A- in first quarter ochem

[iTool]

lol at premeds who brag on anonymous forums

grow up!

no one will be impressed.. unless the A is in biochem lol

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[silverlining1]

lol at premeds who brag on anonymous forums

grow up!

no one will be impressed.. unless the A is in biochem lol

Biochem isn't hard everywhere =p I got an A in biochem despite my incredible slowness.

 

[8mile]

got an A- in first quarter ochem. i wouldnt be mad if it wasn't my slowness that caused this, but a general misunderstanding of the concepts. I know an A- probably doesnt matter, but does anyone have the same problem in ochem (slowness screwing you over)? by the way, i had a 4.0 science gpa before this bs

Haha, not to bash UCI or anything, but I took a class there over the summer and the classes are ridiculously easy. The A- is not the end of the world but hopefully you don't get too many more. Med schools know that UCI is too easy.

But don't stress.

 

[Lukkie]

Dude, c'mon, McDonald's has standards! An A- in ochem is not gonna cut it there.

agreed, at this point even burger king is a reach.

 

[luvumeanit]

i work slowly, meticulously etc. im not complaining about the grade itself, im complaining about the fact that the reason i didnt get a higher grade wasnt that i didnt get the material, but that im a slow, perfectionist type

That you seem so clueless about how ridiculous and self-absorbed your posts are make me believe that you really will have a tough time with the med school app process.

This process will eat you for lunch and clean its teeth with your bones.

Good luck though.

 

[Chemdude]

Now, this is what happens if you recieve an A in every other course:

If this class is a four credit course, and you get an A in every other course, this is your "GPA Function":

x=number of credits, y=GPA

This is the graph of your GPA function:

Note the asymptotic behavior at y=4



If you need 120 credits to graduate, your UG GPA will be 3.99/4.00.

Don't worry too much.

 

[chemnerd89]

Now, this is what happens if you recieve an A in every other course:

If this class is a four credit course, and you get an A in every other course, this is your "GPA Function":

x=number of credits, y=GPA

This is the graph of your GPA function:

Note the asymptotic behavior at y=4



If you need 120 credits to graduate, your UG GPA will be 3.99/4.00.

Don't worry too much.

That, sir, is Mathtastic.

 

[poiuyt123]

is it just me or are most people on online forums pretty smart? When I used to browse through college confidential forums, there are always used to be so many people getting awesome GPAs and SAT scores but they would always worry about not getting into college. In the end some of these people got accepted into Ivy league and tier 1 schools.

 

[niranjan162]

is it just me or are most people on online forums pretty smart? When I used to browse through college confidential forums, there are always used to be so many people getting awesome GPAs and SAT scores but they would always worry about not getting into college. In the end some of these people got accepted into Ivy league and tier 1 schools.

They are not necessarily the smartest. Anybody can do well if they spend the same amount of hours obsessing as some of these people.

Also the people who do well are the most likely to brag about it.

 

[GoldShadow]

lol chemdude, you're cool in my book.

 

[erskine]

Oh man, this post is almost as ridiculous as the original! Bravo, sir.

Thank you very much. I admit I was very caustic and formed a heavy as well as hasty prejudice against an innocuous, whiny post, but I'm in so many classes with premeds who are more concerned about grades than actually learning the material- meaning that rather than grasp an understanding of whatever subject it is, their main questions regarding the material is: "will we be tested on this," or "do we have to memorize this structure"- that it tends to get irritating. I didn't mean to take it out on the OP so I apologize, and also for the irrational connections I made regarding money, whose logic I can't even associate anymore, which so incurred your scorn (i've had finals in physics, advanced biochem, advanced mobio, and genetics in 3 days so i'm a little off). But I'm glad I was able to entertain you.

 

[DrAnteater]

Haha, not to bash UCI or anything, but I took a class there over the summer and the classes are ridiculously easy. The A- is not the end of the world but hopefully you don't get too many more. Med schools know that UCI is too easy.

But don't stress.

you're a joke. summer classes at irvine are for the failures, no ****ing $h1t theyre easy.

 

[aznb0y129]

you're a joke. summer classes at irvine are for the failures, no ****ing $h1t theyre easy.

It's generally a bad idea to ask for advice and then act like a giant tool. Hope you get a B in your next class and have a panic attack!

 

[DrAnteater]

It's generally a bad idea to ask for advice and then act like a giant tool. Hope you get a B in your next class and have a panic attack!

that's cute

 

[junkct]

i work slowly, meticulously etc. Im not complaining about the grade itself, im complaining about the fact that the reason i didnt get a higher grade wasnt that i didnt get the material, but that im a slow, perfectionist type

no one cares if your freaking cyclohexanes are perfect hexagons. Just make sure they have 6 sides and move the heck on. Don't hamper over how ugly they are.

