Freshman Pre-Med Panic

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Algophiliac

Algophiliac

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My recent chemistry test score was ABISMAL. 🙁 I took this class as an AP class my senior year of high school, am at a comparatively noncompetitive college, and yet I still did not do well at all.

What do I do?! Perhaps I merely did not study enough...or am I studying incorrectly? The questions seemed more complicated than any of the homework problems, and time flew by insanely quickly. Not to mention, I NEED an A in this course, seeing as it's a pre-req from a not-so-competitive institution, and my aims for medical school are high. Unlike my self-esteem right now.
 
My suggestion would be to discuss the test with the professor or TA and see if they have any suggestions. Next, get in a study group if you have not already. I like to re-write my notes after class. Other than that, try to stay calm.
 
Don't let this bother you. My chem professor last year told us as he passed back our first midterms that the first midterm has almost no correlation to one's final grade in the class. He was right. Just do better next time 🙂
 
this is exactly how i was last year in gen chem. i took AP chem and went in thinking i knew how to do everything...do not worry about it!! they even told me i wouldn't be able to get an A in the class because of this grade, and I did anyway, you'll get the hang of studying just try to find old exams and do tons of practice problems!
 
Maybe find a new career pathway? If not, you can try different study techniques, get a tutor or whatever. Just know that general Chem is going to be on the MCAT, and I hate to be blunt, but from what I've seen on this site, the majority of SDN posters including myself did not have a hard time with general chemistry. If you cannot handle it how will you handle tougher material such as organic chemistry or biochem? Hopefully you will be able to grasp the important principles as much as possible so that it will not haunt you in your future chemistry courses.

No need for severe panic though. If you're meant to be a Doctor you'll end up as one.
 
oaklandguy said:
Maybe find a new career pathway? If not, you can try different study techniques, get a tutor or whatever. Just know that general Chem is going to be on the MCAT, and I hate to be blunt, but from what I've seen on this site, the majority of SDN posters including myself did not have a hard time with general chemistry. If you cannot handle it how will you handle tougher material such as organic chemistry or biochem? Hopefully you will be able to grasp the important principles as much as possible so that it will not haunt you in your future chemistry courses.

No need for severe panic though. If you're meant to be a Doctor you'll end up as one.
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Now I'm even more worried. I KNOW I can handle the material...it's not that conceptually difficult at all. 🙁 That's exactly why I fail to understand how I could have gotten such a terrible grade! But there is absolutely no way I am giving up--why do you think I'm here asking for help? All the TA told me was to do more practice problems, but those were easy compared to the test material! For those of you who did eventually master general chem, how? What did you change about your study habits and/or outlook on the material?
 
oaklandguy said:
Maybe find a new career pathway? If not, you can try different study techniques, get a tutor or whatever. Just know that general Chem is going to be on the MCAT, and I hate to be blunt, but from what I've seen on this site, the majority of SDN posters including myself did not have a hard time with general chemistry. If you cannot handle it how will you handle tougher material such as organic chemistry or biochem? Hopefully you will be able to grasp the important principles as much as possible so that it will not haunt you in your future chemistry courses.

No need for severe panic though. If you're meant to be a Doctor you'll end up as one.
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Why even say this? I know sometimes people feel like they need to be on a power trip on this site, but this is obviously not what the OP was looking for. Sometimes, from what I have heard, the "weed" out classes can be just as hard. No need to demoralize others to make yourself feel better

People sometimes just need some better study tips.

OP, don't worry about this kind of stuff, just know that your smart enough, and if you put in the time you can get it done. I know someone who went to Harvard med, his #1 advice to me was this, in his words, from what I remember: "School, and med school, is not really about how smart you are. Now don't get me wrong, you can't be stupid, but a lot of the time it comes down to how much time and effort you are willing to put in." I believe this to be true.
 
chman said:
Why even say this? I know sometimes people feel like they need to be on a power trip on this site, but this is obviously not what the OP was looking for. Sometimes, from what I have heard, the "weed" out classes can be just as hard. No need to demoralize others to make yourself feel better.

People sometimes just need some better study tips.
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Thanks. 🙂 And please.
 
