Kent Chemistry Tutor

Cracking on with some multistep synthesis. Try out the challenge question..

Another successful year with my tutees with A-Level chemistry!!
Recipe of success has proven again - dedication, commitment and disciplined hard work.

Some tips for revision
Following are revision techniques that have been tried and tested since my school days and my tutees at GCSE/A-level found them useful too.
1. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Repeating things is the best way to remember. You should go over the same things over and over, but not all in one go. You repeat a bunch of stuff at the same time in flash card format.
2. Flashcards
Use notes and the specification and turn all that information into flashcards. You may remember them better if you do that by hand
3. Test yourself
Once you have learned and revised the topic, recalling is very important to see how much you have remembered after a few days of studying. Challenge yourself randomly (while going to school, during the lunch break) to recall key points of the topic that you have learned. If you can recall them, it will boost your confidence and if not then time to revise the topic more rigorously.
4. Learn together
Get a friend (singular is specific)with whom you can revise together. I find testing each other really effective. Asking each other questions can allow you to see what you know and don't know. This way you can help each other on weak areas.
5. Cover and write
When it comes to pure memory, this is very effective. I cover up my notes and write down what’s there. It’s a simple way of finding of how much you know (and remember)."
6. Make it visual
I'm a very visual learner, so I try to make all the information eye-catching with detailed, colourful diagrams.
7. Mnemonics
For specific lists I like to use mnemonics. The more stupid, the better. I say them to myself every day, and at the start of every exam the first thing I do is write the initials down somewhere.
8. Talk to yourself
I used to say a lot of stuff out loud when I'm revising. I would say you are revising twice with this technique-
First time- your mind needs to think about what to speak,
Second time- as you hear what you speak and analyze information that you hear (mostly at a subconscious level)
9. Stick it up
If there is a fact, or equation that I just haven't got a choice but to memorize, I tend to make a card and stick it on the wall above my desk. Every time I sit down to do some work and glance up it's just there.

Organic Chemistry at A level :
Converting one molecule into the other is an art of organic chemistry but a nightmare for A level students. Students moving from GCSE to A level chemistry feels that they have seen a ghost when they come across conversion, reaction mechanism and reaction pathway.

The best way is master conversion is to practice over and over until you can recall it randomly at any time. Also, focus on the functional group rather than the molecule itself in the question. The molecule can be any large, but you only need to identify the functional group and how it reacts. The conversion will help you answer multi-step synthesis questions confidently.

The reaction mechanism (see pic) looks at the reaction in great detail as it shows the movement of electrons during the reaction. There are only a few fundamentals to know and you can write any mechanism. It took me a long to realize it when I was studying (but I won't let my tutee suffer).