Bad grade on the first test in a science class, experiences?

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BoxinMoxin

BoxinMoxin

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So ya basically it seems like in classes such as physics and calculus, professors say that the stuff builds on itself and it is hard to catch up. Such is the case with me. I took my first test for organic monday, made a 56 on it when I got it back today. Highest in the class was a 93 and lowest was a 30.

Now here is the catch. Our professor drops our lowest test grade and we have two more tests left.

I missed the kickoff for the NFL season and a lot of good football games this weekend just so I could study for this organic test and still I received a crap grade on it. I did not review daily as I should have (though I did find times during the day to review) and I did not do great which kind of hurts me. I already had a bad first year and I cannot afford another low grade.

To others who have been in this situation before, what advice do you have?

today after lecture I spend one hour reviewing everything. I plan on studying for one hour every single day including Fridays.
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BoxinMoxin said:
So ya basically it seems like in classes such as physics and calculus, professors say that the stuff builds on itself and it is hard to catch up. Such is the case with me. I took my first test for organic monday, made a 56 on it when I got it back today. Highest in the class was a 93 and lowest was a 30.

Now here is the catch. Our professor drops our lowest test grade and we have two more tests left.

I missed the kickoff for the NFL season and a lot of good football games this weekend just so I could study for this organic test and still I received a crap grade on it. I did not review daily as I should have (though I did find times during the day to review) and I did not do great which kind of hurts me. I already had a bad first year and I cannot afford another low grade.

To others who have been in this situation before, what advice do you have?

today after lecture I spend one hour reviewing everything. I plan on studying for one hour every single day including Fridays.
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I think you answered your own question.

Oh and if it's ochem, it shouldn't be hard to catch up at this point. Just review a lot, make sure that you understand the mechanisms and can apply them to new molecules/reactions. When I was in ochem I did a ton of practice problems that weren't assigned and it definitely helped me in clarifying the concepts that I thought I understood but really didn't grasp very well
 
The very first test I ever took in college was Bio 1, and I did miserable on it: D. I decided that using the same studying method I used in high school wasn't working, so I spent more time reviewing concepts and understanding them. Next test: A.

Just put the time and effort and you'll be just fine.
 
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Do every single problem that you have time for and don't allow yourself to look at the answers in the back, until of course, you've really tried and really looked for the answer.

This test will just be your drop test, so start kicking some ass and taking names, catch up for the second and third test. I've seen many many people have extraordinary comebacks for ochem and it's not impossible at all.

Good luck!
 
My first exam in college was in Chem I, I though i could get away with studying for like two days and do well like in high school, and I did pretty awful, I think like a C-, but seriously I always say you can never really know how hard a class is going to be until the first exam because you kind of know what to expect and what to study the rest of the semester obviously starting out strong is a lot better but don't sweat it everyone has bad tests once in awhile regardless of what anyone tells you here on SDN
 
review material after class every day. do all the problems more than once. make reaction flash cards and review them whenever you have time (like on the way to school or at lunch or w/e). ask questions if you don't understand something. you should know mechanisms like the back of your hand.
 
Yea, I failed my second Physics test, grades were not on a curve and no test grade was dropped.

Ended up with a B+

Just kick ass with the rest of the year, and you'll be fine.

Now if you fail/do poorly on more than one test, you may be in trouble...
 
Well, in P-Chem, the first exam happened right after my wife was in the hospital with preeclampsia and gave birth to our son at 32 weeks. I took the exam after she was released but still sick, and our son was still in the NICU of course. Got a fifty-something percent on the exam. Went on to get one of the few A's in the course, and the prof told me mine was almost the highest overall grade in the class.....

As to advice, change how you are preparing. Do all problems in the book similar to the ones he goes over in lecture, multiple times. Take notes on the text, not just reading it, and compare those notes to the power-point/your notes from class. Go to tutors. Go to the proff's office hours.
 
