Please help me learn Chemistry

[Humodour]

Hi guys.

 

So I've given up on uni for a while and just received a promotion at my university IT department from student casual to full-time contract for 2 years. It pays $47,000 per year or $31 an hour. Good money for somebody with no qualifications whatsoever.

 

But the thing is I was planning to leave this town and move to the city (Canberra or Melbourne) in 2012 and study science (either organic chemistry or molecular biology), with about $20,000 or so in savings. That's obviously on hold but I dread spending the next 2 years doing IT helpdesk work of a day and wasting away on video games of a night. I want something to keep my mind active and I figure it may as well be relevant to what I plan to do after this contract.

 

So I got a bright idea to dig up my old science textbooks I bought but barely used and teach myself as much chemistry as I can deal with over the next 2 years.

 

To that end, does anybody know of, like, some subject material or lecture notes or open courseware type stuff for chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology or similar?

 

I'm thinking the kind of stuff found here: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemistry/

 

But MIT's stuff is sporadic. It's great when it exists, but it doesn't always exist. C.f. their first organic chemistry subject's lecture notes are half-complete, while the second one has full notes.

 

I also wouldn't mind things like exercises or assignments with solutions.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 25, 2010 by Krezack

[Guard Dog]

Amazon has lots of self paced interative PC courses, most are more for high school level, I don't know how much help that would be for you. I'd suggest ChemTutor, I remember reading about it and I believe it is college level.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Guard Dog

[Humodour]

You know, I have this hazy recollection of ChemTutor being pretty decent and professional, too. A quick web search indicates it might be able to help me with stoichiometry, and if so, it's probably worth it because for a maths nerds stoichiometry is strangely something I struggled with in high school. Cheers for the idea!

 

A Google search also turned up this seemingly unrelated chemistry tutorial website, which looks useful: http://www.chemtutor.com/

Edited August 25, 2010 by Krezack

[Moose]

You might consider a particle physics text book (university level), as the two subjects cross over each other quite a bit when it comes to electron shell configurations.

 

I can't offer you any university level advice, but a-level chemistry required a solid understanding between the various measuring terms, moles, molar mass, relative molar mass - the list goes on and can get confusing between all the similiar terms.

[Rostere]

Check which books the university you're going to study at uses, buy those, and do your studies alone. I'm not sure if that is a good idea if you're going to study chemistry, but it works perfectly if you're studying physics and maths.

[Azure79]

When I was taking Organic Chemistry I found this guy's videos really helpful. He explained everything clearer than my professor did. Go down to the O-chem section and you'll find links to youtube with recordings of his tutoring sessions. His videos plus book learning helped me excel in O-chem.

 

http://www.freelance-teacher.com/videos.htm

[Humodour]

Cheeeeeeeers guys! Helpful.

[Walsingham]

I admire your mental vigour. I keep meaning to dust off my maths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not going to now. I'm just saying...

[Monte Carlo]

Why not learn some proper life skills, like how to navigate a wine list and also how to cook properly. Where you live is a wine and foodie heaven in terms of produce. And let's be honest, the ladies love a man who can cook... but chemistry? Unless the chick is strange and digs crystal meth labs, I suppose.

 

Cookery is full of science, I didn't give a fig about physics or chemistry until I started cooking properly!

[Orogun01]

Why not learn some proper life skills, like how to navigate a wine list and also how to cook properly. Where you live is a wine and foodie heaven in terms of produce. And let's be honest, the ladies love a man who can cook... but chemistry? Unless the chick is strange and digs crystal meth labs, I suppose.

 

Cookery is full of science, I didn't give a fig about physics or chemistry until I started cooking properly!

Did you know that chemistry began in the kitchen?

Maybe chemistry will help his cooking.

[ShadySands]

it worked for House

[Raithe]

And it works for Heston Blumenthal..

 

As shown in the Perfect Christmas Dinner...

[Humodour]

Why not learn some proper life skills, like how to navigate a wine list and also how to cook properly. Where you live is a wine and foodie heaven in terms of produce. And let's be honest, the ladies love a man who can cook... but chemistry? Unless the chick is strange and digs crystal meth labs, I suppose.

 

Cookery is full of science, I didn't give a fig about physics or chemistry until I started cooking properly!

 

This is sage advice, however your logical fallacy is the supposition that chemistry and fine wine are mutually exclusive.

[Monte Carlo]

No, that chemistry is intrinsic in the process is obvious, but appreciation of the end product is an art. Not a science.

[Humodour]

I believe the tradition around these parts is to pump them full of cheap grog and then have your way with them. None of this 'art' rubbish is involved.

[Orogun01]

I believe the tradition around these parts is to pump them full of cheap grog and then have your way with them. None of this 'art' rubbish is involved.

