#hard classes

[study-or-perish]

Midterms are done and one of my Professors had this to say. This is one of my hardest classes but I feel like I can do the next half of the semester better (and a lot more studying). I felt so destroyed with the first exam I took in this class; I felt like giving up, but this second exam had a 20% improvement!

I’m coming for this class with my bare hands.

3/6/20

[supercool-here]

How to make your hardest class a lot more bearable

We all have that class that makes us want to throw up, ot cry, or yell, or just run away. For me is analitic geometry (is that right?) The problem? Might be the teacher, or the way he is trying to teach us, or that he is literally using a UNIVERSITY BOOK to enlighten us.

A month ago I was praying for someone to help me, and there was ME, yup, it took me a long time to realize how I could make this class easier for myself, there must be more tips, but these is what I know and I recomend you to:

Work in advance: As I mentioned before, our teacher bases his classes in a book, which he shared with us through a Drive archive, best idea ever. Now, every time class started I freaked out because I didn't understand completely well the last topic we studied, but now I don't panic anymore, the secret? Once I get home I turn on my laptop, and after creating a good studying atmosphere (which I'll probably post something for) I open the book the teacher uses. The first time I did it I realized how behind I was, we were on the third topic and still didn't understand the very first concept. Then, the notes, or whatever your "learning system" is, and once I reached the topic we were studying I changed up the routine a little bit: get home, open geometry book in the laptop, read the notes I took at class, read the lesson on the book, take notes, and then read the next lesson or topic, and if there's time take notes. This way, when the class starts, I have an idea of what we are going to see, some of my doubts get solved with the teacher's explanation, some of them have to be asked, but I am not completely lost.

Get pumped up: Energy, you will need a lot of extra energy. We are about to have two hours of geometry in a row every Tuesday instead of just one, starting next week, and I know I am going to need sugar, sleep, loads of food, water and motivation. So that's it, if you know you need extra energy for some classes, in specific days, you gotta sleep well, drink tons o water during the class, have snacks or sugar, and be mentally prepared for it. Step 1 is also involved

Help from partners and a sense of belonging: which means that you can ask for help to your classmates, the ones you trust. And not only ask, you can also share thoughts, doubts, notes, compare results, etc. Something that helps a lot too (more in the motivational way) is knowing that the whole class is struggling with this subject, not only you. Somehow, sinking together is better than sinking alone

Just in case you don't have a book like us, ask to you teacher for a good guide, o for the book he is using.

These steps require will power, but results are instantaneous

By the way, the book our geometry teacher shared us is Lehman's geometry or something like that. If you know it, let me know if it is actually meant for college. Thank you guys and have a good life

[wayfaringmd]

Hard questions on hard classes

I know this may seem comical given the fact that you have survived medical school but right now I feel like my high school classes are killing me they are really hard how do I do good and get through senior year? God bless you! -anon

It’s not comical at all! This is the hardest thing you’ve ever done, so don’t knock it. And after you get through this you’ll move on to a new hardest thing you’ve ever done. It’s just a series of steps. I think it’s important that you fight against senioritis and laziness now because the good habits you develop now will really help in your next step after graduation. Get some tutoring if you need it. Maybe seek out a college student who can mentor you and teach you some study tricks too. Use all the resources available to you! Don’t forget that there are awesome videos like Khan academy and even random youtubers that can be great helps when you’re stuck studying. 

I’m in the 3rd year, just starting clinical years and I have a low GPA even though I study a lot. how can I improve it? -anon

Hmmm. I’m assuming when you say 3rd year you mean med school. I don’t think that GPA matters that much to residency programs. I mean, my school was pass/fail, so they didn’t submit GPAs unless you were in the top 25% of the class. Step scores are what matter more. So I’d work really hard during your Step studying so that you can balance out that GPA. I guess you’ve probably already taken Step 1, so push to get really good scores on your shelf exams and on Step 2. Showing a big improvement between steps goes a long way. My grades in the first 2 years weren’t that fabulous either, but my clinical skills and evaluations on rotations really gave me a boost. After all, residencies care whether you’re going to be a good clinical doctor, not how well you’ve memorized the Krebs cycle. 

