P*V = n*R*T

I once had a physics professor who said it best when he expressed his dislike of chemistry: "Chemistry is Dirty Physics!"

I always had this problem where I did pretty okay in chem, but then forgot everything. It's just one of those topics, I guess... Aside from actually understanding the material (!!!) instead of being one of those kids that memorizes everything (!!!), the best advice I can give you is to set your BS detector to high. Chemistry professors are notorious for writing problems out in huge paragraphs, when the meaningful part of the question, which breaks it down easily, is like half a sentence.

In general:

1) Identify the problem type (problems in each chapter have a different approach philosophy)

2) Identify the parameters you need to solve the problem (hopefully, you're given the formulas and tested on your understanding of the material, as opposed to your memorization skills).

3) What are you waiting for? Clear the problem and go to the next!


Other general tips: Flip through the entire midterm, identify the easy problems and do them first. You'll get that boost of confidence/momentum, which might make a huge difference. Plus, you'll get a feel for how you're doing on time.

Don't sweat it, it won't be too difficult. So long as you understand what's going on, you'll be fine. The S/P/D orbital stuff is a pain in the ass though, because most profs who teach it do it poorly (cause it seems like they themselves don't really understand the theory they're teaching).