How to get the desired grade in a class?

Question

I am a senior in college this year and I am having a major problem in one of my classes. This is the last course that is required for me to graduate in May of 2008 and if I don't pass I will not graduate because the class is only offered in the fall. I am trying my best, I hired a tutor(but had to discontinue use of him b/c i could not afford it), I go to EVERY lecture and study session and I just can't seem to get it. It is Thermodynamic Chemistry and I have put all I have into this course and I am not getting the desired results. I have gone to see my professor numerous times and he just keeps telling me to solve problems and to make sure I understand how they are solved, well, I have done the problems in my book and I even got two more books from the library but it is not helping. I just don't understand the information in this class. How can I convince my professor to pass me because I really am trying my best. Any suggestions?Success stories?Legitimate, well thought answers please

I can't retake it in the spring because it is not offered and I will be attending grad school in the fall, I need to convince him somehow....I am studying my *** off!!!

Answer 1

Study together with another person who attends the same lectures.

Answer 2

All applied chemistry courses require vigorous study and memorization. Don't just do your homework. You actually have to be interested in it. Make it a hobby of yours. Flash cards help and you should also try to see if anyone else in your class is having the same difficulties. You could also find other students who may be able to explain it better than the professor. Start a "thermochem'' study group. Keep your chin up. If the instructor sees that you really are trying your best, chances are, he won't fail you.

Answer 3

Honestly, you can't just convince him, unless he is a pushover idiot. If he passes you and you have not earned the grade, then he is compromising the integrity of the course and the school. If he is not tenured, he can lose his job that way. If he IS tenured, he can be bypassed for raises or other special honors. All you can do is work your butt off and hope for the best. Your worst case scenario is NOT that bad: you might have to graduate later. That's it. It is simply not as big a deal as you think it is. Do your best, and if you pass, then great. If not, re-take it. My sister sucked at algebra for years, retook it, and eventually it stuck. That is what I recommend. Anything else is going to just be shooting you in the foot. If you get him to pass you and don't understand the concepts, then it will come back to haunt you when you try to make a career of this. I presume you need to know this, or it wouldn't be required. Good luck!

Answer 4

give up the idea of getting the prof to pass you. it's unethical to give you a grade different than what you earned. i mean really, do you want a heart doctor to be passed on surgery class because she's really trying her best? no! because she's going to be operating on your heart. consider dropping it if you can. consider taking it online from another university and transferring it. consider forming a study group to try to learn from others. start spending a lot of time working problems that have been worked in class or the book. so you can see exactly what you need to do. spend more time on working problems (that you know the process/answer for) before you try some problems on your own. keep reading the book until you memorize it. become obsessed with understanding this material. no partying, no movies, no tv, just spend all your time obsessed with 'getting' this material.
then start working the problems from class or the book with different numbers. get busy. stop wanting your teacher to cheat. if i was a teacher (and i have taught technical subjects at university level) and i sensed you wanted a grade you didn't earn i would be extra hard on you.

Answer 5

I know this is not what you want to hear . . .but you have created a block on the class subject and now that is the problem. You have set yourself up not to pass and, it sounds like you skirted the class until near the end and now you are trying to catch up.
That's bad. The only hope for you is to get off the Internet now, stop everything and study your a&& off and say a little prayer it works. Make sure you rest good before the test. There's no other way: cram, cram and pass.

Answer 6

It sounds like you are doing everything you can.

I don't mean to be insulting, but perhaps this material is simply not within your capability to understand. Not everyone can pass every course.

Alternatively, perhaps you could take the course with a different instructor. It may be that you can do better if the material were taught to you in a different way.

Answer 7

it sounds like you are doing a good job so far of trying to stay on track in that class. sometimes, in my experience, professors are jerks through the entire semester so that you think you are failing, but then at the end they decide to curve all the grades way up. unless the class is on a fixed scale.

sometimes just getting with friends in study groups helps me, b/c it's like free tutoring.

have you gone to see your professor with specific questions? instead of going to him and saying "how can i study better?", ask him how to solve specific problems in your book, or ask him to go over a problem again that he went over in your lecture.

Answer 8

My friend was in your situation a couple of day ago
and she talked to our guidance councelor about it
to see what could be done about the class. In her situation,
she dropped the class before the new quarter started.
I'm not sure if that is possible in your situation because
it is required, but maybe you could take another science
credit instead of that specific class.

If you can't drop it, discuss other options with
a guidance councelor or let your parents know
what is going on. Maybe they can help somehow.
Talk to anydboy who could possibly help.

Good luck!

Answer 9

For every hour you spend in class, study outside class for two hours. And ONLY two hours per hour. After those study hours each day, WORK to earn and save money enough to pay a tutor to help you during cram week.

Answer 10

First, what motivates you to take Thermodynamic Chemistry? Not to "pass college," but what really drives you to succeed? Once you find what that is evaluate your situation again, and make a thoughtful decision as to what you will do.