I received Ds on my first two Orgo II tests. I considered dropping the class and retaking the class the next semester, but I didn't. Rather, I began reviewing the day's lecture material every night and made flashcards for reactions so I could review in my free time. It was a lot of work and in the end I was glad I did not drop. I ended up with a B in the class which in my opinion was better than retaking the class. Just stick it out and actually study the amount that is needed.
 
Why is no one mentioning that orgo only gets harder after the first exam?
 
MSU2009 said:
Why is no one mentioning that orgo only gets harder after the first exam?
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this

not to bash everyone for being optimistic but we haven't done synthesis yet, what we did on our first test was stuff like basic chemistry which I did great on, functional groups, chair and boat, newman projections, alkanes, IUPAC, and we had it on 4 chapters.

I thought I did great like maybe even a B but then I received my grade today and I was shocked...............
 
BoxinMoxin said:
this

not to bash everyone for being optimistic but we haven't done synthesis yet, what we did on our first test was stuff like basic chemistry which I did great on, functional groups, chair and boat, newman projections, alkanes, IUPAC, and we had it on 4 chapters.

I thought I did great like maybe even a B but then I received my grade today and I was shocked...............
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Well, you could either follow the advice people have provided and try to get good grades from now on, or you can decide that the basic, intro-level science classes are beyond you, and drop out. Your choice. Yes, it gets harder, but no, it is nowhere near impossible.
 
BoxinMoxin said:
this

not to bash everyone for being optimistic but we haven't done synthesis yet, what we did on our first test was stuff like basic chemistry which I did great on, functional groups, chair and boat, newman projections, alkanes, IUPAC, and we had it on 4 chapters.

I thought I did great like maybe even a B but then I received my grade today and I was shocked...............
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Sounds like my Physics class :laugh:

I just practice as many problems as possible. If there's something I don't get, I use the professor's office hours or go to the tutoring center on campus (although sometimes they're not helpful at all). You get out what you put in.

Good luck! 🙂
 
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next test is on the 14th of october

material we are covering = stereochemistry, organic reactions, alkenes, alkynes, reduction of alkenes, hydrogenation of oils, reduction of alkynes, epoxidation, radical addition reaction to double bonds, and polymers/polymerization.
 
BoxinMoxin said:
next test is on the 14th of october

material we are covering = stereochemistry, organic reactions, alkenes, alkynes, reduction of alkenes, hydrogenation of oils, reduction of alkynes, epoxidation, radical addition reaction to double bonds, and polymers/polymerization.
Click to expand...

It seems you have a good idea of what you will have to do to get the grade you want.
I believe in you bro.
 
On my first Organic Chem exam in Orgo I, I got an 82, the lowest exam grade I have gotten in undergrad. The next exam I scored a 98. Just work much harder and shoot for 100s the rest of the semester.
 
I received a 30 out of 150 on one of my organic tests in undergrad. Ended up getting a C- in the class. A year later, I retook the course (orgo 2), and managed to get a B. Now I'm in med school, and I'm doing fine so far.

Anyway, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. It's important to take school and grades seriously, but one bad grade won't keep you out of med school.
 
I got a 2% on one of my physics exam (actually I had scored in the 35% range, but the remote controlled exam wasn't clear on guessing penalty so I did too many guesses and received negative points when I shouldn't have.) on that particular exam though, the class average was like a 28%. Ya, that's why it's not a good idea to give multiple choice physics tests in advanced physics. (You could argue that 4 answer choices should have given a higher average with guesses, but each question on that test had like 9 possible answers, so there was virtually no guessing)

Anyways, I saw you mentioned skipping some football games to study for this exam. Well NFL games are on a Sunday, so to skip Sunday games to study for the exam and the fact you got the grades back on a Wednesday leave me to believe you studied on a Sunday for a Monday exam!!

Wtf this isn't high school. If I was your academic coach I would make you run around a track until you vomited. (just like my football coaches did when we lost a game by more than 20 points)

The MINIMUM time period you should study for a college level science exam is one week. This won't hurt you because he drops your lowest test grade, but starting from now on read your textbook and do your textbook problems. Don't get stuck on your textbook problems and look at the solution and think you have solved it. You need to be able to solve textbook problems 100% on your own before you go into ANY exam.