 

[chemnerd89]

no one cares if your freaking cyclohexanes are perfect hexagons. Just make sure they have 6 sides and move the heck on. Don't hamper over how ugly they are.

Actually, I once lost points on a homework assignment because my cyclohexane chair conformers weren't pretty enough. I'm still bitter.

 

[DrAnteater]

Actually, I once lost points on a homework assignment because my cyclohexane chair conformers weren't pretty enough. I'm still bitter.

dude i hate ochem because of things like that. i think the ideas are far more interesting than the time wasted drawing all this garbage

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Just wondering... which prof did you have? I took King, and I got A's all three quarters just by riding the curve. Try to get her if she is teaching this quarter.

 

[yellowtibby]

I recieved an A- in O-Chem too a while back. I was not bitter, I got into medical school. Therefore, you will be fine.

 

[chiz2kul]

hahahaha you should make sure you explain it in your PS hahahah that was classic

 

[DrAnteater]

Just wondering... which prof did you have? I took King, and I got A's all three quarters just by riding the curve. Try to get her if she is teaching this quarter.

vanderwaal, the man taught honors last year. exams were not hard at all in terms of difficulty, but they were very, very long

 

[funkydrmonkey]

vanderwaal, the man taught honors last year. exams were not hard at all in terms of difficulty, but they were very, very long

Yah, honors G chem screwed my GPA up, science and reg, so I decided not to take honors Ochem... best choice I have ever made... And I try to stay away from the professors who teach honors... errr...except for King who technically teaches the honors ochem lab...atleast when I was at Irvine...

 

[DrAnteater]

Yah, honors G chem screwed my GPA up, science and reg, so I decided not to take honors Ochem... best choice I have ever made... And I try to stay away from the professors who teach honors... errr...except for King who technically teaches the honors ochem lab...atleast when I was at Irvine...

haha yeah she stil does

 

[junkct]

vanderwaal, the man taught honors last year. exams were not hard at all in terms of difficulty, but they were very, very long

fool, qft. van der waals died hella years ago.

 

[Bradstein]

yeah I only got an A- in third semester o-chem because I am lazy. i wouldn't be mad if it was cause i was stupid. does anyone else have this problem?

 

[DrAnteater]

you people still think im pissed about an A-. Im not pissed about the grade itself, im pissed that i missed bs ***** problems bc i work slow...

 

[JeetKuneDo]

I was hoping this thread would take the same turn the one about school prestige did.

 

[kernel]

i'm sorry, is this a joke?

 

[cdcd67]

you people still think im pissed about an A-. Im not pissed about the grade itself, im pissed that i missed bs ***** problems bc i work slow...

okay..so you are pissed about it....is that going to change anything?....just get over it and work on your "slowness"

 

[DrAnteater]

okay..so you are pissed about it....is that going to change anything?....just get over it and work on your "slowness"

so far, no one in this thread has made a response that could help. what did any of you people with the same problem find most helpful in aiding you?

 

[JeetKuneDo]

so far, no one in this thread has made a response that could help. what did any of you people with the same problem find most helpful in aiding you?

How do you take tests? Do you sit on one problem at a time and think over all possible answers before going on to the next problem?

 

[DrAnteater]

How do you take tests? Do you sit on one problem at a time and think over all possible answers before going on to the next problem?

yeah, i guess.... i might have a mechanism down in my head, but when it goes to paper i either make stupid mistakes, or it just takes me a long time to write it down. we've only done e1e2 sn1sn2 so far, and it takes me a long time to draw everything out for some reason. I can think of the answer fairly quickly, its just delivery thats bad

Maybe i shouldnt have even stated my grade in this thread, and instead i should have just stated my problem, because no one is taking this post seriously.

 

[DrAnteater]

also, i dont know if anyone else has this problem, but the minute i sit down to take my exam, i am consumed by an overwhelming desire to sleep.

This only happens in organic chemistry exams. It is very annoying, and I think it slows me down.

 

[HumidBeing]

This really sounds like the type of problem that should improve through practice by having a solutions manual and doing loads of problems when you study. Like math, the more you do the problems, the more easily you will be able to do them with less time spent consciously thinking about them.

Your reaction to ochem tests is like my reaction to studying math. The quickest way I've found to get to sleep when I can't is to open a math book and start studying. I fall asleep in no time.

 

[bubabugster]

Wow-- you really need to relax. If you're going to get so bent out of shape over something like this, how will you handle real challenges? Enjoy the learning process and don't beat yourself up over dumb stuff and move on.

