Straight B's - IQ to blame?

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Hey thanks for reading. I'm a transfer student at one of the UC's in California. I'm a fourth year who hasn't taken the DAT yet.

Now, I'm not a lazy student. I don't really have a social life since I study a lot. Problem is, it seems that I can't get anything higher than B's in my science classes. No matter how hard I try, I'm still getting B's. Thus my science GPA is 3.0.

Whats the deal? Am I simply not cut out for this? My roommate hardly studies and has a much higher GPA than I do (he's science major too). This is making me think that maybe some people honestly don't have the required abilities to make it in. And here all I thought was that the only thing that limited you from dental/med/pharmacy school was your work ethic, rather than your IQ.

I've come to the conclusion that my IQ is literally limiting me from getting into dental school. Maybe I need to think differently as I study or something?

Originally Posted by mitrieD

Hey thanks for reading. I'm a transfer student at one of the UC's in California. I'm a fourth year who hasn't taken the DAT yet.

Now, I'm not a lazy student. I don't really have a social life since I study a lot. Problem is, it seems that I can't get anything higher than B's in my science classes. No matter how hard I try, I'm still getting B's. Thus my science GPA is 3.0.

Whats the deal? Am I simply not cut out for this? My roommate hardly studies and has a much higher GPA than I do (he's science major too). This is making me think that maybe some people honestly don't have the required abilities to make it in. And here all I thought was that the only thing that limited you from dental/med/pharmacy school was your work ethic, rather than your IQ.

I've come to the conclusion that my IQ is literally limiting me from getting into dental school. Maybe I need to think differently as I study or something?

Odd that you think that way..I don't think it's your IQ..Just need to keep at it! Grades only matter to a certain degree..after that point it really does not matter. Good luck.

I don't know where to start. The problem is that, I'm quite sure you are one of those that "work hard" but not study efficiently.
You do need to have social life. People that don't balance social and academic life usually do bad on both. You need to go out and relax to release some of that stress.
I've been a C student and now I'm averaging around A, A- each term.
Here are possibilities why you only get Bs:
1) You might have weak foundation in science. Biology classes overlap a lot of material and advance biology classes only go into more detail than what you learnt in intro bio.
2) You might be over studying (studying useless details or info).
3) This happen a lot to students that just memorize but do not understand what they memorized. I had a professor for intro bio class, that even as of now, I still consider I had the hardest final among any other science classes. His test was pure analogy wise, so you needed to do application of knowledge. Thanks to that, I changed the way I think of each subject that I learn and try to think further than just facts.
4) Haven't found the right studying habits for you. I started from reading, copying notes from textbook and to lecture notes, then make flash cards etc etc. Now I barely look at the book and I can tell which topics could be tested on an exam. To reach to this point took me 1.5 years of just studying "hard".
Your grades can be discouraging despite the fact you work hard. I was once there too so I can tell you, you can "train" to become an A student. Try to balance your mental health and your studying. Try to study 50 minutes focused without any distraction than sit in the library for 3 hours with a classmate, pretending to study.
Remember, it's about quality not quantity.
If you still don't know, try to answer this simple questions when you study, what, where, how, when and why.
Best luck.

Try studying in a different way. If you were taking notes, do something with audio or visual. Ask students that are getting good grades how they study. Ask professors how to study better. Look at the questions and understand why you're getting them wrong.

I've had similar worries before. There will always be people who study less than you and get better grades, but everyone should be smart enough to get good grades if they know how. I think laughinggas hit the nail on the head when he said you need to find out what method of studying works best for you. You need to study hard, but more importantly study smart. Even if that means picking easy classes, you need to set yourself up in a position such that you will be rewarded by your work. Maybe the classes you are taking are really difficult? Maybe pick some bird courses to help your gpa, you only need a couple prereqs to get into dental school.

Also, don't compare yourself to your roommate. In fact, don't compare yourself to others at all. What I found in university is that people downplay the amount of work they put in to succeed. You think all the high flying students skirt by on their smarts, but for 99% of them it is the hard work they put in.

