O-Chem Curve?

[golf299]

I applied to 4 pharmacy schools this year: Univ. MO, Kansas City; Kansas Univ.; St. Louis College of Pharm; and Univ. of CO.

I got into 2 out of 3 so far, and waiting for a response from one more. Of course, I need to get C's in my remaining classes. The problem is this O-chem class. The class avg. is a solid D. The teacher does not believe in curves.

I got a B in O-chem I, and definitely felt challenged. But now, it seems like the teacher is making the class ridiculously hard...namely the tests and homework don't represent the tests.

Two questions:

1.) How many of you took O-chem and had a curve in place, or at least a class average that was passing?

2.) I will have to retake the class this summer obviously. The problem is that I have to also take a microbiology class that I have never taken before also. So, what do you think the chances are of passing two hard-hitting classes over the summer?

I thought the hard part was almost over when I was accepted to multiple programs, but now I don't even know if I'll be able to take advantage of either one...kinda sucks.

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[64microbus]

That sucks! I feel for you. I had an anal Ochem I prof. I worked my arse off and got the second highest grade in the class - a C. There was no way I was going to take him for Ochem II. There's a fine line between pushing your students to learn and being anal. It sounds like your guy is anal. I trust he won't be teaching your summer class. Microbus out

 

[imperial frog]

My Organics was kinda hard. I would say that about 2-3 people got A and the same for B. Maybe 6-7 got C and the remaing 15 or so pulled Ds and Fs. It wasn't graded on a curve but even if it was it woudn't have mattered much.

Personally I don't like curves because it forces a grade set on people that isn't accurate simply to maintain an imposed standard deviation.

 

[halfbaked]

that really sucks about your OChem class. My advise: find somewhere that you know it will be easy and take it there. since you're already in they won't care where you take your classes as long as you pass them. OChem and Micro may seem hard, but you should be able to do them if you work hard. and if you can't, maybe you should reconsider going to pharmacy school, because it will be no cakewalk.

 

[illusions]

I wished my organic professor curved. I had the hardest organic professor at my school. Just got results back from the final exam and 74 people failed and 6 passed. Now just waiting to see what my final grade is going to be ...Exams aren't curved, but the final grades are. A 45% is a C.....but an A is still at 90% Too bad for me who did well throughout the semester and made a D on the final.

 

[maggiemoo]

wow, my organic chemistry prof curves a whole lot! on the first exam, a 7 was a passing score. can you believe that??? that is kind of sad...

 

[ooscubaoo]

same here, my o chem class is curved. i just recently took my first midterm and the class average was a 55%, which is a B-.

 

[dgroulx]

My class had a small curve. There were always 2 people who made an A on every exam, so the curve could not be too big. I ended up with a B in Org II thanks to a strong lab performance, but I sucked on the exams.

 

[dontworry]

my o chem teacher curves. though he doesnt really tell us how many points he is adding. On the last test that we had, the average was a 4 out of 15 questions. thats pretty sad def try checking out community colleges or somewhere that it might be a little easier, or a diff teacher. if you are taking it for the second time, that alone will probably improve your scores.

 

[tanyas]

when I took the first quarter of o-chem at UCLA, I think the average was aroung 40-50 on all the tests, but the teacher obviously curved. The second and third quarter were not as bad, but the class as a whole was very challenging. Good luck....

 

[Spyris]

I had biochem at ucla, man a 15/100 was considered a C. I believe 30 was an A, it was a brutal class. But i did fine in my other upper div biochem class. Depended on the class and teacher for me.

 

[ooscubaoo]

same here @ uci, the average for biochem final was 35/100...pretty sad..biochem was hard!!!

 

[imperial frog]

What kind of questions are they asking that requires a curve where 30% equals an A?

I took Organics at a CC with an instructor who is acknowledged to be one of the toughest in the state even by university standards (this from the university science departments themselves.) I will honestly say that she was the most demanding instructor that I ever had, even more so than the demon spawn from my graduate school. A typical problem was to synthesize a molecule where 4-5 steps were required showing all reagents, solutions, charge shifts, proton shifts, attractions, etc.... Multiply that by about 15 problems per test. The average score on the tests was in the 40-50 range, but there were always a couple people who scored 95+.

 

[Spyris]

The problems that are given to UCLA students are typically: "from what you have learned, create this unknown molecule in more then five steps from so and so planet, then explain why this molecule cannot be created or synthesized here on earth. Name each enzyme, compound, reagent, etc. that you are going to use and what will be the limiting factor." Multiply that by five and we have to do all that in under 40 minutes. Each class period is only 50 minutes. Go quarter system!

 

[imperial frog]

The problems that are given to UCLA students are typically: "from what you have learned, create this unknown molecule in more then five steps from so and so planet, then explain why this molecule cannot be created or synthesized here on earth.

Wouldn't that fall more under Inorganic? You got a hell-spawn instructor.

 

[eddie269]

my thing is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use ratemyprofessor.com AND ask around. At UC Davis, this guy name Kurth gives THEE hardest tests. his reputation lives on. ridiculous tests and grading. its the same reason why 25% of the people in my current class skipped him last qtr cause he was the only one teaching ochem 118B.

good luck with your ochem class though