 

[roseglass6370]

don't lose your hopes of being a physician. there is still DO and carib.

LOL!!!

 

[KeyzerSoze]

I say we decide which was the best response and every neurotic douche who cries about it something like this gets that post.

I think its a toss up between the whaambulance picture

and the "explain it in ur p.s. comment"

Of course the picture has classic reuse properties.

You are too kind. I think Lukkie's "don't lose your hopes of being a physician. there is still DO and carib." is the clear winner.

 

[junkct]

yeah, i guess.... i might have a mechanism down in my head, but when it goes to paper i either make stupid mistakes, or it just takes me a long time to write it down. we've only done e1e2 sn1sn2 so far, and it takes me a long time to draw everything out for some reason. I can think of the answer fairly quickly, its just delivery thats bad

Maybe i shouldnt have even stated my grade in this thread, and instead i should have just stated my problem, because no one is taking this post seriously.

In all honesty, the way I did ochem (I got straight A's in ochem... a couple points away EVERY FREAKING TIME from an A+... not to toot my horn or anything!) was not to think about a mechanism in "steps", but to think about it in "goals" or in "chunks".

For example, if I want to get an amine attached to the carbon of an alcohol, I'm not thinking "okay, I need to oxidize this alcohol to a carbonyl, find a good nucleophile to attack the carbonyl C--oh wait, I have to find a nucleophile that I can turn into an amine somehow--I'll use HCN. Ok, now that I have HCN attached, I need to turn it into an amine... alright, I'll just oxidize that ho".

NO. I'm just thinking "Ok, I need to get an amine out of this. I've done this hella times in practice problems... LiAlH4/THF --> HCN --> LiALH4/THF --> BAM! there's my amine"

when you start to do enough practice problems, you'll start to see a bunch of patterns. If you want to turn A into B, you need to go through a series of 4 steps. Don't learn the individual steps as standalone steps. Put them all together and see what all 4 of them combined will get you. When you start thinking about mechanisms in "chunks" like this, it'll make things a whole lot easier. Instead of spewing out 18 steps when writing a mechanism, you'll be spewing out 5 separate chunks, and things will just come quickly/more naturally to you during the test. You really haven't learned that much ochem, even in a full year of taking the course. So, if your prof gives you practice problems, just practice those multiple times. Chances are, you'll be tested on VERY SIMILAR concepts... honestly, there's only so much variation that can be made in ochem.

 

[chemnerd89]

In all honesty, the way I did ochem (I got straight A's in ochem... a couple points away EVERY FREAKING TIME from an A+... not to toot my horn or anything!) was not to think about a mechanism in "steps", but to think about it in "goals" or in "chunks".

For example, if I want to get an amine attached to the carbon of an alcohol, I'm not thinking "okay, I need to oxidize this alcohol to a carbonyl, find a good nucleophile to attack the carbonyl C--oh wait, I have to find a nucleophile that I can turn into an amine somehow--I'll use HCN. Ok, now that I have HCN attached, I need to turn it into an amine... alright, I'll just oxidize that ho".

NO. I'm just thinking "Ok, I need to get an amine out of this. I've done this hella times in practice problems... LiAlH4/THF --> HCN --> LiALH4/THF --> BAM! there's my amine"

when you start to do enough practice problems, you'll start to see a bunch of patterns. If you want to turn A into B, you need to go through a series of 4 steps. Don't learn the individual steps as standalone steps. Put them all together and see what all 4 of them combined will get you. When you start thinking about mechanisms in "chunks" like this, it'll make things a whole lot easier. Instead of spewing out 18 steps when writing a mechanism, you'll be spewing out 5 separate chunks, and things will just come quickly/more naturally to you during the test. You really haven't learned that much ochem, even in a full year of taking the course. So, if your prof gives you practice problems, just practice those multiple times. Chances are, you'll be tested on VERY SIMILAR concepts... honestly, there's only so much variation that can be made in ochem.

LOL I scream BAM! when I'm drawing mechanisms too.

 

[avantdesign]

got an A- in first quarter ochem. i wouldnt be mad if it wasn't my slowness that caused this, but a general misunderstanding of the concepts. I know an A- probably doesnt matter, but does anyone have the same problem in ochem (slowness screwing you over)? by the way, i had a 4.0 science gpa before this bs

it's people like you who bring about the premed stereotype.
stop whining on SDN. obviously you know the reason. just fix it.
and if you had a 4.0 scigpa, this A- will bring you down to maybe a 3.9.

 

[dec0y]

you people still think im pissed about an A-. Im not pissed about the grade itself, im pissed that i missed bs ***** problems bc i work slow...

do better