<p>I HATE. HATE, HATE writing this but as you parentrly dis have been privy to my successes so the opposite must be true as well. I'm taking Gen. Chem I this semester, a notorious weed-out course at my school. I'm not doing well. I got a 62 on the first test, but wasn't too worried--I mean, I was worried, but I'm no stranger to bombing the first test and then pulling my grade up to an A. So I worked my *** off this pass unit, did all the (optional) homework and got the answers correct. I did well on the quizzes and in class problems. I knew what we were taught backwards and forwards. Got the second test back tody--a 49. Class average is about a 50, maybe a bit lower, and the highest grade I heard of was 62. No curves. We have student aides who have done well in the class- and do in class problems with us--did well on those. Asked my aide a question during revie sessions and she said that a problem would never be presented a certain way--it was presented that way. The thing is, how do I ask for help if all the quizzes/homework indicate I'm getting it? Iy's not like I can ask a question about something I don't know we're going to see. Test questions are so utterly different from the quizzes/hw it's not funny. I'm getting A's in the lab portion, the instructor there loves me so far, and I did extremely well on the chem placement test (to the point where the graders stop counting points), so it's not lack of prep. Everyone I've talked to in the course says to bet on the final (not written by the instructor) as a huge grade boos, but I don't know.</p>
<p>I feel horrible. I feel like I made the wrong decision in giving up a spot in prof. pharmacy program to come here (based on "fit"). I'll never get in the pharmacy program, and I hate that. I hate that I could get almost all of material which I supposed to check for understanding and still do poorly (so how do I'm not doing well if I'm gettong the other problems right). The cold comfort in this is only that everyone else is doing poorly, too, so it's not just me.</p>
<p>Hmm. Weed out courses are generally there to discourage people from things like med school and, it would seem in your case, pharmacy school. Is that right?</p>
<p>The lack of a curve puzzles me. Almost all weed out courses I know of grade on a curve, and if 62 is the highest grade, that would mean that the highest grade on a test was a "D," correct? That's more than a bit bizarre.</p>
<p>Sometimes the curve appears at the end. For sure the Dean won't stand for the whole class failing.</p>
<p>I had the same situation in a Physics class, no curve,the tests were impossible but everyone did well on the labs. 30% of the kids got 0 on the tests. Most of the class though somehow ended up with a C or better so he had to have curved it. Is there away to find out from someone how the final marks shook out last year?</p>
<p>Reading your post, it sounds to me like what you really need to do is talk to the instructor. If I were you, I'd attend office hours, or set up a meeting with him and explain exactly what you did here. Just explain that you did the practice problems, etc. and understood those, but had difficulty with the way the questions were presented on the test. Perhaps he can give you some practice problems more like those on the tests?</p>
<p>Edit: Also, you need to go back over your exams and see where the problems are, if you haven't already. Are you making silly math errors? Or are you not understanding what the question is? Or maybe something else? Looking back over the old exams should help you see how to study for the next one, and will also help you with the final.</p>
<p>College level chemistry does come as a bit of a shock. If you are doing well in the labs and quizzes, and average in the tests, it sound like you will pass the class. Don't worry about grad school, just concentrate on problem at hand.</p>
<p>If you have not already done so, talk to the instructor and ask if there is an additional text she could suggest. Also, preview the material before it is presented. It that way, you will be able to ask better questions in class. </p>
<p>As I recall, you are taking a pretty heavy schedule. That's likely not helping, either. When you schedule next semester, remember this and maybe be a little conservative.</p>
<p>Keep working: chemistry just isnt' an easy course...</p>
<p>Don't give up. You can still do it. You have been given some good advice above. Is it possible to audit a chem course over the summer-just to get a better knowlege base. Pharmacy is pretty much chemistry but do not worry-I hated chem-I just did it.
