• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Chemistry (1 Viewer)

Speed6

Retired '16
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
2,949
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Just want to put it out there and express my attitude to prelim chem that it is so boring and the calculation parts of it such as redox and other crap are confusing af. I don't like Prelim chem, I'm hoping that it gets better in Year 12 or else its gonna f up my ATAR because it will leave me disinterested in the HSC course.

Discuss if you are doing chem in Year 11 or 12 or have done the subject and your opinion/s on how you went and what it was like for you. This thread can also be an insight for the juniors on what chem actually is.
 

Ekman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2014
Messages
1,615
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
Tbh I never really focused on chemistry that much in year 11, I found it boring plus my chem teacher never really taught properly , yet I somehow achieved an above 80 average. However I started taking chem seriously in year 12, and I got a better chem teacher as well. Nowadays I enjoy going to chem class just as much, maybe even more than going to maths class.
 

Fiction

Active Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2014
Messages
773
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2015
Redox in prelim?

hum, chem is more skill-based in Prelim and more content heavy in HSC IMO. I've been in your shoes except rather than hating on chem, I had a certain apathetic nature towards it in year 11. I've since grown to love it :) Chemistry is one of those subjects where the more you learn, the more you tend to enjoy - as it clarifies other things.
 

Speed6

Retired '16
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
2,949
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Hmm, interesting comments, I would actually like to see more.
 

Ethicks

Active Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
134
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Chemistry is something you need to practice, instead of sitting on BOS and whinging about it you might want to get some questions out and actually do them so you can understand the concepts. Once you grasp the concepts it's quite enjoyable.

The practicals were fun too, especially the saponification unit and all the pracs were pretty cool Esters was my favourite.
 
Last edited:

Speed6

Retired '16
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
2,949
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Chemistry is something you need to practice, instead of sitting on BOS and whinging about it you might want to get some questions out and actually do them so you can understand the concepts. Once you grasp the concepts it's quite enjoyable.
I actually made this thread while I was doing MX1. I was also using my phone, not a computer.
 

Speed6

Retired '16
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
2,949
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
lol, idk how is this relevant to the point of this thread [emoji14]

regardless, like ethicks said - do practice Q's from past papers - it will be your best friend for your hsc (fullsrs)
Past papers are key for doing and writing well, succinct responses under timed conditions.

Yes it will be my short term HSC friend.
 

Speed6

Retired '16
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
2,949
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
yeah, be conscious of the marking criteria for chem is strict af

gl OP

(also I'm sure a certain 2014 bos'er can inspire you in chem)
I take all advice on board with me, thanks.
 

porcupinetree

not actually a porcupine
Joined
Dec 12, 2014
Messages
664
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
I'd agree with the others; it's quite enjoyable once you understand the concepts behind what you're learning. For me, it can sometimes take a while to fully understand/appreciate a concept, but once I do, it becomes an enjoyable subject to do.

So far I'm enjoying HSC Chem more than Prelim, which is probably due to the both the fact that I'm putting in more effort now than I did last year, and the fact that HSC Chem is more content based rather than just skills and concepts, which Prelim chem has more of a focus on.
 

enigma_1

~~~~ Miss Cricket ~~~~
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
4,281
Location
Lords
Gender
Female
HSC
2014
Yeah prelim chem sucked and was so hard
Hsc chem was gr8

Just make sure you're good with calculations, balancing eqns, intermolecular forces etc and basic chem. That's pretty much all you need to get from prelim chem for hsc.
 

Anthel

Active Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Messages
203
Location
Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Redox in prelim?

hum, chem is more skill-based in Prelim and more content heavy in HSC IMO. I've been in your shoes except rather than hating on chem, I had a certain apathetic nature towards it in year 11. I've since grown to love it :) Chemistry is one of those subjects where the more you learn, the more you tend to enjoy - as it clarifies other things.
Haha same with me!
 

iStudent

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2013
Messages
1,158
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
I didn't understand moles at all the first time I went through it. It was only when I had someone do a full explanation that I slowly understood it. Chemistry is supposed to be hard - but once you understand everything, you can move on to improving your exam technique and then it becomes sorta logical (and fun)..

(and yes, like you - I also hated chem at first. Not that there was a lot of content, but that I had difficulty understanding it!)
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top