Chemistry
A page within Tutoring & Learning Center
Chemistry students
Confused about chemistry? Not sure where to begin? Come to the learning center and talk to one of our chemistry tutors! Tutors are available for General Chemistry (103/104), Analytical Chemistry (301), Organic Chemistry (300/303/304/305), and Biochemistry (325).
Tutors can help you learn to start (and finish!) chemistry problems by refining your understanding of chemistry concepts and guiding you through example problems.
The purpose of the Tutoring & Learning Center is to provide tutoring in the listed disciplines at no cost. All students can come to the Learning Center any of the hours listed. Please note that not all tutors can assist with all courses.
Here at the Murphy Learning Center, our tutors are all friendly, qualified individuals. All of our tutors have gotten good grades in the classes they tutor and have been recommended by faculty from their department. In addition to their knowledge our tutors are now taking a class designed to make them effective tutors. Meet our tutors!
Carben Weghorn
Carben Weghorn
Major: Chemistry
Minor: Mathematics
About Me: I am from Menomonie, Wisconsin, and am a Sophomore at UWL. In my free time I like to hang out with friends as much as possible. Whether that means playing tennis, Magic the Gathering, Video games, being out on the water in the summer, or skiing in the winter, I enjoy all of it. As for future plans, I don't have anything concrete, but I enjoy learning chemistry and I am considering heading to grad school to try for a PhD. As for careers or even grad schools, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m available for tutoring the GenChems Tuesday 4-6pm and Wednesday 7-8pm.
Study Tips: Start studying as early as you can convince yourself to, and study frequently but in small bursts. No matter how you choose to study, whether it be flashcards, re-reading or re-writing your notes or whatever, it’s incredibly important not to burn yourself out or try to take in too much information at once. Even just looking back over your notes for 15 minutes per day can be incredibly helpful for knowledge retention.
Emjay Hilliker
Emjay Hilliker
Majors: Biochemistry and Biology (double major)
About me: I am a sophomore from Two Rivers, WI, about 45 minutes from Green Bay and right on Lake Michigan! I added biology as a second major since it went so well with my biochemistry major. With them, I want to go onto graduate school and do medical research in genetics. This past summer, I did undergrad research with Dr. Anne Galbraith on the effects of a lab-made drug (SK-03-92) on various types of yeast cells. I tutored various STEM subjects in high school, and I wanted to continue in college. In my free time, I love to hammock, hike, weight lift and save some time to relax.
Study tips: Study in your most productive time, the time where your brain works the best and study consistently. It’s best to plan to study for exams and quizzes about a week out from them. I usually start with a big picture of everything covered in the exam/quiz and then do more practice on the trickier subjects/problems. It’s also better to figure out how you study best. It could be flashcards, rewriting notes, making note cards... everyone is different!
Vanessa Giallombardo
Major: Biochemistry and Microbiology
About Me: I am a junior from Cottage Grove, WI. I’ve always enjoyed chemistry, and I especially enjoyed my organic chemistry courses. I am excited to take biochemistry this semester. To me, chem makes micro make a lot more sense. After UWL, I am not certain what I would like to do, but I am considering going to graduate school. I enjoy watching movies, reading books, playing intramural sports, eating, hiking, biking, listening to music, and talking to my brother. I am also on the Women’s Club Soccer team at UWL which is a lot of fun.
Study Tips: One tip I have is to space out your studying and take breaks when you need to. If you’ve been studying for a while and you notice you’re mind is wandering, just take a couple minute break and come back to it. Also, if you have trouble understanding something, try to find it explained a different way (via office hours, tutors, classmates, the internet) or again, take a break. Sometimes problems work themselves out in your mind while you do other things. I’d recommend doing lots of practice problems for chem. Finally, it’s easier said than done, but don’t panic or start a class thinking you’re going to fail. I generally find that it’s a lot easier to learn something if I believe I can learn it.
Maria Benz
Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Music Performance (Oboe)
About Me: I am a pre-medicine student here and am originally from Appleton, Wisconsin. In addition to my biochemistry major, I am minoring in Oboe Performance and perform with the UWL Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. When I am not studying or rehearsing, you can probably find me reading, at the gym, spending time with my friends, or working as an EMT! After college, I am planning on taking a gap year to continue working as an EMT in the pre-hospital setting, and then will apply to medical school to hopefully someday be a doctor!
Study Tips: One thing I find incredibly important to my productivity is the space I am working in. I believe that if you are comfortable and familiar with the space you are working in, there are less opportunities to be distracted. Of course, trying out new spaces is essential as well so that you can find what works best for you! In my room, I have a designated space for studying at my desk. It is set up with everything I would need while studying so that everything is right where I need it. If I am ever studying somewhere like the library or a coffee shop, I make sure to have a few essential items with me at all times. These include my laptop, planner, pencil case, and backpack with my course materials in it. So even when you are not in your main study space, you can still make it familiar by keeping consistent materials with you. This way, you can make any space a comfortable study space and work efficiently and effectively!
