Say the words “Organic Chemistry” on a college campus and you’re guaranteed to see a few people in the vicinity shudder or twitch as the PTSD hits.
Orgo, as it’s commonly referenced as, is known to be a “weed out class” for those in any health related major. The general idea is if you can’t cope with the difficult material and large course load, your destiny likely isn’t to become a doctor (or a similar career).
Sophomore year came around and so did my turn to take Orgo. I am not exaggerating when I say that EVERYONE had the same response as soon as I told them I had to take it: “Ooooooo. Good luck. You’ll need it.”.
I won’t lie. After the 15th person…the words started getting to me. I walked into the first day of class feeling nervous. But as I sat down in the lecture hall of 200+ kids, I could tell my nerves were not unique.
The professor began her presentation, giving an overview of the class, what we could expect, important dates, etc. After about 30 minutes, she finished and asked the class if there were any questions.
A girl in the front row immediately put up her hand and asked, “Will there be extra credit opportunities?”
As soon as she said it, all muttering ceased, all attention was on the professor, and everyone awaited her answer with bated breath.
“Yes there will be. After each exam I will share what the extra credit opportunity will be” the professor answered.
A collective sigh rang out across the lecture hall.
I was shocked.
Here we were on Day 1, and seemingly everyone believed they’d need the extra credit. They had no faith in their ability to succeed in the class.
I made a decision at that moment that I was going to get an A in the class. I wasn’t going to just scrape by. I was going to thrive.
I’m happy to say I did. I finished the class with an A despite the overwhelming belief from others that doing so was impossible.
So, here’s the major lesson I learned that semester:
Achievement starts with your mindset.
If you expect yourself to fail…chances are you will fail.
If you expect yourself to succeed…chances are you will succeed.
Now it’s important to recognize that belief without action is unwarranted. Few things in life come without hard work, and I guarantee your big goal isn’t one of them. A confident mindset will give you the courage to start and the drive to keep going, but it does NOT take the need for action away.
I worked harder in organic chemistry then perhaps any other class my entire college career…
I went to office hours to ask the professor questions.
I went to study sessions provided by the TA.
I started preparing for exams a week in advance.
In short, I did what I needed to do in order to succeed, because I believed I could succeed. If I lacked belief in my abilities, I wouldn’t have tried as hard. The attempt would have seemed fruitless.
Next time you face a difficult task, check your mindset.
Are you doubting yourself? If so, you may not like the outcome.
Switch to a positive, confident mentality. Then go out and do whatever it takes to get the desired result.
-Mike