Script:
Listen to part of a talk in a chemistry class.
Chemistry is sometimes called the central science. This isn’t surprising, since most of the processes going on around us involve chemical changes. Here are just a few of them:
A plant grows by changing simple substances into more complex substances.
The steel in a car rusts.
Eggs, sugar, flour, and baking powder are mixed and baked into a cake.
Emissions from a power plant cause the formation of acid rain.
Chemistry is the science that deals with the materials of the universe and the changes these materials go through. Chemistry is at the heart of our efforts to create new materials to make our lives better—for example, to produce new sources of energy. Chemists work on a lot of different things. Some examine the fundamental particles of matter. Others are looking for molecules in space. Still others are looking for ways to control the diseases that threaten our food supply or us.
But whatever the work, all chemists need certain skills. When my former students come back to visit me, they all say the same thing. They say that what’s essential in their success is an understanding of the fundamentals, the ability to solve problems, and the ability to communicate.
Some people think education is just storing information in the brain. A lot of students just want to memorize lists of facts and then sort of spit it all out on tests. Of course, storing facts in the brain is important. The language of chemistry is unfamiliar at first, and you do have to memorize a lot of terms and definitions. You have to learn the vocabulary before you can communicate. Memorizing facts is important, but it’s just the beginning of education. Don’t stop there. Don’t be afraid to do some thinking of your own, and don’t be afraid to trust yourself to figure things out. Analytical thinking is the center of education.
Chemistry courses have a reputation for being difficult. This isn’t surprising, since chemical systems are, well, complicated. Don’t expect to understand everything right away. Just remember that even experienced chemists don’t understand everything at first. It’s not a disaster to make a mistake, but it could be, if you don’t learn from your mistake.
To solve a typical chemistry problem, you have to go through the given information and decide what information is really important. If you can’t do one of the homework problems, don’t just look up the answer in the back of the book. That’s not how you learn. You’ll learn more if you go back and review the relevant material, and then try the problem again. Don’t be afraid to struggle with it. If you do struggle with the problems, then find a classmate to work with, and struggle together. Actually, this is kind of a good way to learn about how scientists work together, trying one thing and then another until they come up with a solution.
It takes time to learn chemistry. You might not understand everything at first, and you might not be able to do tile problems the first time you try. You might feel frustrated when you make a mistake. Just keep working—and learning from your mistakes—and you’ll make steady progress.