What’s wrong with me?

[906032986]

I got a 24/60 on this first midterm, which is a 40%. In other words, I completely bombed the test.

I also did very poorly in chemistry last quarter so I thought that I could bring it up this quarter, but that obviously didn’t work. I thought that I didn’t do well on Toumari’s first midterm due to lack of resources, but now that I’ve failed yet again even after being given so many resources, I’ve come to the conclusion that the problem must be something to do with me. I study, and I keep studying, and it makes absolutely no difference because I still fail anyway.

I’m so tired. I’m just so tired of being so much stupider than everyone else because at this point I just can’t come up with any other explanation for it. I use the same study resources as everyone else, so why do I do so much worse? I went through almost all of the syllabus problems, rewatched all the lectures and did the practice problems in the lectures, and did all of the achieve homework. I went to one of the step-up sessions as well, and I thought that I had a good understanding of the material, but I guess I overestimated myself.

I hoped that this quarter would be better, but I don’t know how to improve when all my attempts turn out to be futile. Last quarter, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t working for me, so this quarter I tried to improve by living a healthier lifestyle and trying to improve my study habits, but I did worse on this midterm than I’ve ever done on a test before. At this point I might have to reconsider my major and career path because classes are only going to get harder from here on out.

Does Lavelle curve or provide any extra credit? At this point if I don’t score very very well on MT2 and the final then I might fail the class, but that’s very unlikely considering how badly I scored on the first midterm.

Is it too late to drop the class? I have no idea what to do.

[Chem_Mod]

Attend Step-Sessions (at least 2 every week).

Work through the assigned problems in the Syllabus.
Review/practice them closed book to develop problem solving skills.

Step-Up Sessions are really helpful for students needing assistance.

There are many ways to get assistance in my class, and I encourage you to use them.

[Chem_Mod]

Adding on to the previous reply, I wanted to add that classes do not necessarily get harder. I graduated this past year from UCLA, and looking back, Chem 14B was one of the tougher classes for me as it is very problem solving heavy. I know multiple people including myself who actually find 14C and 14D to be much easier since 14C and D are more conceptual and involves a different way of thinking. Therefore, just because you do not receive the grade you would like in 14A or 14B, it is very much possible to do well in future chemistry classes! Something to keep in mind if you are deciding to change majors/career paths.

In terms of improving for the next midterm, I would recommend attending more Step-Up sessions to keep on trying to work on problem solving skills and even maybe attend different UA's Step Up sessions to see different approaches to problems.

[305693278]

Hi, as someone who also has had trouble keeping up with the content of the class I'd love to share the exact study habits that proved well for me. Each week, I've gone to 2-3 workshops and office hour sessions. I ask a lot of questions that other people may find "dumb," but it truly has helped me understand the content better through someone thoroughly talking through my misconceptions with me. I feel as though those conversations reveal other misconceptions I had and fix them. Additionally, I made sure to do every assigned textbook problem then go to office hours with each textbook and homework (Achieve) question that confused me, even the slightest bit: i.e., getting the correct answer but making sure that my thought process was correct in getting there. For me, this class has required a lot of out-of-class help from TAs and UAs who know what content will be tested and how. I understand your frustration because I was/am struggling a lot too: you're not alone in this at all.

[Chem_Mod]

Hi, as someone who also has had trouble keeping up with the content of the class I'd love to share the exact study habits that proved well for me. Each week, I've gone to 2-3 workshops and office hour sessions. I ask a lot of questions that other people may find "dumb," but it truly has helped me understand the content better through someone thoroughly talking through my misconceptions with me. I feel as though those conversations reveal other misconceptions I had and fix them. Additionally, I made sure to do every assigned textbook problem then go to office hours with each textbook and homework (Achieve) question that confused me, even the slightest bit: i.e., getting the correct answer but making sure that my thought process was correct in getting there. For me, this class has required a lot of out-of-class help from TAs and UAs who know what content will be tested and how. I understand your frustration because I was/am struggling a lot too: you're not alone in this at all.

Thank you for sharing. Excellent, honest post. Can I share this (anomalously) with students?

[Chem_Mod]

hey,

My parents told me not to take chemistry because they really struggled with it when they were in school. My older brother took AP chemistry in high school and almost failed the class. He just barely passed, but still made it to college. My mom didn't go to college, and seeing my brother do so poorly, really discouraged me from taking such a difficult course. So my entire family has had a bad history with taking chemistry, and warned me that I should reconsider my choices.

