Failed a pre req

[nvalle92492]

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I just finished my first year at UCLA and I found out that I got an F in General Chem lab class (Chem 20L).
I'm not sure if I should retake the course and get a better grade OR just try to find another career to pursue.
Any advice/help is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[BabyBelle]

I don't think one F in one chemistry lab class determines whether or not you would be successful in your pharmacy career. Did you just slack off and not study hard enough? Maybe you need to change your study habits and apply yourself more. Definitely retake the class and go from there. Also, even if you decide not to pursue pharmacy, I'm almost positive you cannot graduate with an F on your transcript. So either way, you would have to retake this course.

 

[170]

I just finished my first year at UCLA and I found out that I got an F in General Chem lab class (Chem 20L).
I'm not sure if I should retake the course and get a better grade OR just try to find another career to pursue.
Any advice/help is appreciated! Thanks!

The F is really going to hurt you and the fact that its chemistry makes it even worse. Retake it for sure and make an A. You really shouldn't have more than 2 C's in any pre-pharm classes. So never be satisfied with making anything other than an A. But if you do make some B's and C's don't bother retaking those just take it as motivation for your next course load.

If you feel like chemistry isn't connecting, I suggest reading an alternative text... My textbook really sucked and hurt me during the semester but I decided to get ''chemistry for dummies'' as recommended by a classmate and everything started to make sense(there are many text similar to this for just about every college class)...

But DO NOT give up because of 1 F.

 

[Busta919]

The F is really going to hurt you and the fact that its chemistry makes it even worse. Retake it for sure and make an A. You really shouldn't have more than 2 C's in any pre-pharm classes. So never be satisfied with making anything other than an A. But if you do make some B's and C's don't bother retaking those just take it as motivation for your next course load.

If you feel like chemistry isn't connecting, I suggest reading an alternative text... My textbook really sucked and hurt me during the semester but I decided to get ''chemistry for dummies'' as recommended by a classmate and everything started to make sense(there are many text similar to this for just about every college class)...

But DO NOT give up because of 1 F.

He said lab, not lecture.... however....

yes, you need to retake the lab. The experiments will be the same. Take a look at each lab and determine what your weakness was. If you did not go to lab, well then you may have just identified your weakness (you know, for example ). Work the problems so you understand what the answer is and why.

These labs are basic, physical and chemical changes, qualitative testing, titrations, you may make something... but basically the purpose of the lab is to begin teaching you laboratory techniques you will need for other labs. Always be prepared for the lab before you go into the lab. Once you cross the threshold into the lab is not the time to read about what you are suppose to do in the lab that day.

Biggest thing is to not wait until you are drowning to ask for help.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

The lab is 1 credit. Don't let one credit sway you off track of pharmacy. Re-take the class.

 

[crazybob]

The lab is 1 credit. Don't let one credit sway you off track of pharmacy. Re-take the class.

👍

 

[Jabberwocky12]

I definitely agree though in trying to figure out why you failed the lab. Not many people fail a lab who actually went and participated every lab block. Most people who fail it usually don't go or don't turn in lab reports or something. Definitely figure out what made you get an F, at the very least talk to the teacher if you don't know why.

Re-evaluate a year from now where you are. If you didn't fail organic and bio 1 and 2 then there isn't a reason to not pursue pharmacy.

 

[chemguy79]

I just finished my first year at UCLA and I found out that I got an F in General Chem lab class (Chem 20L).
I'm not sure if I should retake the course and get a better grade OR just try to find another career to pursue.
Any advice/help is appreciated! Thanks!

The key thing is finding out why you failed the lab. If you didn't go to class, that's a pretty major faux pas when it comes to labs. In the lab classes that I taught, you were allowed 2 misses (out of 12) otherwise, it was an automatic F in the class.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

^ Exactly. Also, If you don't understand the lab, or had a hard time doing it, I'm pretty sure you can go to another lab time in which your professor is teaching. I did that for 2 of my labs for Gen Chem II. it is time consuming but imo it will help a lot.

 

[chemnerd99]

Triple ditto. Miss 2 labs and fail the class is our university policy. If you show up, do the labs and turn in your reports even if you bomb the quizzes you can get a C.

 

[nvalle92492]

Thanks for all the advice!
The reason why I failed was not because I didn't go to the lab experiments(I went to all of them but I got lots of points taken off by my TA. She's really picky when it comes to lab reports) but because I bombed tests. I'm thinking about re-taking the class at UCI and really taking the time to know the material well.

 

[crazybob]

Thanks for all the advice!
The reason why I failed was not because I didn't go to the lab experiments(I went to all of them but I got lots of points taken off by my TA. She's really picky when it comes to lab reports) but because I bombed tests. I'm thinking about re-taking the class at UCI and really taking the time to know the material well.

They're picky because they have to be. It's better to catch those lab mistakes now and correct them.

See if there's a way to take only the lecture if that's what you need to do. If you did well enough in lab, you may not have to take it again.