Failure is Imminent

I am a smart person. I know this. However, in chemistry no matter how hard I try I do poorly. I have never struggled this much with a class before. I don't like feeling unintelligent. I like to be in the middle or above the curve not below it. I feel like I'm trying to swim up a raging river and every time I get a breath I get pulled down even further. Once I think I've got things under control and grow a little bit of confidence the test backhands me and I fall to the floor. This is a new experience for me. I wasn't very good at HOTA or H2O, but I got by. I'm worried that I will actually fail this class. I must be missing something, but what? I need to pass this chem series in order to take ANY other science class. Pray for me, please.