INTEC Chemistry Blog

R&R

intechemistry — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:22:33 +0000

I’m taking a few days off. Nobody returned my lost mobile broadband modem so access to the internet will be very patchy (if any!). See you soon, prob Thursday.

If you haven’t already started revising, do so now.

intechemistry — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:52:11 +0000

This batches EOS 3 grades are unusually low, hence extra effort is needed to achieve your maximum performance {for just about everybody that means an A grade and for many students it means an A*}.

Too many careless, silly and common mistakes.

From my analysis, If you are doing Chem Bio Phys, then the subject you are most likely to score an A on, is Chemistry (and hence of course an A*)

If you are doing Maths, Chem and Bio or Maths Chem and Phys, the After Maths, Chem is the one where you are most likely to get you A (and A*) on.

Chem is therefore vitally important you achieve your maximum points scoring potential. I am NOT saying neglect all other subjects, I am simply pointing out the facts. It’s partly your skill (and responsibility) as a student to get your required points total, and every year the vast majority of you do it, but that’s because the vast majority work for it. It’s quite rare that the occasional ‘last minute’ students makes it.

You have only one more rapid-flight semester to go to determine you life’s path. It CAN be done (and is done) but it needs a certain level of dedication to your studies in sem 4. Don’t leave it so late that you end up getting a lower grade than you are capable of. Start to work for this today.

Best wishes.

ALM11 and ALG14 – U4/5 and U6 EOS3 feedback

intechemistry — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:53:19 +0000

Depressed, Overjoyed, Tired or invigorated? How were the chem test papers for you?

P.S. On U6 paper, the value of c = 4.18 J K-1 mol-1 was not given. That was needed to work out d(H)solution so that the L.E. of BaCl2 could be found. Did everyone remember this number?

U4 Sample paper mark scheme

intechemistry — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 06:52:07 +0000

You can get the mark scheme for the Sample paper here:

http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCE%20New%20GCE/sam-gce-chemistry.pdf

It actually contains the sample U1, U2, U4 and U5 paper plus mark schemes We will be looking at those other papers later. No need to rush to do them now – unless you want to.

Wanna learn about revision?

intechemistry — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:29:20 +0000

You might want to take a look at this lovely helpful document, and understand what kind of learner you are. You might be able to improve how to revise and be a better student as a result – If you implement it.

Some people pick up the good ‘studious’ manner automatically as they go through life, but for others, it only becomes apparent when it’s pointed out.

A Student’s Guide to Revision. By The Broxbourne School. 2010-11

http://www.broxbourne.herts.sch.uk/_files/users/cath/students_guide_to_revision_20102011.pdf

Note: By far the BEST revision is paced, continual revision, not last minute stuff. If you are looking from ‘cramming’ help, I’m not sure this document will be of much assistance.

3D molecule viewer

intechemistry — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:01:13 +0000

There’s been a few questions of late about the shapes of molecules. You may like to download these (free) software packages which will help you visualise molecules. Accelrys’ “Symyx Draw” (past incarnations were known as ISIS Draw by MDL). All you need to do is do a simple online registration to get Symyx Draw for free. With it, you can sketch any molecule and then after view it in Rasmol where you can visualise molecules in many different ways: glorious 3D and spin them around.

Install (via registration screen) Accelrys’ “Symyx Draw” 4.0 (they will e-mail it to you at the address you give them)

Rasmol (or RasWin if you use windoze) Molecular Graphics Visualisation Tool

Note: you sketch the molecule in Symyx Draw. Save as molfile (.mol) and then use Rasmol to load the mol file format and see it in 3D. (in display, choose spacefill)

ALM11 A2 Spectroscopy and chromatography stuff

intechemistry — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:30:09 +0000

20th Sept 2011: Spectroscopy and chromatography videos AND powerpoints are now available HERE.

Plan B

intechemistry — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 13:57:15 +0000

Dear Students.
One of my students has informed me of an agency that can help students pursue studies in Medicine, Dentistry & Pharmacy overseas. It is a private agency, but from what my student told me of her particular case, JPA have agreed to continue on the scholarship )

Here’s what my student (who is going to fly to study Medicine in Bali soon) told me.

Nugrahan Sdn. Bhd. http://tinyurl.com/3buycfl
Nugrahan Sdn. Bhd. handling a few projects in managing students who want to pursue medical edu at various univeristies around India and Indonesia. so, based on my a-levels, i’ve qualified to apply for Indon, but unfortunately, i missed out the entrance exam to Gadjah Mada. Alhamdulillah, i passed the one to Udayana in Bali, instead. And it’s even fortunate that JPA still wants to have the scholarship. They took care everything (both the agent and JPA).

8 students under JPA are going there

by the way, there are another 32 private students. msians.

So as part of your actions in trying to finalise a plan B, you may like to give Nugrahan Sdn. Bhd a call.

Appeal:

If any other student knows of ways in which other students who for whatever reason cannot fly this time, then please post them here. It doesn’t matter if it’s a private agency and it doesn’t matter if you sill stand to profit from it, as long as it gives students the option to continue study overseas (or even at home!)

P.S. I have nothing at all to do with Nugrahan Sdn. Bhd or any other organisation. I make nothing at all from publicising any of this kind of information.

Those life progressing steps…

intechemistry — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 06:08:22 +0000

Dear All ALM10′ians.

The good news is filtering in, and it’s turning out to be a lovely day…

But for some of the ~390 students, you will have fallen just short of your target. Your day is going to seem pretty bleak, and perhaps these words may not console you, but try not to be consumed by this hurdle that’s been put in your way.

When we look back on events we realise some things were just not meant to be. You will see that in due time. A new challenge of finding your life’s path has begun this day. You should be remember that as one door closes, another opens.

My best wishes to you all.