How did you get through really really hard classes like organic chemistry? And then through med school -anon

The answer to your question is: barely. 

I   s t r u g g l e d through organic. I made C’s in both semesters. I just didn’t study like I should, and even as a visual learner I just couldn’t visualize the reactions in my head. But I think I learned from organic what I needed to do when I got to biochemistry. I did tons and tons of practice problems and reviewed my notes and ended up with an A in biochem, which blew my mind. Basically, nose --> grindstone. 

[domstudiesbiology]

How to get through a hard af class

We’ve all been there. Enrolled in a class that seemed pretty interesting, or maybe it was just required for your major/program. Now it’s almost the end of the semester and you don’t know if you are going to be able to pass. 

Fear not!!

Here is some advice on how to get through that class that seems impossible, from someone who has gone through multiple classes like this!

1. Isolate the issue and confront it

Odds are, there is a certain aspect of the class that is holding you back. Maybe it’s the topic, the pace your professor is going, or the way the information is presented to you. Either way, identify the problem and cater your needs around it. Everyone has different learning styles and not every class will be able to account for your own style. For example, I am a terrible test taker. My hardest class this semester only has grades for our exams. Basically, the class is set up for me to fail. After doing poorly on the first two exams (i’m talking F and D), I confronted the issue I was facing and spent sooooo much time making sure I knew the information in the way my professor would ask for it (came through with a B+!).

In order for you to do this too, you need to be brave and determined. You need to have the motivation to find your issue and solve it. Professors usually are great at helping you through this because they have had hundreds of students walk through their office door with the exact same problem.

2. Evaluate risk vs cost

This is kind of a business term, and I don’t know much about business, so I’m not going to go into detail of it. What I want to get at with this is that, honestly, some classes are not worth the trouble and the stress. If it is early in the semester and you are able to drop the class without it showing up on your transcript, then do it and take the class later when you feel more prepared for it. 

If it is later in the semester, and dropping the class would show up as a W on your transcript, then you need to seriously consider if dropping it would be better than pushing through with it. At this point in the semester, I would suggest that stick with the class. Who knows, you could end up with a D (which is still passing!!!). If your school offers “repeat forgiveness” then that is always an option for later semesters (i’ve taken advantage of this twice at my school).

It’s also never a terrible thing that you’ve taken a class more than once. If your grade improves between the first time you took it and the last, then that is all that matters.

3. Utilize what is offered to you

Most universities have a lot to offer to their students to help them succeed in their classes. Tutors, TA’s, review sessions, and study sessions with people in your class can always offer you help. If you’re really in a crunch, there are a TON of youtube videos on various subjects. Sometimes your professor might give you some type of study guide for an exam. USE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It may be the most vague study guide ever, but it’s made by the person who made the exam, so it’s gotta give you some kind of information!

4. Remember that grades do not define you and you are not alone

Something my Dad always told me and my siblings was that a letter grade does not determine your knowledge or your worth. It is so easy to let one class completely crush you. It is so easy to feel like you are the only one not understanding what the heck is going on in the class. Trust me, half the class is on the same page as you. It is completely 1000% ok for you to speak up in class, ask questions, send an email to the class saying you’ll be studying somewhere if anyone would like to join, whatever will help you succeed.

One bad grade will not ruin your chances for your dream job. One bad grade will not ruin your chances to get into graduate school. One bad grade will never deem you dumb and not worthy of being in school. You have just as much right as anyone else to do well in your classes.

I hope this advice helps you out, or at least gives you a little piece of mind that it is not the end of the world!

If you have any advice to add then make sure to share it!

Study hard friends! ~Dominique

[classicaellie]

I’m having a lot of those days when I’ve sat down with my books intending to get. shit. done and it all just starts to look really overwhelming. Especially as right now it’s the beginning of a new school year and I think that feeling of ‘’oh god what am I doing’’ is something we’re all going to experience at least once or twice.

