Struggling with Gen Chem 1

[hawktux09]

Hi all,

I am about halfway through the semester and I am really struggling in Gen Chem 1. I seem to have fallen behind because it is taking me longer to learn the material. I failed the first exam but the curve may have pushed me to "just barely failed". I know what I did wrong on the exam, and it turned out I just studied the wrong things. The professor is dropping one of our first 2 exams (the next one is in a couple of weeks and Im really far behind on doing the practice problems and reviewing).

I get tutoring at least once or twice a week depending on availability and I watch the supplemental instruction sessions that are recorded if I am unable to make them. This is my second time taking this class, the last time was about 5 years ago and I failed due to a professor not willing to work with my testing accommodations.

Im putting a lot of pressure on myself to do well in this class because I need to raise my GPA, and be able to proceed to Gen Chem 2 in the spring. Im having really bad anxiety over this class and I am not really sure what to do, its also mixed with imposter syndrome as the school I am taking my pre-reqs at is really well known, and they are EXTREMELY intense. It is just the lecture portion I am having issues with. Im doing really well in lab! If anyone has any tips, I would love to hear them.

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[Dral]

I can't give you any good advice on preparing for the exam, but if you don't do well on the next exam (I would say B or higher, or curved to that), I would consider a W for the course if it's not past the date to be able to do so.

How are your grades in other courses? You already have a fail in this course and you don't want another fail on your record regardless of the course.

If you can take a W I might recommend retaking the course during a time between traditional semesters. While the material will be condensed, you can focus all your energy on the course, and depending on the University, it may be a smaller more intimate course where you may have a chance to better absorb the material and ask questions during lecture.

I know you want to get to GC2 in the spring, but you gotta make sure you more than solidly pass GC1 first.

 

[hawktux09]

I can't give you any good advice on preparing for the exam, but if you don't do well on the next exam (I would say B or higher, or curved to that), I would consider a W for the course if it's not past the date to be able to do so.

How are your grades in other courses? You already have a fail in this course and you don't want another fail on your record regardless of the course.

If you can take a W I might recommend retaking the course during a time between traditional semesters. While the material will be condensed, you can focus all your energy on the course, and depending on the University, it may be a smaller more intimate course where you may have a chance to better absorb the material and ask questions during lecture.

I know you want to get to GC2 in the spring, but you gotta make sure you more than solidly pass GC1 first.

I am unable to withdraw from Gen Chem 1 as I am only taking 1 other class (which is fully online) and it is NOT a pre-req. Our next exam is in a couple weeks and the withdraw deadline is tomorrow. The next time I would be able to take Gen Chem 1 is next fall.

 

[Sunny Waffles]

Hey, I totally understand where you are coming from, chemistry isn’t really my thing either. Like you, I bombed my first exam and I studied for like 8 hrs for it. I felt like I got too fixated on the “content” learning rather than doing the practice problems the first time. So the second time, I prolly spent like 3 hrs just redoing the homework problems and I managed to match the class average. So all that I’m trying to say is to focus on the practice tests and homework problems, those are more useful in my opinion than the lecture slides when it comes to chemistry. I hope this helps…

 

[Bonne Nuit]

How are you studying? Please be specific so we can help.
What tools are you using aside from lectures/supplemental recordings (these are very passive and not great for retention)?
How many practice problems are you doing?
Are you fully reviewing the quiz/test questions you get wrong and reworking them?
How often do you attend your professor's office hours?

Gen Chem can be a real beast for some people, especially as you're starting your postbac process and getting used to the pace of the hard sciences. For reference, I probably studied AT LEAST 20 hours per week for Gen Chem alone (up to 30 during exam week), in addition to the Bio + Lab and Calculus I was taking simultaneously. It was nearly constant work, it was not fun, but it's what I needed to do to earn good grades in that course.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I am unable to withdraw from Gen Chem 1 as I am only taking 1 other class (which is fully online) and it is NOT a pre-req. Our next exam is in a couple weeks and the withdraw deadline is tomorrow. The next time I would be able to take Gen Chem 1 is next fall.

What happens if you withdraw from Gen Chem? Your plans are delayed.

What happens if you fail Gen Chem again? Your plans are postponed - perhaps forever.

Choose wisely, my friend.