I am a chemistry major - but I am burned out!!! Please help me?

Question

From anyone else who is or was a chemistry major like me, especially if you are now a successful professor or Phd....I would appreciate ANY words of encouragement even if it is just one word or sentence. Stories of when you were in college would be so great right now. I really don't have anyone to talk to. I am so totally burned out right now. I am an A student in all my subjects but the semester is nearly over and I really don't think I have what it takes emotionally mentally or physically to pass the finals, let alone enroll for the upcoming semester.
THANKS!

Answer 1

Hi Lachlan. About 30 years ago (time really does fly) I earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. As an "A" student you are probably driven to do well in all of your classes. Sometimes we just put too much pressure on ourselves to perform at the highest level all of the time.

Every serious student encounters periods of burn-out. It may be the mechanism your body uses to tell you to take it easy. Slow down. Don't push so hard. Every test, every class, every assignment is not 'do or die'.

Maybe you need to just go with this flow and not push during your finals. Just take it as it comes. You may surprise yourself at how well you do, and if you don't do well, that is OK too.

I realize it is hard at your age to appreciate that 30 years down the road, any deficiencies in your striving for perfection in the classroom will probably not have a major impact on your life. But, things really do 'work out' if you allow them to. So, please don't 'beat yourself up' over this. Go with it and reduce the pressure you place on yourself to perform well all of the time. It's OK to be human.

Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 2

You don't say if you are Freshman, first semester or Senior, first semester; it makes a difference. First of all, "I am an A student in all my subjects" is a BIG clue. It's OK to be less than perfect. Pick the courses you really care about and laugh about the ones you don't - get a B (bet you can't do it, right?). Where are the other Chem majors? If you don't have anyone to talk to you are isolating yourself - get involved in other activities. I know, I know, you don't have "time". You have to make the time to chill and laugh and socialize; that's how your body handles stress. And tell yourself "this time, next month (week, year etc.) I will have finished those exams". If you are a true A student, studying for your exams should be review, not learning. Pace yourself and don't forget to "order out" - pizza, wings, Chinese, whatever. Participate in a group study session (you don't get as much done but you can commiserate with others and laugh); tutor someone less gifted than yourself. I learned more of my chemistry when I had to teach it to someone and I got satisfaction from helping them understand. And remember - its only for a short time; grit your teeth and do what you do best - persevere. Keep in touch.

Answer 3

I have a friend that is in a similar situation. She took chemistry, ap chem, and chem cadet in highschool, but she took 5 ap classes her senior year and burned herself out. Now she's a freshman in college and everytime i talk to her she sounds terrible. She's really sick right now, i think she's weak from not sleeping enough and too much stress, etc.

I don't know what to tell either of you. She is strong-willed and refuses to give up, even if it kills her. I think she's crazy, but I know nothing I say will change her mind.

I know you are different in that you are thinking of giving up, but remember, these classes are designed to challenge you. Some classes are even used as weed-out classes to get rid of people who can't handle it. You know what you want, and that is to major in chemistry, so go for it. No matter how hard your courses are, it is possible to get through them, as many before you have done. I'm a senior in HS right now and I want to major in chem, so I have these same things to look forward to, but I really really really want to do it. Plus, what helps motivate me is looking at the alternatives. I'm a teacher aid and I have to grade papers and make copies and do other boring busy work, which makes me realize how much I want to do something more than a mindless job. Also, I volunteer filing papers by date, alphabetical and numerical order. I don't want to end up as a secretary or anything like that, so I'm inspired to go to college.

Well I wish you the best of luck and hope you make a good decision. Only you can make the decision, because chem would be a great thing to major in, but you'll have to decide if it's worth all the trouble.

Answer 4

You can go anywhere from here. Chemistry is such a versatile field.

Like cooking? Become a food scientist.

Interested in the human body? Become a biomedical researcher (PhD), or better yet, a doctor (MD).

Want to make things run? Become a scientific manager (MS; MS/MBA; PhD) or industrial engineer (MSIE).

I'm doing the far latter with my training with biology and chemistry. I'll let ya know how it works out. ;-)

I hated my undergraduate studies as well, but found them well worth it in the end.... well, at least in terms of end rewards. People like a chemistry degree when you apply to grad school. :-)

Answer 5

Been there, done that, my friend.

Perhaps we need to re-evaluate why it is you think you
want to major in chem.

Perhaps we need to reduce the stress in your studies by
changing your study habits...

Perhaps we're in need a new challenges...
two words: Undergraduate Research! This was my own
salvation from a dilemma much like your own.

In any case, you should find an advisor, a mentor, someone in the field that you can take these concerns to. I was soooo lucky to find one.

I was so grateful that I stayed with the guy thru my PhD.
He just recently retired.

Talk? Email me.

Answer 6

Hello there mate, i just graduated from pharmacy this year.lol, i took more than 10 types of chemistry, sometimes i thought organic chemistry is a *****, physical cmeistry to be a total miserey, and pharmaceutical chemsitry to be the lord of darkness, but trust me, chemistry is a subject that loves who loves her,dont fear your finals, chemistry is what i call the science of scientists, be sure u r one, break a leg and u will get them done for good!!

Answer 7

Many academic subjects require specific aptitudes to do well, and chemistry is one such. You may not be good at it, but you can get through it, and once that is done move on to something that you do better.