Wednesday, October 20, 2010

CHEM 232 Exam 2 Graded, Scores Posted

The CHEM 232 exam two is graded and your scores have been posted to Blackboard.  The average was 51.5%, which I thought was very good considering the difficulty of this exam and the amount of material we covered.  Nice job!  For more statistics, including the exam curve and distribution, visit the  Grades Fall 2010 page   on the course website. I will update the clicker, OWL and quiz stats next week on Blackboard and the course website.


Your TA will return the exams during discussion section next week.  They will not return the exams before that time, so please don't ask. Look over your exam very carefully next week.  If you believe that there are grading or adding errors, follow the instructions in the document  exam_corrections.pdf , which can be found on the  File Sharing page   of the course website.  You must submit your exam by Monday, November 1 in order to have it reviewed for errors.   There was one ranking question that I thought was too difficult (rank in order of increasing rate of hydration), so I added three points to everyone's final exam score, which is reflected in the Blackboard score.  Do not submit a correction for that question.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Grades Posted

Your midterm score and lab report average score have been posted to Blackboard.  You will receive your midterm back during your next lab session.  For midterm exam and course grading stats, visit the Grades Fall 2010 page on the CHEM 233 course website.  Remember, there is no lab for sections meeting Monday, October 18.  Tuesday through Friday sections, however, will meet this week and will be completing Lab 7.

After you receive your midterm exam, carefully check for mistakes or addition errors.  If you believe there is a grading error, first consult your TA and if they agree then submit your exam for review according to the instructions in the handout (exam_corrections.pdf) posted on the File Sharing page of the orgo labs website.  You must submit your exam by Monday, November 1 for it to be considered for corrections.  No exam will be accepted after that date.

Finally, if you would like more information on your standing in the course or are concerned about your performance, please stop by during office hours (M,W 3-5 p.m.) as soon as possible so that we can discuss strategies for improving your grade.  Little can be done at the end of the semester.  With over 300 points remaining in the course, however, you can still make significant improvements if you are not meeting your current goals.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Exam 2, Review Session, Quiz 8

Exam 2 is on Monday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  Please arrive 10 minutes early to find your seat and relax to another stunning selection of music.  A sample exam has been posted on the course website's File Sharing Page (SampleEx2_SP09.pdf).  The format of Exam 2 will be similar to the sample and Exam 1; however, the questions will not be the same.  For example, you should know all of the mechanism covered in class so far.  You will be asked to write two mechanisms for Exam 2, but they will not necessarily be the same mechanisms that are on the sample exam.  In other words, do not rely solely on the sample exam to study.  Also review OWL homework, quizzes, clicker questions and lecture notes.  For additional practice, complete as many end-of-chapter questions in your textbook as possible.  A review session will be held this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in room 130 SES (check for a propped open door).  As before, the review session is student-driven.  Bring problems and questions that you would like to work out on the whiteboard with the class.  I will not be presenting or lecturing, only guiding and facilitating the discussion from the audience.  

Finally, per your vote in class today, the topic for next week's quiz will be predict-the-products.  This quiz (30 minutes) will be given during your discussion section as usual and will cover all of the reactions discussed in the course through this Thursday's lecture.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

CHEM 233 Midterm Exam

Reminder: The CHEM 233 midterm exam (for all sections) is on Thursday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m. in room 250 SES.  Please arrive 10 minutes early to find your seat; a seating chart will be distributed that night.  Sample exams have been posted on the course website; however, I strongly encourage you to review the prelab lecture slides and the homework questions as well.  A makeup exam has been scheduled for Thursday, October 12 at 8:00 a.m. for students showing proof of enrollment in another course that meets during the exam. To arrange a makeup exam, please send me an e-mail no later than Tuesday, October 12 at 4:00 p.m.  You will be required to show proof of enrollment (e.g., a printed UIC schedule) before taking the makeup exam.