Chemistry is virtually nothing like Biology. Memorization is of very little import in this course. Being able to solve problems and apply what you've learned to a completely new situation is of far more use. Flashcards, cram sessions, waiting to study until the night before the test are extremely poor methods of preparation in this course.
Some of the most effective habits: do your homework every day, get your questions answered continually (don't wait until the last minute to figure out what you don't understand), do your own work, do your own work, do your own work.
The biggest improvement you can make in this class that will stand you in good stead in every class, (and, indeed, in all aspects of your life) is to pay attention and do your very best to get all the information you can to solve the problems yourself. If you take time and effort to figure out the problems by yourself, you will remember them much more clearly and completely than if you had help. That being said, I am available to help you when you really get stuck. (hint, again, this does not mean you glanced at it once, couldn't figure it out and want me to spoonfeed you...)
Do Chemistry as soon as possible. On block days, DON'T wait until the second day to get to your homework; do it the day it is assigned. On the weekends or vacations, don't put your homework off until the day before you return to school. Do your homework as soon as you can! You may find that what makes complete sense to you in class will seem totally alien when you get around to doing your homework.
Take good notes-- include as much information as you can. Write down all the steps in the examples I do for you in class. Jot down page numbers of relevant graphs and charts as I point them out to you in class. Make note of the examples in the book that apply to what you're doing. (another thing students seem confused about: READ YOUR NOTES AND USE THEM)
When I do problems in class, I do every single step the problem requires. I label every part of the problem. I include units, canceling, page/problem numbers. The more of this you record, the more you have to refer to later. When you're all alone, wrestling with the Chemistry monster... The better your notes are, the more weapons you have to fight the monster.
Tutoring may be a bad idea. I find that some students refuse to work in class and don't even listen to what's going on because "I'm going to get it later from my tutor." Really bad idea. Let's be straight about this, shall we? Your tutor is not making up or grading your tests. I am. Your tutor may have gone to Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Davis, USC, etc. Your tutor may tell you that what I'm teaching is wrong, too difficult, not what they learned in high school, etc. This is totally irrelevant. I have had parents upset because they spent a lot of money on a tutor and their child is not earning a good grade. Bad idea. The best idea is to pay 100% attention in class, take good notes, do your homework every day, come in during Support or before school to ask me questions individually if you need to do so.
If you insist on using a tutor, have it be effective. The best indicator is if you are more able to do your work after your tutor leaves. Do not pay money to someone who is teaching you incorrect information or who causes you to be more confused than you were before. I do not forbid tutoring, but I strongly recommend that you work on your own instead of relying on that "crutch".
Remember, too, that there is free tutoring in the Calabasas High School library on Wednesdays after school. Again, do this if you find it effective for you. I am available during Support every Wednesday and Thursday. I am here most mornings by 7:00 a.m. Perhaps your best choice is to work with another student who is currently doing well in Chemistry. Choose someone with whom you will actually work; not a friend with whom you will mess around.
Chemistry is a course that requires good math skills. If you are adept at Algebra, you should be capable of doing well in Chemistry. If you're not adept at Algebra, all is not lost. Listen carefully, watch closely and take good notes. Ask specific questions as soon as you get confused. I often have students tell me that they are better at Math after taking my class. Practice, practice, practice...
Chemistry can be a very tough course. That's one of the reasons why colleges want to see it on a transcript. For some students this will be the first time you take a course that requires actual work from you. Isn't it a better idea to build your mental muscles now than to get to college and be unprepared when the stakes are higher? Give it a shot. If you fail, work harder. Treat this course like you are learning to walk again. When you learned to walk as a baby, you didn't quit after the first time that you fell. You fell more than 10 or 20 times and still kept getting back up and trying again. Don't be arrogant and think that you already know so much that you don't have to work any more. Don't allow your frustration at not being perfect at Chemistry from the beginning to stop you. Keep working. Keep learning.
Cheating in any form is unacceptable. This includes asking someone in an earlier class what is on a test, copying ANYTHING other than warm ups or class notes you missed, getting information from another student about what we did in class before you get there, copying another student's lab data, plagiarizing from other students/teachers/websites/books/tutors, etc (I know this is redundant, but for some strange reason students have claimed to be confused about this). I FOLLOW THE SCHOOL'S CHEATING POLICY. If you are unaware of it, please read it and ask me if you have any quesitons about it. This applies to ALL forms of cheating, including, but not limited to those I have mentioned above. (in case you didn't get this--that includes copying homework).
There are only two exceptions to the copying rule; if you are absent, you should copy the notes on what you missed and any warm-ups you missed from another student. (gentle hint: choose someone who takes good notes) Please note this is only to copy warm-ups and notes, not the homework or classwork or lab data. Please note also that this should be done OUTSIDE of class. Otherwise you miss more classtime when you are copying the information. Another recent load of bologna I've been given; "I only copied one thing--that doesn't count as cheating really". Or "I should only lose points on that part." Not gonna work for me. You lose ALL the points on the ENTIRE assignment and you get the cheating policy consequences.