I suggest start attending your professor's office hours once a week. What this does is forces you to make a commitment to studying because your professor will start to expect to see you there so you're discouraged from skipping an office hour and in addition you needed to have studied the material already to know what to ask your professor during office hours. Seriously, you can get an A in Ochem, just change your habits.
 
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My very first test in college was Gen Chem. I studied for 30 minutes and got a 63 on it! I ended with with a B in the class. I got a 31 on the MCAT and just had my first med school interview yesterday.

Moral of the story.... One test is not a big deal lol.
 
I'm scared to get mine back tomorrow.
On the other hand, I scored the highest test grade in Bio 2 class. 87 but he curved me up to 100 because almost everybody else either failed or got a D. Nobody in the class got an A in the class without the curve.
I mean come on it's Bio 2 but we covered 7 ch's.
 
JohnnyRomanes said:
I'm scared to get mine back tomorrow.
On the other hand, I scored the highest test grade in Bio 2 class. 87 but he curved me up to 100 because almost everybody else either failed or got a D. Nobody in the class got an A in the class without the curve.
I mean come on it's Bio 2 but we covered 7 ch's.
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Nice. That takes some pressure off. Keep up the good work. Bio 2 was one of my favorite classes, it was interesting material and more importantly it was able to be learned.
 
MSU2009 said:
It seems you have a good idea of what you will have to do to get the grade you want.
I believe in you bro.
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flattered, LETS GET IT!
VanDerBeekWigger.gif
 
BoxinMoxin said:
this

not to bash everyone for being optimistic but we haven't done synthesis yet, what we did on our first test was stuff like basic chemistry which I did great on, functional groups, chair and boat, newman projections, alkanes, IUPAC, and we had it on 4 chapters.

I thought I did great like maybe even a B but then I received my grade today and I was shocked...............
Click to expand...

I have been in your exact shoes almost.

Ochem 1 first test: I was second from the lowest grade in my class of 100. Lol... Imagined how freaked out I was. It was on the same stuff you had your exam on.

You seem to know what to do, I think the beginning is tough because of all the new terminology and concepts that you are learning. I personally did miserable on the naming stuff which is the easiest thing you can do in ochem...

Long Story Short: I started to work harder and we started to get into topics that were more interesting that I did better on.

I think you will be fine if you put in the effort. And you get a dropped test so you are in an okay position. 👍 goodluck studying.
 
hiyaman said:
I have been in your exact shoes almost.

Ochem 1 first test: I was second from the lowest grade in my class of 100. Lol... Imagined how freaked out I was. It was on the same stuff you had your exam on.

You seem to know what to do, I think the beginning is tough because of all the new terminology and concepts that you are learning. I personally did miserable on the naming stuff which is the easiest thing you can do in ochem...

Long Story Short: I started to work harder and we started to get into topics that were more interesting that I did better on.

I think you will be fine if you put in the effort. And you get a dropped test so you are in an okay position. 👍 goodluck studying.
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Idk about you, but Nomenclature is soooo fun. Give me like 30 of those on a test and I'm sure to get at least a 90 or higher.
 
From my experience...in the UC system...

I've only gotten two B+'s out of all my lower division pre-req classes (both in Bio), and rest A's, and I'm not trying to brag but just trying to give you an idea of how my studying worked.

Most of my lower division science classes I always started off not as well (for an A at least) either around average or barely above average. Especially in physics and ochem, but don't fret too much when you start off bad because there's plenty of room to improve and catch that A. First thing you need to do when this happens is to figure out why you got what you got and adjust your studying habits according to the curriculum/pace of the course. Your first test will not dictate how well you do on your next tests, and I can testify to that.

