How do I excel in Chemistry?

I wanted to ask an online group of experts/community about how I could improve in chemistry. I study in 10th grade currently and don't get very good grades. Most of the time its a B or C.

I have to select science stream, in which physics, chemistry and maths are compulsory. I am good in physics and maths, but what should I do in chemistry?

I have a hard time grasping concepts like Ionisation Energy, structure of benzene etc. and these are only going to get 100 times tougher next year!

Answer

Chemistry needs a devoting reader. You should try to love chemistry as much as you want! That'll be the ignition for lots of reading and stuff. My pointers:

• Love chemistry.


• Learn in an organized matter. (For example, do not jump from studying about covalent bonds' basics to reaction mechanism.


• Take notes of the most important points of what you learn.


• Look for open-source online tutorials and not only the books.


• Some chemistry concepts are related to each other. Learn the first one's basics and then read the other one's. This will build up your understanding, literally. For example, first learn about electronegativity and then study the covalent bonds' basics. This is the exception for rule 2.


• Try to differentiate between what's taught in schools to be true and what really is. For example, look for exceptions of the periodic trends that are taught in schools.


• Be imaginatively practical. Don't just say enough for the lewis structure of water, but do it about $\ce{SF6}$.


• Always try to go relatively higher than what your textbook has written. We have a proverb in my mother language meaning "If you have 100, you do have 90."



• Ask what misunderstandings you have in here!


• Never look to doing a research as a waste of time.


• When approaching to solve a chemical problem, do it step by step.


• When approaching to solve a problem, don't forget to write units of measurement.


• When you reached an answer to the problem, ask yourself: "Is this possible?" If you've calculated 5 grams of water to be $\frac{18}{5}$ mol, and you know that a mole of water is 18 grams, shouldn't something be wrong here?


• For any definitions, uses, notions, and practical experiments you encounter, ask yourself: "What is this for, either in real life, experimental sciences or theoretical chemistry?"


• Look for online exercises, free of charge, but usually important.


• Follow the latest news that are being discussed everywhere in the world of chemistry.


• For specific concepts in chemistry, e.g.: Periodic table, doing a research about the history is very helpful.

This is as far as I can count. You can ask "why"s in comments.