In conclusion, OP, it is definitely not your IQ. Just keep at it and eventually you will find what works for you. Sorry for not being able to provide any better answer than this!

I think your roommate just knew the material already or he has a strong background knowledge of the science courses. I can list countless numbers of techniques and ways for you to become an A student, but you have to discover what you're doing wrong and how to fix it. It took me a year to recognize the problem I was having; however, I got back on track.

Anyways, if you're having trouble in your classes, I strongly recommend recording the lectures. They're VERY helpful. Take this winter break to understand why your study skills are not working, talk to some smart students.....

I'm not clever, inventive, or witty. In short, I'm not very intelligent. Regardless I get A's.

IMO Non-research, non-math-based, higher education is not about intelligence. It's about cultivating an arbitrary ability to determine what is important enough to memorize, and what is not. This takes practice, but in the beginning try taking a minute after your first pass through each chapter and verbally tie everything together. If the information seems trivial when you are trying to tie together the big-picture stuff, it probably is. Then once you've got the big stuff, try absorbing the nitty-gritty things (because one or two questions always focus on it). The first pass or two should get you to the B+/A- range, and your ability to memorize arbitrary facts (NOT the same as intelligence) will sometimes be needed to get you to that A.

Now I'm assuming you're a bio/biochem/chem/micro major. If you're an engineering student or something ... well good luck.

Oh, and set time aside for friends, family, and women/men. You'll go crazy otherwise. There is a time and a place to bury yourself in books. It's called the three months prior to your DAT.

Originally Posted by DMDWANNABEE

what is important enough to memorize, and what is not.

^^^ that's the ticket ^^^

Talk to other people who've had the professors and, if they got A's, they'll probably be able to tell you how the professor grades, what they tests on, how they curve, etc. Knowing what will be tested is essential - otherwise you're just trying to memorize an entire textbook. If you're struggling in chemistry and/or physics, make sure you work problems - those subjects are just as much problem solving as they are rote memorization.

ps. get out of your dorm! college is the best time to get out and meet people.

Originally Posted by mitrieD

Hey thanks for reading. I'm a transfer student at one of the UC's in California. I'm a fourth year who hasn't taken the DAT yet.

Now, I'm not a lazy student. I don't really have a social life since I study a lot. Problem is, it seems that I can't get anything higher than B's in my science classes. No matter how hard I try, I'm still getting B's. Thus my science GPA is 3.0.

Whats the deal? Am I simply not cut out for this? My roommate hardly studies and has a much higher GPA than I do (he's science major too). This is making me think that maybe some people honestly don't have the required abilities to make it in. And here all I thought was that the only thing that limited you from dental/med/pharmacy school was your work ethic, rather than your IQ.

I've come to the conclusion that my IQ is literally limiting me from getting into dental school. Maybe I need to think differently as I study or something?

Being smart helps, there's no doubt about that. However, I don't think that's your problem: the key to getting good grades is all in the preparation. Every class of importance you take has a "point system" whereby you get points based on your test scores and homework. If you're prepared for the class (have your homework ready when it's due, studied for the upcoming test, etc.), than you should get your A. Look at what's stopping you from preparing like an A student; are your sleeping patterns normal, are you spreading your study time over days and not cramming, etc.

Try studying in groups. Seriously, it helped me tons. When I study on my own I have a tendency to do "selective learning". But studying in groups helps fill in the gaps by refocusing your attention on things that you might've glossed over.

Even better, group studying forces you to teach others and explain your thoughts thoroughly. Plus you'll find it easier to draw connections between concepts. But it only works if everyone that you're studying with is prepared.

Originally Posted by mitrieD

Hey thanks for reading. I'm a transfer student at one of the UC's in California. I'm a fourth year who hasn't taken the DAT yet.

Now, I'm not a lazy student. I don't really have a social life since I study a lot. Problem is, it seems that I can't get anything higher than B's in my science classes. No matter how hard I try, I'm still getting B's. Thus my science GPA is 3.0.

Whats the deal? Am I simply not cut out for this? My roommate hardly studies and has a much higher GPA than I do (he's science major too). This is making me think that maybe some people honestly don't have the required abilities to make it in. And here all I thought was that the only thing that limited you from dental/med/pharmacy school was your work ethic, rather than your IQ.

