Declining chemistry grades...

[alitheia]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Disclaimer: I'm sure there is a thread for stuff like this, but there are thousands of threads, so forgive me for not finding it.

I'm a sophomore and I'm worried about my chemistry grades. In Chem I I got a B, Chem II a B-, and I just got my O-Chem I grade: C+. I'm going to have to work my butt off in O-Chem II next semester, but I'm not that good at chemistry and there's no way I'll get an A, and probably not anything higher than a solid B. I also have a few C's from college courses I took from a JuCo when I was a junior in high school. I haven't taken calc or physics yet, but I suck at math, so I'm not expecting A's in those either (but hey, my boyfriend is a math & physics major, so I guess there's hope).

In terms of things I have going for me: I'm a biology major/maybe Bible minor and I have yet to get anything lower than an A- in a biology class (and that was upper level Microbiology which I took as a freshman). I have a great longterm job doing molecular genetics research--and the PI has me working on my own project which is yielding interesting results. I haven't done any clinical stuff yet but am planning on starting next semester, and I have all sorts of extracurriculars. I also am guessing that I'll be getting some kickass rec letters, and I score well on standardized tests.

So, in the grand scheme of things, what am I doing to my med school chances by sucking at chemistry?

 

[gary5]

Try not to get discouraged. You do, however, need the highest grades you can get. If you've got a part-time job, quit the job. Start living in the library all week and on weekends. Try studying 10-12 hours every day. Your grades will improve.

 

[RedVelvet]

You do, however, need the highest grades you can get. If you've got a part-time job, quit the job. Start living in the library all week and on weekends. Try studying 10-12 hours every day. Your grades will improve.

That may work for some people, but I think that what would really work is if you find someone to help teach you the subject. I think that rather than sitting for hours trying to teach yourself, you need to find someone else to teach you. Any tutors at your school? Any friends or kids in your class who are really good at chemistry? It might sound obvious, but find a good study budd yso you can actually learn it without going crazy.