Algophiliac said:
Thanks. 🙂 And please.
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Well I already told you my suggestions. One I left out is to find a study time that works for you and stick with it. Some people study better in the morning, others at night. Make sure your study time is free of distractions like the t.v. etc. I could study for seven hours with the t.v on but get the same amount of work done in two or three.
 
the answer is not to give up at the first sign of resistance. the answer is to adjust study habits. my first suggestion is that instead of just doing the hw problems, do ALL the problems in the corresponding textbook chapters. It doesn't matter if they are similar to test questions or not, they WILL help you understand the material more in depth.
 
chman said:
Well I already told you my suggestions. One I left out is to find a study time that works for you and stick with it. Some people study better in the morning, others at night. Make sure your study time is free of distractions like the t.v. etc. I could study for seven hours with the t.v on but get the same amount of work done in two or three.
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You did, thanks. I study best at night, which annoys my roommate, who always worries I may have died in the library if I'm not home by 11 PM. 😛 This is the only time I can be free of social distractions, however, so I have to do what works. I used to wake up early and study back in high school, but my roommate is a very light sleeper, so that can't happen now, and late night studying sticks better anyway, tired or no.

I was interested in suggestions geared more specifically toward chemistry, maybe? Our textbook is very confusing and goes very deeply (full-blown derivation equations from calculus) into topics, while our lectures merely skim them. The professor assigns easy homework problems, but the textbook problems are comparatively difficult and yet unlike the tests. What can I do?!

Thanks armybound. 🙂
 
Contrarian said:
the answer is not to give up at the first sign of resistance. the answer is to adjust study habits. my first suggestion is that instead of just doing the hw problems, do ALL the problems in the corresponding textbook chapters. It doesn't matter if they are similar to test questions or not, they WILL help you understand the material more in depth.
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Oh wow, I read this right after I typed up my earlier post. One of my problems is not understanding the material deeply enough, so that problems which are not similar in difficulty or set up confuse me. Yet I did the textbook problems anyway, which took so much of my time.
 
snorlax said:
Don't let this bother you. My chem professor last year told us as he passed back our first midterms that the first midterm has almost no correlation to one's final grade in the class. He was right. Just do better next time 🙂
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How would that be true? If you go F, A, A, A, you're still gonna be in the high B range if those A's are 100's. Unless he discounts that exam, it should be just as important as the others...

OP, you're probably going to be fine. As other suggested, have a word with your professor and TA's, and maybe try switching up your study habits some. There are tons of resources available to you, and you have plenty of time to turn things around.
 
chman said:
Why even say this? I know sometimes people feel like they need to be on a power trip on this site, but this is obviously not what the OP was looking for. Sometimes, from what I have heard, the "weed" out classes can be just as hard. No need to demoralize others to make yourself feel better

People sometimes just need some better study tips.

OP, don't worry about this kind of stuff, just know that your smart enough, and if you put in the time you can get it done. I know someone who went to Harvard med, his #1 advice to me was this, in his words, from what I remember: "School, and med school, is not really about how smart you are. Now don't get me wrong, you can't be stupid, but a lot of the time it comes down to how much time and effort you are willing to put in." I believe this to be true.
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People sometimes also need a reality check. I wish someone would've set me straight my freshman year. Instead I managed a pathetic 3.5 gpa and had to work from behind to get where I am now. I gave both sides of the spectrum and I gave study advice, just cause I brought up the possibility that a career may not be right for someone means I'm being harsh?

As for the OP, there is a slight possibility that you have a professor that gives out really hard tests and then curves the class at the end. One of my general chem profs was like this, even though I set the curve. That being said my Physics class is supposedly really hard, to the point where a 75% is a 3.0. I would ask about curves and ask about the average test grade from that class. Your "horrible" grade might be above average. And trust me, even Kobe Bryant misses a shot. We've all had a bad test, but be sure that you can evaluate yourself and try to figure out where the problem is. Did you just choke? Did you screw up small things in the math (like forgetting a negative sign), or did you not know the elements by heart? There's all kinds of things that could have went wrong, figure out what it is and you will have a better grasp on how to be a successful college student.
 
oaklandguy said:
People sometimes also need a reality check. I wish someone would've set me straight my freshman year. Instead I managed a pathetic 3.5 gpa and had to work from behind to get where I am now. I gave both sides of the spectrum and I gave study advice, just cause I brought up the possibility that a career may not be right for someone means I'm being harsh?
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Not to be argumentative, but I don't understand that logic. By that logic someone should have told you to consider another career because you were not doing well enough (even though a 3.5 is not that bad). So what if you had done so? Then you could be on a completely different path than you are now. All I was saying is that the OP is looking for productive suggestions.
 
