Musings of an Old Chemist

A Chemist's Perspective on the Habits and Skills STEM Students Need For Success

Tag: productivity

  • Overcoming Procrastination: Unlocking Your Activation Energy

    Overcoming Procrastination: Unlocking Your Activation Energy

    Have you ever sat down to study for an exam, write a difficult paper or report, or tackle a massive project, only to feel completely exhausted before you even begin? Staring at a blank screen or a pile of notes on a cluttered desk can feel like a heavy physical weight. You might interpret that feeling as a sign of weakness, that the task is impossibly hard, or that you simply lack the drive or ability to complete the task successfully. In our campfire example, you are facing a fundamental chemistry concept known as activation energy, the energy needed to initiate a reaction or process.

    The “Spark” That Initiates a Reaction

    Before a fire can burn, or a chemical reaction can release its energy, it requires an initial spark. You can build a perfect campfire with its dry wood, tinder, and plenty of oxygen, but it will sit there forever doing nothing until you strike the first match. That “spark” provides the activation energy: the absolute minimum amount of energy required to disrupt the state of the current situation and get things moving. In chemistry, this is often described as a steep energy “hill” that molecules must climb before they can react. Once they cross the crest of that hill, they roll down the other side, colliding and generating a reaction. Imagine trying to dissolve sugar in a glass of iced tea. You have to add energy by stirring in order to start breaking the chemical bonds in the sugar molecule to initiate the “dissolving” process.

    The Procrastination Barrier

    This physical law perfectly describes why we procrastinate, why we stay stuck in a nonrewarding job, and why we resist building new habits. The hardest part of any challenge, whether it is changing jobs or career paths, repairing a strained relationship, or sitting down to solve a complex problem, is almost always overcoming that initial act of procrastination. That mental resistance you feel isn’t a lack of ability. It is just the activation energy barrier. The barrier doesn’t mean the task is impossible; it just means the very beginning requires a concentrated, intentional burst of your energy.

    Once you push your effort over that initial hill, the process begins to generate its own momentum. Just like a campfire catching a log on fire, your effort becomes an exothermic (heat-releasing), self-sustaining reaction. Suddenly, the steps to complete a project become clearer, the words for a report or, in my case, a manuscript, start flowing, and the work doesn’t feel so overwhelming anymore.

    Overcoming the Initial Energy Barrier

    To be successful, in the classroom, the boardroom, or at home, you have to learn how to find and manage your activation energy. Here are four steps you can try to help you overcome your initial resistance to starting the task at hand.

    1. Identify the Energy Barrier
      1. The Boulder on the Hill Analogy: In chemistry, activation energy is like pushing a heavy boulder up a hill before it can roll down the other side on its own. What is a “boulder” you are currently avoiding pushing? Write down exactly what the top of the hill looks like (the moment the task finally gets easier).
      2. Name Your Resistance: What is squelching your activation energy? Fear of failure, perfectionism, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the sheer size of a project? Identify your biggest obstacle and describe how it actually feels when you stare at that untouched task.
    2. Reduce the Energy Barrier
      1. Chopping the Wood: When building a campfire, you cannot light a massive log with a single paper match; you have to chop it into kindling first. Take one intimidating project currently on your plate and break it down into manageable steps. What are the three smallest steps you can take today?
      2. Be Your Own Catalyst: In the lab, a catalyst is a substance that lowers the activation energy needed for a reaction to happen. Who or what is a catalyst for your situation? This may be moving to a quiet place, free of distractions, to study or work; blocking off time on your calendar; setting aside one time block a day to focus on the task at hand; or teaming up with a friend, coworker, or study partner who will hold you accountable. Which catalyst will you employ this week?
    3. Generate the Spark
      1. The 5-Minute Rule: The act of striking a match only lasts a second. Commit to doing your most dreaded task for exactly 5 minutes, just enough to create a “spark.” Give yourself permission to stop after 5 minutes if you want. Notice how you feel after those 5 minutes are up. Did a “fire” catch? Did you gain a new perspective on your ability to complete the task successfully?
      2. Striking the Match: We often wait around for inspiration to strike, but in reality, action creates the spark. What is one small, physical action you can take right now to create friction and start your momentum? For me, it’s setting my alarm on my phone to get up one hour earlier each morning, then setting a one-hour timer on my computer screen, focusing all my efforts on writing for that amount of time with no distractions.
    4. Recognize the Reaction (Exothermic Growth)
      1. The Heat Release: Once a campfire catches, it gives off warmth and light. Think of a time you finally started a difficult task and felt that wave of relief when you discovered it was not as difficult as you initially thought and you could accomplish it. Describe that feeling. How can remembering that satisfaction help you start the ball rolling the next time you face a tough task?

