So, today I found out the results of my first chemistry exam. I did not just fail my exam, but received a 30%. I am absolutely floored, and when I went to go speak with my chemistry professor, I was on the verge of tears. I have never ever EVER done so poorly on an exam. I was an AP scholar in high school, graduated in the top 15% of my class, and did well on the ACT.
I’m stunned because I felt like I studied well and understood the material. I’m currently acing every single class I have, well, besides chem. I just remember going into the exam and my mind going blank. I don’t know what to do. This exam was only worth 9% of our entire grade, but she said the exams do get harder. I’ve started looking at the new material, and so far, I am understanding it very well. She said I can either swap this class for a lower, slower chem class, or keep plugging through. It is still possible to get a B, but due to the fact the tests get harder, she says I’m in a tough spot.
I know I could’ve studied more, but I am just at a loss for what to do. Should I drop the class and swap it out for a lower paced one, or keep pushing through? As a side note, if I swap this class for a slower paced chem class, then that means I have to take another semester of chemistry, and that will mess up my future schedule. Any thoughts or insight would be lovely. If you have any tips or relevant, uplifting stories, please let me know!
When is the final deadline for a W with no grade? Can you afford to hire a private tutor? Is there supplemental instruction at your school? How important is chem to your major or career path?
My career path is pre-med, and chem is obviously pretty important. The deadline for a W without it showing on my transcript is this upcoming monday at midnight. She said it is entirely up to me as she could see room for improvement, but doesn’t want me to become overwhelmed.
What was the class average?
If you’re premed, switch to the slower track.
You really have no choice, even if it messes up the schedule you’ve planned - it’s hard to imagine your going from a grade of 30% to top 20% in the class. On the other hand, it may be a clue premed’s not a good choice for you - Chem1 is easier than Chem2, which is VASTLY easier than Organic Chemistry, a nightmarish class.
Have you done all the exercises in the textbook and shown your results to a tutor? Do you go to office hours outside of that one time to discuss your grade?
As noted above^, and, college level coursework is really different from the high school level. It does get tougher since the information is vast and has to come at jet speed.
You have to decide: is it worth it to you to do the pre-med track? Then take the slower paced chem class and get a decent GPA. If you don’t want to do another semester, then you have to take whatever grade comes your way in this present chem class.
I would go talk to the professor immediately. I think he/she will give frank and helpful advice. I am a parent here, but I did incredibly crappy in Biochem back in my day. I put it off too long and withdrew. The prof said he wished I had come to him right away, as he would have been happy to help me. Shoulda-woulda-coulda, but I was too embarrassed. (Now my husband knows him as a colleague! But, I feel pretty safe he doesn’t remember me from 30 years ago.) If he/she thinks you should W, then take it another semester. There’s still time. Or, you might be able to take it in the summer elsewhere, if it doesn’t fit in your schedule, and transfer the credit.
I am going to give slightly different advice here. It can be shocking to get that first low grade. Please note, and I said this to my daughter a year ago when she felt devastated by her first low grade in physics. “Your head will not fall off if you don’t get an A!” You aren’t going to be able to quit or drop down a level for everything that is hard in life.
Unless you are totally unprepared for the subject, find resources to help you to do better. Academic support, study groups, online materials, whatever. Also, keep visiting the professor for help, be tenacious. It might actually impress him or her and they may dig in more to help you. Last year my daughter did this with her least favorite professor and ended up with an A in physics (there ended up being a curve) and later in the year the physics department tried to entice her to switch majors for a special fellowship for women, so you never know where your extra effort will take you.
It’s up to you to decide what is most important to you. I am that mother and advisor who believes that a bit of struggle brings growth and strength even though it hurts while you are going through it.
^ that’s excellent advice for any goal except premed. That student needs a GPA as close to 3.5 as possible and nowhere near below 3.0. A 30% is an F, and even a C first semester causes irreparable damage to a premed GPA.
The situation is common freshman year and what you suggest is in fact the best process. Some freshmen make it. Others -most- keep trying and hoping, but don’t make it. It’s a risk worth the learning process for most of them because as you say it’s one of the most valuable lessons they’ll learn. The issue is that a premed has to hit the ground running.
So, the student has to decide whether she wants to be a doctor or not. It’s very weighty for mid September freshman year. By taking the slower paced chemistry class or pushing chemistry to the spring, op gives herself some time to decide.
Op : are you taking chemistry 1 or did you skip a level with AP credit ?
I would say withdraw and consider taking it in the summer by itself if it is offered at your school or a local state school if your school gives you credit.
By the way - what other course work did you have on your plate this semester? Premed students try to pack it in first semester and in my opinion slow and steady wins the GPA race.
Assuming you will still be registered as a full time student with at least 12 credits, I would drop it and decide next semester whether to retake or move to a lower level.
A student could take Chem1 in the Spring, Chem2 in the summer, OChem in the Fall, OChem2 in the Spring.
Or Chem1 in the Spring, Chem 2 in the Fall, OChem1 in the Spring, OChem2 the following Fall - and still be ready to take the MCAT in the Spring. And as more and more students take “glide years”, taking the MCAT senior year, dropping chem now wouldn’t affect medical aspirations.
(As long as OP has 12 credits…)
GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!
Go to Professor’s office hours and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”
If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.
Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.
Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.
Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)
If things still are not going well, get a tutor.
Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.
If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.
For your tests, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.
How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.
At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)
If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others.Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.
At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.
Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).
If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.
If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.
You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.