Instead I managed a pathetic 3.5 gpa and had to work from behind to get where I am now.
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When did a 3.5 start qualifying as "pathetic?" Speaking of reality checks...
That being said my Physics class is supposedly really hard, to the point where a 75% is a 3.0.
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Oh dear, my friend, you need to take some upper level math and physics classes. One of my suitemates got a 37% on one of his math tests and topped out his class. I had something in the mid 30's in one of my physics courses and passed. 5 extra points from a curve is nothing.

And trust me, even Kobe Bryant misses a shot. We've all had a bad test, but be sure that you can evaluate yourself and try to figure out where the problem is. Did you just choke? Did you screw up small things in the math (like forgetting a negative sign), or did you not know the elements by heart? There's all kinds of things that could have went wrong, figure out what it is and you will have a better grasp on how to be a successful college student.
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Amen.
 
Algophiliac said:
My recent chemistry test score was ABISMAL. 🙁 I took this class as an AP class my senior year of high school, am at a comparatively noncompetitive college, and yet I still did not do well at all.

What do I do?! Perhaps I merely did not study enough...or am I studying incorrectly? The questions seemed more complicated than any of the homework problems, and time flew by insanely quickly. Not to mention, I NEED an A in this course, seeing as it's a pre-req from a not-so-competitive institution, and my aims for medical school are high. Unlike my self-esteem right now.
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You are just a baby in this process. And you are going to have to grow up and figure it out on your own. Nobody on the internet can figure out your life. You are going to have to do it, or not. It is on you. This is not high school and your mom and dad cannot protect you.

So, in two years, when you are a junior, if you still suck, then you suck, and do something else with your life. Contrary to popular opinion on SDN, there are alot of fulfilling things you can do with your life, other than being a doctor.

My best advice - do not get a sexually transmitted disease. But get laid, safely.
 
Algophiliac said:
Now I'm even more worried. I KNOW I can handle the material...it's not that conceptually difficult at all. 🙁 That's exactly why I fail to understand how I could have gotten such a terrible grade! But there is absolutely no way I am giving up--why do you think I'm here asking for help? All the TA told me was to do more practice problems, but those were easy compared to the test material! For those of you who did eventually master general chem, how? What did you change about your study habits and/or outlook on the material?
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Doing poorly on the first test is nothing to be overly concerned about. You now have every opportunity to learn from your mistakes and figure it out. When I was taking gen chem I found that the most helpful study technique was practice problems. Do them over and over and over.
 
oaklandguy said:
I gave both sides of the spectrum and I gave study advice, just cause I brought up the possibility that a career may not be right for someone means I'm being harsh?
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The first suggestion out of your proverbial mouth was "maybe find a new career pathway," just because the OP mentioned doing poorly on ONE TEST. If that's not harsh, I don't know what is.
 
How much is the test worth? If it's a lot, I would suggest dropping the course and taking it the following semester - find out what grade you will need on future exams to end up with an A despite your low score.

Also, you probably need to get used to studying more than high school/more efficiently.
 
Algophiliac said:
My recent chemistry test score was ABISMAL. 🙁 I took this class as an AP class my senior year of high school, am at a comparatively noncompetitive college, and yet I still did not do well at all.
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Abysmal? 😉

College is different than high school. It just takes a while to get the hang of how the classes are, test structure, etc. Maybe not for everyone but for a lot of us. I don't know why everyone tries to take all their premed courses as freshmen. Take easy classes your first year and start the hard ones your sophomore year. Or even wait one semester before diving into the hard stuff. If you kill your GPA right at the beginning you aren't saving yourself any time/work. i think the best way to get good grades is to pace yourself. you have plenty of time, seriously.

