Bad, confused freshman year, chances?

[bra1nstuff]

Hey everyone,

I need some help here! I am currently about to start my 2nd year at Northeastern University as a psychology major but I had a pretty crappy first year. I started as a behavioral neuroscience major first semester and, due to pressures from parents, switched to engineering second semester. I quickly realized that this was a huge mistake but it was too late so I stuck it out for the semester and switched to psychology at the end of the year (which I think is where I belong for undergrad). I have come to the realization that I want to become a psychiatrist but am very unsure of my chances due to the less than ideal grades I received last year.

Fall semester:
Gen Chem 1 - B
Gen Chem Lab - A
Calc & Diff. Eq. 1 - B-
Intro to Psych - B+
Inquiries in Behavior and Evolution - W (withdrawal, I withdrew because I suspected that I was going to get a D possibly, In all reality I could have and should have worked harder to get a decent grade)

Spring semester:
Intro to Engineering Programming - A-
Calc 2: C+
Intro to Contemporary Moral Issues (Phil.) - A-
Physics 1 - B-
Physics 1 Lab - A
Physics 1 Seminar - B-

Cumulative GPA: 3.1, BCPM GPA : 2.9

I am worried that my C+ in Calc 2 and my dropping a biology course will be detrimental to my getting into medical school down the road. I have heard mixed opinions regarding retaking courses. Is that something I should consider? Also, as a psychology major I am worried that there may not be enough space for me to take as many science courses as would be necessary to raise my science GPA to a high enough level. I of course intend to take the necessary pre-med courses but am just not sure what my chances/ options are. I really could use some guidance and advice from you guys. Thanks in advance!

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[bra1nstuff]

Thoughts, anyone?

 

[EliottReid]

Hey everyone,

I need some help here! I am currently about to start my 2nd year at Northeastern University as a psychology major but I had a pretty crappy first year. I started as a behavioral neuroscience major first semester and, due to pressures from parents, switched to engineering second semester. I quickly realized that this was a huge mistake but it was too late so I stuck it out for the semester and switched to psychology at the end of the year (which I think is where I belong for undergrad). I have come to the realization that I want to become a psychiatrist but am very unsure of my chances due to the less than ideal grades I received last year.

Fall semester:
Gen Chem 1 - B
Gen Chem Lab - A
Calc & Diff. Eq. 1 - B-
Intro to Psych - B+
Inquiries in Behavior and Evolution - W (withdrawal, I withdrew because I suspected that I was going to get a D possibly, In all reality I could have and should have worked harder to get a decent grade)

Spring semester:
Intro to Engineering Programming - A-
Calc 2: C+
Intro to Contemporary Moral Issues (Phil.) - A-
Physics 1 - B-
Physics 1 Lab - A
Physics 1 Seminar - B-

Cumulative GPA: 3.1, BCPM GPA : 2.9

I am worried that my C+ in Calc 2 and my dropping a biology course will be detrimental to my getting into medical school down the road. I have heard mixed opinions regarding retaking courses. Is that something I should consider? Also, as a psychology major I am worried that there may not be enough space for me to take as many science courses as would be necessary to raise my science GPA to a high enough level. I of course intend to take the necessary pre-med courses but am just not sure what my chances/ options are. I really could use some guidance and advice from you guys. Thanks in advance!

Do you feel like you learned in your classes? If not, redo them to prepare you for the upper level classes. TAKE THE CLASSES YOU LIKE. Please do not do something you hate just to make your parents happy, college should be fun and an opportunity to learn and to explore yourself.
It is of course not too late, it is only one year. You will not end up with a 4.0 but you will definitely end up with a good GPA if you get GREAT grades (A-/A) the next years.

 

[bra1nstuff]

Do you feel like you learned in your classes? If not, redo them to prepare you for the upper level classes. TAKE THE CLASSES YOU LIKE. Please do not do something you hate just to make your parents happy, college should be fun and an opportunity to learn and to explore yourself.
It is of course not too late, it is only one year. You will not end up with a 4.0 but you will definitely end up with a good GPA if you get GREAT grades (A-/A) the next years.

