Some of this may be a bit redundant, but please read through this note completely.

When you go to the "Assessments" (Vista) page you'll notice several important pieces of information for each quiz.

Under "Availability" you'll see the opening and closing dates and times for each quiz. The closing dates should correspond to those found in the course syllabus.

You'll also see an "Attempts" line that tells how many times the quiz has been attempted and how many attempts remain. Each quiz permits multiple attempts, although the number of attempts varies from one quiz to the next, based on my opinion of how difficult the quiz material is. Use your attempts carefully. Once you've run out, I will not give you more.

Since each quiz permits multiple attempts, I strongly suggest you make an initial attempt at the quiz soon after the quiz becomes available, even if you are not prepared to do well. This will provide you with the opportunity to print a copy of the quiz to help you study for your subsequent attempts at it.

Note that the quizzes are open notes, open book. I also encourage you to use the internet to research some of the questions on some quizzes, especially the questions you find in Quiz 1. Warning: internet information is not always 100% reliable. Use it with discretion and care!

I also encourage you to work together in groups on your quizzes. To do this you should complete the quiz on your own and then meet with others to discuss and check your answers. Note: you may only use other members of this class as study partners. You may *not* use *anyone* outside this course as a resource, including but not limited to family members, significant others, and friends without my permission. This may seem stringent, but I have imposed this restriction for very good reasons. It is not necessary to physically meet with your group members, although this will generally make meaningful discussion much easier. You may also discuss quizzes by phone or other electronic means. However, remember: the work you submit must ultimately be your own!

It is proper, appropriate, and recommended that if you have a question about a particular quiz problem that you post it on this discussion board. Please do not send me private notes about quiz questions; if you do I will ask you to re-post your question on the discussion board. I have learned from experience that if one student has a question, there are usually more that have the same question. It is proper for you as students to respond to questions your classmates post on the discussion board. I monitor all publicly posted responses and will correct incorrect responses as gently and quickly as possible. It is not appropriate to simply give answers. It is appropriate to give hints or suggestions.

Quizzes will often require you to think beyond the examples and illustrations provided in the lecture notes and text. This will also be true to a certain extent on the exams as well. There is a difference between memorizing material and learning and understanding it. Learning and understanding require the ability not only to recall information but also to use it in various ways. I am trying to channel you in the direction of *learning* and *understanding* chemistry. This will be a somewhat painful and challenging experience for some of you, so I will apologize in advance but at the same time let you know what's going to be happening. You have been warned.

Two final caveats.

Once you open a quiz you must hit the "finish" button at the bottom or Vista will continue to consider it open, even beyond the 3 hour time limit. This means that when you return to re-try a quiz, Vista will not let you start a new quiz until the old one has been submitted. There is a 3 hour delay between the time an old quiz closes and a new quiz opens. Unless you have the time to wait, do yourself a favor and always "submit" any quiz you open.

You usually have about a month between the time a quiz opens and it's closing date. I have absolutely no sympathy for students who wait until the last minute and who have problems, either with Vista or any of the other many things that can go wrong, or who miss a quiz altogether. A month is a long time, and I expect you to use your time wisely. Every semester I receive sad notes from students who have procrastinated on the quizzes. My answer is always the same, and it is not what they want to hear. Do yourself a favor. Be organized. Be responsible. Don't wait until the last minute. Remember Murphy's law: if it can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time, especially with these quizzes.

Good luck,

Lu