How to Use Psychology to Improve Your Grades in Chemistry

All Marvel fans should be able to relate to this one. 

Remember that scene in Avengers Infinity War (2018), where Shuri tries to remove the mind stone from Vision’s head?

That’s one instance – among many – where chemistry was used in the franchise. 

Can’t argue, it looked cool, right?

But the problem is, to get to Shuri’s level of expertise, 

You have to be good at regular chemistry first. 

Which means you have to get high grades which isn’t a walk in the park. 

However, by using psychological principles we’ll discuss in this article, 

You’ll improve your performance, retention and understanding of chemistry. 

Here’s how to go about it;

Understanding the Power of using the right Mindset

Just like other disciplines, Psychology is guided by founding principles.

One such principle is the “growth mindset” by Carol Dweck.

What this concept simply means is that you need to believe that you can develop your intelligence and abilities through hard work. 

Actually, you also need consistent learning and dedication to achieve optimum results. 

On the contrary, a person with a fixed mindset believes that their talents and intelligence cannot change. 

We don’t want that. 

How Does It Apply in Chemistry? 

• Get ready to embrace challenges:
  You need to see difficult problems in chemistry as an opportunity to learn. 

Stop seeing them as obstacles.

Anytime you come across a difficult topic, remind yourself that you can master it if you put in the effort and practise well. 

• Don’t stop even when you encounter setbacks: 

Whenever you get a low grade on a test or assignment, remember it’s not a reflection of your ability. 

Don’t beat yourself up. 

Instead, ask yourself what went wrong.

After some self-introspection, seek help if necessary.

You can reach out to us to book a session and we’ll help you get through it. 

Finally, don’t hesitate to try again.

• Value Effort

One thing you need to understand is that you must put in the effort to improve.

This means you have to study regularly. 

Ensure you do your assignments and complete all practice problems. 

Most importantly, try to get additional resources to understand the problem better. 

Active Learning Techniques You Need To Know

Just as the name implies, 

Active learning requires that you engage with a study material in a way that gives you room to analyse and evaluate it. 

There are various researches out there that show active learning is way more effective than passive learning. 

Active learning also helps you retain and understand what you’ve studied better.

How it applies in Chemistry:

• Self-Explanation: While studying, explain it to yourself in your own words. 

This way, you’ll immediately identify where you’re lacking and where to improve.

It’ll also make you understand the material better. 

• Teach Others: This is a well-kept secret and we promise you’ll get amazing results when you try it. 

Just give it a try. 

When you teach anything you’ve read in chemistry to your mates or friends, you’ll understand it better. 

Teaching makes you organize your thoughts and understand things better.

• Practice Retrieval: Instead of just rereading your notes, test yourself regularly. 

Make use of flashcards, 

Practice, practice, practice. 

Get your hands on past exam questions. 

By doing the above, you’ll get better at retrieving information from your memory.

Use the Elimination Method

Naturally, multiple-choice questions are designed to be tricky.

However, with the elimination method, it becomes easier. 

Here’s how to go about it. First, rule out the obviously incorrect answers. 

This way, the odds of choosing the correct answer will increase.

How it applies in Chemistry:

• Focus on Units: If you’re familiar with multiple-choice questions.

You’ll notice they always include distractor answers. 

These answers have incorrect units. 

If you know the correct units for the answer, you can eliminate options that don’t match.

• Find Unusual Options: In most cases, the incorrect answers are deliberately odd. 

Their sole purpose is to mislead you. 

By trusting your gut and intuition, you can easily eliminate these options.

• Make Educated Guesses: If you’re not sure about an answer, don’t leave it blank. 

Instead, use your knowledge of the chemistry subject concepts to make an educated guess.

How to prepare for Exams with these Psychological Strategies

Here’s another trick you can use to prepare and pass your exams. 

When you attend classes regularly, there’s every chance you can guess areas where your professor will pull their exam questions from. 

By preparing accordingly, you’ll improve your performance when you sit for the exam. 

Application in Chemistry:

• Review Class Emphases: Pay attention to the topics your professor stresses during lectures. 

There’s every chance its important and it may appear in your exam.

• Analyze Practice Questions: Look at the types of questions given in assignments and past exams. 

These will give you an idea of what to expect.

• Focus on Key Areas: Some professors are kind enough to mention areas of concentration. 

Please ensure it’s your topmost priority to study these topics. 

They are likely to be significant portions of the exam.

• Use Last Year’s Questions: When you review questions from previous years, you can identify patterns and frequently asked topics.

Improve Your Study Habits with These Psychological Tricks

There’s no denying that it is important to have an effective studying habit. 

This is very important if you want to succeed academically. 

When you apply the psychological principles we’re going to show you to your study routine, 

You’ll notice a massive improvement in your productivity and retention.
Here are some psychological principles you can try;

• Spaced Repetition: Instead of cramming, use the spaced repetition technique to review your study material over longer periods. 

This way, you’ll improve your long-term retention by spacing out your study sessions.

• Interleaved Practice: This technique involves mixing various topics and problems within one study session. 

This is known as interleaving and it helps you improve problem-solving skills and adaptability.

• Use Mnemonics: Mnemonics comes in handy when you need to remember complex information. 

For example, use acronyms or images to recall and remember concepts like the periodic table or chemical reactions.

• Stay Organized: Keep a study schedule and prioritize your tasks. 

Most importantly, break down large tasks into smaller, manageable parts. 

This way, you can prevent procrastination and it’ll reduce the stress on you.

Manage Exam Anxiety

At some point or the other, everyone can attest to having exam anxiety in one form or the other. 

In fact, when not curtailed, exam anxiety can negatively impact your performance. 

As luck would have it, you can manage it using the psychological techniques we’ll show you below. 

This way you can stay calm and focused.

• Practice Relaxation Techniques: Before or during the exams, calm your nerves with deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or mindfulness meditation.
• Visualization: In your mind’s eye, visualize yourself successfully completing the exam. This technique can boost your confidence and reduce anxiety.
• Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. 

Instead of thinking, “I’m going to fail,” remind yourself,

“I’ve studied hard, and I’m prepared.”

Seek Support

There’s no shame in seeking help. 

Sometimes, seeking support from your peers, tutors, or professors can make a significant difference in how much you understand Chemistry. 

With this, your performance will improve significantly.

Here’s how to go about it;

• Create Study Groups: Work with your classmates to discuss difficult topics and you can take it a step further by solving the problems together. 

Group study will go a long way to keep you motivated and you’ll learn new things you probably missed. 

• Reach out to your professor: Don’t hesitate to ask your professor for help.
  This is very important as they will give you insights and focused attention compared to formal classes. 
• Use Online Resources: There are numerous online resources you can make use of. 

Examples like Khan Academy, Coursera, and YouTube are great tools for information. 

They offer tutorials and explanations for various chemistry topics.

Conclusion

Improving your grades in chemistry is not just about hard work; it’s about working smart and applying psychological principles to enhance your learning and performance. 

We talked about adopting a growth mindset, engaging in active learning, using strategic exam techniques, and managing anxiety.

These techniques will help you achieve academic success in chemistry. 

Remember, persistence and the right strategies will pave the way for improvement and mastery.