I made the decision last night, and it is final – but I’m not entirely happy about it. I decided that I need to drop Organic Chemistry. I should have done it at the very beginning, as I could tell right away that there would be problems. When I registered, Prof. A was supposed to be my instructor. I had researched Prof. A, I knew how Prof. A lectured, I was set. It was going to be a tough class, but good. I could do it.
Then I walked in on the first day and discovered that I had a replacement prof, Prof. Z. Prof. Z does not normally teach at my school, although he does teach Org. Chem at a private institution here in Houston. He is a nice guy, but his lectures are scattered. There are only so many times in one lecture that you can say, “Oh, wait, never mind – you don’t need to know that” or “Oh, wait, that’s not right.” Uh, great. It is a hard enough subject, but when someone keeps shifting directions on you – it is terrible.
I tried to take Trig online last year, and I learned then that I need a lecture to learn. I am too auditory to teach it to myself by reading alone. I have discovered now that I need a good lecture to learn. I can still quote things I learned in Chem. I over a year ago, but this class? I’m so lost. Beyond lost. Terribly lost.
Mike ended up getting a phone call from me last night with me ready to go off the deep end. I could NOT figure out the material. Reading the book was like reading a textbook I had found and just randomly opened up to the middle of the book. I felt lost. I felt frustated.
I can not take it anymore.
There is enough going on in my life with my family. I do not have 5 hours a day to devote to relearning the parts where I am weak in this course. Unfortunately, I got lost back at memorizing the initial functional groups. They are too important. I can not do it.
I’m even more frustrated because I actually *get* the concepts. I understand why things work the way that they do. Just don’t ask me to draw a ketone for you.
Prof. A will be teaching it again in the spring. It wasn’t his fault that they had him take over a different class and gave mine away. So I’m going to drop this one, and take it again. I’m scared that it will look bad to have two classes that I have withdrawn from on my transcripts, but overall it has to look better than taking a C or even a D in the class. My GPA simply can not handle that hit. In addition, I can’t imagine coming out of Org. Chem I with that weak of a grade and doing well in Org. Chem II.
I hate giving up. But my family has to come first, and I have reached my breaking point. I need to be able to focus on Jason and helping him through his rough patch at school. I can’t do any more than what I am doing at this moment. Hopefully, round two will go better. I’m still bitter about the whole thing though.
As for the Trig class that I dropped last spring? I currently have a 99 in the class. I rock the Trig. Who knew? Here I always thought I sucked at math!
12 replies on “I Give Up.”
It’s not giving up, its looking for a different path to the same goal. 🙂
I can’t imagine that anyone would look at your transcript and think badly of your for dropping a couple of classes. After all, you’re a grown-up, with a life outside of school. You’re also able to recognize a scattered Prof and move ON. You’ve made a good decision not to waste your time and sanity. 🙂
a tough decision, but it sounds like you made the right one to me!
love the new look, btw.
oh, and i bought my camera 🙂
I think it’s a good idea and nobody’s going to care that you dropped twice. And if they do, you tell them the truth. Perfectly reasonable explanation
I’m debating dropping my Literary Criticism class. It’s kicking my butt.
I’m not sure yet. I may stick it out.
When my daughter was at St. Thomas she had a visiting astronomy professor from Rice – cue the scary music – he told them they were all spoiled children and came in one day and threw their tests at them all in a big wad and screamed at them to find their own paper in the heap because he could not bear to touch them any longer. He flunked everyone in the entire class that stayed. She didn’t. Don’t worry about it!
Don’t be so hard on yourself. I dropped a couple of classes when I was in school full time and working full time as the single parent of a 7-8 year old. Stuff happens. Nobody looks at your transcript. Honest, once you graduate, they just don’t care how you got there. I am a very auditory learner too. Your priorities are in the right place, now, just relax and focus.
Christine, you have to do what is right for you. I second what everyone else has said about the organic chemistry. And…you are so right that you want to have a good solid knowledge of Org Chem I before you take II.
At A&M you get 3 “Q drops” and I used all 3 including one for organic chemistry. I used the 2nd on a genetics class – the prof was from hell, was hated by all and he in turn hated us. I can’t remember what I used the 3rd one for. Anyway, I don’t recall it affecting my record in the long run and it kept my overall GPA from getting hitting with at the very best 2 D’s…
I guess I should have clarified – I know it won’t be an issue from a general standpoint; it saves the GPA, and it isn’t like I’m dropping classes all the time.
I am more worried about the fact that my transcript will be reviewed as I transfer into a 4-year institution (although if I return to A&M it is as a “returning student” so it might not matter), and – the even bigger issue – how it might effect me if I go on to Pharmacy school, or another competitive program like that.
You know, I just dropped my physics class for similar reasons. That and I totally botched my first test.
My professor would be almost finished with a problem, then change the variables, or keep making a mistake with the equations that just confused the hell out of me. When I bombed the test, it made the decision easy, since if I can’t grasp the basics, the rest isn’t going to get any easier.
That and I’m starting to re-evaluate my original plan of Pharmacy school.
I didn’t drop a math class my freshman year and ended up with a D. I retook it the next year with a different professor and got an A. Sometimes it is all in the teaching. I also dropped a class (because of a professor) that I never made up. It hasn’t seemed to have hurt me. I think you made the right choice – sometimes sanity is key above all else!