homework help: i’m a sophomore in college and about to take my second semester organic chemistry final. - Help.com

Did you take notes in class? Did you highlight anything in the text book? Normally questions that are on the final are only what your professor has gone over with you.

All the tests you take during class are supposed to lead up to the final. If I were you, I would just take all the tests from class and just read them, read your notes. Just read as much as you can and try to take it all in. You may feel like you won’t remember anything for the final, but once you see the questions you will remember it from what you read, especially if it’s multiple choice.

You know what I love about you jrich0? You don’t give up. Look at you. You know you have very little chance of acing that exam, but you still want to try. I admire that.

I can tell you from personal experience, it can be done. I did it in a high school geometry class, which I was failing. As I was desperately studying for the exam, I realized two things of great importance (1) The math didn’t make sense to me the way it was being taught, but I could find the answers my own way, and (2) I could memorizes the formulas short-term, but they didn’t stick long-term.

So, I studied the formulas right before class, and wrote them down on the test page as soon as it was handed out. I didn’t recall all the formulas, but I knew the most important ones, lucked out, and remembered the right formulas for the test.

Everything else on the test that didn’t fit the formulas I recalled, I worked out myself using the backs of pages as scratch sheets. I aced, and even got the extra credit, on a test from a professor who was notorious for handing out exams no one could ace.

I obviously don’t have an aptitude for geometry, and it doesn’t look like you have an aptitude for organic chemistry. You know what that means? You probably won’t get a job in organic chemistry.

My advice: (1) Pay attention to how you learn, not how you are taught. Something isn’t clicking for you, and it just may be that you learning style is different than the teaching style. (2) Talk to your professor. Just say you don’t think you’ll pass the class, you wish you had come to him/her sooner, you want to try your best, and ask if there’s anything you can do. (3) Read, don’t study. Your brain melts, forget it. Just read what you can, review tests and quizzes from previous classes, look at your chapter questions, and read the notes you have which your professor wrote on the board. Make note only those things you don’t already know, or won’t remember. (4) Ask someone for help. You probably need someone to explain organic chemistry to you in a way that makes sense to you. That’s the real trick — knowing your learning style. (5) Look online for the type of test you’re taking. You should notice some topics are emphasized, and thus are more important to know. (6) If at all possible, arrive a little late for class. I know that sounds strange, but, for some reason, that seems to relieve test anxiety — which will kill you on a test.

Your effort will ultimately be 1000 times more valuable than your grade. You can retake the class if you want that grade up. Take whatever lessons you’ve learned from this class and experience, and leave the rest behind.

“i’m a sophomore in college and about to take my second semester organic chemistry final.

i haven’t been doing so good in the class and i really need to do well on the final. its 64 multiple choice questions and that scares me because if i miss even 6 questions i won’t have the A i need to pull my grade up. i’m lacking motivation to study too. it seems like a lost cause because there is so much information. it seems i’m destined to fail, so why bother studying? any help with motivation or organic chemistry would be appritiated. ” -from post (quoting jrich0
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I would suggest referencing www.iupac.com for immediate help. Man, I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but if you don’t know the material by now (mid-May) and you’ve been in the class all year (and semester most recently I conjecture) you will not do well at all on the final; again, I am not trying to be mean at all, man, but you do deserve an “F” in the course; you can take it over with a refreshed outlook on it and perhaps study more (and get some good counsel on study skills; are many books and reference out there. Note cards, group study, comparison and contrasts of structures (and the benzene ring is the primary structure as you know, etc). I had two semesters of Organic Chemistry at www.rhodes.edu and struggled to have my two “C’” grades each term. I know it’s a hard course ; probably the most difficult course of study I’ve ever had. Was just pure memorization to me and I remember only about 2% of it now. I had to take two terms of Organic for my B.S. in Biology.

Also, again, my friend, if you’re in college and can’t spell, capitalize properly, punctuate, or use proper grammar in your writing, you need some remedial writing courses. That post of yours is laden with mistakes referencing the above in this paragraph.

Get a grip, man. Do your best; hope for the best; but expect an “F” in the course. You need to fail; you don’t know the material. It won’t kill you; may be for the best in the long run to teach you better study habits and perhaps more appropriate social outlets and time-management (conjectures there). I’ve been there and am now finished with college and a subsequent Master’s Degree. You can do it; just gotta get with it. Tutors are available and if you have a learning disability, they can help you and, per the ADA, the instructor must give you appropriate accomodations for the exams (longer time to take it, etc., but not just passing you with a “C” for knowing little to nothing.

This may hurt and anger you, but, referencing my past in college, I’ve been there and learned plenty of lessons about study and the value of a college degree.

Take care.