Physics: Practice. It's so important to practice the problems in the chapter and the problems that the professors' assign you. When you come across a problem you can't solve right away in your homework, don't simply look at the solutions right away. Really think about the problem and try to attack in different directions. I would spend 20 minutes max if I couldn't figure out a problem, then I would look at the solution. When you look at the solution make sure you know the steps and conceptually why you're plugging in this and subtracting that. Do all the practice tests if your professors give them out.

Ochem: My professors always gave us problems that were relevant to the exams/course from the book. Even though the problems may not be mandatory, do them all because they give you an idea of what to expect on the test. Ochem is really conceptual (as you may have heard), and knowing one concept can reward you multiple times. Use the models for the molecules to help your spatial skills.

Gen Chem: Never liked gen chem, but it's kinda like physics too, just practice the problems. Understand the math and the stoichiometry and unit conversions, etc.

Bio: Reading each chapter word for word can get boring and tedious. I always printed out the slides (if you get any) and made sure I knew the stuff on the slides first before I engaged the text in the book. It is a lot of memorization, but make sure you can apply the facts to different situations.

You may have heard a lot of this already but this is my experience. Hope this helps.
 
When I was a freshman, I got a letter telling me to withdraw from Chem 1 and Trig.....the letters gave me a reality check and I started studying my butt "on" ( I gain so much weight from the stress)...but in the end I ended up with an A in gen chem 1 and a B+ in trig.

What I am trying to say is if you start studying harder you can make it through the course.
 
Just study your ass off and do every damn problem in your textbook. And if you don't understand something, don't just look it up in the solutions manual and say "oh, I get it now" (like I did). If you still can't understand something on your own, go to office hours. Your professor is the best resource you have.

Don't sweat it if you can't bang out 98's on every exam. You should try to, but not getting an A+++++ won't bar you from medical school. And if you want to be optimistic, I found organic II to be much easier than organic I.
 
You can drop this test and make up for it on the rest. Do the problems in your book, and write out the electron movement for all the practice problems. Keep up with the material and learn how things are interacting 🙂

FYI, I tutored and TAed those courses while I was in undergrad, and many of the motivated people who get low first test grades figure out how to study for it and do well in the rest of their organic exams... Seriously, go see your professor or TA for study help on whatever you got wrong.
 
Chops369 said:
Just study your ass off and do every damn problem in your textbook. And if you don't understand something, don't just look it up in the solutions manual and say "oh, I get it now" (like I did). If you still can't understand something on your own, go to office hours. Your professor is the best resource you have.

Don't sweat it if you can't bang out 98's on every exam. You should try to, but not getting an A+++++ won't bar you from medical school. And if you want to be optimistic, I found organic II to be much easier than organic I.
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thanks, that was helpful
 
peacemak3r said:
From my experience...in the UC system...

I've only gotten two B+'s out of all my lower division pre-req classes (both in Bio), and rest A's, and I'm not trying to brag but just trying to give you an idea of how my studying worked.

Most of my lower division science classes I always started off not as well (for an A at least) either around average or barely above average. Especially in physics and ochem, but don't fret too much when you start off bad because there's plenty of room to improve and catch that A. First thing you need to do when this happens is to figure out why you got what you got and adjust your studying habits according to the curriculum/pace of the course. Your first test will not dictate how well you do on your next tests, and I can testify to that.

Physics: Practice. It's so important to practice the problems in the chapter and the problems that the professors' assign you. When you come across a problem you can't solve right away in your homework, don't simply look at the solutions right away. Really think about the problem and try to attack in different directions. I would spend 20 minutes max if I couldn't figure out a problem, then I would look at the solution. When you look at the solution make sure you know the steps and conceptually why you're plugging in this and subtracting that. Do all the practice tests if your professors give them out.

Ochem: My professors always gave us problems that were relevant to the exams/course from the book. Even though the problems may not be mandatory, do them all because they give you an idea of what to expect on the test. Ochem is really conceptual (as you may have heard), and knowing one concept can reward you multiple times. Use the models for the molecules to help your spatial skills.

