[angelaaa]

Hi all, I'd really appreciate some advice!
I have just finished my GCSEs and will be studying A level Chemistry, Biology, Psychology and English Literature from September.
I am reallyyy worried about Chemistry!
I'll be doing the Salters course and would like to know if it's really as hard as everyone makes out?
Here's why: for the universities I want to go to I must achieve an A in this subject.
I got an A at GCSE triple science but struggled with some of the Chemistry concepts and achieved the result through memorising facts.
I have the textbooks I will be learning from next year and am really struggling to understand any of it so far.
How has it gone for you guys?
I hear even the cleverest really struggle with this A level but its vitally important for my future career

[Jam']

I got 100% in everything in GCSE chemistry, and then, at AS, got a B. I was 1 UMS mark off an A but I found chemistry extremely difficult. In fact, it was by far my hardest subject.

Make sure you understand all the GCSE concepts. Go over them over summer if you're not 100% confident - this is essential to creating a foundation of success in chemistry. Also work very hard throughout the year.

They can be devious on chemistry papers. My unit 5 (A2) paper was atrocious and well now it's just a time game to see how poorly I performed haha.

Good luck!!

[Occams Chainsaw]

(Original post by angelaaa)
Hi all, I'd really appreciate some advice!
I have just finished my GCSEs and will be studying A level Chemistry, Biology, Psychology and English Literature from September.
I am reallyyy worried about Chemistry!
I'll be doing the Salters course and would like to know if it's really as hard as everyone makes out?
Here's why: for the universities I want to go to I must achieve an A in this subject.
I got an A at GCSE triple science but struggled with some of the Chemistry concepts and achieved the result through memorising facts.
I have the textbooks I will be learning from next year and am really struggling to understand any of it so far.
How has it gone for you guys?
I hear even the cleverest really struggle with this A level but its vitally important for my future career

Chemistry is challenging. Imo is it the most difficult A level, at AS at least, leaving maths and physics trailing behind.
If it's important to you then stick with it. Make sure you have the GCSE concepts nailed by September and you will be fine as long as you put the hours in. You can't rely on learning definitions and last minute cramming revisionat A Level like in GCSE, you really have to learn it and keep learning it throughout the course.

So just to reiterate; in my opinion, if you really need chemistry for what you want then don't make it a hurdle. Make sure you know everything you were meant to learn at GCSE and go in to AS prepared to work hard from the start, not just at exam times (but 6 weeks from exams you should really pick up the pace!)

I hope this helps!

[Occams Chainsaw]

(Original post by Jam')
I got 100% in everything in GCSE chemistry, and then, at AS, got a B. I was 1 UMS mark off an A but I found chemistry extremely difficult. In fact, it was by far my hardest subject.

Make sure you understand all the GCSE concepts. Go over them over summer if you're not 100% confident - this is essential to creating a foundation of success in chemistry. Also work very hard throughout the year.

They can be devious on chemistry papers. My unit 5 (A2) paper was atrocious and well now it's just a time game to see how poorly I performed haha.

Good luck!!

On a tangent, surely if the paper is atrocious then your UMS will be high since everyone will have done badly Otherwise, unfortunately, it seems that it may be your fault and not the examination board, does that seem rational to you?

[kaypc]

i think if you love it you should definitely take it. i hated chem at GCSE and only took it because i wanted to do a science related career and many of them need 2 sciences. i really enjoyed my AS and i'm definitely doing it at A2 although the concepts are hard to get the first time. it all clicks in a few months before your exams so don't be disheartened. good luck.

[lukas1051]

I think people over exaggerate how bad chemistry is. Yes there are people that really struggle, but for some people it just clicks and it's fine. Understanding is key, it's not a subject where you can just memorise the textbook, so really pay attention in class and ask questions if you struggle, you should be alright. It is difficult, but so are a lot of subjects. I found physics harder than chemistry at a-level. The only way you'll know what it's like is to try it. Don't worry if you can't understand the textbook yet, once you start learning it properly you will. Just make sure you keep practising GCSE concepts over summer.

[Jam']

(Original post by Occams Chainsaw)
On a tangent, surely if the paper is atrocious then your UMS will be high since everyone will have done badly Otherwise, unfortunately, it seems that it may be your fault and not the examination board, does that seem rational to you?

I revised hard for unit 5 and was confident I had revised a good amount of stuff to regurgitate (definitions and such) and understood the concepts. Unfortunately, the test was purely application such that there wasn't enough time to answer every question. Additionally, there was an 'impossible' question on the paper. Questions like this deplete morale and waste time. We were also asked things that were so loosely related to our chemistry course it was unbelievable. We didn't get taught very much about catalysts (it wasn't on the specification much), however, our exam board asked us to make up a catalyst out of thin air. Bonkers. Lol

Our exam board issued a statement regarding the exam paper in response to a 3000-strong protest to the exam on Facebook.

At AS, I can give you that I was relatively unprepared. This time I put in lots of work; I'm just hoping the exotic nature of the paper affected everyone else as it did me.

[Occams Chainsaw]

(Original post by Jam')
I revised hard for unit 5 and was confident I had revised a good amount of stuff to regurgitate (definitions and such) and understood the concepts. Unfortunately, the test was purely application such that there wasn't enough time to answer every question. Additionally, there was an 'impossible' question on the paper. Questions like this deplete morale and waste time. We were also asked things that were so loosely related to our chemistry course it was unbelievable. We didn't get taught very much about catalysts (it wasn't on the specification much), however, our exam board asked us to make up a catalyst out of thin air. Bonkers. Lol

Our exam board issued a statement regarding the exam paper in response to a 3000-strong protest to the exam on Facebook.

At AS, I can give you that I was relatively unprepared. This time I put in lots of work; I'm just hoping the exotic nature of the paper affected everyone else as it did me.

Lol, that sounds interesting. I wonder what the answer was!

I guess if the exam board made a statement about it and also there were at least 3000 people who decided to protest (I would assume there are plenty more who feel hard done by who didn't protest) then the exam will be deemed relatively hard and hopefully your lower score will still score high, if that makes sense :/ lol.

Good luck!

[Jam']

(Original post by Occams Chainsaw)
Lol, that sounds interesting. I wonder what the answer was!

I guess if the exam board made a statement about it and also there were at least 3000 people who decided to protest (I would assume there are plenty more who feel hard done by who didn't protest) then the exam will be deemed relatively hard and hopefully your lower score will still score high, if that makes sense :/ lol.

Good luck!

I'm hoping so too ...thanks!!

[NutterFrutter]

(Original post by lukas1051)
I think people over exaggerate how bad chemistry is. Yes there are people that really struggle, but for some people it just clicks and it's fine. Understanding is key, it's not a subject where you can just memorise the textbook, so really pay attention in class and ask questions if you struggle, you should be alright. It is difficult, but so are a lot of subjects. I found physics harder than chemistry at a-level. The only way you'll know what it's like is to try it. Don't worry if you can't understand the textbook yet, once you start learning it properly you will. Just make sure you keep practising GCSE concepts over summer.

I agree with this. It's easy if you understand the concepts.

It's only as difficult as you make it.

[James A]

(Original post by NutterFrutter)
I agree with this. It's easy if you understand the concepts.

It's only as difficult as you make it.

This.

[angelaaa]

Thanks everyone! I'm more confident and fairly excited now :')

Quick question: Can you get asked to calculate the molecular formula without the molecular weight or is that given in the question?