D in Orgo (First Quarter)

[Kochanie]

I got a D in Orgo, now I can't take the next two courses because a C- was required. I decided to take at least the first two in the summer (third is not required for higher-up Bio courses).

I am not applying to medical school until I take a gap year (or two...).

I got a D not because I didn't understand the material, because I waited til' the last minute to learn it due to personal issues (mom) and the fact that I have ADD. I learn best when cramming during all-nighters, I am a terrible student but I can't give up on my dreams.

This will cost my parents 7k-12k (if I take third quarter) or I might just take out loans because I don't even pay that much for my quarters during the school year.

I find Orgo quite interesting, but this is literally my last chance at medical school.

I will also be doing less research because classes are from 9AM-12PM + Labs...

I screwed myself over and don't know what to do?
Should I just retake it next year even though I will then take 1/2 the Science classes I would if I took it in the summer?

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[cabinbuilder]

You are not the first student to get a D in organic nor will you be the last. You will have to take it over when you can calm down and do it right, get a tutor, go to office hours, etc.

 

[Quik]

There are cheaper ways to re-take orgo than 7-12k. It seems you'll have to re-take it immediately if you want to continue with your pre-med curriculum. My advice, buck up and own it. You know what you have to do, you have to re-take, and ace, Orgo. Focus on that, make it your #1 priority. Other issues and obligations will arise, but it's a test on whether or not you can deal with it. The system is TRYING to weed you out, don't let it.

 

[Kochanie]

Thank you. My school only accepts Organic from my school. I can take it during junior year, but I wouldn't be able to take a lot of science courses I planned to take. I might need to take out loans.

 

[Kochanie]

Nevermind, my brother will help me out, but is it worth it (higher Science gpa with organic in the summer)?

 

[Kochanie]

I am so devastated, should I just give up on my dreams of a double major and take Orgo next year?

 

[yugo2113]

.

 

[Kochanie]

I probably won't double major, but take more random sciences. Since I would do better in the summer and not get behind, do you recommend me paying the 7k-12k and taking Orgo in the summer.

 

[QofQuimica]

I wouldn't spend another cent on a class or another minute in a classroom until you figure out how not to be a "terrible student." No point in wasting more time and money (regardless of whose it is) until you're prepared to go in there and do A-level work.

 

[Kochanie]

Next quarter I have lots of requirement classes and just one Bio. Hopefully I can figure it out or I might justt give up.

 

[QofQuimica]

Med school isn't for everyone. If you truly made your best effort this quarter and still ended up with a D, then I agree that you should probably choose another career. If you are capable of doing better but didn't do well because of outside distractions, poor study habits, or other potentially fixable problems, then you should fix these problems first, and only resume taking classes when you are prepared to do well in them. More poor grades next quarter aren't going to help your cause regardless of what career you choose.

 

[Kochanie]

I haven't done my best and that kills me. I want to give it one more try, but I'm scared I can never fix my study habits.

 

[yugo2113]

.

 

[Kochanie]

I really do think that I should take it this summer, but I'm scared of the costs (both financial and time that it would take from ec's). I honestly don't know where all my time goes, I have no life outside of school.

 

[jemill]

I really do think that I should take it this summer, but I'm scared of the costs (both financial and time that it would take from ec's). I honestly don't know where all my time goes, I have no life outside of school.

How many hours a day do you spend aimlessly browsing the internet, watching tv, or playing video games? I know from experience that those things eat up enormous amounts of time even though it doesn't feel like it. I also have issues focusing on one task for long periods of time. I get easily distracted and have to make small goals while studying and doing homework which works quite well for me.

 

[Kochanie]

A lot. Especially when I have blocks of free time. I waste time before I go tutor and before I go eat. It is insane but I never learned to manage my time. The 30 minutes here and there have obviously caught up with me. I did the same in high school and crammed in classes before exams and aced them.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

You need to learn effective time management now, not a few years down the road when you are in med school and the stakes are even higher. Cramming in med school means trying to learn everything the week before the test, not just the day before, and even then it doesn't work. I recommend leaving your computer and phone at home and going to the library with nothing but a textbook and your notes, and staying there until you know the material for the day thoroughly. It's hard to do and your mind will cry for distractions, but you need to develop the discipline to just stay there and study, no matter how boring it gets. Studying like this will be productive, but it won't be easy. If getting A's in organic and getting into med school was easy, everyone would be doing it.

 

[Kochanie]

Hopefully I can do it this quarter.

 

[Prettywoman0172]

I got a D+ I'm ORGO 1 and will be repeating it in the summer session. Very disappointed but I had one hell of a course load this semester and not taking ORGO 2 in the spring is prob for the best. It gives me a chance to focus more heavily of physics and calculus. I will do great in ORGO the second time around.

 

[Kochanie]

We'll ace it.

 

[Kaustikos]

I...might have gotten a D-. Yes, a D- in Orgo Lab. I was screwed over by the professor who claimed I hadn't turned in 3 lab writeups... and then refused to allow me to hand it in at the end. I even appealed the department head and he didn't allow it, either. He said it was my responsibility to make sure that assignments are turned in blah blah blah. I didn't retake it (which may have been a mistake) and instead focused on the next two years. That showed I wasn't an idiot. I'm not saying don't do something about it, but to let you know people do have their mistakes. It's all about how you sell it. Remember; applying to med school is a competition in selling yourself.

 

[nwmedapplicant]

Next quarter I have lots of requirement classes and just one Bio. Hopefully I can figure it out or I might justt give up.

