on fuels and heats of reactions. This is not a very technical section either and can be learned off in a short space of time. That gives you 75%. If you have a look at the reaction schemes diagram and learn that off, that would be of benefit and you could do most of the rates of reaction question which is usually on the paper. If you cover those sections well you WILL NOT FAIL. Even the question 10 and 11 have sections on stoichiometry and atomic theory. The stoichiometry is often basic maths and you have already said you liked the atomic theory!