<p>My D is a sophomore majoring in Bio in preparation to apply to PA school at some point. She was doing well academically until she bumped up against Organic Chemistry. Last spring she got a C in her first round with it (first C ever) and now is struggling with it again. Today she called to tell me she got her first test back and did horribly. Even with the grade curve…horrible. She wants to withdraw from the course and change majors but has no idea what to do. If she withdraws she will only have nine credits for the semester and that would make her a part time student.</p>
<p>I have no idea what advice to give her at this point and am afraid she will make a decision in a panic. She likes the idea of applying into the university’s business school as an internal transfer but doesn’t have the prereqs. Anybody been in this place with their kid? Any advice?</p>
<p>I’m sorry your daughter is in this situation. Perhaps finding another career choice would be a good thing. My kid is in the graduate phase for PA’s and it is horrendously difficult; she had a 3.4 cum for the first three years of school but is struggling now. A C isn’t catastrophic, but if your daughter isn’t doing well in the underclass classes, she might be really overwhelmed in the fast-paced, learn this today because we’re moving on tomorrow world of the grad program.</p>
<p>Can she work with the careers center to explore new options?</p>
<p>Yes, she is going to make an appointment tomorrow. I just feel so badly for her because she really wanted to do this. Business is something she is also interested in but the transfer requirements are cumbersome. i suggested looking into the Healthhcare administration major.</p>
<p>She has time to decide. Is there a minimum GPA to stay in her program? She could still do the PA route if her heart is set on it. One caveat is that the PA schools require an 80% avaerage in each class to stay in the program. They do allow some do-overs on exams.</p>
<p>Any chance of salvaging the grade? Miracles do occur (had a few myself). Head to professers office stat. (know you aren’t the only one!) Look ahead in your courses–what else is in the future? Biochem, more organic?</p>
<p>Would going part time hurt financially in some way (scholarships?)</p>
<p>Does she really want business? Quite different from PA. If so, continuing on present course is folly already. Change gears immediately.</p>
<p>Is there another health related career that doesn’t require Organic that she’d be interested in? or that only requires the first course she already has? </p>
<p>Organic is infamous as a killer course. A “weeder” in many disciplines. As for her first “C”–many wish they had gotten a “C”. Sounds like she’s done well so far!</p>
<p>Orgo can be tough. Please ask these questions: is she studying as she goes? Is she going to office hours if she is having trouble?</p>
<p>This may be old info (because it is based on my own experience), but orgo relies, in part, on the ability to rotate 3-d constructs in one’s brain. I was not good at that! So it took all sorts of physical models and memorization to be successful on exams.</p>
<p>She should inquire about supports available to her.</p>
<p>If this is the last term of orgo required for her major, she could access all of the support available, pass the course, and then excel in the next half of her college career. Thinking about it, I know that I would not care if my PT was not an orgo wiz kid. Orgo is not a day-to-day function of PT, as far as I know.</p>
<p>If she really wants to pursue PA school, I would recommend that she find a counselor/tutor and stick with it. This course is known to weed folks out, and it is sad how many people give up.</p>
<p>We need PAs in this country, so suggest that she first see what can be done and how she can get assistance with staying in the program.</p>
<p>Now, if she really wants to go into business, that is another story.</p>
<p>I have an undergrad in chemistry and Organic was the first course to weed out many students. It is a tough class that requires many, many hours of studying. I suggest she go see the prof and get a study group together, say M,W, and F in the library from 1-3 or whatever time works for her. Set it up and they will come. I know a lot of kids at my S’s school set up study groups on FB. Or hand out fliers at the beginning of class. </p>
<p>If she decides to switch to business, so be it. Better now than a year from now. Yup, she will have a lot of catchng up to do, and it may take her an extra year, some summer classes, but she should switch rather than continue down the wrong road continuing to waste money.</p>
<p>In my experience, Organic really is one of the “weeder” courses. Unless you are in research you won’t be working with it again for the rest of your career. Yes, you’ll use the principles in it but for the most part it should never be a career breaker. There isn’t the “oh, I couldn’t do organic so I’ll never be a good…(fill in the blank)”. It’s a tough hoop to jump through to get to your goal. Staying with it depends on how set you are on the goal.</p>
<p>Geesch. O’Chem is a killer for almost everyone. So take the C and just dust yourself off and get on with things. </p>
<p>PS
Everyone needs their first C. We all get a few sooner or later. And if you didn’t get one in school, you’ll certainly get a few in the real world.</p>
<p>Mafool–my organic chem book actually said something to the effect that all molecules have mirror images (except vampires). that was the only humor in 600 pages…</p>
<p>Here’s what my daughter’s o-chem prof said to her when she was crying in his office about getting a C in his class. “There’s no grade inflation in orgo, a c is a perfectly acceptable grade in this class young lady. You have a c-plus, by the way.” Case closed.</p>
<p>She was a first year, so we’ll forgive her for the drama. He now tells that story in his class. The girl crying over a c-plus, which is a perfectly acceptable grade in o-chem.</p>
<p>She’s okay with the C that she got last semester. She’s concerned about doing worse this semester. I’m hoping that she will just hold on and wait to make a decision. She can be impulsive.</p>
<p>OP, is your daughter getting all the help available? Is there a homework help session, and/or TAs she could talk to? Or, as others have suggested, could she find or organize a study group for this class? Has she gone to the prof’s office hours?</p>
<p>I ask because I know it is difficult for my D to ask for or find help. In HS, she was the “go-to” kid for other students who had trouble with their courses, and it was difficult for her to see that no one would look down on her in college if she needed extra help. It’s a hard realization to find that everyone in college is as smart as you, if not smarter.</p>
<p>Is it too late to add another class instead? If not, let her take a “gut” course and have a bit of a break, and perhaps explore something new. You and she can revisit Orgo in the Spring. Let her take it in the summer, either at her own college, or one close to home. With only one class to take, it’s easier going. Personally I don’t know any kid from my friends’ kids who took orgo as part of a regular year.</p>
<p>Is she in Orgo II or is she repeating Orgo I to get a better grade? If she is taking it again with worse results, might be better to regroup. If she is taking Orgo II and can get a C, gut it out and keep going. If she has a good GPA except for 2 organic classes, not all is lost. If she is only a sophomore, there is plenty of time to get Buisness prereq’s and “start over” with a major. </p>
<p>Have her meet with her major adviser and/or one at the Career Advising center and go from there.</p>