But I also agree that one bad test isn't the end. If you do well on the rest of them you'll be okay I think. Also it depends what your score actually was (if you said what it was, I missed it.) like a 60 you can recover from. if you got, like, a 30 you may not be able to get an A but you can probably still get a B. I think most classes are designed so that one test won't kill you. Once (in my freshman year of course) i forgot about a test and slept right through it! i missed the entire test and still managed to get a B by doing well on everything else. i've also been in lots of classes where they increase the curve right at the end and I ended up getting an A or B when I was sure I'd be getting a B or C. try not to panic.

Edited to add: why not meet with the professor if what you're really looking for is study advice? just tell him/her that you're a freshman, thought you were studying effectively, but ended up doing poorly. i'm sure they have seen this a million times and have lots of advice for you. i never once asked a professor for help in undergrad. once i was in grad school though i repeatedly hit the wall with concepts i just could not grasp- so i HAD to ask professors for help. i cant believe i never did that before- every time, i understood the concept within ten minutes or less. they know their stuff and how to explain it, thats why they are teaching! they also gave me study tips and a lot of them even gave me 'directed' study tips for exams. if you take control of your performance in a class, the prof will respect that and be willing to help you out. plus its never too early to think about who you might be able to get LORs from!
 
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Algophiliac said:
My recent chemistry test score was ABISMAL. 🙁 I took this class as an AP class my senior year of high school, am at a comparatively noncompetitive college, and yet I still did not do well at all.

What do I do?! Perhaps I merely did not study enough...or am I studying incorrectly? The questions seemed more complicated than any of the homework problems, and time flew by insanely quickly. Not to mention, I NEED an A in this course, seeing as it's a pre-req from a not-so-competitive institution, and my aims for medical school are high. Unlike my self-esteem right now.
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as mentioned above...

talk to your professor and/or TA. If you can, look at your test and try to figure out why you made the mistakes you made. Were you studying the wrong material? Did you not understand the question? Were they calculation errors?

See if the professor or TA recommends a source of practice questions you can work on until you're comfortable with the material. If you're willing to put in the effort, you can usually find someone willing to help you, if you're just looking for someone to tell you what the quick fix is, then you might get some resistance.
 
MarinaS said:
How much is the test worth? If it's a lot, I would suggest dropping the course and taking it the following semester - find out what grade you will need on future exams to end up with an A despite your low score.

Also, you probably need to get used to studying more than high school/more efficiently.
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I kind of like this suggestion. In my first college biology class I slept through the first test (power went out along with my alarm). I sat with the professor and calculated what it would take for me to get an A. I would have had to get an high A in everything. I told him that I better take it next quarter, and there were no hard feelings. But make sure there is another class you can get into before you do this, and make sure you know what that test was worth. In my case, I had zero points because I missed the test altogether, you at least have some points.
 
chman said:
I kind of like this suggestion. In my first college biology class I slept through the first test (power went out along with my alarm). I sat with the professor and calculated what it would take for me to get an A. I would have had to get an high A in everything. I told him that I better take it next quarter, and there were no hard feelings. But make sure there is another class you can get into before you do this, and make sure you know what that test was worth. In my case, I had zero points because I missed the test altogether, you at least have some points.
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that sucks man. I always feared sleeping through an exam...I missed the first 10 minutes of orgo lab once, but somehow I got up in time to freak out, run all the way across campus to the lab, and still perform the experiment.
 
Contrarian said:
that sucks man. I always feared sleeping through an exam...I missed the first 10 minutes of orgo lab once, but somehow I got up in time to freak out, run all the way across campus to the lab, and still perform the experiment.
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Me too! :laugh:

But to the OP, don't let a test or two phase your personality. Quite honestly, if you convince yourself to being a confident, self-assured individual who has a clear sight of his/her goals, then you should realize that a consistent, sustained effort will surely get you into medical school. Most of us have done poorly in a class or two, but we're still chugging on this path.. you can too! And you're prob still capable of getting an A in this course, so no worries.
 
I will admit I didn't read all the posts on here, so someone has most likely already said this.

Please,

GET OFF SDN, STUDY, GET YOUR GRADES UP and LIVE YOUR LIFE.


