Kvetch over Chemistry I -- is this really necessary?

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I have to kvetch.

I am taking a break from studying for 5 minutes.

I have never studied so hard in my life only to have a 'C' average in this bleeping class. I'm taking it at a local engineering school (mistake #1) and it's ALL math based. Stoichiometry out the wazoo. If there is a way to make it in a formula, we are doing it. The prof speeds through the calculations on the board once. It's all I can do to write it down before she erases it -- forget trying to follow the logic. Worse yet, the labs do not sync up with the lecture at all. I'm doing a lab Wed night for a chapter we don't cover for another two weeks -- BUT WE GET GRADED on it NOW. Very very frustrating.

I'm not sure what I'm learning -- certainly very few concepts. I couldn't tell you squat about why alka-seltzer fizzes in water or why candles burn. This class is so abstract and numbers based -- nothing to do with daily life. I could calculate the molar weight, the gas volume, the AVG root mean square of the particles, and balance a redox reaction, etc etc. But don't ask me what I did __ I don't always understand my own calculations!! So I go to office hours -- same thing, she flies through the problem at the speed of light (2.99 x 10^8 m/s) and then repeats herself if you ask a question. Ask her to slow down -- fergit about it!! she doesn't comprehend that students may not understand this stuff after being shown just once!!

Other that learning how to covert ml to cc, i really wonder how much of this is necessary for nursing?

Ok i'm done. I try to stay positive with people around me so I come here to complain. Test Wed night -- gases and thermodynamics. Back to the books, 35 total hours studying and counting for this test. Three more test to go. It's all over in December. It's all over in December. It's all over in December. It's all over in December. OK, going to back to studying now.

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:chuckle I can identify. To this day I'm trying to figure out why we have to take chemistry. I took it in 2000 and all I can honestly say I got out of it was acids and bases and how I relate those to metabolic and electrolyte balances in the body. As far as molecular weights and 20 mile long equations, I fail to see the connection to nursing.

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Specializes in ER.

I must say...chemistry was also very difficult for me...

BUT, the good news is I have found it to be helpful with many of my other subjects. Dimensional analysis is GREAT for dosage calculations. The biochem. really helped in Micro and A&P, and helped me understand chemical functions in the body.

Plus, after taking an entire year of chem...all my other classes seem EASY:chuckle

Hang in there!

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Sounds about like the Chem I have had so far as well. Our labs never were the same as the lectures either and that makes it even more confusing. And even though I could do the labs I never really knew *what* I was doing and it seemed I always got either a really good grade or totally failed it....lol

I think a lot of it really depends on who teaches it. The instructor I had was just so dry and really seemed disinterested in us and made sure we knew that he knows more than we ever will. I took it over the summer in 8 weeks and though it was hard I am glad I did just to get it out of the way.

I still have another Chem class to take in the fall that I am just not looking farward to at all.

Marilyn

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I am in the same boat as you. It has gotten so bad I am now being tutored by a kid who's second language is English. He is asian and doesn't know all the english words to use when tutoring us. He is really smart but his accent is thick at times. This is my last resort because even seeing the teacher after class isn't helping anymore. I too often wonder what use this is! I mean, this is more like a friggen math class! I have never spent so much time trying to figure out what the end product will be. I men isin't that why I am in the class? I study every day for about 4 hours and am still lost. It hsa gotten so bad, I am negelecting my other homework in attempt to study this class. I am hoping to skate by with a C. I have no hope for anything else. All I can think about is how long until it's over! :o

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I think there should be a warning in the course catalog that states you must be a very strong algebra student before taking Chemistry. There are so many people in my class who are lost because they don't have the math skills needed to do the incredibly complicated formulas.

I thought the class would be about atoms and elements, was I ever wrong. Luckily I am really good at algebra otherwise I would be lost. I can see how some of the things we are covering could be useful in nursing, but most of it is so abstract. I can't wait until this class is over.

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I'm sorry you are feeling this way! And this is not great news for me! lol I'm succeeding in my math class, but it is very difficult! I hope I can do well in chem next semester!!

Just stick with it. It may not make sense now, but i'm sure it will at some point!

hugs

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Specializes in ED/Psych.

Hi there!

I can sympathize with you completely!!! I actually took the first part of our Chem requirement over the summer (at the suggestion of a friend, who didn't quite assimilate my math deficiency problems) and had to drop it because I am so bad with math and it was pretty accelerated besides being difficult for me to begin with. I am now repeating the entire course, and I must say that it is all becoming much clearer now but I CANNOT WAIT until this semester is done! Then again, I have the second part of Chem to look forward to next semester....:o That is supposed to be mostly organic with less math though so....I will keep my fingers crossed.

Right now it doesn't seem like chemistry is going to be relevant to nursing (for the most part) but from what everyone seems to say, it really is so I guess we just need to hang in there and try to learn as much as possible.

Good luck!!

Carla

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Thanks for the encouragement. I took the test last week, I made a 78.5, 4th highest out of 17.

Class stats:

- one A (93), one B (83), remainder were C, D, and big ole _F_lags.

- highest grade was 93, lowest was 29,

- average was a whopping 60!

I have to say I've never been so happy to get a 78.5 in my life! Given the stats -- I did pretty OK.

Better news in Microbiology -- hardest test yet. I made somewhere between 84 - 88, will find out soon. At midterm, I have an 89 test average. Thank goodness -- need the morale boost to survive another month of this hateful chemistry class.

Later....

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Congrats on the chem test. I hated chem. Not looking forward to taking organic or biochem - putting those off for the moment.

Hang in there...term's about over! :D

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I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!!!!!!! I am in Chemistry I right now and all I can say is "what the heck are all of these numbers and formulas I am calculating?" I hate it, hate, it hate it, HATE IT. . . . . . . .one more test to go. . . .I'm counting the days down. . . . .Hang in there. . .we will make it!!!

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Good news: I made a "B" in Chemistry.

It was by far the hardest class I've ever taken. Had I scored a mere 3 more points on the final exam, I would have a "A". If I think about it too much it kills me. I missed two of the simplest questions (atomic number verses mass number, material way back in Chapter 1). Oh well. There were times I wondered I was going to FFFlag it. I am happy with my "B". (Just let me into nursing school puh-leaze!)

Also -- did score an "A" in microbiology. woohoo!! So 3.5 GPA for fall semester 2003, not bad. (Just let me into nursing school puh-leaze!!!)

Next semester: A&P I and developmental psyche. And our second child arrives in mid-january. Get this: thank god I won't be working!! Contract ends Dec 31. Budget cuts are in the works, and it's ok, we are loving life.

Later

Mr_D

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