The rigor and pace of CHEM 1811 is possibly unlike anything you've experienced before. The content you''ll encounter is challenging, the skills you'll develop are advanced, and to be successful you'll have to work hard every day...and possibly seek out extra help. Below you'll find resources available to you and answers to commonly asked questions. If you do not find the help you need or a sufficient answer to your question, feel free to send email.
What every CHEM 1811er should know: We want you to succeed and so we offer you many opportunities to ask questions, grapple with ideas, and practice newly developing skills.
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Other things worth knowing: Answers to many other frequently asked questions about the course are organized by topic. Simply click on the links below to jump to the section of interest.
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What resources are available to help me learn the material in CHEM 1811?
- Office Hours: Office hours are a great way to get all your questions answered, no matter how simple or complex. A short meeting with your TA or instructor can save you a lot of time and frustration. In addition, office hours offer you an excellent opportunity to get to know your instructors personally, which can have a significant, long-term impact on your entire academic career, e.g. recommendation letters. Click here to see a list of Fall 2012 office hours.
- Lab Review/Help Session: Whether you have questions about the background information on the lab experiement or the collection and analysis of your data, this semi-weekly review session is an excellent opportunity to get help before you write the report. This is not a structured review so plan to come with specific questions. Offered Fall 2012 in an ad hoc fashion on Sunday afternoons from 3:00-4:00PM in CHM 303.
- Writing Tutorial/Workshop:
Need additional help writing up your results? This structured writing workshop will give you practical tips and practice writing the different pieces of your research reports. A working draft of your write-up is required in order to attend. Offered Fall 2012 in an ad hoc fashion on Sunday afternoons from 4:00-5:00PM in CHM 303.
- Writing Resources: There are a number of resources on the website that are designed to help you develop your writing skills. Be sure to check out the following:
• Writing like a scientist... videos
• research report guidelines
• research report rubric
- Past Finals: Get familiar with the types of questions asked on the lab exam and begin practicing answering these types of structured questions:
• past finals
What is the best way to prepare for this class?
There is no right way to prepare of CHEM 1811, but the strategy proposed below will help you spread out the work and promote effective learning. (N.B. The shaded boxes are just a few opportunities for help along the way.)
There is a lot of background material for the labs on the website. Should I read it all, especially since some of it is hard to understand?
The more you read prior to lab, the better off you'll be. It's not expected that you'll understand everything, but you'll be surprised if you take a little time and think through the material. While you're doing the lab, keep that information in the back of your mind, asking questions like, "How does what I'm doing in lab relate to the main ideas of the reading material?" When you get to the point you're ready to write the Research Report, re-read the material in more depth, again asking questions like, "How will this information help me understand the results of my lab experiments?" If at that point you still don't understand the main arguments of some reading assignment, please ask.
What is the best way to study for the lab exam?
The lab exam is not meant to test whether or not you've learned some arbitrary facts. Instead it is meant to assess whether you're able to solve authentic chemistry problems utilizing the information and skills you've learned throughout the course of the semester. It gives you one last opportunity to show your instructors and yourself the ways in which you've begun to think like a scientist. If you've been working toward this goal all along, rather than memorizing information, then you're already prepared. Simply look over the lab experiments and your Research Reports. Understand the basic concepts explored as well as how you investigated those concepts, i.e. what "tools" did you use? Attempt solving the problems on past finals, first without looking at the solutions and then compare the solutions to your answers. Attend the review session and ask questions. You're set!
I really want to do well in this course. How do I earn an A?
If you're committed to the course and work hard to learn the material, an A in CHEM 1811 is possible. However, you will find out, if you haven't already, that learning is hard work and often frustrating. You'll need to dedicate yourself to struggling through some difficult concepts and new ways of thinking. If you do this, and your instructors keep up their end of the bargain — to create an interesting, engaging and challenging learning environment — then the work you put in will pay off and you will get your A. But don't take our word for it, read what past students have said about what it takes to get an A in CHEM 1811.
Why do we not have a lab text book?
There is no text book available which covers all the topics discussed in CHEM 1811. But, the course website serves as a "virtual" text book for the lab and the course packet contains handouts you'll need.I see that the Course Packet is required; is the information also available online?
No. The Course packet is less than $10, well worth the price once you take into consideration the costs associated with printing and hole-punching the pages yourself and the time it will take you.Do I have to buy Spartan to use it when I'm not in lab?
Spartan, the software program used for roughly half of the labs, is owned by the Chemistry Department. You do not have to buy the program, but you may find it necessary/convenient to use ouside of lab time. In this case, you can access it on the Hive. If you'd like to have a personal copy, you will need to purchase it directly from the company.How do I get me free copy of ChemDraw?
The University of Virginia has a site license for ChemDraw. It is installed on many of the University computers.
To download your own free copy, go to http://scistore.cambridgesoft.com/sitelicense.cfm?sid=959, enter your UVa email address, and follow the directions. Once you create a CambridgeSoft account, you will receive a serial number for the software. Check your spam box if you don't receivUe the email.How do I access SciFinder?
You can register for SciFinder, a very powerful chemical database, at https://www2.lib.virginia.edu/brown/chemistry/scifinder/online.html. There are a limited number of licenses available so please limit the time you're logged in and only access during non-peak hours.How do I sign up for NowComment and set my preferences?