LA, PharmD
my boss always says -just follow the molecules.</p>
<p>Wolf--in the support program I work at, many of my students sound much like you--they feel that they know the stuff, but then they bomb the tests. This is especially true in some weedout science and nursing courses.</p>
<p>I have long suspected that it's a problem with reading the questions, especially if they're multiple choice. Many questions are worded in such a way that if you read them quickly, you'll think they're asking something different from what they are. There may be several negatives in the question ("which of these is not a chemical you would not use to....") that's not a good example, but that kind of thing. Also be careful of answering "all but" questions correctly. ("All but which of these would be a product of this reaction?") Be careful about absolutes--never, always, etc. </p>
<p>The problem for my students is that they can't take the tests home to study where they went wrong, but some professors will let them read them over in their office. It woudl be better if they could go over them with a tutor to tease out how the mistakes are happening. Is this possible for you?</p>
<p>I am actually trying to put together a workshop for just this, as I see it as a widespread problem for my students. When I go to work tomorrow, I'll find some of the websites I have found which have tips for test-taking and send them on to you.</p>
<p>Make an appt to see the professor. Take the tests and explain your difficulties with studying. Ask him to advise you on how to study for the tests. </p>
<p>When I was at MIT, the first few tests were quite a shock. As I told my son (now at MIT), the tests weren't on the facts, because they're known, or about how to manipulate the facts. The tests were always open-book, because facts were the beginning; the tests were about what the sum of all the facts added up to----in combination with things we were learning in other courses, too.</p>
<p>When you study, ask yourself constantly: if this is true, what else does that mean? How does that impact on what we did last week in this class?</p>
<p>If you're interested in pharmacy, think of it like drug interactions: an antibiotic might be fine, but not if you take it with grapefruit juice or sit in the sun....</p>
<p>Wolfpiper, Keep your chin up. It will probably get better. S's Chem 2 class last semester sounded much the same as what yu describe. They got a curve in the end. Now he is struggling thru Physics 2 with the same problems you're having...good homework, tests from Mars, class average 60. Don't know why instructors do this. It doesn't help anyone</p>
<p>I agree with the masses to go talk to the instructor. You should approach the prof asking for suggestions of how you can study better, be more prepared, etc.....you can set yourself apart from just another apathetic college kid who doesn't care about the course........a general meeting now, and then set up time during office hours before the next test to ask questions about things you may not be sure about, etc.....you'll probably find this helpful. Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Go over those tests and see what the prof is doing diffeently on them - know your test maker. Is he picky about obscure material? If so, focus on it. As to the aides, go to the source. They aren't writing the tests. Have the prof go over what the answers should have been and his thought process. Pick his brain. Once you can figure him out, then you can do better on the tests.</p>
<p>Wolfpiper--in case it's the test format/questions types which is causing the problem, here's a site with links to many more that cover all kinds of test-taking issues, hints, strategies, etc.</p>
<p>I had to take college chemistry (in order to get in to nursing program) without having taken HS chemistry. It was the most challenging class I've ever taken. I went in every day to get help from the TAs and also sought out the prof more than once (at huge state U, not so accessible). I was so stressed by this class, I was physically ill before the final, but I ended up with a B. Huge relief. Show your interest and perseverance (I know you have both!).</p>
<p>My daughter had a similar experience in a notorious pre-med course at Columbia and found it very frustrating. She did well in lab and on quizzes and the practice tests but was just below the mean on most of the exams. The professor had a very particular way about setting up the exams that some people "got" and some did not - it wasn't just lack of smarts. You have gotten tons of good advice above and I will add that my D ended up taking a couple of higher level courses in the subject area and doing well in them to show that she had ability (and competency). She is a pretty tough cookie and was having none of one course ending the path that she wanted to take. The pre-med advisor at her school heartily supported her decision. If at the end of the semester you are truly disappointed with your grade it might be worth a shot.</p>
<p>I suspect that like medical school, one average grade (and technically you will probably have an average or even above average grade for the class) is not a deal breaker. I feel for you though, I remember how distressed my D was at the time.</p>
<p>My son who had college chem and did well said the exams were much more difficult than the homework and quiz. (what a wierd word, quiz...) Anyway, I would suggest dropping it NOW if there is no doubt you may fail.
Then take the class at a community college this summer. First, find out what chem class they have will be transferable. Then, ah, hah.......transfer the credits and wala!.......no grade, because we all know when credits are transferred the credits are only transferred not the grade!</p>
<p>HOWEVER, you gotta rethink the pharmacy. Nothing but chem classes ahead with the pharmacy.Sometimes they have elimination tests, if you can't pass this you're...........outta here! Why? Becasue you HAVE to be right at least 75% of the time.
Better find out!</p>
<p>Wolfpiper..you are right to be worried but this is one of those "universal" experiences in courses like Chemistry and later possibly Organic. Be proactive. First of all, hire the best tutorial private or small group person you can locate. Then make an apt with the teacher and express how much you want to master this material. Get his or her input on how to prepare for each category of quiz and test. Inform him or her that if you can't get the material sufficiently this round, you are going to consider withdrawing and beginning again. Find out exactly what the date is when you are allowed to drop the class. (this is a financial loss plan for many schools, but many good kids attack a course a second time and nail it.) Because that is going to be a possible approach for you..to lose the money and time but then to reenroll in this class and do better on it next round. You can also help yourself by making sure your math and HS Chem skills are sharpened and speedier before you show up.
My S also took a similar class..it was actually advanced Calc. He had also had mono which compromised his judgment and his ability to study. However, like you he was used to "toughing things out" and believed he could salvage his grade on the Quiz or Test "around the corner" based on individual determination and effort. Mistakes he made included not hiring an experienced tutor immediately. By the time he did that he was down to the wire. It is possible that with the promised curve offered at the very end of the course..after final exams to be specific, he would have passed this class but the risk of failure was very present.<br>
He withdrew from the course after working hard at it for many weeks.<br>
Next semester he almost aced it. Of course he was no longer sick, but he was also more sophisticated, had reviewed and practiced over a break, signed up from the first week for tutorials, never missed a session with tutors and now he realized he could no longer "salvage" a series of weak grades like he could in high school. His high school also gave a nice percentage of a final grade to things like completing homework and other participation efforts which just are not factors anymore in college grading. He now overprepares for the first exams.<br>
Lastly, he did not choose to major in science. He could have done it but he could see from the curves in a few courses that he was always going to be bell curved to the second tier. He has other areas of greater interest and talent.
But I meet docs all the time who made it all the way after struggling with Cs as grades..ditto with engineering so if you are certain of your vocational goals, don't quit, just regroup and stay the path. Do talk to upperclassman in your sorority to locate students who have made it through to gain perspective. Do not underestimate perseverance, just change your game to suit your new world.</p>