I took chemistry in high school, but not at a level as thorough as what we learn in 14A and B. This meant that almost all of the information was completely new to me, and I had to learn everything from scratch. I went to many of the UA sessions, Dr. Lavelle's office hours, and asked my TA any questions I had. I was able to succeed not because of the knowledge I came in with, but because of what all those amazing people helped me learn and understand, step by step.

I came into 14A and B with a disadvantage. I was able to succeed after asking for help, and making a lot of mistakes. I say this to pass my story to you, to show you that it is possible to succeed. And it is possible to recover. I've been in your same place before, so trust me, you're not the only student who has these thoughts. You're just brave enough to say them out loud.

I think it's important to remember how far you've come, and the level of learning you are at. Taking college courses is no joke, especially chemistry, and receiving a score lower than your peers do not make you any "stupider." Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, so there will always be some person who is an expert at the subject and get a high score. And that's ok because you have no obligation to be the best at everything. You're just learning at a different place, and maybe making a little more mistakes along the way. And that's human. That's how you grow.

Sometimes the best thing to do is take a break and come back a day or two later. Take a breather. Chemistry is not more important than your happiness, and never will be.

When you're ready to come back, come talk to me or any of the other UAs. We're all here for you, and more than happy to go over topics or answer any questions you may have. Chemistry is hard, but you have a team of UAs, TAs, and students behind you to get you to beat it!

And hey, maybe next year, you'll join us as a UA after you succeed in 14B :]
-Vivek

[305693278]

Hi, as someone who also has had trouble keeping up with the content of the class I'd love to share the exact study habits that proved well for me. Each week, I've gone to 2-3 workshops and office hour sessions. I ask a lot of questions that other people may find "dumb," but it truly has helped me understand the content better through someone thoroughly talking through my misconceptions with me. I feel as though those conversations reveal other misconceptions I had and fix them. Additionally, I made sure to do every assigned textbook problem then go to office hours with each textbook and homework (Achieve) question that confused me, even the slightest bit: i.e., getting the correct answer but making sure that my thought process was correct in getting there. For me, this class has required a lot of out-of-class help from TAs and UAs who know what content will be tested and how. I understand your frustration because I was/am struggling a lot too: you're not alone in this at all.

Thank you for sharing. Excellent, honest post. Can I share this (anomalously) with students?

Yes, of course.

[James Yu 3C]

Hey,

Struggling in chemistry is common and almost everyone goes through it. It's a notoriously hard subject, and you're definitely not alone out there. You can do it, keep your head up! :)

[705995679]

Remember that you're not the only one going through this! I am also struggling with the content of the course and even though I feel like I did everything in my power to study, I am not going to pass this class with the grade I wish I would. But, I'm hoping that I come out of the class with some sort of better understand of the topics, even if I took a poor test. Sometimes test-taking is just difficult, and it doesn't help that there are only 15 MC questions and even getting a few wrong results in a poor score.

[005999765]

You are not alone. There are many of us who are struggling in the class but that does not mean that you are not doing enough. These concepts are hard to grasp, but it is only because these classes are not meant to be easy. Remember that you are doing the best you can and even if you do not get the grade you want, you will come out of the class with some sort of better understanding of the topics.

[Leanna1H]

Hi,

You are not alone; I feel the same way. I went to many of the UA sessions, and I thought that I did ok on the first midterm but ended up not getting what I was expecting. It is frustrating to talk to other people who have taken this class already and listen to how they thought the class was easy or that they hardly studied and got an A. However, in the grand scope of things, not doing well in this class is not the end of the world. There are tons of people who probably did not do that great in gen chem and still ended up where they wanted to be in life. Keep your head up, don't lose hope, and know that there is a whole community of people who want to support and help you :)

[105944027]

Hey! I totally feel you and I am sure many other students feel the same way as you!! I think it is okay to acknowledge that there will be some subjects that you will not be excelling in like how you are in your other classes and that's totally fine! Not going to lie, I envy a lot of people who gets better grades than me and/or understands what the heck is going on in chemistry but I just try to remember that I am just as deserving as everyone else. We are all here for different reasons and we all got here because UCLA saw our potential, and we should too! We got this :) A few years from now, you'll be looking back and wonder why you worried so much about a class. Don't let a class determine your self-worth. We are more than our grades!