I think pre-meds should not be allowed to come to SDN and freak-out until they are Juniors. This is causing you un-needed stress. One chemistry test (not even one class, one TEST!) will not keep you out of med school.

Talk to the prof. Figure out why you aren't studying right or enough. Get a tutor. Go to reviews. Do what you need to do, but it is NOT worth freaking out right now. You will be fine. Chin up, my friend. If you freak out over every bad test you will have a long four years ahead of you.
 
<<What do I do?! Perhaps I merely did not study enough...or am I studying incorrectly? The questions seemed more complicated than any of the homework problems, and time flew by insanely quickly. Not to mention, I NEED an A in this course, seeing as it's a pre-req from a not-so-competitive institution, and my aims for medical school are high. Unlike my self-esteem right now. >>

First off, stop the panic. Your okay! Your a freshman, trust me, the system is built in for freshman to screw up a couple of tests! The test question probably seem harder because it is testing CONCEPTS, not problems If you understand the underlying principle then the problem becomes easy. Techers LOVE the whole concept thing!If I had a test with all homework problems I would be in hog heaven, but no, they have to see if you can stretch that baby knowledge on to other problems, designed to see if you know the concept or simply memorized the problems!!! tricky huh????

I am taking Gen Chem now also, on top of Trig and Psyhcology. I didn't take many pre-med classes during my first degree, so I have to start at the beginning. (I am very non traditional! LOL) My Chem teacher SUCKs. He doesn't teach, justs reads from the book and some teacher notes from the person that ws SUPPOSE to teach the class. He has never taught before .... great, just what I needed for a foundation class!

So here are a few things that are helping me get by:

1. You Tube - Yes, You Tube - yes I am starting from some very basics, So Bill Nye the science guy, helps me learn concepts. And the concepts are what is important! There are excellent videos, animations and teachers breaking down concepts that are entertaining and educational. Some teachers just have a way of explaining so that I understand. If I dont have one of those teachers, I find one. You tube and the internet have some great teachers!

2. when it comes to things like balancing equations or naming compounds, there are great internet sites that give you practice and explanation. Go BEYOND your text book for information. See WHY the answer is that way. working the odd number problems and seeing if the answer is right or wrong is helpful, but you can go beyond that.

3. Study Groups - this is my favorite. I organize a study group the first day of every class. I learn best in a group enviroment, and find that by teaching and helping another student, I LEARN better and more concretely. This type of cooperative learning is useful, and builds those Leadership qualities the adcom's are looking for!!! :laugh:

4. Get the flash cards. You can buy pre-made flash cards at Borders Bookstore, or Barnes and Noble Something like that, I found it helpful to write my own, as I also learn by writing it all out, but sometimes a pre-made set really helps.

5 Relax. You sound wound up and your only a freshman! You have time. Breathe - this is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself.

Hope that helps! 😀

Robyn M.
 
Op,
Honestly bro, I really would not stress doing bad on the first exam. The first exam is always harder because you do not know the type of questions the prof will ask and how into detail they are..

Honestly do not stress it.

When you get to the gas laws chapter
PV=nRT , will save you a **** ton of time.

Practice practice practice!!!
 
Your gen chem class does sound awfully hard to include calculus based questions on the test. Are you guys on quantum mechanics b/c that's the only time I've encountered anything remotely close. At that point, you need a year or two of advanced calculus courses to do well.

Since I can't see your test, I can't make any judgment about whether it was fair or not. All I will say is that I agree with a lot of people here when they say the transition from high school to college can be difficult. For me, I was fine, but I also kept up with the readings and did lots of practice problems (which is actually more than I can say for a lot of people). If you went in there thinking you could've done a lot better if you studied harder, then it was obviously wrong to fall back on your AP chemistry experience to get you through. Otherwise, perhaps you just struggle with it more than others in which case you should look into trying new things like seeing a tutor or going to office hours.

