YACollegeT: Departmental Discombobulation

[Toastedlightly]

So, I just got the score back on my final (which I thought I had rocked). Turns out, I didn't. I got a C in the course. Not bad, but not what I wanted.

Now, here's the history. I took Organic Chemistry 1 w/ a different professor last semester (award winning professor/researcher). He focused on the why of the Organic Chemistry.

The semester after that (Spring 2007) I took Organic Chemistry II with a different professor. She is a temporary member of the faculty for the 06-07 school year. Her style is completely different. She focuses on memorizing the reactions, not knowing why they exist. This emphasis threw me off on the first two tests of the year (31 and 25 percent respectively). I recovered back up to a C, which is just fine, but it got me thinking.

Most lower division classes I have taken share a common final (General Chem, Physics, Math, etc). This ensures that the students have a base of knowledge form which the higher level courses can draw upon. This is not the case with my school's Organic Chemistry.

I have written emails to people in power about this. Does it seem like I am being unreasonable? I am not trying to fix my grade, merely help people later on from being in the same situation.

Does your school have common finals in 2000 level courses?

I suppose this is just a vent, but it is a sucky rant as I am using logic (well, trying to).

 

[FleshLight]

So your basis is that ochem I is different from ochem II and that's why you didn't do so well? O rry?

 

[Aimster]

I have to retake a course ... I got a FAIL. I actually got a 71, but that is a FAIL.
piece of ... *@#*

sorry I had to rant a lil...and I used your thread... 🙁

 

[Parasitic]

Professors are free to conduct teaching in any way suitable to their style.
You're SOL.

The education system isn't going to change. Get used to it. There are just going to be professors who are horrible at conveying ideas.
I've had a math professor who essentially made us MEMORIZE the entire textbook without doing any teaching whatsoever.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: FleshLight
So your basis is that ochem I is different from ochem II and that's why you didn't do so well? O rry?

I wasn't clear. My OChem I professor taught Ochem II, Prof A. I didn't get into this lecture (Freshman registering for Sophomore courses). I had a different Ochem II lecturer, Lec B. Prof A covered far more material and the why, whilst Lec B. covered less material and only the specific reactions. The classes were worlds apart (I have a friend in Prof A's class).

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Professors are free to conduct teaching in any way suitable to their style.
You're SOL.

The education system isn't going to change. Get used to it. There are just going to be professors who are horrible at conveying ideas.
I've had a math professor who essentially made us MEMORIZE the entire textbook without doing any teaching whatsoever.

But the course is a major Prereq for higher level chemistry, which I am heading into. If professors don't teach a solid cirriculum, higher level classes must reteach old material to the few who don't know... or those are SOL, as you put it.

 

[FleshLight]

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Professors are free to conduct teaching in any way suitable to their style.
You're SOL.

The education system isn't going to change. Get used to it. There are just going to be professors who are horrible at conveying ideas.
I've had a math professor who essentially made us MEMORIZE the entire textbook without doing any teaching whatsoever.

But the course is a major Prereq for higher level chemistry, which I am heading into. If professors don't teach a solid cirriculum, higher level classes must reteach old material to the few who don't know... or those are SOL, as you put it.

Then your C shows that you have an average understanding of the reaction mechanisms? I think theory is pretty much useless for undergrad science majors. Some of it is albeit interesting and makes a good anecdote but I don't think knowing how to derive kinematic equations matters anywhere else but grad school.

 

[Toastedlightly]

Originally posted by: FleshLight

Originally posted by: Toastedlightly

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Professors are free to conduct teaching in any way suitable to their style.
You're SOL.

The education system isn't going to change. Get used to it. There are just going to be professors who are horrible at conveying ideas.
I've had a math professor who essentially made us MEMORIZE the entire textbook without doing any teaching whatsoever.

But the course is a major Prereq for higher level chemistry, which I am heading into. If professors don't teach a solid cirriculum, higher level classes must reteach old material to the few who don't know... or those are SOL, as you put it.

Then your C shows that you have an average understanding of the reaction mechanisms? I think theory is pretty much useless for undergrad science majors. Some of it is albeit interesting and makes a good anecdote but I don't think knowing how to derive kinematic equations matters anywhere else but grad school.

Only problem comes with what is expected from higher level courses. I took Chem 2311 (the complimentary lab course to the Ochem lectures) and material which wasn't covered by my section was part of that class (material covered by other section). Thats what worries me. The other class covered things such as polymers, carbohydrates, and amino acids which my class didn't approach.