What can I do to improve my grade in this class?

While there are no surprising answers, there are a few things that successful students routinely do that might be worth trying if you haven't already. Read through these while honestly asking yourself if any of them might be relevant in your situation.

  1. Read the textbook before that material is covered in class. The first time through does not require you to become an instant expert. This is just to provide an overview of what you'll eventually master. Simply go through and enjoy the chapter as much as possible. No need to focus on details yet. You'll be amazed at how much leaks in after only one read-through. You can always go back and read for details later as needed.

  2. Attend every class on time. Enough said.

  3. Stay focused and engaged in class. Be ready to stop the lecture with a question if something doesn't appear to agree with your reading. If you didn't understand what was just covered, chances are good that other students didn't either. Be a hero and request more explanation. Ideally you'll understand each day's topics before you leave the classroom. Hold the instructor accountable for complete explanations.

  4. Work all the assigned problems as early as possible — the earlier the better. There's no substitute for practice. The longer the material is in your command, the more likely you will retain it for future chapters or for the final exam. There isn't enough time to do all the problems in the last day or two.

  5. Hold yourself accountable for understanding (rather than memorizing). There's a huge difference between knowing a correct answer and being able to defend how that answer was obtained. Don't settle for anything less than the latter. Some students attempt to memorize their way through the material. Memorizing lots of reagents, reactions, or facts may be helpful temporarily but is rarely sufficient. I don't recommend putting a lot of effort into memorizing until after all or most of the assigned problems have been attempted. Normally the assigned problems give sufficient exposure and practice that recall of reagents becomes automatic.

  6. Complete the blanks in the note packs before class. Some students have copies of the lecture PowerPoint slides to make class less hectic. Rather than feverishly copying down notes you can listen and stay engaged. The copies contain blanks in key places. Don't wait to copy the solutions presented in class. Try it on your own before class.

  7. After each test go over your graded paper right away. Pay special attention to anything that may not have received full credit. Ask the key question: What went wrong here? Posted answer keys are available to assist you. Remember: knowing an answer is less important than knowing how that answer was obtained. Be ready to do something similar when the need arises again later. If something doesn't make sense to you, then one or both of us hasn't done their job.

  8. Attend SI and/or SARC tutoring sessions. Although these sessions were designed to help "at-risk" students, experience shows that most attendees are successful students who arguably didn't need to go at all but did so in pursuit of every possible option. SI leaders and SARC tutors are trained to lead you though problem-solving strategies. That is sometimes the last link between understanding what we did in class and actually using those concepts to complete test exercises.

  9. Set realistic and reasonable goals. Most students are not dumb or lazy but many are over-scheduled and try to do too much with too few hours. Maximize your chances for success by devising reasonable goals. Most of us can't work a job and maintain a full-time academic course load while still having a life outside of work and school.

  10. Take care of yourself. Eating and sleeping are human necessities and not self-indulgent luxuries. We shouldn't be surprised when we perform under our potential if we are sleep-deprived or poorly nourished. Look for ways to fit in what is really important. What could be more important than you and your health? A little exercise is both recreational and therapeutic. Research shows that folks that exercise, eat, and sleep sensibly will also generally perform better and standardized tests.