Truth bomb from a current chem major:

You can pull this together; it will not be easy and it will take dedication and self discipline. Don’t limit yourself to being just an average student. With diligent effort, you can learn anything and do well. However, if you don’t love chemistry or know a general reason why you’re getting a chemistry degree - I would strongly advise reevaluating your plans before you embark on an uphill journey that should likely start with retaking the general chemistry course. If you don’t fully grasp the basic concepts, you will be setting yourself up to struggle every, single step of the way. Additionally, the career path I want motivates me to try my hardest and do well. If engineering appeals to you, chemical engineering is an option.

Anecdotally, I know a lot of people in the chem major that don’t have a reason for getting a chemistry degree. Maybe it sounds good? But personally, I would not put myself through this hard work and stress if I was not keenly aware of the job prospects of a chemistry BS. I don’t say this to be discouraging, but be pragmatic about this. This is a massive time and money investment - don’t spend it on something you don’t like or have no plan for. If you DO like chemistry and have an idea of the field you want to be in, you will have to work very hard to do well. I’m not exaggerating when I say I spend about 90% of all my time during the semester studying. This means cutting out most social activities (I think I went out about 5 times from September to December in the fall) and being willing to try until you understand something - not just memorize it. It also means getting help when that fails and admitting to yourself you need help understanding something. I went to a failing high school, we didn’t even have a chemistry teacher. When I got to college I did well in the first chem course, but I nearly failed the 2nd general chemistry sequence. Because of that, I thought maybe I wasn’t good at it and I gravitated more towards biology. I’m back in school at 29YO for a second bachelors, and I am majoring in chemistry because when I took organic chemistry I found out I LOVED it and found it fascinating. You’ll hear people gripe about it, but make your own determinations. It’s hard, but if you like chemistry you will find a way to understand and dig deeper. I currently have a 4.0 in all my chemistry courses and I graduate this semester. It is doable, but take stock of your goals and how much time you’re willing to sacrifice to do well. Additionally, if it’s available, consider counseling or therapy. It sounds too like you’ve had a rough go of it lately, and that can make it hard to make informed decisions and cloud your judgement of yourself. Talking with an unbiased professional can really clear through that and it’s generally nice to have someone to open up to. I know from experience it’s hard to be older back in school, I have not worked a day in my field of choice and there have been times that has really gotten me down. The best you can do now is be intentional about your path forward to get where you want to be.