I have to warn you though that having any chance at medical school means being doing well in every science subject: Gen Chem, Org Chem, Gen Bio, Adv Bio, and Physics. With possibly the exception of Org Chem, if you don't do well in them you can't hope to do well in the class or the MCAT
 
bravofleet4 said:
Your gen chem class does sound awfully hard to include calculus based questions on the test. Are you guys on quantum mechanics b/c that's the only time I've encountered anything remotely close. At that point, you need a year or two of advanced calculus courses to do well.
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There was no calculus on the test. I was referring to the textbook, which was much more confusing and went way more in depth than anything that was on the test. The professor just skimmed through those sections during lecture, as well. And yes, we are on quantum mechanics.

Since I can't see your test, I can't make any judgment about whether it was fair or not. All I will say is that I agree with a lot of people here when they say the transition from high school to college can be difficult. For me, I was fine, but I also kept up with the readings and did lots of practice problems (which is actually more than I can say for a lot of people). If you went in there thinking you could've done a lot better if you studied harder, then it was obviously wrong to fall back on your AP chemistry experience to get you through. Otherwise, perhaps you just struggle with it more than others in which case you should look into trying new things like seeing a tutor or going to office hours.

I have to warn you though that having any chance at medical school means being doing well in every science subject: Gen Chem, Org Chem, Gen Bio, Adv Bio, and Physics. With possibly the exception of Org Chem, if you don't do well in them you can't hope to do well in the class or the MCAT
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I realize I need to do very well in this class both for medical school and simply for myself in general. Perhaps I should have studied earlier, made sure I did ALL book and homework problems more than once, and pestered the TAs and professors during office hours until I truly understood the concept, not just how to do certain problems. In high school, AP chemistry just involved me reading the book and looking over a couple of problems the day before the test. I honestly did not expect this. 🙁

According to my calculations, I can still get an A in the class if I get an A on everything from now on. This shouldn't be a problem for homework problems or quizzes, but I'm still very worried about the tests. Oh god, hopefully I have the energy to study this much!
 
just relax, seriously. I'm in General Chem right now.....and thought it's a tough class once you find a way to study the material you'll be fine....practice makes perfect w/ Chem.
 
MilkmanAl said:
How would that be true? If you go F, A, A, A, you're still gonna be in the high B range if those A's are 100's. Unless he discounts that exam, it should be just as important as the others...
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In my class there were 2 midterms (25% each) and the final (50%). The first midterm was the easiest, with an average of 80 or so. But the 2nd midterm and final were WAY harder, with averages of like 50. It gave you a chance to prove that you were good at chemistry even if you didn't do well on the first exam. Most students did "well" on the first test because it was conceptually easy. But on the other exams where the material was much harder, the students who worked hard and understood the material got a chance to score way above the curve.

I personally got a really low grade (with the curve) on the first exam but I ended up with an A. This has taught me to become less discouraged by a bad first test result. It's a difficult situation though. :[
 
I'm a freshman in the same boat! But the class I'm having trouble with is Music Appreciation??

I thought this class was going to be easy becuase I am a musician and have been for the past 7 years of my life. But What the teacher teaches and what is on the tests are NOT the same thing!...


(and when I say I'm having trouble I mean I'm at a B. But I should really get an A in this class so I leave room for some B's in the actual tough courses)
 
DennisMikula said:
I thought this class was going to be easy becuase I am a musician and have been for the past 7 years of my life.
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This mentality is part of your problem. Knowing the basics of playing an instrument doesn't guarantee you to know the ins and outs of music theory and/or history. Study as if the information being taught is completely new to you, and see what happens. There's been times where the sections I performed the worst on were those that I thought I already knew, so I inadvertently skipped/glossed over that information thinking I already knew everything there was to be studied.
 
I got a 54% on my bio midterm (which was only a little below average). Luckily, I studied hard for the final and got an A- in the class.

Don't give up!
 
greatnt249 said:
This mentality is part of your problem. Knowing the basics of playing an instrument doesn't guarantee you to know the ins and outs of music theory and/or history. Study as if the information being taught is completely new to you, and see what happens. There's been times where the sections I performed the worst on were those that I thought I already knew, so I inadvertently skipped/glossed over that information thinking I already knew everything there was to be studied.
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Well I know that but knowing the basic principles should help. And I'ts not that I'm not studying becuase I think I already know everything (Which I know nothing about the classical music we are learning about ) It's just the fact that the teacher goes over nothing thats actually on the test.

