| | |  | | 
06-26-2007, 07:40 AM
|
#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Woods of Penn
Threads: 155
Posts: 3,007
| Usnco!
What did you guys (and gals) do to prepare. What book is the best? Zumdahl for AP chem? anywho, good luck to everyone for 2008 competition. Also, feel free to list how far you got in the competition and your score (do they give scores)? | 
| | |
06-26-2007, 12:54 PM
|
#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Ohio
Threads: 45
Posts: 1,058
| I got Atkins from the library. But I haven't really done much in it.
And I didn't take it last year. I wouldn't have known enough chemistry to get past the first round anyways. | |
| | |
06-26-2007, 05:08 PM
|
#3 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Threads: 4
Posts: 185
| I used Zumdahl just because it was my AP chem textbook. I read it and did some practice... I got past the first round~ It's not the best book for laboratory chemistry I think~ | |
| | |
06-26-2007, 09:10 PM
|
#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Threads: 20
Posts: 1,227
| I didn't even know what USNCO was until I took the test (first round/qualifying round). My teacher simply came up to the top three students in our class, told us that she had to pick three people to compete, and that she didn't expect us move forward (due to the fact that she doesn't specifically prep for that test unlike most other competing schools... and the fact that she told us approx. two weeks before the actual test). Just based on what we had learned in class, all three of us qualified, but only two could be sent forward. So, another kid from my class and I went on... We didn't receive honors, but we did score above average/excellent in every category (except organic chem, which we did nothing with... ha, ha). Obviously, you're not going to be taking the test with as little prep as we did... but I just thought that it would be interesting to offer a different perspective =) | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 03:47 AM
|
#5 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2007 Gender: Female
Threads: 61
Posts: 877
| You don't really need to specifically prepare for the first round. Just read your chemistry textbook, and you'll be fine. I went through (most of) Zumdahl and went to the national round (I think I got a score in the high 40s on the local round, which was enough to barely qualify in Florida.). Of course, I completely screwed up the semifinals. | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 08:50 AM
|
#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Woods of Penn
Threads: 155
Posts: 3,007
| is there a lab in the first round? | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 08:52 AM
|
#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Threads: 20
Posts: 1,227
| No, only in the national round. | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 12:49 PM
|
#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NY ---> Outer Haven, MA 2012 Gender: Male
Threads: 129
Posts: 2,053
| lol, labs dont count for **** in the USNCO semi finalist exam.
You need to read Atkins' Chemical Principles if you want to make it to camp. If you have any desire to go onto the traveling team then you should learn everything in Carey's Organic Chemistry as well.
My school didn't do **** for me in my first year of USNCO, and it didn't recognize me for getting the highest local exam score in the county. Not that it matters now, but I wish I had known about the olympiads 2 years earlier...oh well | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 02:46 PM
|
#9 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Woods of Penn
Threads: 155
Posts: 3,007
| thanx 10 chars | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 03:28 PM
|
#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Arizona
Threads: 264
Posts: 2,217
| I haven't taken the USNCO but I do know that Atkins is way better than Zumdahl. I can't imagine knowing only what's in Zumdahl and making it to the national level of the USNCO. Atkins on the other hand is a real chemistry book and also the one we use here whereas I've only seen Zumdahl used in high school classes. | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 06:51 PM
|
#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Threads: 20
Posts: 1,227
| "Not that it matters now, but I wish I had known about the olympiads 2 years earlier..."
I wish that I had known about the Olympiads more than one week before the local exam =) | |
| | |
06-27-2007, 07:57 PM
|
#12 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Threads: 4
Posts: 185
| ^ me too... esp. the bio and science olympiad... darn | |
| | |
06-28-2007, 12:42 AM
|
#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Woods of Penn
Threads: 155
Posts: 3,007
| pmub
01 srahc | |
| | |
06-28-2007, 02:32 PM
|
#14 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Threads: 2
Posts: 36
| The Silberberg textbook is much better than Zumdahl when it comes to AP Chemistry and explaining Chemistry in general. (I've used both for AP Chemistry and for studying for the Local Chemistry Olympiad). | |
| | |
06-28-2007, 02:48 PM
|
#15 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Palo Alto '12, yo
Threads: 7
Posts: 109
| I used Silberberg for Honors, I thought it was an excellent book. | |
| | All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:50 PM. |
College Confidential is dedicated to providing the best free college admissions information available on the Web, through our many articles and this discussion forum.