    Final Thoughts

    It is important that we understand activation energy and how the concept applies in our process of personal growth. So very often we let our emotions, the fear and self-doubt, affect how we approach our day-to-day living. Because we have either too little self-confidence or, in some cases, too much self-confidence, we procrastinate, either never attempting to complete an assigned task or, worse, because we’re overconfident, never giving the task our best effort, assuming we only need to do just good enough and feel that is all the effort required for the best result. Knowing ourselves (self-awareness) is key to making positive change in our lives and how we address new challenges.

  • Mastering Study Habits: 3 Steps to Improve Grades

    Mastering Study Habits: 3 Steps to Improve Grades

    Do you feel like you’re putting in your maximum effort, spending an extraordinary amount of time studying, yet your grades on exams don’t reflect your efforts? It’s a common frustration, but the issue often isn’t your effort – it’s your strategy. To succeed in tough subjects like math and science, you need to control the parameters that truly impact your learning. This post outlines a simple, three-step system for better study habits: start with the environment where you study, then perfect your note-taking technique, and finally apply a consistent daily review to retain information in your long-term memory.

    Step One

    When I’m tutoring a student who is struggling in math or science, the first thing I discuss – with both the student and their parents – isn’t usually the actual schoolwork. Instead, it’s about a simple idea: how well you study totally depends on where you’re doing it.

    A lot of students think “studying” just means having their textbook open. But if they’re sitting in their bedroom, surrounded by video games, the TV, music, and their bed, they’re basically inviting distractions. The bedroom isn’t a focused setting; it’s set up for relaxing, not for the serious mental effort it takes to really learn difficult material.

    Personal Commentary

    Students like to study together, and while I enthusiastically endorse study groups, I find they work best in a controlled, supervised environment such as a library or at a kitchen table with the assistance of a parent or a qualified tutor.

    Compare it to a science experiment. The first step to a successful one is controlling all the components. In the same way, you can’t truly figure out if you understand a subject if your attention keeps getting broken by your surroundings.

    The quickest and most effective way to see better grades is to move to a spot with fewer distractions. Places like the dining room table or a kitchen island are neutral, structured areas. That physical move actually signals to your brain that it’s time to focus on work. This change lets you pay critical attention and concentrate for genuine understanding.

    Step Two

    After you’ve got your study space all set up, the next big thing for effective studying is how you actually write things down, your note-taking technique. Similarly, like a science project, you need clear, neat data collection so you can actually look at it later.

    Many students make the mistake of trying to write down everything the teacher says. However, just being a human tape recorder doesn’t mean you’re learning anything. Good note-taking needs to be an active, organized process.

    Using a structured layout, especially for math and science, is a major upgrade. One very successful method is to split your paper into separate columns, one for your main notes. Leaving one for when you are reviewing your notes, for key formulas, questions, or reminders, and for a summary – you force your brain to figure out and organize the concepts or formulas as they’re taught, instead of just mindlessly copying them.

    Taking notes is the second step in this process, but the real goal is actually to retain the information long-term. That’s exactly why you have to develop the habit of reviewing them every single day.

    Step Three

    Human memory is imperfect. If you write notes on Monday and then don’t look at them again until right before a Friday test, you’re going to lose a great deal of that information. At that point, you’re not actually reviewing – you’re basically starting over and relearning everything.

    To beat this whole “forgetting curve” thing, you need to use those great notes in a smart way. I once read an article recommending that for every hour you spend in the classroom, you devote two hours at home completing the assigned homework and reviewing/studying the notes from that day’s lesson. When you start, hit the main points and use your notes to quiz yourself. This small, consistent effort stops the forgetting process dead in its tracks. It’s the secret for locking complex ideas into your long-term memory, turning studying from a frantic, last-minute panic session into a calm, steady climb to mastery.

    Personal Commentary

    I had a student in an advanced math and science program, in which I taught, who, when reviewing her notes at home, spent time highlighting the key, crucial facts she needed to commit to memory. Her notes then became a major learning tool in her success in the classroom.

    Conclusion

    In summary, becoming less frustrated about your academic success isn’t solely about working harder – it’s about controlling the right variables. If you commit to this simple, three-step system, you can fundamentally change the way you learn. Start by mastering your environment to eliminate distractions and signal your brain it’s time to focus. Next, upgrade your note-taking technique from passive copying to active organization. Finally, defeat the “forgetting curve” by implementing a small, consistent daily review. These three strategic habits combined are the secret to mastering complex ideas, turning your time investment into genuine, measurable success.

    This blog post’s development was supported by Gemini (an AI from Google). I used AI to structure complex technical arguments and to synthesize current educational trends as of 2026. Every piece of AI-generated material was reviewed against recent educational research and adjusted to incorporate my own perspective.