Might as well stay home and read the book...
 
I just found out the CLASS AVERAGE for this test was a 27%! :scared:🙁 So much for thinking it was just me. And the professor said he would not, under any circumstances, curve our grades. WTF?!

EDIT: And I'm not in high school anymore, mods.
 
wowO.O we just had our first test in my gen.chem. class today and half the class was just as freaked out as you are--so a few of us got together and started talking about study groups. one good thing about a bad grade is it encourages you to straighten out your priorities & try harder, or maybe even try something different. youre not the only one in gen.chem. freaking out right now^^
im sure if you make this abismal grade into a turning point youll be just fine in the end

as for the no curve for that class average....yikesO.O
 
DennisMikula said:
Well I know that but knowing the basic principles should help. And I'ts not that I'm not studying becuase I think I already know everything (Which I know nothing about the classical music we are learning about ) It's just the fact that the teacher goes over nothing thats actually on the test.

Might as well stay home and read the book...
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Bummer...sounds like a crappy teacher.
 
Algophiliac said:
I just found out the CLASS AVERAGE for this test was a 27%! :scared:🙁 So much for thinking it was just me. And the professor said he would not, under any circumstances, curve our grades. WTF?!

EDIT: And I'm not in high school anymore, mods.
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He'll curve the grades. He can't fail 90%+ of the class, regardless of how poorly you guys do.
 
I used Barron's study materials in Gen Chemistry and found them very helpful. I studied the textbook chapter in its entirety and went back to Barron's to see if I understood the basics. I suggest finding some supplemental material - it helps to see things a few different ways, as long as they correspond.

Sounds like this professor isn't going to be much help so you should see if there are supplemental instruction opportunities available at your school. If not, inquire about a tutor. Don't be afraid to get a tutor... generally, the difference in those students who don't get a tutor and those who do is one gives a **** and the other doesn't. I'll let you figure out which one is which.

Be humble and recognize when you're having an issue. That's a low class average, I'll agree, but don't be like the rest - be the student at the high end of that average. It'll serve you well as you continue. Challenge yourself - that's what undergrad is all about.
 
Wow- why are you stressing over gen chem?

I- according to SDN standards- did abysmally in gen chem- I got a B

Didn't do that much better in gen chem II (B+)

Had A's in both semester of orgo and physics? The culprit? Being a freshman. Seriously- chillax.

I got a 12 on the physics section even getting 'abysmal' gen chem grades and dude- I struggled with it. In fact, I don't think I even quite understand it now. I promise, it WILL NOT MATTER. One class WILL NOT KILL YOU. I pinky swear.

Just learn it. I don't see why you have to drop it just because you -may not- get an A. How ridiculous. Take classes to learn things, not to boost your GPA. (I mean, obviously don't get like a 2.0) but seriously- if you are too scared to get through a class just because you -might not- get an A. I think you need some more confidence in yourself and your ability to reach your goals 🙂
 
MilkmanAl said:
He'll curve the grades. He can't fail 90%+ of the class, regardless of how poorly you guys do.
Click to expand...

If the average continues to be that low and the teacher is not making the tests a little easier or curving them then there is a problem and you could report the professor to the proper authority.

However I wonder exactly where there is legislation that would not allow a professor to fail 90%+ of a class. It would be ridiculous to do so, but I've been involved in classes that had a 50%+ fail rate, so I wonder where the line gets drawn.
 
right. after all, a school is a business and has a vested interest in ensuring its graduates have marketable gpas
 
Contrarian said:
right. after all, a school is a business and has a vested interest in ensuring its graduates have marketable gpas
Click to expand...

What's worse for the school: grade inflated graduates who cannot perform in the workplace/graduate school, or graduates with lower GPAs who have to retake courses because the university does not grade inflate, but can perform in the work place/graduate school because they understand the material and employers/graduate schools recruit more students because they know they can trust that school's graduates??

The choice is obvious. It boils down to reputation. If your school does not have a lot, it has to work like this to build its reputation otherwise it has none.

Most employers do not look at GPA unless they are a highly competitive, prestigious company.
 
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