Hello,
I am currently struggling with college chemistry 1 once again and I am working two jobs too (pharmacy technician and bartender). I am taking chemistry 1 (second attempt) and auditing precalc/trig so I can take calculus in the fall. My problem is that I understand the concepts but I keep practicing and I get them, and I did well on the practice exam but when the actual exam came on, my mind went blank and I failed it. He said that if I do well on the final then the final will replace the lower grade. Homework isn’t graded. Im trying to complete my prerequisites for my second bachelors degree in biology so I can get into FSU’s BS/MS in biological science and use that so I can be a biological scientist with FWC. I thought about quitting the bar in August so I can focus on school and balance school and the one job but honestly my chem 1 professor is nice and all but not grading homework or extra credit is ridiculous. Should I find a better professor? Should I drop the class and do my third attempt? I have to petition for the third attempt and if I do a fourth one then I have to write a letter to the dean of student service office or something like that so I can take it.
Can you do more practice exams that can be found online? It sounds like you know the concepts but need more practice for the exams. What happened the first time? Was it the exams? When you get to the BS/MS program, most likely HW will not be graded and very few teachers give extra credit.
Please please talk to an academic advisor at your college. You might also want to do a career survey and see what piques your interest that doesn’t require courses that are so very difficult for you.
Do you need to work two jobs? If not, typically it’s suggested that college students work about 10 hours or so a week.
And if you don’t attend professor office hours and small study groups, and have a tutor for these courses at your college…do those things asap. Most colleges offer some kind of tutorial services for all students.
S23 is currently taking Chem 1 and doing well. He’s noticed that there are a large number of students struggling and those are the students that don’t have really solid math skills. I’m not sure what your class is covering, but could brushing up on your math help?
What is your first Bachelor’s degree in?
Forensic studies and justice
First time was when I was 19 and I wasn’t doing well and the professor made it so complicated that I was going to office hours and tutoring 3 days a week. I dropped the class the day of the exam because I was way too nervous for it.
Someone I admire very much told me a long time ago “Don’t ever love something that won’t love you back”.
At some point, you will either figure out a way to pass Chem 1, or realize that there is another life path beckoning to you.
It sounds like twice now you’ve worked hard to learn the material and take practice tests but when it comes time for the actual exam, your anxiety takes over. This can definitely happen if you have failed at something before, it becomes more daunting the next time. Our brain uses avoidance to “protect” us from difficult things. As a psychiatrist, my best advice would be to work on taking as many practice exams in as many different environments as you can. Take some at the library, at the coffee shop, in the same classroom/the same building as your real exam, etc. Get out of your comfort zone. The more exams you take in different environments, you can get mentally stronger to tackle taking the real exam in class. I got a BS in Biology so I know Chemistry is hard. Organic Chem is harder and your Master’s level exams will be super hard. So I would try to manage your test anxiety and go from there.
Chem 1 is teaching lots of background including names, trends, but also how to use math skills in chemistry. Which part are you having issues? Is it math part? If so, how are you taking practice exams? You should be able to take without looking over solutions. Test taking requires strategies, but it requires some muscle memories. If I go to your bar and order old fashioned, do you need to look at cocktail recipe book each time? For taking test, that’s the level of mastery you should aim for.