Analy_sis,
I was really very touched by your request, and I want to extend my services to help you in your studies in any manner I can. I can tell you're ernestly motivated to learn, and there's nothing that captures the imagination as much as hearing an ambitious new student share their enthusiasm for their future. I don't think you realized just what a remarkable thing you've stumbled into -- the opportunities that chemistry can create for you are far bigger than you can right now imagine (oh yes, they are indeed.)
Whatever dreams you may have right now will be eclipsed by what you will be able to do later on.The funniest thing about the Hive is, it has an increasing number of accomplished young chemists it has to its credit, all gaining their inspiration and motivation (at first, at least) from illegal drugs. Its funny, I have to admit I spent a great deal of time during my last years of college at the Hive sharing ideas with people than I probobly should have (my grades in fluid mechanics showed it.) The challenges that we made for each other here at The Hive drove me to study harder and learn more than any of my "real" classmates, and in the end, made me a better chemist. Life took a strange path for me, but somehow my eagerness as a student paid off more than I could have hoped. I'm sure you too will discover the journey is more important than the destination.
As for the CuNO3 versus Cu(NO3)2 business, this is a lesson in itself: the textbook
will lie to you sometimes.
Don't be discouraged by that! Chemistry is not a religion; its written by mortals and textbook writers make mistakes, though they do try not too. Evidently, the focus of the lesson was calculating molar amounts from the mass of a sample of a compound of a given chemical formula -- don't let that little slip-up discourage you from not learning this important stuff.
Study hard, do
all the assigned problems (and a few extra), don't be afraid to ask questions. Make sure that you understand the reasons behind things, and don't just resort to rote memorization. Kid, you'll move mountains!