So here’s what I do;

                                          1.  T A K E   A   B R E A K 

I know this can sound really counter intuitive when you’re feeling overwhelmed or if you have a lot to do, but stepping away from the situation is the only way you’re going to be able to look at it objectively. 

Leave the room. Go for a walk, or make a cup of tea and find a window to stare out of. This is where you figure out why you feel overwhelmed, or like the class is too hard. Try not to dwell, or panic. This is where you figure out if you’re just feeling a bit tired and can come back to it after some rest or if there’s a deeper issue.

If you’re just feeling overwhelmed because you have a lot to do this is when you make a list of everything that needs to be done and prioritise it. 

                   2.  G O   O V E R   Y O U R   P R E V I O U S   W O R K

A lot of the time when class gets hard it’s because you don’t have the basics of your subject down as well as you need. Go over all your old notes and reconsider how you learnt them. 

You need to identify what problems you’re having for what material and how to overcome it. 

For example - in Ancient Greek right now I’m learning the vocab really easily with flashcards, but grammar rules not so much. To learn the grammar I found  it sticks in my head a lot better after copying it out over and over.

                          3.  T A L K   T O   Y O U R   T E A C H E R

This is what they are there for! Once you’ve identified the bits you are struggling with, it is the perfect time to tell your teacher and see what extra help they can offer. I promise they won’t think you’re dumb. 

                                                 4.  O T H E R

If you don’t have a strict deadline, don’t be afraid to rest and come back to it another day. Sometimes a day is just a bad one and you won’t get much done and that is okay. 

BUT don’t use the above as an excuse to slack off. 

Talk to your classmates. I guarantee that the majority of them have felt the same way, if they’re not right now. 

Sometimes you just gotta accept that something is particularly hard and nothing will help but working on it. This is when you open the windows, put on something comfortable and just get to it. 

Remember why you’re doing this. Remember how it feels when that sudden wave of understanding comes after working on something difficult. It will happen with this problem too. 

[usaonlineclasshelp]

Are online courses more challenging than offline learning?

Conclusion:

You may be able to work around your schedule if you take classes online. There are a few extra things to consider when choosing between on-campus courses and  thoughts that are online classes harder.

To determine whether online college courses are better for you than traditional programs, consider how online classes operate, how many methods you intend to take, your financial aid options, accreditation, and your needs.

The exact amount of research must go into choosing to take online courses as it does decide to take them on-campus.

The curriculum for an online course in a given subject should be the same as that of an on-campus course. The critical distinction is that you'll probably have greater freedom to finish the coursework.

The majority of your work can be finished on your laptop, saving you from having to learn in a traditional classroom. Additionally, some online colleges offer laptops as a part of their student assistance programs.

You can complete the tasks for your online course at any time, day or night, according to asynchronous coursework. The task still has a due date, though.

Synchronous elements might be included in your online course. This indicates that you can only access the learning site at certain times.

You can use the camera and microphone on your computer to participate in discussions and view live lectures. 

Each credit you earn will probably take you three hours to complete. You should expect to spend around 12 hours each week on the assignments for a four-credit course. This is the usual amount of time needed for a conventional class.

In an online class, you might have to spend more time reading the syllabus, figuring out the website, waiting for other students to turn in their work so you can comment, or even waiting for your teacher to get back to you with the answers.

A few universities provide expedited online courses. Online course length is shorter in accelerated programs. An accelerated bachelor's degree offers classes in five, eight, or ten-week sessions, whereas a typical college course lasts 16 weeks.

[alisonwonderland13]

Nursing school gave me some grey hairs and I swear by the time I get through this evidence based nursing class, my hair will be pure white. This class is sucking the life out of my soul.

[grumbletarian]

if you have a bad feeling about a class, listen to your gut. I spent three weeks pulling all nighters, and I still was not able to finish everything. and I wasn't behind when I started pulling all nighters for this class. I went from Monday at 8 am to Tuesday at 3 pm with three hours of sleep and it still was not enough. I had a bad feeling about this class at the beginning of the semester and if I could go back I would change EVERYTHING. listen to your gut, y'all. ✌🌵