My problem with HS chemistry was that it was never basic enough for me to get the point. My math was weak, but frankly, I don't remember doing much math at all. I struggled terribly for a C and never understood what I was doing.
I'm currently taking bone-head chemistry (18 years after HS chemistry) and it makes sense! I admit, the book sometimes has me totally perplexed, but I've got a great prof who makes things very clear. I used to be convinced that I was a math/science moron, but maybe my teachers just sucked?
A good prof can make all the difference in the world... I knew I was going into some hard science field as a freshman in college but I had some great profs who were definitely instrumental in steering me into physics... It challenged me in a way I like to be challenged-- "Whip off the 109 steps of the Krebs cycle right off the top of yer head" is most definitely NOT a turn-on for me...
Well in retrospect a few of my early profs kinda sucked. The material itself was an inexorable draw for me, however. Sort of one a them points of attraction or whathaveyou, in chaos theory...