Dropping chem

J3Rizzo

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
51
I am a college reapplicant and I have scheduled every class (if possible) that was mentioned on the TWE. I am also involved in rotc. I may have to drop chem, even though it was suggested because I’m not doing so well in it. Should I rough it out and accept an average grade or drop it maybe schedule it for next semester?
 
I would recommend to keep pushing on with chem. Normally dropping a class wouldn't be too big of a deal but you'll have to take chem or physics ( not sure if it's both or you get to choose) at USAFA. I would recommend seeing if any one in the class might help you out. I would offer to help out but I'm a senior in high school so the chem I cover is basic compared to yours.
 
I don't really know but I expect you'll better of with a C than with dropping the class.
 
I can't speak to the impact dropping it or not will have on your app - but I can say that the recommended schedule is recommended for a reason. Chem, physics and calculus put a lot of freshman on academic probation at USAFA. It is well worth your time to really dig in and figure out why you aren't doing so well. Maybe your professor has a teaching style that is difficult for you - if so, find someone else that can help. Maybe you aren't studying in the right way for tests- again, ask for help and ideas from your classmates and professors, maybe there is a different approach you can take. Keep trying new things and asking for help until you figure out a method that works for you.
 
I can't speak to the impact dropping it or not will have on your app - but I can say that the recommended schedule is recommended for a reason. Chem, physics and calculus put a lot of freshman on academic probation at USAFA. It is well worth your time to really dig in and figure out why you aren't doing so well. Maybe your professor has a teaching style that is difficult for you - if so, find someone else that can help. Maybe you aren't studying in the right way for tests- again, ask for help and ideas from your classmates and professors, maybe there is a different approach you can take. Keep trying new things and asking for help until you figure out a method that works for you.

Agree with posts above. I am a senior taking APC and the class average every year is a solid B - meaning about 25% of class finishes with C. (I’m in the C range, but pushing through bc im hoping it’ll help me out in college).
 
I don't really know but I expect you'll better of with a C than with dropping the class.

Especially if it’s online, I would think. Get a tutor and get that grade up. You can do it!!
 
It's not even the middle of September yet, so you should have time to climb out of any holes you managed to dig in the first three weeks. Figure it out, because if you get accepted and have to take it again you won't be allowed to drop it and you'll have even more challenges outside the classroom.
 
I am a sophomore taking chemistry and I have a C+ in it.I need to study hard in chemistry.👍
 
Khan academy has some free chem courses. I haven't looked at them, but their stuff is pretty good at getting topics across. Lessons are in bite sized chunks so you can fit them into a busy schedule. It might be helpful.
 
What you are doing for Chem isn't working...so you need to change what you do. You will have the same issue if you were to be in a Service Academy.

0) GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!

1) Go to Professor's office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: "I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?"

2) If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof's office hours. If they have any "help sessions" or "study sessions" or "recitations" or any thing extra, go to them.

3) Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.

4) Don't do the minimum...for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for chem or calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line (e.g., Khan Academy) about the topic you are studying.

5) Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)

6) If things still are not going well, get a tutor.

7) Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.

8) If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best ...you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.

9) For tests that you didn't do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study...there may be a study skill center at your college.

10) How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.

11) At first, don't spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)

12) If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes...e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up time for the others. Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)...you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.

13) At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.


14) Make sure you understand how to use your online class system...Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).

15) If you get an assignment...make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.

16) If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours...not the day before the assignment is due.


You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.
 
Outstanding post above. All college bound kids should print this and take it off to school with them. Post it on the wall.
 
What you are doing for Chem isn't working...so you need to change what you do. You will have the same issue if you were to be in a Service Academy.

0) GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!

1) Go to Professor's office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: "I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?"

2) If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof's office hours. If they have any "help sessions" or "study sessions" or "recitations" or any thing extra, go to them.

3) Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.

4) Don't do the minimum...for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for chem or calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line (e.g., Khan Academy) about the topic you are studying.

5) Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)

6) If things still are not going well, get a tutor.

7) Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.

8) If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best ...you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.

9) For tests that you didn't do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study...there may be a study skill center at your college.

10) How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.

11) At first, don't spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)

12) If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes...e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up time for the others. Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)...you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.

13) At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.


14) Make sure you understand how to use your online class system...Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).

15) If you get an assignment...make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.

16) If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours...not the day before the assignment is due.


You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.
Thank you for this. The biggest problem is not the difficulty, but that the course is completely online with no professor. We were given absolutely zero instruction on how to initiate the course and because of this I am way behind and since the course is run by a programs website, there is nothing I can do
 
Talk to your Dean of Students about the fact that you were not given instruction.
 
Agree with bopper but I have to say that seeking out assistance should have happened much sooner than this. You wouldn't let your aircraft become non-airworthy because you didn't ask the support crew to look at something, right?
 
Back
Top