Failed my first college exam.

"Bandit" (2bandit)
11/18/2014 at 21:52 • Filed to: bandit does college

Kinda want to die. If I don't pass the class with a C- or better (also need a minimum 3.2 gpa) I don't move on to the engineering school and I'm stuck in freshman engineering. Fuck me, fuck chemistry, fuck college, and fuck the person who decided to make half of the test completely irrelevant to anything we've covered recently with a poisonous cactus. I want to do ME, chem shouldn't be a required class. I studied for nine fucking hours, went to two different long review sessions, and went to all the classes. I shouldn't have done this horribly.

DISCUSSION (31)

Fookin' Prawns > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 21:53

I've been there. You're going to be okay.

Mercedes Streeter > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 21:54

Ah, it's okay. We all will fail at something at some point in our lives. Just pick yourself back up, learn from your mistakes, and go after it again!!! A failure only brings you one step closer to success. I promise! :)

CB > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 21:56

Hey man, it's not the end of things. I failed a mid-term last year (got just below a 50). I ended up getting an 83 in the class, and since then have managed to get into the specialization program for criminology at my university. Don't take it too hard, because the last thing you want to do is give up. Just keep pushing forward, get help where you need it, and if all else fails, pray for the bell curve to help you out.

Remember: I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together.

GeorgeyBoy > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 21:56

You'll be alright man. Everyone retakes a few classes in college.

Bandit > CB
11/18/2014 at 21:59

Haha curve, good joke. No curve in this class.

Scary__goongala! > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:00

It won't be your only time failing a test. Believe me, it happens. I am currently trying to save my own ass, because Im not doing so well in a class that Im taking for the 2nd time.

scoob > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:00

I got a 62 on my first math exam; 3 points off for missed homework. On my second exam I got a 70, but I could've gotten an 85 if I didn't make any damned careless mistakes.

Just never ever ever ever give up, I'm sure you (and I) will pull through.

JustWaitingForAMate > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:02

Completely failed a comp sci class in my second year, due to a nice combination of not giving a fuck and discovering alcohol. not the end of the world.

MIATAAAA > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:02

...said every college freshman ever.

You'll be fine. Work hard.

Bandit > Scary__goongala!
11/18/2014 at 22:02

Yeah. But this was a general class taken by like 1200 people. I should be getting a good grade... I haven't failed before...

shop-teacher > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:10

Been there. Sucks to the core. Keep diggin', you can do it!

Trunk Impaired 318 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:11

Gen chem? Thats my shit, let me know if you want any help, Im serious!

promoted by the color red > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:20

Welcome to the engineering department. Stuff like this can and will happen in your life. Think of it this way - you're not the only one to take the test. If it was really that out of left field, there can and will be a large curve, like that one time I scored a 38 (out of 100) on a math test and found out it was a B.

It's good that you're working hard. I didn't learn from my mistakes and was very nearly kicked out of the department, but that's another story for another time. I'm also going to go ahead and suggest that you should start preparing for computer programming if you haven't already.

Chemistry will become relevant later, particularly if you want to study stuff like combustion, fuels, and how they affect things like internal combustion engines. Plus if you think this is hard, wait until fluid mechanics. Good lord, that was brutal.

bwp240 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:30

Welcome to college. If you don't question why you are doing your major a couple times, you are doing it wrong.

desertdog5051 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:36

I feel your pain, Bandit. I sucked at it. But, living with a Chemistry teacher/professor for a long time has taught me how intertwined it is with all sciences. It is something you will need as a background in the future. Sorry.

Bandit > promoted by the color red
11/18/2014 at 22:38

Who isn't excited about required Thermo 2? Ranked one of the hardest undergrad courses in the country.

Bandit > Trunk Impaired 318
11/18/2014 at 22:39

Yeah, I for some reason am not good at gen chem. I don't know why but I'm much better (I think) at physics and math.

FocusedMark > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:40

failing sucks. I'm a wildlife biology major currently getting a D in a 100 level biology course (its plant biology which sucks) just keep your head up and it'll get better. we're all in this together, and we will all make it through just fine.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:42

Everybody's got stuff they're good at and stuff they suck at (biology and me don't mix at all) What kind of stuff are you learning in chem?