Gen Chem: Never liked gen chem, but it's kinda like physics too, just practice the problems. Understand the math and the stoichiometry and unit conversions, etc.

Bio: Reading each chapter word for word can get boring and tedious. I always printed out the slides (if you get any) and made sure I knew the stuff on the slides first before I engaged the text in the book. It is a lot of memorization, but make sure you can apply the facts to different situations.

You may have heard a lot of this already but this is my experience. Hope this helps.
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This is SO TRUE. 👍👍

also don't get discouraged over one bad exam. Just reevaluate how you study and if you study more efficiently, you will understand more and do better on future exams!
 
You can do it! This is the start of pretty much 70% of all my chemistry classes (was a biochem major). I would just do horrible on the first exam but I'd finish the class with an A by making up for it over the next exams.. and the first exams were never dropped for my classes. There's usually a generous curve in ochem classes. Drop the first exam and study hard for the rest of them.
 
HulaHippos said:
You can do it! This is the start of pretty much 70% of all my chemistry classes (was a biochem major). I would just do horrible on the first exam but I'd finish the class with an A by making up for it over the next exams.. and the first exams were never dropped for my classes. There's usually a generous curve in ochem classes. Drop the first exam and study hard for the rest of them.
Click to expand...

thanks
 
I usually don't do well on the first exam, but then improve on the others since then I know what the prof tests on and I can tell how to tailor my study habits to the course.

As for ochem, it does get harder with each exam but that doesn't mean you're doomed. Do a whole bunch of practice problems from the book and practice your mechanisms even when a problem doesn't ask you to write it out. Mastering ochem is matter of practicing and writing things out repeatedly to the point where it literally becomes automatic.

This is probably more relevant later in the course when you're doing more reactions, but...
I also made separate sheets for each functional group, one with reactions that form that group and another with how it reacts to form other stuff. I had a whole bunch of papers at the end of it all, but it was a great way to keep all the reactions straight in my mind. It also made figuring out synthesis problems much easier.

Your plan to review every day sounds great! Throw a couple mechanisms in every night and you're set. You can't cram ochem. Believe me, I tried and ended up with a D. Many (wiser) years later, I tried a different approach (the one mentioned above) and got the highest grade in the class. It just takes some practice problems a couple times a week to do well.

Good luck!
 
I have to say, this thread is reassuring. Just got back my first Chem exam...something like a B. I've been panicking for the past two days, wondering if I should switch to the easier course (There are three intro chem courses at our school, and I'm in the nastiest one). Especially relevant, if I drop below a 3.5 gpa I lose my scholarship.

But looking back, I realize I could have studied a lot harder for that test. We also have the lowest test drop policy. Most importantly, I haven't taken a chem course since sophomore year of high school, and knowing that I did better than about 50% of the class when I had less background knowledge was very motivating.

tl;dr I won't give up if you don't! 👍
 
BoxinMoxin said:
next test is on the 14th of october

material we are covering = stereochemistry, organic reactions, alkenes, alkynes, reduction of alkenes, hydrogenation of oils, reduction of alkynes, epoxidation, radical addition reaction to double bonds, and polymers/polymerization.
Click to expand...
Reading this just reminded me how glad I am to be done with organic.
 
I actually find it interesting as hell, but the material is really hard to master. The tests are unpredictable in my class as he just tells us that whatever we covered is fair game. ACS I hope is better since they have a study guide for it.
 
You can definitely pull your grade up.
Last semester, I scored a few a 57% on the first midterm. I was distraught, but I studied my butt of and scored above the class average on the final and got a B+ final grade. Orgo does build on itself, but you'll become more familiar with the basic concepts. It does get harder, so don't slack off.

Know your reactions inside and out. So do plenty of practice problems and old exams if they're posted online.
It is a lot of memorization, but try to know the basic concepts, as well. It is key that you master electron pushing! This will help in learning mechanisms and predicting products. So know your acid/base chem. Be able to identify reactions according to the electron-rich and the electron-poor species.

Good luck.
 
