Academic Confidence

[Syndicate101]

Hi guys. I'm taking the hell that is organic chemistry this semester and it is really kicking my ass. I have decent scores but they are not where i want them to be. This is the first class where I studied my ass off and still could not get the grade I want and it is really frustrating. Because of this I feel like i don't have the confidence I used to have going into exams, and it is really affecting me. Any tips to get over this mental hurdle?

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[SnakeOilForSale]

When you tell yourself something repeatedly, even if it's not true, you'll start to believe it and it will affect the way you act. This can be a good or bad thing depending on what it is.

 

[Pierre Escargot]

I'd advise you not to stress out too much when it comes to exams. Whether you're well prepared or not, excessive stress will make you do worse every time, in my opinion. You can get through organic chemistry just fine. Do tons of practice problems before exams and visit your professor during office hours to clarify and points of weakness. Perhaps most importantly, get such clarification before you fall behind on any unit in the course as a lot of stuff comes up over and over.

If you've had success to this point, there is no reason you can't continue to succeed if you work hard. Best of luck.

 

[Holmwood]

Poor marks indicate poor preparation for the exam, not a lack of confidence. It is your confidence that was your initial issue as overconfidence will cause you to overestimate your abilities and render you sloppy. Your lack of confidence may be a better motivator for you to study harder than you did before.

Prepare better by changing your study habits as well as refer to suggestions posted here in SDN. I second @Pierre Escargot's suggestion in doing tons of practice problems. I've also heard good things about Ochem as a Second Language.

 

[Syndicate101]

Thank you for the advice all. Will study to the extreme for this next exam and do tons of problems. Wish me luck!

 

[Zelda840]

You are not alone! Organic was the same for me. Only class that I actually was not capable of getting an A in. It's character-building, for sure! Just put one foot in front of the other, do the absolute best that you can, and take solace in the fact that the Organic material on the mcat is pretty basic.