Bandit > Trunk Impaired 318
11/18/2014 at 22:45

This test was just a bunch of random stuff. Organic chemistry, polymers, solutions, electron and molecular structure, and some other odds and ends. And they just updated the test key and I lost another 5%, yay.

Firewrx234 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:51

Well if it's any consolation, I've made it through that class after doing just what you described. Purdue has a MAJOR weed out year with the Freshman engineering program as a whole. Not saying it will get easier but there will be more of a focus on understanding rather than just blind tests.

Good luck, I wish you the best!

Trunk Impaired 318 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:53

Unless all of that is stupidly broad thats a terrible amount of variation to have on one test, also orgo is impossible no matter what

Bandit > Trunk Impaired 318
11/18/2014 at 22:55

Yeah, I know. At least the other tests I've had in the class were around a theme. Someone wasn't thinking when they wrote the class schedule.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 22:58

If it makes you feel any better I'm in jeopardy of failing a class that would keep me from progressing into my fifth year of pharmacy school and I need a 78ish on the final to pass, so I know where you're at

ly2v8-Brian > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 23:13

I inow the feel. Just got a D on my physics test. Not happy at all with myself.

Bandit > ly2v8-Brian
11/18/2014 at 23:14

That's the problem with such a few amount of questions on a test, for me missing one multiple choice question equates to a 5% grade drop.

ly2v8-Brian > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 23:19

just keep your head up. I'm probably just going to burn this test and forget it happened. The professor said my final was non cumulative.

I'll take 911 RS for $5000 > Bandit
11/18/2014 at 23:21

C's get degrees!

Seriously though, keeping that in mind gets you through college. I'm in my 4th year as a CS major in my university's engineering school. Took Calc III my first semester. My exam scores (in order): 53, 67, 72. Went to all the office hours, made sure the professor knew I was working crazy hard, got a C. First C I'd gotten since 4th grade, after graduating HS with a 4.4 GPA (on a 4.5 scale, where A = 4.0, A+ = 4.5) and a significant amount of college credit from AP courses. I thought the world was going to end, especially as my parents had informed me that they would not support me at college if I got poor grades. Currently sitting at a 3.62 GPA (out of 4), and just need to pass 4 classes to get my degree.

It's rough, and it may seem like you're not going to succeed, but C's get degrees and degrees get jobs. GPA matters much less than it did in high school (unless you're applying to med school, but that's stupid, so don't do that).

George Costanza > Bandit
11/19/2014 at 00:49

Don't let your self fall into an inferiority complex, I have gone down that too. In fields that are quantitative and information based the matter of spending hours and focus is really all it is. I bet you studied hours and hours and thats really the only formula, that and focus. Cal Newport has an excellent blog on methods of productivity. Helped me a lot when I was similar situations.

Try to think back and see what you missed and what study habit resulted in you missing it. Fix it now and then exponential improve your studying abilities.

PS. I am not in engineering or chemistry, I am in math and econ. maybe some fundamentals are different.

Bandit > George Costanza
11/19/2014 at 01:00

I've been in that complex for years, I've spent my entire school career being compared to the brilliant children of college professors (con of living in a college town) and those who have technical up-bringing. I had 17 valedictorians in my graduating class (many of whom were in my group of friends). My my mom is a fine arts major and my dad a liberal arts major, I've been on my own education wise since 4th grade. Sadly, after over a decade of being compared to the best of the best I've just become use to knowing I'm worse than everybody else.

I studied for 8 hours and went to two review sessions held by TAs. I was very confident going in. It may not have helped that I was up late last night doing tons of homework and had done 9 hours of classes prior to the test.

Carlitos the Fünfer > Bandit
11/19/2014 at 09:09

Trust me dude. There's always a curve. I'm a senior engineering student, and I've been there. The prof says there's no curve so everyone studies their asses off, but then they HAVE to curve the class at the end of the semester or no one will pass. You'll be fine. Take a deep breath and knuckle down for the final.