What do I do if I'm struggling in the easy classes?

[NYCNative21]

Hello everyone,

A little about myself is I'm a full-time employee with a fire department. I actually decided I wanted to leave the fire department to pursue a degree in nursing since I enjoy the medical field and I had a few family members that are nurses. The reason I am posting this is cause I am not sure what to do. I am currently enrolled in the pre req Anatomy and Physiology part 1 for the summer semester. Im not going to lie when I say the the fire chapter was super easy cause it was basically me schooling for becoming an EMT. The first chapter basically was anatomical terms, locations and planes. Now what I am struggling with is chapter two and three which is Chemistry comes alive and Cells: The living tissue. I have a midterm exam coming up on chapter one through three in six days and my issue is I am still stuck on chapter two trying to comprehend the chemistry comes alive and all these amino acids, Proteins, Enzymes, Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, Polysaccharids, Lipids, Carbs and so on. The teacher wants us for one part of the test to draw Dehydration synthesis and Hydrolysis for all of these which I don't even know where to begin. For example I understand that dehydration synthesis is the removal of water to bring two elements together and hydrolysis is the adding of water to break it up. But when you ask me to draw it thats when I get so damn confused and Im feeling so rushed to learn all this stuff. For example my teacher is already moving onto chapter four and I'm still stuck on chapter two. I study almost 12 hours a today not including the time spent in class and I just struggle to comprehend all this information which is leaving me lost, stressed and getting seconds thoughts.

The reason why this is all feeling like its coming down on me is cause from what I have heard this class is supposed to be the hardest of the pre reqs but the easiest compared to nursing school cause i heard nursing school is so much harder and the chemistry involved in it will just get harder. This scares me cause if I can't even comprehend the basics then how the heck am I supposed to move on? I feel so left behind that its hard for me to get back and catch up. Seems like everyone else in the class is getting and understanding this so easily and I'm like dude what the heck are you talking about. I never took biology and chemistry in high school so I don't have anything to fall back on and on top of all this i tried to see if my school has a tutor and my school notified me saying that they have no tutors available for my subjects and are currently looking for some but not sure when that will be. Im already seeing myself failing this test cause I have such little time that I don't know what to do but study but my studying is not good enough.

My dream is to become a nurse practitioner but this is holding me up =(. Im the kind of person where I don't want to just memorize this material but to learn and understand it. I hate getting b's and c's as a grade cause thats not good enough for me and I don't just want to squeeze by in nursing cause I heard if you get below a 75 they kick you out.

[aswedberg]

ok. here is my two cents. I have taken a&p twice now. the first time was 8 years ago and then i just recently took it last year again because the credits expired for nursing school. in those eight years the curriculum has changed a lot and a lot more is expected out of a&p. its a hard hard course but with studying, you can get there. Also, the absolute hardest part for me was chapter 2. I had a very weak chemistry background if i had taken chemistry previously, those chapters would have made so much more sense to me. BUT!!! i DID make it through, and that is the only chapter that is super chemistry heavy. the rest of them will have bits of chemistry(when you get to talking about sodium channels, voltage gated channels etc) but those are snippets. This first chemistry chapter is just hard. I don't think you should quit. I do believe that you can get through this just know you arent the only one who struggled at that point. I did significantly but i still passed the class with a 91% and went on to complete a&p2 with a 93%. you can do it. Get help. find your resources but in the end, know that its just this one section. You will have chemistry later in the book but no where near as intense. And then when you get to the point that you are taking your chemistry classes, everything will click and you will be like, ahh!!! i get it!! hang in there! you can do this!!

[Cherokeegirl08]

Hello KatieMi,

Well I guess I can say thank you for the advice even though it wasn't what I was hoping. Now don't get me wrong at least you were honest and I do appreciate that cause in todays world some things are sugar coated which shouldn't be so I again appreciate that.

Now don't get me wrong here when I say I don't believe withdrawing right away is a good idea without at least trying to pass the test. The teacher allows us to stay in the course but if we decide to withdraw then we need to do that before the final exam. Trust me when I say this I would love to have face to face with the instructor but seeing that he is never in the office I decided to at least email him notifying him of my current situation so we can meet up in person. Well The textbook I have is rented so unfortunately if i withdraw I will need to give the book back to chegg.

Don't get me wrong I do study about 12 hours a day and its not that I don't understand literally anything. I do comprehend some of it but I feel like I am not comprehending the amount I need to pass the test if that makes sense. For example if you were to act me what Dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis is I can explain it to you but drawing it is my issue. Same thing with Lipis, I can show you explain to you what a triglyceride is which is just glycerol and 3 fatty acids coming together to form it. Just like Phospholipid is just basically a non polar tail more specially 2 fatty acids, glycerol and Phosphorous group coming together or a steroid for example cholesterol, Sex hormones, vitamin. I can explain to you that carbs are just simple sugars for example a monosaccharide is just a simple sugar for example glucose. Then you have your disaccharides which are two pairs of simple sugars linked together. For example two glucose's make up maltose. Like I can explain certain things but drawing them is a different issue. I should of explained that more clearly and I apologize for that. I do understand certain things like bonds. Just drawing certain things confuse me and thats what is going to be on the test.