You ****ed up, deal with it. Yes, it generally a bit tough in science and math based classes since they do tend to built up, but don't give up just yet. Despite that common trend you still have plenty amount of time, especially if you put the extra effort into, to get you back up to a nice 80% and above.

On a positive note, your professor is nice enough to offer that "lowest grade drop" policy, personally I always liked the professors that did that. The thing is though, those are often best when you start off with a high grade in the first, and then do grade-securing at the second(basically enough to secure the high grade) and then just drop the last, most often times the one with the tougher topics....But life ain't fair like that, haha!

So, in your case, this better ****ing be your lowest grade. Don't pull some bull**** and get your self a 60-75, that will not be a good enough of an improvement, especially if this 56 will still not count, because then that will mean you will have to do extremely well on your third exam. And considering the third exam will have the more tougher topics, especially in a "cumulative topic" class like oragnic, you will need to be pulling out a solid A far out of your ass if you want to get a decent grade at the end.

No bull****, this following exam, the second one, should be treated like a final. It's literally your last and final chance to really set yourself up for a good grade for the rest of the semester. That means you should be aiming at a 90 or above. This is very important because a high grade will act as a future safety net for the third exam, then all you will have to do is worry about maintaining your average.

This following exam is very very important for you.
 
^ My next exam for Orgo is 1 1/2 months but I'm already trying to get a good head start.
I felt Like I did good on my first test, but I kind of messed up on the Acid-Base rankings portion and I was pissed because I thought that portion was going to be about predicting a acid and base after the reaction took place.
Oh well, 2x study mode. :/
 
****, got a freakin' 75% on my first test. (*&$^@(*$&
Bad News
- no make ups
- Next test is ch. 1-8
- no curves
Neutral
- The class average was a 51%.
Good news
- Gave extra credit and my overall grade is an 80%
- Told us we will do an "extra points exam" which will have more points than the 5 point quizes that were extra credit. I'm guessing 10-25 points and hoping.
- the grading scale is 88-100 is an A with pluses and minuses
- Great teacher, my fault I didn't study the Pka table closely.
- ACS final will only be graded out of 60 instead of 70.

Thoughts:
I had tiny errors which really plagued me and the points built up so I MUST be more careful with what I'm doing.
Next test: Oct. 25
Gonna go HAM on the next one, trying to get no less than a 90% and def shooting for 100%
Whew!
Ranting is done. 😀
 
BoxinMoxin said:
So ya basically it seems like in classes such as physics and calculus, professors say that the stuff builds on itself and it is hard to catch up. Such is the case with me. I took my first test for organic monday, made a 56 on it when I got it back today. Highest in the class was a 93 and lowest was a 30.

Now here is the catch. Our professor drops our lowest test grade and we have two more tests left.

I missed the kickoff for the NFL season and a lot of good football games this weekend just so I could study for this organic test and still I received a crap grade on it. I did not review daily as I should have (though I did find times during the day to review) and I did not do great which kind of hurts me. I already had a bad first year and I cannot afford another low grade.

To others who have been in this situation before, what advice do you have?

today after lecture I spend one hour reviewing everything. I plan on studying for one hour every single day including Fridays.
Click to expand...

Getting a bad grade on the first test can really ruin moral. Try to stay positive and try harder starting now.
 
Hey man keep your head up. I am using Organic Chemistry as a Second Language and it really has cleared up the basic concepts for me. I would highly recommend picking it up and working through the problems. I actually watched football on Sunday. It can be done. Though admittedly I had flashcards of the functional groups I would peruse periodically. Also, my first exam was today and I won't know how I did until next week at the earliest so what the hell do I really know anyway. 😉 Good luck!
 
In medical school, regardless of the "average", a <70% score won't be passing. And there won't be extra credit, either.
 
if I post a thread about how I can bust an A on my organic chem exam coming up, will u guys be mad?
 
"if i post another bad thread about something that has been asked many times already and doesn't really relate to medical school admissions at all, will u guys be mad?"
 
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