Stressing out right now

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Shades McCool

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Hey guys. I know I am not probably as stressed as you people applying are, but I am feeling pretty stressed out myself.

It's over my Organic II class I am taking this semester. I sometimes just feel scared as hell abou this class. I know I have a pretty tough teacher too. I had a tough one for the first class(a tiny bit less tough than this one) and I busted my ass and got an A.

I do not why I get so nervous at times. It really bothers me. See, I am a real perfectionist. I feel like I have to make an A in every class I take. I am taking 18 hours worth too this semester. I am currently a sophomore and I have a 3.885 GPA. I will be a junior after this semester. I know you people know what I am going through. I feel like I could ruin my chances at medical school by not making an A.

I guess I am just looking for what you people do when you feel pressured. Also do you know any good resources to use for Organic II? Help me out!

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Feeling the same way about chem1. :rolleyes:
 
Well I hate it for you! Sometime I think there is something flat out wrong with me when I worry too much. I just need a little reinforcement at times.
 
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relax, just study and memrize the mechanisms..........do allthe problems in your book and if you search organic chemistry in any serarch engine you will find thousands of explanations and practice problems...........if you did well in orgo I, then you shouldn't have too much of a problem with org II..........you're gpa is solid right now, and i see you are at auburn which is a relatively tough school, so you are doing great....if you keep this up, along with a 30+ mcat score you'll get into your two state schools pretty easliy............good luck

nero
 
I think some people can back me up on this statement, "Numbers aren't everything!"...To be honest a 3.8 versus a 3.7 isn't gonna make a helluva lot of difference when you apply....just relax, enjoy college and the grades will come. I've only been out of school since May but i miss it so much...you won't remember those As in a couple years, have fun with your friends, do stupid stuff, and stay up late gossiping...it's all worth it. Remember, the numbers are only one aspect of this whole process and as you can see from the many threads on SDN, a high MCAT and GPA certainly are no guarantees to acceptance, or even interviews for that matter.....
 
You people are great. I keep telling myself it will not kill me if I were to make a B at all. Its just that stupid voice in my head that keeps saying....you have to knock it out of the park every time! I am also starting to volunteer at the hospital through an organization we have on campus called Medical D.

I just wish I could relax sometimes haha.
 
Originally posted by surfdevl02
I think some people can back me up on this statement, "Numbers aren't everything!"...To be honest a 3.8 versus a 3.7 isn't gonna make a helluva lot of difference when you apply....just relax, enjoy college and the grades will come. I've only been out of school since May but i miss it so much...you won't remember those As in a couple years, have fun with your friends, do stupid stuff, and stay up late gossiping...it's all worth it. Remember, the numbers are only one aspect of this whole process and as you can see from the many threads on SDN, a high MCAT and GPA certainly are no guarantees to acceptance, or even interviews for that matter.....

i agree with you.......its all about one thing...BALANCE............if you know how to balance, you'll have fun in college and get into med school...........if you are going to study, dont' half ass it, go all out.......................if you are going to party, dont half ass it, go all out..........when you are doing one, dont think about the other.
 
Well its this stupid Spectroscopy that has me all in a wad right now. I hate it. Especially when it isnt explained well.
 
Well what do you suggest? What have you done? I would like to do as much as I am allowed.
 
Really, the only way to get better at the spectroscopy, NMR, etc. is to do lots of practice problems. I realize that my answer isn't very original or anything, but it's true. :)

I, too, am very stressed this quarter, but I'm worried about physics.

Good luck! :)
 
You might try getting an extra book from your university's library on spec stuff. (look in the chem library if you have one). most textbooks don't offer a whole ton of problems, but you can find more elsewhere. those can become really easy if you do enough of them.
and seriously, you don't have to get an A in orgo 2 to be just fine for med school. i know you wanna hold the gpa where it is, which is a pretty nice number, but a B or two really will make little difference.
good luck.
 
the reason why you feel like you need to get an A every time is because you do. but you seem to be good at it, so just keep it up without all the neurotic nonsense. be confident, put in the time you need to, and let things take care of itself.

ps: not such a good idea to post a pity thread saying you are worried about your 3.885 GPA. just a thought.
 
Get the Bruice Organic Chem book........they are one of the best for explaining ir, nmr, mass, uv, and all that junk..........lots of practice problems.........
 
Shades,

I agree w/ UCLAstudent--practice is the most effective way for getting spec down. if you can, try to get a chem TA or grad student to work with you on a few probs -- their expert intuition could really be helpful, as it was for me.

And I feel ya' on your stress-- i'm a perfectionist too and O.Chem definitely put me through these same pains. I agree w/ all the points that have been made here,
and to go back to managing your stress, lemme ask ya: so do you have a regular time set aside for any kinda real fun? if not, make it. like a friday night, 3 hr time slot for a movie w/ a friend or signf. other, maybe an IM sport, or just doing silly stuff like someone said on a regular basis. Considering 18 units + activities + perfectionism, setting a regular time for this is IMO the only real way to be able to destress effectively. If you don't work out, even a 30 min. jog every other day could make a difference.

Hope it all works out!
 
slightly off-topic:
the OP mentioned spectroscopy questions on a test or something. Do you guys do IR and/or NMR regularly in your labs for OChem I and II. At my undergrad place we did IR/14C/1H NMR on all of our products to validate that we got what we should, in addition to melting point where applicable. I found the spectroscopy stuff difficult to read for the first 12 weeks of the semster, but it finally started to solidify near the final. Just keep looking at spectra.
 
Oh, that spec stuff...i remember we had to learn how to read those to ID our "mysterious samples" but our TA always gave us the answers at the beginning of lab so we didn't even care to do them....what a joke of a lab.....
 
Hey Shades,
I know exactly how ya feel. I was in a similar situation last year. Second semester of sophomore year with organic was making me a wreck. My best advice would be to take the time to go to a party once in a while, go out for a run, or just spend about 15 minutes meditating (Believe me, meditation is a life-saver). Dont' worry, if you're as much of a perfectionist and worry-wort as I am, you'll put in the work you need for organic. It's a matter of balancing, as others have said, that will allow you to get through it without too many ulcers. You got this.

Oh, and for spectroscopy, just spend some time each night before bed going over a couple NMR/IR patterns. The more you commit to memory and can instantly identify, the better. Soon enough, everyone will flock to ya for help. Good luck.
 
just blow it off. orgo isn't that important. go out, have fun.
 
Thanks guys for the advice. As for doing other things, I workout four times a week as well as play intramural basketball and softball this semester. I also play in the adult city softball league. I am all cool about it now. No more worries!
 
Some quick advice: Take time out for yourself. Its great that you are so dedicated to school and have wuch a great work ethic. However, college is not just about an education, its also where a young adult grows socially into a mature adult. So, have fun--sew your wild oats, because out here in the REAL world there is very little time for that.

Also, from an educational standpoint, you sound as if you are begining to burn out. So take a step back, wind back some of the study hours, and go out more often. You would be better served being emotionally healthy and getting a B, then burning out mid way through the semester and ending with a C or D.
 
Sorry for time traveling but congrats on this perfectionist being a resident now. Gives me hope that I can do it as well.
 
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