Should I drop my organic chemistry class?

Question

I made a 78% on the first test and 69% on the second test. My instructor does not curve. What should I do?

Answer 1

When I took organic before going to medical school, I was obsessed with my grades (for obvious reasons). You have to remember -- look at how the class is doing as a whole. I didn't do that well on my exams (usually a C or so), but the class as a whole was doing worse than I was. So.......my professors said they would not curve, but in the end (for those of us who were left), there was a final curve because they just can't give EVERYONE bad grades. I ended up with As in both sections. So........it's up to you. However, get a tutor, see how the class is doing, and figure out if you really need it for the credit (toward your degree) or for med school (in which case you really need an A to be competitive). GOOD LUCK!!!!!! By the way, I still have nightmares about mechanisms and following those electrons all over the place!

Answer 2

Start back at the beginning of what you have learned (or not) so far, and re-do all of your assignments. Go through the chapters of your book, and do all of the exercises. If you got a 78% on the first test, then you must "get it" a little bit. 69% on the second test tells me that you missed a "building block" Check your tests and see what you got wrong It seems as though you missed something important at the beginning. I would try to stick with it. Just commit yourself to study and you should still be able to pull of a B or maybe even an A depending on the number of exams you still have.
If you really feel like you aren't getting it, just keep going over it, and maybe get some help from another student or a tutor. You will have an AHA! moment when it all comes together for you.

Answer 3

Organic Chemistry is the "weed out" course at many schools. If you are premed or prepharmacy you have to get at least a B and preferably an A. The instructors are going to make it tough for you to do that. When my youngest son took this course a few years ago at a tough school, of 300 kids 15 got A's and 30 got Bs. the rest changed their major. He did what I suggest below and is now becoming a Doctor.

How bad do you want it? You have to give up everything for this course. No dates, no movies, no hanging around time. Get up, eat, go to the library, go to class, sleep. That's it for ten weeks. If you dedicate 500 hours to studying this course, you will get the mark you want. but do you have the guts to do it?

Answer 4

Do you need this class for your major? If you do, may I suggest that you find a tutor - one who either needs help in a class where you are much stronger and will accept a "swap" of tutoring in lieu of monetary payment or charges a fee you can afford. Also, you may want to "drop" the class - if you can without penalty - and sign up for it again at a later date.

If you don't need it for your major and can afford whatever penalty - a "hit" to your GPA or loss of the tuition fee or both - and you sincerely feel that your grades won't improve over the rest of the term, then drop it.