Not trying to sound rude but I'm not worried about english to that extent cause I have always been good in english and writing essays is pretty simple as long as you enjoy a topic you are writing about. Im not saying I'm taking that course lightly when the time comes but what I am saying is that I feel like I won't struggle as hard in that class compared to AP.

I find it so said that for me to get a nursing degree I basically have to do high school over again just to get a basic concept. Correct me if I am wrong but that should be that teachers job to help certain students understand. Like for example some students are visual learners and listeners where they can sit in a classroom and just listen and understand. Im not that kind of student, I need to actually put my hands on the idea and actually do it so I comprehend it. Im what you call a tactile learner. Some students learn differently and some teachers just don't understand that today. I shouldn't have to feel like an idiot going back to 9-11th grade to try and learn something a teacher should be explaining a bit better.

I will certainly go to barnes and nobles and pick up the TEAS exam study guide and start practicing. All those mini courses you just said are literally compacted into my EMT course I took a while back. Don't get me wrong those are great ideas but I don't see a need to restudy them. See I'm not weak in the anatomy aspect and learning the systems per say. I can explain to you the systems and the basic functions along with certain detailed concepts of each one but its the chemistry part I'm just little off from.

Like I said this is nothing against you and I did not mean this post in any harmful or mean way towards you. Im just really stressed out right now and Im a smart dude I really am. It just hurts knowing that my dreams of becoming something I know I can be really good at probably won't happen cause I'm not "smart" enough for the school aspect.

The bottom line is that you do not necessarily have to "do high school over" but you do need to have a good foundation. No one is trying to discourage you. You have to build on knowledge especially complex college courses. Take a Biology Intro Course and build on that. All people are stressing to you is that you DO NOT have the basics down enough to work with the material. That is not a failure or giving up.

[NYCNative21]

Hey Ocean.baby

Ive decided that since I am already in anatomy and physiology that I don't see the point of quitting right now. Granted I do believe taking a basic chemistry class is always beneficial but as of right now my exam is this Thursday and I honestly feel pretty confident on it. Im starting to understand how to draw the covalent bonds, water molecule, Hydrolysis of a disaccharide and dehydration synthesis of a monosaccharide.

[NYCNative21]

Hey Rionoir,

Thanks for the advice and I will defiantly keep that in mind! Im planning on talking to a advisor if my grade on my first exam is not good.

[NYCNative21]

Hey Proverbs16:24

I agree that it seems like the school systems today are not fully preparing the students for success but at the same time I guess we as students have to take it upon ourselves. Knowledge is defiantly power and I agree with you. Hopefully one day ill reach my goal of becoming a NP.

Really appreciate your kindness and post!

[NYCNative21]

Hey Joseph,

Yeah I never took these courses in High school and honestly these courses were only available to the honor students in my school. My school didn't just let any student take these classes unfortunately. Im not going to lie when I say that I was a huge slacker in high school and never tried. Do I regret that? Hell yes but I try not to live in the past cause we as humans never know what the future holds and Im not going to let the past define me. I may struggle in anatomy and physiology cause I don't have the basics like the other students do but if I have to study just a tad bit longer than so be it.

Appreciate your post sir!

[NYCNative21]

Hey Jackdawson23

I currently do not have a grade for the class. Our first exam is this Thursday on the first three chapters. I completely agree with you that staying in the course is the better option for the main reason that I already paid for the class and it would be absolute stupid just to withdraw without even trying in my eyes.

I agree too that just cause I am not good at chemistry does not mean I am going to be a bad nurse. I really appreciate your post sir!

[NYCNative21]

Hey aswedberg,

Im very glad that someone can release to me. Now I of course don't know how the course was eight years ago but thats why you shared your experience and its appreciated. Its like anything in the medical when we feel like we fully understood something we never do. Thats why these books are always constantly changing and things are being added.

That chapter two when I was in lecture hearing it for the first time, I swear I was like what the fudge am I listening too. He was going so fast through the slides too that my brain literally felt like it was about to burst cause I couldn't grasp what the hell he was talking about. Honestly I had to really study this chapter and understand it which took me about a week but I did get it and now I do understand it.

I really appreciate your encouragement. Thats exactly what I been saying in my head the whole time is that just cause this one chapter is driving me insane does not mean I should quit cause I am not sure if I can live with myself quitting over a chapter.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Chemistry was the hardest course for me. Bio was tough too, but mainly for the chemistry part of bio.

The prereqs are more science heavy than any of the nursing courses. Not to say that nursing school wasn't hard, it was, but for different reasons.

I never had to draw hydrolysis. I wouldn't know how to do that either. That doesn't matter for NCLEX, or as a nurse. At least not for me. But, I'm sure you can watch a video of how to do it, and pick it up for the test. Don't stress about needing to REALLY KNOW chemistry though. You can be an A+ nurse with a very basic understanding of chemistry in the long run.

Learn the material as best you can. Take the test. If you fail it, withdraw from the class and enroll in basic chem for next semester, maybe basic bio too.