Gastronomy is considered a fine art

Proper knowledge of cuisine and the proper way to serve them. This is high class of course but no reason why you shouldn't treat yourself to the finer things in life, or at least serve your cheap grog the proper way.

[Gromnir]

another college dropout. so sad.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Orogun01]

another college dropout. so sad.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Who?

[Humodour]

In case anybody is interested in learning things online themselves, my good friend Bill Gates directed me to this nifty emporium of YouTube lectures and tutorials for maths, physics, biology, economics, you name it: http://www.khanacademy.org/

 

another college dropout. so sad.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Who?

 

Indeed. I believe Gromnir is in one of his 'bitter old man' moods and trying to attack my intelligence.

 

I do not understand where he got the idea, though. My original post was pretty clear in stating my intention: work for a year on $47,000 whilst studying in my down-time, then return to university to study a degree more to my liking (that is: chemistry instead of IT).

[Gromnir]

*sigh*

 

regardless o' your intention to return, you is a drop-out. many folks intend to return to university and never do. for the moment you is a drop-out... and that got nothing to do with you being a bucket-head.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

btw, is loads o' drop-outs who has gone on to be extreme successful, so don't feels so bad/sensitive.

Edited August 31, 2010 by Gromnir

[Humodour]

*sigh*

 

regardless o' your intention to return, you is a drop-out. many folks intend to return to university and never do. for the moment you is a drop-out... and that got nothing to do with you being a bucket-head.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

btw, is loads o' drop-outs who has gone on to be extreme successful, so don't feels so bad/sensitive.

 

Thanks for this little gem of irrelevance Gromnir. Did you have anything of value to add to this thread such as links to chemistry tutorials or text suggestions?

[Gromnir]

*sigh*

 

regardless o' your intention to return, you is a drop-out. many folks intend to return to university and never do. for the moment you is a drop-out... and that got nothing to do with you being a bucket-head.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

btw, is loads o' drop-outs who has gone on to be extreme successful, so don't feels so bad/sensitive.

 

Thanks for this little gem of irrelevance Gromnir. Did you have anything of value to add to this thread such as links to chemistry tutorials or text suggestions?

 

 

 

linky

 

there... something o' value & relevant to the thread.

 

as a person who has hired more than a handful o' employees, am gonna inform you that a major reason for choosing college grads has got 0 to do with what the prospect learned in school. the degree is proof that an individual can gut it out for four years and finish their education. is nothing wrong with taking time off from school, but every month you is away from school the harder it will be to return. don't put off too long or you is gonna wonder where time went, and you is gonna be stuck with a crappy 40k a year job when you is in your thirties and forties. til you go back to school, you is a drop-out.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[NexusPrime]

*sigh*

 

regardless o' your intention to return, you is a drop-out. many folks intend to return to university and never do. for the moment you is a drop-out... and that got nothing to do with you being a bucket-head.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

btw, is loads o' drop-outs who has gone on to be extreme successful, so don't feels so bad/sensitive.

 

Thanks for this little gem of irrelevance Gromnir. Did you have anything of value to add to this thread such as links to chemistry tutorials or text suggestions?

 

 

 

linky

 

there... something o' value & relevant to the thread.

 

as a person who has hired more than a handful o' employees, am gonna inform you that a major reason for choosing college grads has got 0 to do with what the prospect learned in school. the degree is proof that an individual can gut it out for four years and finish their education. is nothing wrong with taking time off from school, but every month you is away from school the harder it will be to return. don't put off too long or you is gonna wonder where time went, and you is gonna be stuck with a crappy 40k a year job when you is in your thirties and forties. til you go back to school, you is a drop-out.

 

HA! Good Fun!

 

4-year degree isn't what it used to be, Grommy.

 

However, I think it is still very good. Uni opens horizons, tests limits, and reforms the willing mind. Try to finish your degree as soon as possible, Krezack. When we're young, we're often impatient and easily distracted. Time matters more and more as we get older.

 

Being stuck with a 40K year job or not is not a function of education, but one of opportunities, intelligence, and luck. Education of course can influence the other three. Don't settle for what you have now, but what's possible tomorrow.

[Humodour]

Oh man, you and Gromnir sound like my boss. She was like "If you leave uni you'll never go back and you'll be stuck in a dead-end job like me."

 

That's not how I work. Being content in a dead-end job is not and never will be me. But it's good to have people reminding me of that, so thanks.

[Walsingham]

How's the study going, though?

 

EDIT:

If it makes you feel any better Raithe has promised to teach me how to program in C#. You know, if you ever feel stupid at what you're doing chemistry just imagine me looking like an ostrich trying to swallow a piano.

Edited October 15, 2010 by Walsingham