Chemistry has me in tears! (finals week vent)

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Okay, I feel like I've got a handle on all my classes' finals but CHEM! I'm almost in tears doing the "pre-final". I really thought I knew this stuff. Our prof has the mercy to give us a "pretest" before each real test so we have a clue what he'll cover on the real thing. Well, his prefinal is 25 pages of worked problems (which means all math). So I sit down the other day, fail miserably and think..."hmm, maybe I'm just not in the mood". So I pick it up again a day later...same thing.

Today I went to the library and did about 10 pages of it. Felt pretty good. Now I'm working on the next 15 pages and I'm almost bawling. If I don't get a C+ in this class, I'm doomed! I have to take it this summer with a HORRIBLE chem teacher. Which means 17 chapters in 6 wks. I can't take another chem class. CANNOT! At this point I'd rather drop out of nursing and flip hamburgers than to suffer another semester of chemistry.

HOW can this ONE class keep me from my dream???????? That just ticks me off more than anyone will ever know. I'm not dumb! Heck, if I were, could I pull off all A's my first time back to college? But can I "get" chem, heck no! ACK!

I've got an appt with a fellow nursing student who's taken this (tomorrow) so hopefully he can shed some light before I jump off the chem cliff.

Deep down inside I just want to kick some chemistry butt but I just am so tired I can't phathom relearning all the problems that I'm not "getting" in two days! :o

Mind you, I have an 81.5 % average right now. Our prof curves as he goes...so there will be no curve at the end. This final alone is worth 250 or 700 points! :imbar :imbar

Thanks for getting this far, if you did. :chuckle

I feel your pain! I felt the same way with Organic Chemistry.I am truly mathematically challenged! My school had a extra 1 credit "math for chemistry" course, that was a huge help for me. I also had a wonderful friend and an excellent professor. They made sure I was able to get through it on my own. Chemistry is very important in the big picture of nursing. I wish you well.

If you are just having trouble with the math (stoichiometry i figure right) maybe you could get some last minute math help at your school's resource center. I think most schools have a learning resource centers.

I wish you the best of luck! I had to take chemistry three times!!!Believe me you will need the math for drug calculations. The problems are set up the same way. If you do have to take chem over, it will go better trust me! You have a pretty good average anyway. I wish you luck again!

Thanks guys. I "get" 90% of the stuff, it's just that 10% that he's going to have on the test that are worth just enough to screw my grade up. I want to KEEP that B.

I also get the math, thank goodness b/c it definately helped with math in nursing. I'm already in the nursing program and know the math can be pretty complicated. Thank goodness I took Gen Chem for a "refresher" course last semester or I'd be screwed totatlly in Organic chem.

I'm feeling better today so hopefully, last night was my frustration talking.

And it is a good thing I'm not as lost as I sounded last night :chuckle Being an "older" untraditional student, I know not to let myself get so behind that I'd have to relearn everything before the final.(*whew*) So I just need to figure out the few issues and I'm sure I'll be a-okay.

Thanks anyway,

Man, I can understand you about chem. Finals week is next week. Chem is the only thing I'm not pulling an A in. I went through the resource center at my college and hired a tutor for the last few weeks, hoping to help some..............................Now just studying like mad and praying to at least wind up with a B to keep my GPA up.

Best of luck to you.................................to everyone in finals hades

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Hope you know it all when you get in there! I know sometimes it just doesn't seem to come when I am studying...it's like I get all worked up and can't do it. But when it's showtime, it's ok! Good luck on your exam!

Specializes in ER.

I got so stressed over chemistry that I actually didn't remember going in and taking the exam. The next day I was convinced I flunked BC missing the exam, but found out later that I passed (whew!) So I feel your pain, but have no secret formulas to letting alternate chemistry savvy personalities out to take the exam for you. It just ...happens.

Seriously big hug for you ((((())))))))

Go through the end of the chapters and work through the sample questions, where an explanation showing the work is provided.

Chemistry is just math, and there is a formula for each type of question. Perhaps you can get a good tutor who can show you how to understand the problems.

I never took chemistry in high school and I got an A in college...for some reason I found it easy and straightforward. I feel the same way you do about statistics. I passed it and to this day I don't know how. To me, stats is the hardest subject.

Don't let one subject ruin your career. Get some help.

Specializes in Hospice.

As a fellow non-traditional student, I can sympathize. You'll do fine! Worse-case scenario: You take the course in the summer and ace it. It all works out in the end.

I sure wish you the best!

Cheryl

Years back I was trying to get my bsn at a state university, before finally being accepted at a community college adn program. The last straw in the state univ was the chemistry class: Survey of organic/inorganic/biochemistry. I struggled to understand and it seemed everyone around me was getting it except me. Then some lab instructor[ a grad student], told me I should go back to high school. I recieved a D and left the the university. Very discouraging...

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