Chemistry alevel mechanisms

are there any ways to recall reagents standard states/conditions for mechanism?
Eg
Haloalkane —> alkene requires KOH(alc) or NaOH(alc)

But
Haloalkane —> alcohol requires KOH (aq) or NaOH(aq)

Seems to be something I always forget and get wrong

Reply 1

TypicalNerd

Original post by harlz_chalamet

In that particular case I always remembered that water itself is a nucleophile and can be involved in hydrolysis reactions and so an aqueous solution of NaOH or KOH would hydrolyse it to an alcohol, whereas ethanolic NaOH or KOH would eliminate the halogen from it to form an alkene.

I would probably try using flashcards or creating mindmaps for the names of the mechanisms plus the required reagents and conditions. After all, regular active recall is the best way to improve your memory.