Professor making it difficult in chemistry

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Hi there all nursing students :)

I have a professor that makes chemistry very difficult, and it's my luck lol. Anyway, she will review everything and tell us to study this topic and that topic, but her tests throw curve balls and some of it isn't consistent with what we study. For example, we were told to study conversions, and she gave us a list of the metric system to get down. However, on the test, she insists on putting things on there that wasn't on the list. That's just one example. It's like she gets enjoyment out of making it harder than it should be. She told us at the beginning of class, that not many get A's in her class. I can see why!

I mean, all my other professors are very easy to deal with. They curve the grade and work with you.... but not the chemistry professor!

We had our first exam a few days ago. I studied every single day for 2 - 3 hours, and I got the first three chapters down! However, the way she made the exam out was very difficult to follow and understand what she was asking. If she's going to keep tricking us like this -- this is a waste of time, if you can't pass anything!

Maybe I should've taken the chemistry online. Anyone else have a difficult, uptight professor, that just don't like to see students succeed????

So far, I have an A+ in Algebra, A+ in Biology, A+ in writing, but a C+ in Chemistry. Lol, what does that tell someone? It's not me, it's the professor and her complexity. I'm just frustrated.

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What specifically did you not do proficiently on the exam? I'm in Chem now too

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If it is that bad for you, consider dropping the class and take it with another instructor.

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Just because someone get straight As in some classes it does not mean the trend will continue on. Not every professor is alike: some easy, some not so much. Whatever professor you get you just have to deal with it, and do your best.

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I'm a very good student and Chemistry was my first B. I had a terrible, terrible teacher (he was actually fired after our class because he was so objectively bad - we were his first and only class) but I stuck with it. It's a tough class. You're going to have to learn how to study for the test you take, not the test you think you're going to take.

I generally don't recommend dropping classes because you don't like the teacher, just because once you hit nursing school, that won't be an option. I think having a tough (or even bad) teacher can teach you how to be a better student.

Good luck.

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I mean, all my other professors are very easy to deal with. They curve the grade and work with you.... but not the chemistry professor!

Consider yourself lucky if you have professors who curve grades and you needed those curves, mine never did! If she's the only one who doesn't do it you're still ahead of the game in my mind.

Maybe I should've taken the chemistry online. Anyone else have a difficult, uptight professor, that just don't like to see students succeed????

I've had my share of difficult or unpleasant instructors but I can't say that any of them spend their time hoping their students don't succeed! That doesn't make any sense does it? Have you talked to this professor and asked her what you can do to improve your own success in her class?

So far, I have an A+ in Algebra, A+ in Biology, A+ in writing, but a C+ in Chemistry. Lol, what does that tell someone? It's not me, it's the professor and her complexity. I'm just frustrated.

It tells me that you did well in some subjects and not so well in this one, that's all. Having straight A's and then getting a C+ doesn't tell me that it's the fault of the instructor it might just be very difficult material for you. maybe not, but you asked what it tells someone and that's what it looks like to me. I had straight A's in all my pre-requisites and then in the nursing program itself got my first B. Not the end of the world but I busted my hump for that B, I just could NOT make an A. It's not the professor's fault, it just was what it was. Frustrating and annoying but there's life.

I would say if you haven't scheduled an appointment with this professor then now is the time. Explain your study strategy and ask what you could do differently, how you can better grasp what the focus of her tests will be and so on. If you don't ask you can't know!

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I feel your pain! My chemistry professor was the worlds laziest professor. He did not care at all about teaching. My luck..... he was my high school chemistry teacher from a completely different town, and his name is very common (like John Smith) so I ASSumed it was not the same professor. It was. He had previously taught at my high school about 7 years ago and just happened to become an adjunct that summer I needed my chem class. No lecturing occurred. We were always released from class early. I asked him to check my work after class one day and he glanced at my paper and told me it was fine, but low and behold those answers were incorrect after I got them back graded. Youtube was my best friend during this course. I spent 2-3 hours a night watching YouTube videos on the concepts we should have been taught during class. This is the only way I scraped by with an A in the course. This professor would curve our grades going off of the highest grade in the class and allow us to make a cheat sheet on an index card for our exams. He had no business teaching chemistry at college level. Hang in there and look up youtube videos. Teaching yourself chemistry is very difficult, trust me I know. Worst class ever. Good luck.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

If you are within the time frame to drop the course and don't feel you can pull off a B or better, I'd consider dropping the course.

Have you tried meeting with your instructor and asking what you can do to improve on the next exam?

Just a caveat: most nursing programs do not grade on a curve, nor do they round-up your grades. In our program, the minimum passing was 79% (it is now 81%). If you had a 78.9%, you still failed. So, consider this a potential preview of what you might experience down the road in nursing school.

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Tell me about it, my Chem professor gives us a quiz EVERY single day.

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Mostly the conversions. Everyone hates those, it seems lol. All the other material was doable. She just likes tricky questions . . . Idk why really.

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Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll just have to ride it out. It's somewhat easier than before, but the professor still tries to make it as complex as possible. I mean, there's really nothing that can be done, and I'm too late to drop the course.

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