Just failed an Ochem exam.

[PowerOfWill]

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Long vent incoming. Please disregard the ironic screenname.

I usually score well above average on our weekly exams. This past week I became super motivated to do as well as I possibly can.

I studied 34 hours since Monday a.m. just for ochem. I followed the study guide to a T. Studying became all that I do. I wasn't able to get through all the material as I was being so thorough. I did learn about 80% of the material completely.

I developed insomnia and slept 2.5 hrs last night and 4hrs the night prior. The exam today was entirely the end of the material that I couldn't get to. The first 80% (entire chapters).. Everything I worked so hard on.. Was completely disregarded. Super lucky.

I started to crack throughout the week. Stress really started eating me alive.

I was beginning to enjoy the class and all the time I spend learning. It only hurt me.

If I can't handle this, and this is how stress affects me, I wouldn't be able to handle med school, or being an attending, right?

 

[ihoop24]

You gotta chill lol. It is one exam grade. Move on from it and figure out what is to do better for the next exam. About the stress part, don't get down on yourself and say you can't be a doctor because you have stress.

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

O-chem is a notoriously difficult weed-out class designed to discourage the weak minded and make them consider other career options.

Your performance in O-chem isn't an accurate predictor of your performance as a med student/resident/attending.

 

[PowerOfWill]

O-chem is a notoriously difficult weed-out class designed to discourage the weak minded and make them consider other career options.

Your performance in O-chem isn't an accurate predictor of your performance as a med student/resident/attending.

I'm more concerned about how I handle stress and the lifestyle. Brutal class for sure, but I was doing really well and feeling fine. Enjoying the material etc.

Getting the lowest score in the class after working way harder and longer than anybody else was really disheartening. Im worried it goes further than this. I've felt simultaneously like death and elated. Then this result, the insomnia, the quick to frustrate etc.. Really affects me

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

You need to find ways to relieve stress and improve your mental well-being. These are crucial skills needed in your pre-med years and beyond.

Things aren't always going to work out no matter how much effort you put in. Realize that it is just 1 exam out of many. Do whatever it is you need to do to reset your mindset, pick yourself back up, learn from mistakes, and perform your best on the exam.

 

[deleted819639]

As someone who's been in similar shoes...
First off, if you haven't already, get off SDN and get some sleep. Make sure you repay that sleep debt; sleep deprivation will only make you more paranoid and moody.
Second, one test is not going to kill you, especially if you were doing well above the average in all other exams. The important thing is to not give up from the experience but to learn from it; if you were only able to cover 80% of the material in 34 hours, I would suggest better planning your work so that you can cover all the material before the exam, albeit at a less thorough level...I've always found that many of my chemistry/biochemistry courses would always include a big question on the most recent material learned. I suspect my professors actually did it as a favor since most students would remember the end material better, but there would always be few students burned by not covering the most recent material. Sounds like you learned a valuable lesson.
Best of luck.

 

[Cheeezcake]

Got an F on my first physics exam, readjusted my study habits, got a 12/12 on the final, earned an A overall.

just learn from it and you’ll be fine 🙂

 

[la flame]

Keep your head up high brother. Get some rest and take a day just relaxing spending time w friends/SO, video games, exercise, shopping, etc. Sometimes we work genuinely hard but sometimes things don't always end up in our favor & that's ok.


As for studying and improving, I would recommend studying more after your lectures vs. doing a huge 10 hour chunk the week of your test. For example, I study at least 6-8 hours a week on Ochem even if my test is 3 weeks away. I space it out 2-3 days a week. That way, I have a solid understanding of the material before I'm even on "test mode". So 2-3 days before the test, all I'm doing is practice questions and reactions.

What does your "study guide" consist of? Personally, I don't even complete my professors study guides. Study guides is literally the topics that we go over in powerpoints so if you know the powerpoints (my paragraph above), you should be good.

I would also wait to get your test back and go to your professor's office hours to see what you got wrong. Maybe for some questions you just got dumb questions wrong because you bubbled the wrong answer or you did a stupid mistake that you should have known the answer to.

 

[Mkif586]

O-chem is a notoriously difficult weed-out class designed to discourage the weak minded and make them consider other career options.

Your performance in O-chem isn't an accurate predictor of your performance as a med student/resident/attending.

Depends on a school and a prof. At my school 1/3 of the class get A in ochem and about 40% get B.

 

[TheDataKing]

I'm late to this, but I got a 30% on an exam in Orgo 2 and.... still got into med school. One exam doesn't define you - work your butt off for the rest of the semester and get help from others if you can.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Long vent incoming. Please disregard the ironic screenname.

I usually score well above average on our weekly exams. This past week I became super motivated to do as well as I possibly can.

I studied 34 hours since Monday a.m. just for ochem. I followed the study guide to a T. Studying became all that I do. I wasn't able to get through all the material as I was being so thorough. I did learn about 80% of the material completely.

I developed insomnia and slept 2.5 hrs last night and 4hrs the night prior. The exam today was entirely the end of the material that I couldn't get to. The first 80% (entire chapters).. Everything I worked so hard on.. Was completely disregarded. Super lucky.

I started to crack throughout the week. Stress really started eating me alive.

I was beginning to enjoy the class and all the time I spend learning. It only hurt me.

If I can't handle this, and this is how stress affects me, I wouldn't be able to handle med school, or being an attending, right?

Just relax, its just a weed out class stuff. Just focus on the next exam. Those who have been through med school will tell you, you wont ever see it again.

 

[PowerOfWill]

Thanks so much for the helpful replies. Means everything.

Back in the saddle now.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

To OP, my guess is that you're studying inefficiently.

I've seen people who "study" for 10 hours but actually put in about 1 hour's worth of studying. If your television is on, you are not studying. If you are chatting with people, you are not studying. It's fine to do it that way if you have endless time, but if you don't, you need to eliminate distractions.

Also, many subjects like Chemistry and Mathematics build on themselves. Therefore, the material most likely to be tested on is the latest stuff as it incorporates previous material.

Good luck!

 

[GunningForInternalMed]

You gotta chill lol. It is one exam grade. Move on from it and figure out what is to do better for the next exam. About the stress part, don't get down on yourself and say you can't be a doctor because you have stress.

One exam can affect your grade a lot


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[IsleyOfTheNorth]

One exam can affect your grade a lot

I think ihoop24 meant "...in the context of your undergraduate degree".

 

[JSD2]

A full night's rest will benefit you far more than an extra hour or two of studying. Don't upturn your life for an exam, it rarely works.

 

[GunningForInternalMed]

A full night's rest will benefit you far more than an extra hour or two of studying. Don't upturn your life for an exam, it rarely works.

False


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[LittlePuppy]

In a worse scenario than OP. It's very discouraging since working FT and studying ochem + physics is difficult for me (+ other major life events). Don't get me wrong, ochem is fun. It just requires a lot of practice. This might be my second B in my post bacc, but I'm just thinking that it's a way for me to reassess myself and see what strategies work and what didn't, and what I can do moving forward. It's a tough pill to swallow, but a necessary one.

 

[Jeremy Bearimy]

False


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ok dwight schrute, I think the point is that if you've already been studying for 33 hours, 1 hour more of inefficient studying won't help. 1 hour more sleep the night before the exam, on the other hand, can be very helpful.

Additionally, as a note to OP, junior year I got a 16% (yes, 24/150) on an orgo 2 exam. I got into medical school last week! Survival is both possible and probable!