Chemistry
Chemistry is one subject that you can easily score an A in, if you put in effort of course! Below are some tips for studying Chemistry.
Tips for studying Chemistry
1. Since there are so many formulae to remember, try writing them out on flash cards. One formula per card, along with a couple of example questions that require application of this formula. This will make it easier to refer back and revise closer to your exam date.
2. As with other subjects, you need to practise doing the questions! Find out the model answers to the questions. Understand what is required of you for each question. Many students tend to veer off when answering questions. So avoid this mistake! Consult your teacher or get a tutor. Also, learning from your own mistakes is the best way to learn. So do as many questions as you can so you can make all the mistakes you can ever make and then when you go to the real exam, you will not make the same mistakes again.
3. Make your own study notes! List down all the key terms and definitions for each chapter, all the formulae, and other important information such as the reactivity series. Draw diagrams too. I cannot emphasize this enough - You really should make your own notes. If you only study from your textbook, it is just like reading from a novel. You get the idea but you will probably find it difficult to recall and apply the facts.
4. Use mnemonic device - check out http://www.gcestudybuddy.com/home/study-tips#TOC-Memory-techniques for several memorization techniques.
For example, to remember the metal reactivity series, you can use this (found it in a chemistry blog. Very clever. Source: http://begamwithbaytrees.blogspot.com/2006/07/reactivity-series.html)
Poisonous Sausages Can Make A Zulu Ill. Therefore Let Highly Clever Men Slaughter Good Pigs.
(Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Aluminium, Zinc, Iron, Tin, Lead, Hydrogen, Copper, Mercury, Silver, Gold, Platinum)
Another one (quite r-rated though =p )
5. I also found this chemistry revision checklist which you should use to check against your own progress while you revise your work.
6. Learning from your own mistakes is good, as I had mentioned earlier. Learning from others' mistakes is a good thing too, and even better when it comes from a Cambridge examiner who can tell you what they are looking for and what mistakes students tend to make.
Check this out: http://www.cambridgestudents.org.uk/subjectpages/chemistry/OLevel/Examiner_Tips_for_O_Level_Chemistry_5070_FINAL.pdf