Don't give up so easily. Use this challenge as personal growth! Everyone gets dealt twists and turns in life. How you respond to it determines if you will let the adversity own you..or you own it. My advise is to figure out how to change your study habits. I understand that procrastination focuses the mind, there are other ways to focus your mind. Have you tried switching topics ever 30 minutes? It's a memory trick I use a lot in medical school when Im tired. Every hour I will force myself to switch topics - despite where I am in a particular subject. It focuses me to be more efficient with the deadline, and it also keeps me from dwelling in any particular topic too long - and thus neglecting other topics. GL !

 

[Kochanie]

That's a really good idea, I need to try it. I end up focusing on only one or two subjects a day which is why I failed Orgo. Hopefully next quarter is better, I'm definitely scared.

 

[umcig]

I got a D not because I didn't understand the material, because I waited til' the last minute to learn it due to personal issues (mom) and the fact that I have ADD. I learn best when cramming during all-nighters, I am a terrible student but I can't give up on my dreams.

Sorry to hear about the D. As other stated, you're not the first person to get a D in organic. I had to take Biochem a couple times before I figured things out. And my academic problem didn't prevent me from going to medical school.

As someone already stated, you need to learn how to be a good student. "Cramming" and "all-nighters" are not a good way to learn.

When I was a post-bacc, here's what I did. I studied about 20 hours a week for each course I took. I completed assigned readings before the lecture was given, which allowed me to understand and give the proper context to each lecture I attended. I reviewed my notes and re-read the corresponding chapters right after each lecture. I completed my homework early. On the weekends, I would review my notes for the entire semester. For each exam, I would re-read the text a third time and review my notes again.

 

[Prettywoman0172]

Oh, I'm scared, too. I did the same thing...studied physics and calculus every day and let ORGO slide (bad idea) I skated thru the first 3/4 of the course and had a B average going into the final. In the end - I just didn't have enough time to learn the reactions, mechanisms and synthesis. My physics and ORGO finals were on the same day - 30mins apart. They were the Monday right after classes ended that Friday. Both profs taught new material right up until that Friday. I failed the ORGO final.

 

[nontradmomma]

I got a D in orgo this past semester. My first bad grade since 1997. I'm feeling very discouraged right now. But for what it's worth, I thought I'd post in order to contribute to the "You're not alone" sentiment.

 

[Kochanie]

That's why I ended up qith a bad grade, underestimated the final and failed.

 

[silleme]

I'm surprised no one has recommended Klein's O-Chem as a second language or any of the other good books to help you learn the concepts rather than just brute memorization.

 

[Prettywoman0172]

I had ORGO as a second language (both copies) as well as his text hook and several other resources.

 

[Kochanie]

I do have it, but I didn't find it too helpful for our exams that ask these crazy convoluted questions.

 

[Prettywoman0172]

I agree. The David Klein books are good...but the problems in them aren't very hard nor are there enough of them. We had questions about Fischer projections that were not in any book I could find. I only had a few to practice from that the prof did in discussion. There were also complex road maps and syntheses that I couldn't find enough practice for.

 

[Chickrunner]

I repeated orgo this past semester, and with a much better outcome than I'd had the first time around. Someone told me that I needed to stop making excuses about why I couldn't/didn't/etc do it, and I realized that the excuses were part of my problem. It's hard. You have to study. If you're not up for it, you won't make it.

 

[Tarasaurusrex]

I wouldn't spend another cent on a class or another minute in a classroom until you figure out how not to be a "terrible student." No point in wasting more time and money (regardless of whose it is) until you're prepared to go in there and do A-level work.

This comment really got my attention. I am taking Organic Chemistry II this semester. I got a B in Organic Chemistry I last semester, but I am a bit of a perfectionist and REALLY, REALLY wanted to receive an A. However it is a new semester, new year, and another chance for improvement. I do recognize that my study habits were sub-par last fall. I didn't review the material everyday, more like twice a week and I crammed before tests. I messed up one of the golden rules too, which is don't get behind in the beginning, you won't catch up. I thought I could work my 40 hours, go out, and figure out Organic - wrongly assuming the hard stuff will come later in the semester. Not true, I know shame on me!

You responded to the OP that "I wouldn't spend another cent on a class or another minute in a classroom until you figure out how not to be a terrible student". What specific points were you addressing? Do you have any suggestions for more studying Organic Chemistry more effectively? I am asking because this class is not really comparable to anything I have ever taken or been exposed to. This is one of the reasons I suppose Organic Chemistry is so hard to learn, because there aren't many skills, subjects, or formerly used critical thinking strategies stored in my long-term memory that I can reflect upon and subsequently make use of techniques previously learned, but extrapolated to apply to this subject matter.

I'm a math person, so I was instantly sad when we were told we wouldn't need calculators for this course. I don't know if this matters, but my best topics from General Chemistry are ICE tables, Buffers/Titrations, Henderson-Hasselbach Equations, and Acids & Bases.

How do you recommend tackling Organic Chemistry if you want to get an A? I already read the first two chapters for this semester and took copious notes as well as worked some problems. Class starts Monday. Should I study a little everyday? Get a tutor? Is there a way to learn Organic that doesn't involve so much memorization? I like working mechanisms, but in Organic I my Professor said we only needed to know a few mechanisms and to just memorize the major products of about 40 different reactions! I know there has to be a better way than memorization, I am hoping you may have ideas regarding this.

Last thing, I need to be able to conceptualize and view these molecules, compounds, etc. and the reactions in my "mind's eye". If I can get that down I will be on my way to an A. I want to be able to "see" the problem. I can sometimes, but not as easily as with other subjects. I know there is a lot of spatial intelligence that I am not exposed to as frequently, so I am looking for suggestions as to how to improve my spatial learning/memory abilities? Thank you for your time.

Tara

 

[QofQuimica]

I wrote a post about how to do well in organic chem a long time ago when I was modding the MCAT study questions sub forum. Go in there and look for the organic chem explanations thread. It's the second post.