I do not think you should quit at this point. Good luck.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

Hey Proverbs16:24

I agree that it seems like the school systems today are not fully preparing the students for success but at the same time I guess we as students have to take it upon ourselves. Knowledge is defiantly power and I agree with you. Hopefully one day ill reach my goal of becoming a NP.

Really appreciate your kindness and post!

Your welcome NYCNative21. Sometimes its a good thing to view all angles and shift perspectives before implementing an action. I'm glad you were able to make a decision on your own and solve your own problem lets me know you are on the right track! Continue to be open to changes and falling short sometimes. We ALL have strengths and development areas. :)

[vampiregirl, BSN, RN]

Just a couple of thoughts...

I struggled a bit with A&P, Chemistry and some of the other core courses when I took them. This material is very important to have as a foundation. It will come in useful in nursing. It's just dry and was pretty much unrelatable to anything at that point - just "stuff you have to learn". Take it one bite at a time. Figure out how you learn best. I found my nursing classes "easier" (not sure that's the perfect word), as I was more excited about the subject matter and could more easily see how it applied to my goal of being a nurse.

I also came into nursing with a fire/ ems background. The theories of EMS and nursing are very different... it was a struggle for me to someone remember to use the nursing lens to view things. But trust me, EMS background can work to your advantage in nursing. Learning how to stay calm in an emergency, people skills, staying alert to your environment to ensure safety, etc. - those things aren't taught in school but are essential skills in patient care.

Good luck! Nursing school wasn't any easy journey for me, but for me it was so worth it.

[FutureNurseInfo]

Hello KatieMi,

Well I guess I can say thank you for the advice even though it wasn't what I was hoping. Now don't get me wrong at least you were honest and I do appreciate that cause in todays world some things are sugar coated which shouldn't be so I again appreciate that.

Now don't get me wrong here when I say I don't believe withdrawing right away is a good idea without at least trying to pass the test. The teacher allows us to stay in the course but if we decide to withdraw then we need to do that before the final exam. Trust me when I say this I would love to have face to face with the instructor but seeing that he is never in the office I decided to at least email him notifying him of my current situation so we can meet up in person. Well The textbook I have is rented so unfortunately if i withdraw I will need to give the book back to chegg.

Don't get me wrong I do study about 12 hours a day and its not that I don't understand literally anything. I do comprehend some of it but I feel like I am not comprehending the amount I need to pass the test if that makes sense. For example if you were to act me what Dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis is I can explain it to you but drawing it is my issue. Same thing with Lipis, I can show you explain to you what a triglyceride is which is just glycerol and 3 fatty acids coming together to form it. Just like Phospholipid is just basically a non polar tail more specially 2 fatty acids, glycerol and Phosphorous group coming together or a steroid for example cholesterol, Sex hormones, vitamin. I can explain to you that carbs are just simple sugars for example a monosaccharide is just a simple sugar for example glucose. Then you have your disaccharides which are two pairs of simple sugars linked together. For example two glucose's make up maltose. Like I can explain certain things but drawing them is a different issue. I should of explained that more clearly and I apologize for that. I do understand certain things like bonds. Just drawing certain things confuse me and thats what is going to be on the test.

Not trying to sound rude but I'm not worried about english to that extent cause I have always been good in english and writing essays is pretty simple as long as you enjoy a topic you are writing about. Im not saying I'm taking that course lightly when the time comes but what I am saying is that I feel like I won't struggle as hard in that class compared to AP.

I find it so said that for me to get a nursing degree I basically have to do high school over again just to get a basic concept. Correct me if I am wrong but that should be that teachers job to help certain students understand. Like for example some students are visual learners and listeners where they can sit in a classroom and just listen and understand. Im not that kind of student, I need to actually put my hands on the idea and actually do it so I comprehend it. Im what you call a tactile learner. Some students learn differently and some teachers just don't understand that today. I shouldn't have to feel like an idiot going back to 9-11th grade to try and learn something a teacher should be explaining a bit better.

I will certainly go to barnes and nobles and pick up the TEAS exam study guide and start practicing. All those mini courses you just said are literally compacted into my EMT course I took a while back. Don't get me wrong those are great ideas but I don't see a need to restudy them. See I'm not weak in the anatomy aspect and learning the systems per say. I can explain to you the systems and the basic functions along with certain detailed concepts of each one but its the chemistry part I'm just little off from.

Like I said this is nothing against you and I did not mean this post in any harmful or mean way towards you. Im just really stressed out right now and Im a smart dude I really am. It just hurts knowing that my dreams of becoming something I know I can be really good at probably won't happen cause I'm not "smart" enough for the school aspect.

I do feel your pain as you clearly struggle with the subject, but please, do not put blame on the teachers. Yes, K-12 educators are required to differentiate instruction to meet the many learning styles and needs of the students. THIS is college. It is now YOUR responsibility to learn the material. NO teacher is now going to run after you and beg to study so you can pass the test. It is YOU who now has to run after your teacher to find ways to help you. Like others suggested, you NEED the pre-requisite knowledge to understand the subject you are in right now. If chemistry is the one you struggle, then find resources to help you learn chemistry. If nothing works, register for a chemistry course. Do anything it takes, but blame teachers for your struggles.