I've come to the conclusion that my IQ is literally limiting me from getting into dental school. Maybe I need to think differently as I study or something?

I used to be a tutor for many years for all these pre-req classes. I've seen all kinds of students... and how do it put this in a nice way... yes, smarter people have an easier time getting the A's, A+'s and 25+ on DAT. I can tell right away which student is smart and who is not. They are analytical, think outside the box, have an amazing memory, imaginative, and unconventional in their ways. With that being said, some student can compensate for not having the highest IQ with hard work and studying efficiently. However, there are a few that cannot.

I know no one wants to hear this... but Einstein was working with a different set of machinery up there then most people. But that doesn't mean you can't go to dental school, you just have to work harder.

Do you have anxiety before and during exams? Some of this is mental....if you don't think you have the intelligence then you probably will go in believing that.

I agree with Laughinggas....You need to get out more, socialize and perhaps even exercise (blood to the brain and empowering) Change up your study habits and most of all....do not 2nd guess yourself. Take your exam and do not change answers! I find that many of the people that change answers end up scoring lower.

Originally Posted by wo5678

I used to be a tutor for many years for all these pre-req classes. I've seen all kinds of students... and how do it put this in a nice way... yes, smarter people have an easier time getting the A's, A+'s and 25+ on DAT. I can tell right away which student is smart and who is not. They are analytical, think outside the box, have an amazing memory, imaginative, and unconventional in their ways. With that being said, some student can compensate for not having the highest IQ with hard work and studying efficiently. However, there are a few that cannot.

I know no one wants to hear this... but Einstein was working with a different set of machinery up there then most people. But that doesn't mean you can't go to dental school, you just have to work harder.

I think you hit the point that I was trying to make. Maybe I have to simply find some way to fit more studying in. Maybe I should focus more. I doubt anyone gets in dental school with B average....

Originally Posted by Msmouth

Do you have anxiety before and during exams? Some of this is mental....if you don't think you have the intelligence then you probably will go in believing that.

I agree with Laughinggas....You need to get out more, socialize and perhaps even exercise (blood to the brain and empowering) Change up your study habits and most of all....do not 2nd guess yourself. Take your exam and do not change answers! I find that many of the people that change answers end up scoring lower.

OP, if grades were based on intelligence alone, I'd be sitting on a 4.0. However they're not, and so I'm stuck with a much lower GPA (can't get high grades when you don't attend class and don't look at the material until the night before the exam, unfortunately). I honestly think that hard work is much more of a factor.

Originally Posted by mitrieD

I think you hit the point that I was trying to make. Maybe I have to simply find some way to fit more studying in. Maybe I should focus more. I doubt anyone gets in dental school with B average....

Well, if you are already studying all the time. I think finding more time to study is not that answer. I think you should take some time to understand yourself and HOW you should study. Everyone has a different learning style that fits them that best. Just do a search on a internet. There are tons of studies done on the psychology of learning.

Originally Posted by mitrieD

I think you hit the point that I was trying to make. Maybe I have to simply find some way to fit more studying in. Maybe I should focus more. I doubt anyone gets in dental school with B average....

just keep on studying , and if you really want to become a dentist then apply.

I love posts like these...here we go....

If your IQ was really that low, you would lack the ability to type your question on SDN using appropriate English and good choice of vocabulary to express your concern. Have you taken an IQ test and have substantial support as to how low your IQ really is? -- doubt it. I would say that your SAT score is more stongly correlated with your IQ since it is a reasoning standardized exam, but the SAT is flawed in some ways also and is therefore not an adequate measure of your intelligence. Often, I self diagnose myself with ADHD, dyslexia, or amnesia whenever I seem to struggle in school. We are in the same boat, yet I am the one that should be more concerned with my self-diagnosed medical conditions haha.

Point is:
1. Your IQ is not low
2. You are in the UC college system, therefore you have academic potential
3. You received the support you needed by posting this thread
4. Get off SDN
5. GO STUDY

There, problem solved.