FAQ

Chemistry II

Assignment Structure

What do I need to purchase for class?

You need to purchase Cengage (WebAssign for assignments and the e-text) and SquareCap access for in-class activities. You can access Cengage through the course eLC page – please don’t purchase this elsewhere! We want to make this course as affordable as possible, so we have a special price negotiated that you can only get through eLC. You will also get an email for SquareCap with special pricing. If you don’t already have one, you will also need a non- programmable scientific calculator. See the syllabus for more information!

What do I do if I switch sections during Add/Drop?

If you switch lecture sections, please let your new instructor know as soon as possible what section you came from so we can transfer your Cengage purchase and assignments! If you transfer recitation sections (CHEM 1212D), there’s nothing you need to do.

Is recitation attendance really required?

Yes, our aim is to have students work on recitations with the aid of classmates, chemistry learning assistants (CLAs), and the instructors. To facilitate this, everyone must attend their recitation section for the entire 50-minute class period. There is a 10-minute grace period before attendance is taken in case of late buses or other delays. If you prefer to do your recitation worksheet outside of class, that’s okay, but you do still have to attend the entire time. You can use the class period for study hall or other quiet work. If you don’t attend recitation, you will receive a zero on the worksheet for that week, so please make sure you attend!

What do I do if I miss class?

If you miss class, look in the syllabus for your instructor’s absence policy. Many of us just give a certain number of sick days, no questions asked!

What do I do if I miss a recitation, WebAssign assignment, or exam?

If you have an unavoidable, documented absence, you should contact the Director of Instruction, Dr. Suzanne Ellenberger (suzanne.ellenberger@uga.edu), as soon as possible. Include your CRN in the email and attach the documentation. We only issue extensions or excuse attendance for absences that could not be anticipated and have documentation to go along with them. We know life sometimes happens without documentation, so we also have multiple drops for regular assignments and a final exam replacement to cover you if your absence doesn’t fall under our excuse policy!

What happens if my Gradescope assignment doesn’t upload or the formatting is wrong?

Unfortunately, due to a combination of course size and keys being released immediately after the assignment closes, we cannot accept late submissions or corrected submissions for Gradescope worksheets. The good news is you can check that your submission went through and what it looks like! When you upload to Gradescope, you can go back into the assignment after submission to check that the file uploaded correctly and the formatting matches the original file. We encourage you to do this for every submission!

What if I find a mistake in an assignment or in grading?

All of us try to go over all assignment’s multiple times, but we do still make mistakes! If you find a mistake in an assignment that isn’t due yet, let your lecture instructor know immediately. If you think there has been a mistake in grading and your answer matches the key, you can request a regrade on Gradescope. Let the grader know the exact mistake and that it does match the key. If you think there is a mistake in the key itself or on WebAssign, contact your lecture instructor. Do this as soon as possible, as regrades are only open for one week after the assignment grades are released – we want to make sure you’re looking at assignments and learning from them because chemistry is an inherently cumulative subject.

Why are all the due dates at 9:00 AM or 12:00 PM (noon)?

The college has asked instructors not to use 11:59pm due dates (what you’re probably used to) to encourage better work and study habits. No due date is going to be perfect for everyone, anyway, so we encourage you to start assignments early and set your own personal due date prior to the official one that works for your schedule!

How should I study for this course?

Practice, practice, practice! Recitations and progress checks have questions that are similar in difficulty to the exams. Use those to figure out what concepts you’re having a harder time understanding, then work problems from the back of the textbook chapters over those concepts. We recommend doing a little practice at a time so that you aren’t cramming right before the exam. This is because studying a little at a time helps you learn information better (repeated exposure lets your brain know to start moving things to long term memory), and you will be less stressed come exam time! About a week before the exam, we will release more practice worksheets so you can really focus on the concepts you need help with.

How can I get a good letter of recommendation?

The best letters of recommendation are from instructors who got to know you individually. How do you stand out in a class of potentially hundreds of students? Come to office hours! That’s where most of us get to know students best. Also, interact with us in class by asking or answering questions, working with students around you when asked to, and introducing yourself (maybe a few times throughout the semester – most of us get to recognize students but then have a hard time remembering names we’ve only heard once). Just getting a good grade in the course usually doesn’t make a great recommendation letter because that information is already on your transcript. We want to make sure any letter we write helps your application as much as possible.