General General Chemistry Mental Block

[Goro]

Hi all, I appreciate everyone taking the time to read my post and respond with advice. I am a transfer student currently attending Cal Berkeley. I went to a community college in Southern California and have had the intention of being a pre-med through out my years. I am enrolled in a summer session Gen Chem class and the first week has flown by. I feel like a complete idiot. The professor just zooms through the lecture expecting us to have prior knowledge of everything and never goes back to touch a subject. She skips chapters and goes out of order without thorough explanations. Chemistry is by far my worst subject. I understand the study habits I need to have and have considerably improved on them through the years. I know these courses require different approaches but it feels like this might not be a right time. The drop deadline without a W has not passed yet and I am not sure if I should just drop the course and try it during the fall or just stick with it and try my absolute best by studying as well as finding help and support. I have gone to her office hours and she is just as confusing in there. I tried to see if the chemistry department offered summer tutoring but it is only available during fall and spring. I am feeling a bit discouraged, maybe I am not cut out for this. I can't picture myself doing anything else in my life, I would love to be a surgical oncologist some day. I know a lot of you will probably tell me if I am struggling with gen chem then I don't belong in med school. I agree, which is why I am seeking help here. I hate to sound like such a negative person but I just feel that way at the moment.

1) Go see the professor for help
2) Make friends with classmates and study together
3) Go to your schools learning or education center
4) Drop the course.

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[lord999]

Also, you probably need to check whether or not your potential schools accept online classes for the formal prerequisites. Many do not for the very reasons you cite.

As a self-teaching guide, I actually recommend a somewhat hard to find book in the present era, but if you can hunt down an REA Chemistry Problem Solver book (it's a pretty large one). That book teaches by walking you through many problems and explains the criteria to solve them as you are solving them. That's honestly how I self-taught myself General Chemistry as I had it from someone who honestly did not care about teaching undergraduates. Trying to self-teach yourself is actually one of the more rewarding activities in the academic life that I recommend to anyone walking this route.

Also, memorize the ions and charges. You might as well as it comes up again and again throughout the course and the future.

 

[lord999]

Thank you so much for responding. I will definitely look into buying that book and self teaching. I completely understand what you mean about professors not caring about undergrads. I kinda regret coming to Berkeley haha. Beyond grateful to be here, but maybe name isn't as important as I once naively thought. Oh well, I have to work with what I have. I appreciate your response very much thanks again.

Ah Berkeley, oh yeah, they really don't give a flip about their undergraduate teaching for Chemistry. Peter Vollhardt was the only professor there who gave a damn about undergraduate education (and was one of the few non-sexist professors at Berkeley during his era for graduate students and postdocs), but his undergraduate Organic Chemistry class was reputedly the hardest in the country, and if his textbook is any example, it's definitely in the running as its more detailed than some graduate textbooks.

 

[Catalystik]

You are already floundering in an accelerated course at a school that is not offering the proper resources during the summer to help you succeed. I am inclined to say, "Drop it" right before the deadline unless you suddenly "get it."

What else are you doing this summer? If you say working, volunteering, or having fun, that is part of the problem. Your summer needs to be dedicated to this one intense course. When you're not in class, you should be studying for the class.

I share your pain. I had the same problem, despite having taken chemistry in HS. But I had access to office hours, study groups, and department-sponsored tutoring. Eventually, it all came clear.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Adding to everyone's advice, which I think consensus will say drop the class as soon as you can (withdrawals will result in a W being on your transcript if you wait until after the drop deadline, and that always raises concerns among applicants thinking the W's will be red flags for admissions folks). Aren't there Supplemental Instructors (SI's) who also hold discussion sessions? At a place like Berkeley, I'm pretty sure there are.

I would also seek online supplemental guidance. Khan Academy for one.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi Mr. Smile, we do have SIs. Sadly they are very unprepared rising juniors. Im not doubting their intelligence and subject knowledge but they have been very unprepared thus far. The first few times sessions they gave all of us the wrong answers. They aren’t prepared enough for the rigor of the session

Did you tell the instructor of record, your department chair, and/or your college dean? I still say too this end, I would compliment what I am learning with online materials, even if they are from other schools. Many schools have allowed professors to post videos of old class lectures online (that was the case with Yale and MIT over a decade ago anyway).