If you are in a pre-health major, you will most likely have to take either one or two semesters of Organic Chemistry.
If you haven't taken the class yet, you have probably heard scary stories about the class from the people who took it before you. If you are currently in the class, you are most likely realizing that all those scary stories are indeed true. If you already took the class and passed it, wow, props to you guys.
Taking Organic Chemistry can be a whole semester of unnecessary stress and emotion, so without further ado, here are the stages of taking O-chem as told by the beloved cast of Stranger Things.
1. The "I think I can do this" stage.
You have all the confidence going in. You sit down in your seat and you ask yourself "how bad can this be?" You soon realize that Organic Chemistry is worse than you ever imagined.
2. The "it is only the second week and I'm failing" stage
You don't even know how this is possible but then you decide to check why and this is when you realize you failed your first quiz. The quiz you walked out of feeling very confident about. So, you cry.
3. The "I can get my grade up before the end of the semester" stage.
So, then you tell yourself that failing the first quiz is okay because there are more points for you to obtain during the progression of the semester. You quit your crying for about a week and tell yourself that you are going to read the textbook and go to study sessions.
4. The "realization that everyone is failing too" stage
At about, week 7 (for GCU), you have gone to the study sessions, you participate in class, but you're still failing. So, the crying begins again. You then ask the person sitting next to you what their grade is and you get a little satisfaction when you hear them say they are failing too. It makes you feel less bad about yourself.
5. The "Midterm grade" stage.
The anxiety you will get while waiting for midterm grades to be posted is probably the worst part of taking this class. Now, some of you will pass (congrats to you guys), and most of you will fail (which is normal). So, now your grade is suffering even more and you probably have never seen your grade this low. More crying happens.
6. The "maybe I should drop the class" stage.
This stage will probably happen about 100 times in the one semester you will take this class. Most of you will drop it (which is fine, it is better to drop a class than to fail one), and some of you will tough it out. From those who tough it out, the week of the "class drop" deadline, there will be students who look at their grades and know that they will not be able to pass. Hence, more crying.
7. The "wow, I actually understand this chapter" stage.
You'll be in class and your professor will be explaining how to name Alkanes. You will sit there so proud of yourself because you can actually answer his questions because you are finally understanding something!
8. The "wait, just kidding. I don't understand this at all" stage.
Then, you get back to your dorm/home and try to do the homework. This is when you realize that you understanding something was just a hoax and your mind was playing a practical joke on you. So, you stare at your homework and cry for a few minutes. Then, you buy Chegg to make your life easier. Your life ends up being harder because you still don't understand anything. *Insert stress crying here*
9. The "I hate everyone who has a better grade than me" stage
There is always that one person in an O-chem class that brags about his or her grade and it is even worse when it is for an exam that you totally bombed. That person goes on to say "yeah, not to brag or anything, but I got a B on the exam" and you are sitting there inwardly stressing about the F you got on the same exam. So, then you naturally start to hate the person even though you are going to ask to be in his or her study group.
10. The "I'm just going to drop out of school and live at my parents' house for the rest of my life" stage.
You're gonna realize that you don't need to be a doctor or a forensic scientist and you can just go home because your mom will always love you. Some of you will actually do this, I know a couple of people who did, but most of you will stick through it and just continue stressing out and crying because you know that passing this class will be worth it.
11. The "acceptance but inner denial" stage.
Whether you fail the class, pass with a C, or pass it with a B, you will go through this weird stage where you look at your final grade and you either cry of sadness or happiness. Then, you will accept what you received and either sign up to retake the class or move on to the next semester of O-chem. On the inside, you will always have this feeling like you could have done better, you could have asked more questions, you could have joined more study groups, etc. We live in a society where if we don't get straight A's, then we are not as "smart" as those who got the A, but look at it this way: You tried. Whether you failed or succeeded, you tried and that is what matters.
Just to summarize: O-chem is hard. It will probably be the hardest class offered at your school. You will cry. A lot. In the end, you will get through it. You got this!