Thanks for the response, EliottReid! I definitely did learn in the classes; I just lost focus and did not perform well enough on my exams. I think going on from here I will be able to perform at a higher level. I have heard that M.D. programs do not replace retaken classes but D.O. programs do? Is this more or less true? And I mainly want to become a psychiatrist because I feel as if it will provide me with a larger ability to improve the mental health of patients than I would have as a psychologist. I have gone back and forth listening and not listening to my parents and have learned that I just need to do what I think is best. I think pursuing psychology would be easier and the process may be a little more fun, but at the end of the day I think a career as a psychiatrist would be more fulfilling than a career as a psychologist.

 

[EliottReid]

I would retake calc II because it's a C. Others are fine, you can keep them and go to the next classes. Unless you want to retake the prerequisites for med school to get a better score, but it's always better to take an upper level class to prove that you know the subject.
MD counts both but DO countes only one. Stay with psychology since it's your passion and rock your GPA from now on, take also some upper level science classes like cell bio and genetics.

I wish you the best of luck

 

[bra1nstuff]

I would retake calc II because it's a C. Others are fine, you can keep them and go to the next classes. Unless you want to retake the prerequisites for med school to get a better score, but it's always better to take an upper level class to prove that you know the subject.
MD counts both but DO countes only one. Stay with psychology since it's your passion and rock your GPA from now on, take also some upper level science classes like cell bio and genetics.

I wish you the best of luck

Alright thanks for all the info! I will take that advice and retake Calc. Much appreciated, Eliot

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Just make your next year as good as possible!! I went from a 3.4 to a 4.0 in one year. All of a sudden I went from not having any hope left to have a 3.7GPA and I still have 2 years left to improve. Just work you a** off. It'll pay off. Anyone is capaable if you put in the hours. I gave up a lot of nights out, fun with friends, etc, last year but I have revived my dream and have no regrets

 

[bra1nstuff]

Wow that's amazing. I do plan on getting my act together and sacrificing some of those fun nights. I think I just needed to know that it's possible to turn things around like that. Thanks for the response!

 

[TheStudyOfLife]

General rule of thumb, you want to re-take any 4 credit courses in the C range or below because they will have a large impact on your GPA.

However, it's only your freshman year, Adcoms realize that the transition from highschool to college is a confusing and difficult one, they are HUMAN too. So what you had a lousy freshman year, if they ask about your withdrawal from a science course, tell them the truth. You knew that the grade you would've received (D or what have you) would have a negative resemblance of who you are as a student. Because of this, it became a personal conflict and you knew that retaking the course was the best option.

Work on the upward curve. If you received a 3.1/2.9 freshman year, try to work on this:

Freshman: 3.1/2.9
Sophomore: 3.6/3.4
Junior: 3.7/3.5
Senior: 3.9/3.8

An upward trend like this shows Adcoms that you have continuously gained knowledge and experience from your courses as they considerably increased in difficulty.

Stay positive.

 

[bra1nstuff]

Thank you for the info. This was very helpful for me.

General rule of thumb, you want to re-take any 4 credit courses in the C range or below because they will have a large impact on your GPA.

However, it's only your freshman year, Adcoms realize that the transition from highschool to college is a confusing and difficult one, they are HUMAN too. So what you had a lousy freshman year, if they ask about your withdrawal from a science course, tell them the truth. You knew that the grade you would've received (D or what have you) would have a negative resemblance of who you are as a student. Because of this, it became a personal conflict and you knew that retaking the course was the best option.

Work on the upward curve. If you received a 3.1/2.9 freshman year, try to work on this:

Freshman: 3.1/2.9
Sophomore: 3.6/3.4
Junior: 3.7/3.5
Senior: 3.9/3.8

An upward trend like this shows Adcoms that you have continuously gained knowledge and experience from your courses as they considerably increased in difficulty.

Stay positive.