During this course you will use an online tool called NowComment to share and comment on your draft research reports. To begin, you need to activate your account on the NowComment site. Here's what you do:
- Log in to UVaCollab.
- Click on the UVaCollab site for this course.
- Click on the "NowComment" link in the left-hand column.
- A button will appear called "Create Bridge to NowComment". This only happens the first time you use the NowComment tool in UVaCollab. The next time you access the tool through UVaCollab a link to NowComment will be displayed.
- Click on that second link (Browse Documents on NowComment.com).
- The NowComment space for this course will open in a new window and your login will be activated.
To learn more about NowComment and tailor your workspace, check out the tutorial.
When I attempt to view some of the materials on the Schedule, I keep getting an "Authorization Required" error. What am I doing wrong?
Be sure you are using the course assigned username and password, not your UVa ID/password. You can find the correct username and password on the General Information page of your Course Packet.
The laboratory section I want to enroll in is full. What can I do?
The enrollment for each laboratory period is capped in order to keep the number of students in each section equivalent. Therefore, it is possible that the section you're interested in (or even all the sections) will appear full. Do not panic! Arrangements will be made during the first lab lecture to accommodate all students not enrolled in lab. Students with course conflicts will have first priority. Keep in mind that all lab sections will be capped at 24 students.Is there a better day of the week to have lab?
In short, no. All the lab sections cover the same material, meet for the same length of time, and have the same assignments. You will have the same amount of time to finish each assignment regardless of section, typically one week. With that said, there are two (very slight) advantages of having your lab later in the week: 1) the little quirks of each lab seem to get worked out by the end of the week and 2) you will likely have covered more material in CHEM 1810 which initially may help you understand the lab better.I can't attend lab lecture because I'm required to take another course which meets at the same time. Can I miss lecture but still attend the weekly lab sections?
Much of the course depends on the lab lecture; therefore, it is necessary (and required) to attend the lab lecture in order to be successful in the class.What happens if I have to miss lab lecture for some reason?
Attendance during lecture is required. If you have a conflict, arrange to have a fellow classmate turn in any assignments which are due and get any announcements, notes, etc. for that day's lecture.What happens if I have to miss lab for some reason?
Attendance during lab is required. If you have a conflict, notify the instructor ahead of time and arrange to attend one of the other sections. You will not be allowed into lab if you fail to notify your instructor in advance. Under certain circumstances, allowances to make up labs at other times may be made.Why don't we spend more time in lab lecture discussing how to do the weekly labs?
The lab lecture is designed to cover some of the "big picture" topics related to scientific inquiry, such as scientific inquiry and scientific writing. To help you get acquainted with the lab material, you are provided a number of resources on the course website, and details about the labs are introduced and discussed in your laboratory section by your TA. Additional background information and help with analyzing results can be obtained in the weekly review sessions and/or office hours.I like doing laboratory experiments/computational experiments, why can't we do more of them?
CHEM 1810 is designed in such a way that many traditional laboratory experiments are not possible. Therefore, computational chemistry is an invaluable component of the lab experience. On the other hand, it is important to be exposed to a "real" laboratory environment. Consequently, a 50-50 combination of the two types of experiments is the best compromise.
This is a chemistry laboratory, why is there so much writing?
Writing is an integral part of science, and a critical tool for doing good science. You'll find that it is the best way for you to gauge whether you've actually mastered the ideas. Luckily, it is a skill which can be learned and then practiced to get better.Can CHEM 1811 count as my 2nd Writing Requiremment?
Unfortunately, department policy does not allow CHEM 1811 to count as your 2nd Writing Requirement.
My TA grades assignments harder than the other TAs. How does this affect my final grade?
Every attempt is made to grade student work consistently across different sections. A number of things aid this endeavor, including:
• TAs and instructor attend a writing workshop prior to grading the first Research
Report
If significant differences exist in grades across sections at the semester's end, the grades will be adjusted accordingly. Note: This has never been necessary!What can I do if I think I earned a higher grade on an assignment than the instructor/TA awarded?
First, look closely at the instructor's comments. Then compare your work with the comments and the grading rubric. Can you understand why you received the grade you did? Next, make an appointment outside of class with the grader to discuss the work and its grading. Finally, if the grade is accurate, make sure you learn what you need to do to improve on future assignments. Note: There is some leeway in grading each assignment and the final grade is at the discretion of the the grader.Will the final grades be curved?
No, the grading scale for CHEM 1811 is a fixed scale. Believe it or not, this is a good thing. The fixed scale allows you to know exactly where you are at all times. This method of grading also allows you to focus on earning the highest grade you can rather than just earning a higher grade than everyone else. As such, it affords you and every student the opportunity to earn an A in the course not just the few with the highest grades.
Can I make up a Participation Activity I miss?
No...but you can use the Scavenger Hunt to make-up for missing or low scores.
What should I do if I'm absent for an extended period of time because of health problems, family matters, et cetera?
First, you should contact your Association Dean (AD) and make him/her aware of the problem. The AD can generally offer advice on what to do or point you to the various support services available on campus. Next, arrange a meeting with the instructor outside of class to discuss options for making up any missed work. Be sure to keep the instructor informed of your in-class and out-of-class situation until you are fully caught up. (Note: You do not need to provide the instructor with the private details of your situation. He/she can simply confirm the situation with your AD.)