Class 11 and Class 12 being the most formative years of high school and in a student’s life, should be paid the most attention to during the entire academic span of the student. On top of it, subjects like physics and chemistry which involve a deep understanding of the subject before being able to attempt questions in it should be made a priority in these formative years before giving entrance exams which will determine the college the student will enter into. Sometimes, the peak of teen years may derail students from their focus and they spend more time on other things and neglect studies. Focusing on other aspects of development is important but it is also necessary to bounce back into studying as soon as possible.
Especially students who wish to pursue careers in fields like medicine, engineering, architecture, etc. and have to face entrance exams like NEET or JEE have it harder as they not only have to study to ace their board exams but also have to start their preparation for the competitive exam during the class 11 and 12 years itself. All of this can be a bit too much to handle and pressurize the student. In order to maintain a smooth balance between school academics, entrance exam preparation, and other co-curricular it is important to establish a flexible time management system and follow it through. Time managing along with various other tips and methods should be kept in mind while starting preparation for the class 11 chemistry exam.
How to start the preparation?
Physics, chemistry as well as biology, and mathematics are quite different in class 11 as compared to what the students have learned in class10. It gets much more difficult and at the same time explores the topics very deeply. With new topics and concepts being added that the student shaven learns at all before, class 11 chemistry can seem to be a daunting task to undertake but it is in fact very simple once the concepts become crystal clear. Therefore, before starting the preparation for the examination, students must prepare everything that there is to know of the exam so as to not get overwhelmed about it later.
- Class 11 chemistry syllabus comprises 14 units and chapters which will be tested over several annual and terminal exams. It includes the following chapters:
- Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry
- Structure of Atom
- Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties
- Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure
- States of Matter: Gases and Liquids
- Chemical Thermodynamics
- Equilibrium
- Redox Reactions
- Hydrogen
- S-Block Elements
- P-Block Elements
- Organic Chemistry: Some Basic Principles and Techniques
- Hydrocarbons
- Environmental Chemistry
- NCERT Chemistry Textbook for Class 11 is available for students to download and refer to while preparing.
- The organic chemistry portion of class 11 does not carry as much weightage as in 12th grade however it is very important to completely understand the basic concepts of it in order to not face any difficulties in the next grade.
- The class 11 chemistry textbook is divided into 2 parts each containing half of the chapters of the entire syllabus.
- In the total 100 marks of the subject, 30 are attributed to the practical examination while 70 is devoted to the theory.
- The question paper is divided into different sections based on the different weightage of the questions. The long answer type of questions carries 5 marks each while the short answers and the very short answers carry 2 and one mark each.
- Chapters like Structure of the Atom and States of MAtter hold the most weightage and are also very important concepts-wise.
Time Management is important
After gathering the syllabus and getting accustomed to the paper pattern, the next important step is to manage the time between school tests and homework, and other activities. It is also important to divide time between the different sections of the subject. Physical and inorganic chemistry holds a major portion of the syllabus in class 11, therefore, should be awarded more time for practice.
Make timetables and allot yourself an achievable goal to achieve at the end of the day or the month. Setting these small goals can help students to keep up with their schedule and finish the course before the exam and leave time for revision.
Take notes and revise
It is very important to keep up with the lessons as and when they are taught. This helps in avoiding any backlogs and piling of the syllabus at the end of the year. Students can learn lessons on the spot and also get their doubts cleared if any arise by the teachers then and there. This method of instant note-making also helps during revision as it is always easier to go through handwritten self-notes. At the end of the day, revise or at least go through the coaching class or school notes to stay on top of the syllabus and make it easier to understand the topics for the next day. Another big issue that students of class 11 must address is to make time for self-study. Even though topics are taught in class, there is always some reading that is left or some concept which needs to be learned on your own. Therefore, a separate amount of time is needed to be devoted to self-studying. A little self-studying every day might be helpful in avoiding studying the entire syllabus the night before the exam.
Practice, refer, and practice
NCERT is a must when preparing for the class 11 chemistry exam. Even though a lot of students do not prefer to depend entirely on the NCERT books. To prepare for the annual school exams, NCERT is more than enough. However, students can refer to other reference books to practice questions after understanding the topic from the CBSE prescribed books. 80% of questions in the board exams and 11th-grade school exams are derived from the NCERT books themselves. Before the exam, it is also very essential to practice mock tests and papers that can be availed online or from reference books as well.
