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Advice to next year's ChE 344 class from Winter 2003
(Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of groups who gave this advice.)

Lecture
Make sure to attend every lecture. It's early but very necessary. (5)
Take good notes in class. They will come in handy. Some in class problems are impossible if you miss the lecture. (5)
Pay attention in class. Everything you need to know for class is covered in lecture. (4)
Come to class; it will be your best class as a chemE.

Reading
Read the book before coming to class. It will make the lecture much more useful. (4)

Keeping up
Don't try to cram stuff right before the exams. It won't work.
Don't ever fall behind!
Keep up with all of the assignments. (2)
Keep up with the reading. (4)
Stay on top of lecture notes. This is a cumulative class. You need a solid foundation to build upon.

Office hours
Take advantage of office hours. (3)
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
If you are having problems, seek help. Difficulties early lead to BIG difficulties later.

Homework
Start your homework early; it gives you time to ask questions/go to office hours. (2)
The big homework assignments are due Tuesdays, so plan to have a light course load on Monday (you will probably be spending a lot of time in office hours).

Group homework
Always attempt the group homework problems before meeting with your group. Things will go much smoother, you will get done quicker, and everyone will understand the concepts better. (5)
Do your group homework as early as possible.

Group dynamics
Make sure you like your group. You will be spending a lot of time with them! (2)
Be careful choosing your group members. It's annoying if one of your group members slacks off, and everyone else has to pick up the slack.
Choose your group carefully. Your friends may be great people, but together you may be very unproductive.
Be flexible with your group.

Online notes/web self tests
Do the self tests. Exam questions are similar. (2)
Read lecture notes on the website. (2)
Read the web lectures before coming to class so you can follow along and already know what will be covered.
Use the web lecture notes as a review of class lectures.

ICMs
Take the ICMs seriously, and don't just do them to get a performance number. Heat effects and Heterocat are very useful study tools.
Seriously look through the review part of the ICM. I think they are very useful.
Really spend time with the ICMs. They do stress the important points and the repetition locks it into the brain.

Resources
It is very beneficial to keep up with the lecture notes on the web and to do the self-tests well in advance so that the students are comfortable with the material early on and if not then they would have ample time to clarify topics.
Use all resources available: ICMs, web notes, CD ROM, book, as well as many people to ask for help. There are also plenty of practice problems to do. (2)
Utilize the resources that are available; they are good 'n plenty.

In class problems
Always make sure you understand the in class problems.
Be an active participant in class group problems.

Algorithm/graphs
Learn graphs/trends and love them.
Learn the algorithms.
The first month is all-important: know the algorithm. Be the algorithm. Live the algorithm.

OEP
Once the OEP is assigned, choose the one you want to do right away.
Don't wait until the last week to start the OEP. Use your available resources: mentors etc. and start early.
Follow the schedule that you make for the OEP.

Polymath
Play around with Polymath; it has some cute little perks like solving those pesky unit conversions.

360 and 344
Don't take 360 with this class if you can avoid it.
If you take 360 and 344 do not take 4 total classes. And make your third class easy.

Extra credit
Take the mystery bag and not the points. It may be harder but it is worth it.

Other
Petition to have the class start later