youngbloodz Posted September 10, 2010 Report Share Posted September 10, 2010 My teacher told me that an IB study guide would be very helpful going through Chemistry and I started looking online for a book. But, when I look on Half.com, there are two books for IB Chemistry, a course companion made in 2010, and a study guide made in 2007. I was wondering which is the better one to get in order to study for the IB exam and assist with explaining concepts. I am not sure what the differences are between the course companion and the study guide, so I need to know which one is better to buy. If it helps, I'm taking SL Chemistry and the teacher is very good but there are a few topics where I need to refresh on from Chemistry I (Sophomore Year). Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishup Posted September 10, 2010 Report Share Posted September 10, 2010 Buy the revision guide it is concise and brilliant. Admittedly if has a few spurs of missing elementes from the syllabus but is so much more of an efficient way to revise than the companion guide. The companion guide for bio and chem are in my opinion dull and very long winded. I suggest therefore : SYLLABUS, REVISION GUIDE and REFERENCING FROM INTERNET or another book such as the pearson baccalaureate one which is heavenly. DO as I say and you'll be top notch. This is for learning the stuff after this you'd have to past paper'it' like a BITCH 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngbloodz Posted September 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2010 (edited) Well the problem isn't really learning the topics and concepts, like I said, I have a really good teacher. It's just that there are a few topics which she expects us to remember from Chem I which has been a year since I took it so its not really fresh in my mind (Like Redox Chemistry). I'm mostly "worried" about the IB exam as it's hard for me to prepare for a test where I don't know what I should be expected to know. It's pretty much just "know everything." Edited September 10, 2010 by youngbloodz Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IOwnAndPwnU Posted September 28, 2010 Report Share Posted September 28, 2010 If you're worried about the exam (and you should be), get the study guide. Basically:Course Companion: it teaches you the concepts in detail. some books may be a bit complicated, so you might need teacher assistance. Study Guide: summarized version, usually with the assumption that the reader has learned the concepts but may have forgot. useful for exams. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sublime Sunshine Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 Just got my books for IB2 including a CD with all of the option topics on it. I don't think that learning off a CD will be very easy/beneficial so what books did you use for your option topics in chemistry? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vancityazn Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 hi everyone!i just started chemistry HL and our teacher wasnt really specific on the textbooks we ought to use (he would just give us notes O_O.....)he mentioned the Damji-Green text book and Neuss study guide but i'm still really unsure on what i ought to getany suggestions guys? I'm not the biggest chem genius out there, so ones with decent amount of practice questions should be goodim totally down for getting more than one textbook, cost isnt first priority.Thanks!! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 I'd get the Neuss Chemistry Course Companion Unless anybody can recommend a better one, I believe the Course Companion is the standard textbook for people. It's generally pretty good and it's comprehensive. Not many practice questions but to be honest you should be using past papers for practice anyway -- you want to practice exactly the IB format! 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 The Course Companion by Geoffrey Neuss It's got the main course and the options at the back. What's not to like? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishup Posted October 16, 2010 Report Share Posted October 16, 2010 pearson Baccalaureate. The best! Awesome content and awesome questions. Downside you might find it can be expensive I got mine for just under 40 dollars 2 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dessskris Posted October 19, 2010 Report Share Posted October 19, 2010 I am having the green-yellow textbook from IBID by John Green & Sadru Damji. My teacher said that this book is good. A friend of mine said so. I have everything in form of a CD (from the textbook itself), but I am not sure if it is legal to upload it here for you guys to download.I also have the green-blue IB Study Guides Chemistry for the IB Diploma from Oxford by Geoffrey Neuss. My teacher always tells us to refer to this study guide when studying for tests, so I guess it's a good one.I do not know if I am just way too stupid or what; but I find some of the questions in the Green&Damji textbook hard. Those two that I have are good books, I believe. You might want to get them Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrypton Posted October 19, 2010 Report Share Posted October 19, 2010 pearson Baccalaureate. The best! Awesome content and awesome questions. Downside you might find it can be expensive I got mine for just under 40 dollarsI second that! 2 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILM Posted October 19, 2010 Report Share Posted October 19, 2010 I think pearson Baccularate is the best, and Neuss guide is also a very good one. We are now using both peason Baccularate and IBID book, and i can say that Pearson is much better in images, questions, way of explaination. IBID book has many mistakes on questions and it is a bit complicated to read, and it has no much real world images. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat123 Posted December 7, 2010 Report Share Posted December 7, 2010 I find that the Companion Guide usually doesn't give very good explanations. But then again, when I read it I'm usually clueless about the concepts and am in the process of teaching them to myself. If you're teacher is already awesome (you're so lucky!!) and you already know the concepts, I'd still recommend the study guide anyway since it's compact and quick. Also, the companion guide doesn't have many practice questions. Well the study guide doesn't have that many either, but if you're teacher provides you with a lot of practice it should be fine either way. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananzaman93 Posted December 30, 2010 Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 I find that the Companion Guide usually doesn't give very good explanations. But then again, when I read it I'm usually clueless about the concepts and am in the process of teaching them to myself. If you're teacher is already awesome (you're so lucky!!) and you already know the concepts, I'd still recommend the study guide anyway since it's compact and quick. Also, the companion guide doesn't have many practice questions. Well the study guide doesn't have that many either, but if you're teacher provides you with a lot of practice it should be fine either way.Well the thing about the course companion, is that it contains EVERY little detail, where as the study guide reviews and generalizes everything. I personally think that is better to get them both, and use the companion for the two years. And when you have a test or the exam, use the study guide to quickly skim over and review. In the end, they are both good books. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
master135 Posted December 30, 2010 Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 As I have said in previous threads with the same question. The course companion for chemistry is not worth getting, where as the study guide is. Some of the sections in the course companion are just copied from the study guide with a bigger font and some useless information. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILM Posted December 30, 2010 Report Share Posted December 30, 2010 I know that course companion is a detailed summary for the book, and the study guide is the summary for the course companion and the book. Study guide contains, all the information you need to know, by small points. If you are reading from the book, then to use the study guide will make it easy for you to revise, retain information.If you want to buy..... i advise to buy:A book: IBID or Pearson Baccularaate.A course companion: Oxford or Cambridge.A study guide: Neuss oxford study guid Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet candy Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 What do you think is the best book to use for SL Chem?!Im using pearsons but i'm getting sick of it. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbangfan Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 The three most popular books for chemistry IB are: *Chemistry Course Companion*Pearson Baccalaureate Chemistry*Chemistry Study GuideI used the course companion and ended up getting a 5 for SL Chem. A couple of friends went to the study guide and found it great for revision but not for understanding concepts. The pearson bacc. one is really complete, but if you´re sick of it, try to switch to the study guide which is short and to the point, u won´t get tired of it! good luck! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILM Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Really for me pearson, is difficult to understand, it has much of vague information, I started to love IBID (I am using the both), you can look at ibid, really a nice book. Even the questions are good, make good revision and also challenging. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet candy Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Really for me pearson, is difficult to understand, it has much of vague information, I started to love IBID (I am using the both), you can look at ibid, really a nice book. Even the questions are good, make good revision and also challenging.What does IBID stand for? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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