I have been very busy helping students prepare for IB Chemistry finals lately.
Some students already have university offers.
But they still need to work hard until the end and earn the final scores required to secure their places.
A few have not been studying Chemistry and are now rushing to catch up.
Some prepare for Math and English but leave Chemistry until the very end.
Even if their other subjects go well, Chemistry can then keep them from attending their chosen university. It is better to prepare steadily from the beginning, even a little at a time.
I have had lessons every day for more than a month with students preparing for finals. Teaching and studying daily has left all of us very tired.
By working every day, I think we have solved almost all the questions in the question banks.
There have been plenty of moments when both the students and I felt completely fed up. Sometimes we moved to a café to study
and tried all sorts of things to break the monotony. I think we have solved nearly 1,200 questions, including written responses.
I also ran into a few tricky questions along the way. I needed to resolve them, but sometimes I became so exhausted that I moved on without fully resolving
one. We have now covered proton NMR and Organic Chemistry and are moving into the options.
The options are all different, which is another source of stress. One student is doing Biochemistry, another Energy, and another Medicinal Chemistry.
I am well prepared for Biochemistry because many students choose it. To be honest, I am much less prepared for Medicinal Chemistry,
but the student has given me summaries from older students and suggested that we work through it thoroughly together. Haha.
The areas tested in IB Chemistry past papers are fairly predictable to an extent.
With proper practice, students can get every Paper 1 question right, or miss only one or two. I do not think that level is too difficult to reach.
The important part is Paper 2. Organic Chemistry, proton NMR, and IR spectroscopy regularly account for a couple of questions.
Study those units, and you put yourself in a position to answer those questions. In fact, the exam questions on Organic Chemistry and Unit 11 can be easier than the material first seems.
The topics that appear are fairly consistent. They may be unfamiliar, but they are not necessarily difficult. Some students find them intimidating and give up on them. You really should not do that.
For Paper 3, students who have studied Physics may find the Energy option a good choice. Much of its opening material overlaps with Physics.
Students taking Biology often choose Biochemistry or Medicinal Chemistry. In particular, those who are strong in Organic Chemistry
may find these options suitable.
Paper 3 material is well organized in the textbook. If you organize your notes carefully and work through the questions, it is a section you can get on top of.
So putting serious effort into building your skills here can make a substantial difference.
There really is not much time left now. I think I will have to stay put, almost like a machine answering students’ questions. Haha.
I hope the students hold on and get into the universities they want. When I ask where they want to go these days, they all say they are not planning to study in Korea.
I am not sure why, but Singapore, the UK, the US, and Hong Kong come up often. They will end up scattered
all over the place. Wherever they go, I will stay with them until the end and take responsibility for helping them with Chemistry.
These students are really bright. I struggle with just English as a second language, but many of them speak three languages as a matter of course, and quite a few speak four.
One girl speaks Spanish, English, Chinese, and Korean. She said Korean was her weakest language, which made me think, “What a talented student.”
Another student has lived in several countries since childhood and speaks Vietnamese, Chinese, English, and Korean. Once, when I took them to a supermarket to buy something to eat,
I heard them speaking Vietnamese and said, “Wow, you’re really impressive!”
I had never been surrounded by students like this before. Now I am teaching them, and sometimes I wonder whether I am up to it. Haha.
In any case, I will keep going with them until the finish and help them earn a good result in IB Chemistry.
If you need IB Chemistry final-exam lessons, please get in touch.