Mostly through hard work and putting in the time. Orgo isn’t easy! But you can do this, and there is help. Try the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) and maybe form a study group in your class.
How do I survive organic chemistry?
Will I pass Perspectives w/ a B?
You have my complete faith! If you’re concerned, I recommend finding a group to study with, getting help on papers at the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors), and getting help with research at library service desks, or checking out this handy guide: library.bc.edu/bible-quick-start.
…how can i get into T20 law school? …
Boosting up GPA is hard, but I’m sure you can do this. Take advantage of all the help on offer: CFLC (tutoring & academic coaching: bit.ly/connors), meet with all of your professors, create study groups with other students, find productive places to study in BC Libraries, work with librarians on all of your research papers (library.bc.edu/ask-a-librarian), and then study like mad for the LSAT’s. You’ve got this!
Will I pass the Econ Exam today?
I have faith in you! If things don’t go as well as you hoped, please try some peer tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors)
多 读 书, 读 好 书, 做 好 人
Read more books, read good books, be a good person: excellent, timeless advice!
Where is the warmest place to study on campus?
I asked one of my helpers, and she said that the vestibules as you enter Stokes N are both very toasty, and surprisingly nice places to sit and concentrate. The warmest place she’s found (she’s done a lot of research on this) is in the cloak room at the Burns Library, but it would be a terrible study space. Same for the warmest spot she’s found in O’Neill; the level 2 women’s restroom!`
How do I get better at chem?
I’m afraid the answer is study – but maybe you can study more effectively, if you don’t have the time to study for more hours. I’d check in with both the professor and the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) for advice and tutoring.
Why is Prof. Crowley so weird? In a good way.
You see, being a library wall, I’ve come to know academics pretty well. They’re all a little… eccentric. A whole lot of specialized knowledge does that to you. One famous academic once referred to it as the “re-entry from orbit” problem (bit.ly/percy-orbit) You spend weeks or months or even years working on an intractable problem that few people in the world even know exists. It can be hard to return to everyday life. Does that answer the specific weirdness you’ve observed?
I’m stressed all the time.
Maybe, or maybe it’s a time management issue? It would be good to figure out. Talk with your advisor, perhaps try Academic Coaching at the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors) and if you’re really stressed, University Counseling (bit.ly/BC-counseling), to see how you can find the right level of commitment in your busy life.
How to learn abstract math?
You could do worse than to start with Khan Academy, but there are some experts here on campus who could answer that question in depth: the Math Department: bit.ly/bc-math-dept
Sounds like this is the math version of believing 6 impossible things before breakfast?
Should I switch from pre-med to a soft science?
It’s not an either/or situation – you can major in any subject and still get in the pre-med requirements. People who can help you figure out your path in life are your major advisor, the Pre-Health Program (bit.ly/BCPremedProg). and the Career Center (bit.ly/BC-career).
How do I get better at studying?
The nice folks at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) are experts at helping students with getting better at studying. Get in touch with them and ask them about Academic Coaching.
Was math created or discovered?
Though the word “mathematics” was coined by the Pythagoreans in 6th C. BC Greece, it’s clear that wasn’t the first math. Records of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry go back much further, to areas in the near East, near modern Egypt and Iraq, and it’s quite possible forms of mathematics existed long before the printed word (or number). Here are a few dozen books on the topic: bit.ly/bc-ancient-math
Orgo is so hard ….
![Orgo is so hard ',( [drawings of molecules] [response: same] [response: [in Chinese]]](https://library.bc.edu/answerwall/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/AW09252019-06.jpg)
It’s generally acknowledged to be one of the more challenging subjects. The labs can be fun, though! Ask for peer tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) and/or form a study group with your classmates. You can do this. (And, oh, yeah – I totally appreciated the orgo pun in Chinese. We could bond over that. Covalently.)
How to force myself to participate in class more?
The Wall is going to guess you’re a little shy, but let me know if it’s something else, because there are a variety of reasons that can be hard. Idea #1: Start by doing something easier regularly and work yourself up to the hard thing. Some people have trouble answering questions, some with asking them. Try doing the one that’s easier for you. Be gentle with yourself: most people need lots of practice to get comfortable being the only person talking in a big room.
What if I’m always hungry on TI TH class? :(
If you’re not hungry with your M/W/F classes, then we can probably rule out medical issues. Are you eating full and healthy meals? Can you bring a snack with you? It’s important not to be too hungry in class; not only is it distracting but without fuel the body gets tired and learning can suffer.
How can I get a GPA of 4.0?
Study! If you don’t understand the material, ask your professor for help. If you think you need additional help, go to the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors)
Math B.S students ain’t gonna get no more social lives…
Heavy workload? Ouch. Study in groups: not only will you learn more, but you get a little social life as a bonus. (OK maybe that’s not what quite enough.) And see tutors and an academic coach at the CFLC (bit.ly/BC-connors) to help your work become more focused and efficient, which will make time for more social life. In the meantime, ugh, but you’ll get through it.
Why is Algebra so hard? :(
Multiple variables are a head-spinner for sure, and algebra starts asking you to put together a lot of different math skills & concepts to solve any single problem. I recommend working in groups and working with tutors at the CFLC: bit.ly/BC-connors. Algebra is more approachable if you talk through it rather than just try to think through it alone.
In that case, she or he has my deep sympathy.
How does math department decide which professor teach a certain course next year?
My assistants have contacted the math department; I’ll update you when they provide an answer. Update 9/20: The Math Dept. responds: “We survey the faculty as to their teaching preferences, and to the extent that we can, accommodate their preferences within the constraints of the courses we are required to offer.”