Feeling Discouraged in Undergrad

[mercy_2]

Hey everyone,
I am currently a second semester Junior in undergrad. Just got my final physics grade back and I got a C. Never in my life have I ever gotten a C. I feel so discouraged right now. It was definitely not an easy class for me but actually seeing the C is killing me.

This brings my overall GPA to a 3.73. All of my other grades are good, I have challenged myself every semester with difficult classes and heavy course loads plus extracurriculars, equestrian team, and a part time job - all on top of training my young horse. I also have pretty good experiences and have three letters of recommendation lined up (asking for two more this summer).

Will this C absolutely lower my chances? I know I might be acting silly, but I am really hard on myself and it is difficult to keep my head up all the time when there are a bunch of students I am competing with. I know vet schools consider more than numbers but it's hard to not think that when admitted class statistics are glaring you in the face!

Thanks in advance for the replies.

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[rockatiel]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: I submitted a transcript with a semster where I had a 2.4. I am starting vet school in June. One C is not the end. Three C's wasn't the end for me.

Above all, I'm very worried about this:

I have challenged myself every semester with difficult classes and heavy course loads plus extracurriculars, equestrian team, and a part time job at the vet school- all on top of training my young horse.

You don't want to burn out. DO NOT. I'm talking from first hand experience. Will your fall semester be easy?

 

[DVMDream]

Advice: Relax

/end

 

[Cephal0pod]

I applied with 2 C's on my transcripts, cum GPA of 3.78. Got accepted to my IS, waitlisted at NCSU OOS.

I know it's hard, but really, it's definitely not the end of the world by any means. Chin up - you can do it.

 

[mercy_2]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: I submitted a transcript with a semster where I had a 2.4. I am starting vet school in June. One C is not the end. Three C's wasn't the end for me.

Above all, I'm very worried about this:


You don't want to burn out. DO NOT. I'm talking from first hand experience. Will your fall semester be easy?

Compared to this last year: yes. Taking 15 hours compared to 18 from the last two semesters.

 

[Jess Monster]

If you go into an interview and wax dramatically about your one dreaded C and your semester of woe - you probably won't get in and it won't be because of that C.

You need to develop a perspective and a confidence that isn't tied to your grades. As you move up the academic ladder and you're subjected to more rigorous coursework and demonstrations of your skills, you will not fare well if you need an exemplary mark to feel accomplished, worthy, intelligent, competent, etc.

 

[langiyo]

Hey everyone,


Will this C absolutely lower my chances? I know I might be acting silly, but I am really hard on myself and it is difficult to keep my head up all the time when there are a bunch of students I am competing with. I know vet schools consider more than numbers but it's hard to not think that when admitted class statistics are glaring you in the face!

Thanks in advance for the replies.

Awww you poor child, I remember getting my first C and feeling like this. One year and another C later, I just got my acceptance to UIUC. I applied with a 3.6 and got interviews to almost everywhere I applied too. Please don't be too hard on yourself, with those experiences and that GPA you will definitely get in somewhere. Chin up buddy, it gets better

 

[LuckySpartan]

You need to develop a perspective and a confidence that isn't tied to your grades. As you move up the academic ladder and you're subjected to more rigorous coursework and demonstrations of your skills, you will not fare well if you need an exemplary mark to feel accomplished, worthy, intelligent, competent, etc.

Such a true statement! Well said!

 

[mercy_2]

If you go into an interview and wax dramatically about your one dreaded C and your semester of woe - you probably won't get in and it won't be because of that C.

You need to develop a perspective and a confidence that isn't tied to your grades. As you move up the academic ladder and you're subjected to more rigorous coursework and demonstrations of your skills, you will not fare well if you need an exemplary mark to feel accomplished, worthy, intelligent, competent, etc.

I am confident in many abilities I have gained through my veterinary and animal experience. I used to be very shy and my experiences have definitely brought out my confidence and ability to communicate with others. I love working at my vet clinic and working with clients and animals. I enjoy my classes and I love learning, I just wish there wasn't such a pressure to spit out all the information you retain in one make-or-break exam. Thank you for your comment though- I completely agree, it's just hard to remember that in the moment.

 

[DVMDream]

just wish there wasn't such a pressure to spit out all the information you retain in one make-or-break exam.

Vet school exams in a nutshell with 1662772726 times the information. Get used to it. Stop comparing yourself to others. Do your best, continue to pass. You'll be fine. Getting worked up about one C is silly, you'll have plenty more in vet school. One C isn't anything to be concerned about, in undergrad or vet school. You'll just burn out if you continue to worry that much about perfection.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Hey everyone,
I am currently a second semester Junior in undergrad. Just got my final Physics II grade back and I got a C. Never in my life have I ever gotten a C. I feel so discouraged right now. It was definitely not an easy class for me but actually seeing the C is killing me.
This brings my overall GPA to a 3.73. I have one semester to go (graduating early) and I am applying this summer. All of my other grades are good (more As than Bs), I have challenged myself every semester with difficult classes and heavy course loads plus extracurriculars, equestrian team, and a part time job at the vet school- all on top of training my young horse. I also have pretty good experiences and have three letters of recommendation lined up (asking for two more this summer).

Will this C absolutely lower my chances? I know I might be acting silly, but I am really hard on myself and it is difficult to keep my head up all the time when there are a bunch of students I am competing with. I know vet schools consider more than numbers but it's hard to not think that when admitted class statistics are glaring you in the face!.

Yes, you are.

I know it can be hard with the pressure we put on ourselves, but you need to take a breath.

Everyone fails at things. All the time. (and hell, a single C is not even close to failure - it is a minor hiccup in what appears to be a great track record with a GPA of 3.7 and all your extra stuff).

You need to start understanding now that you will fail at things in life, and badly. And that's ok. It happens to everyone. You are probably going to fail a quiz, or even an exam at some point. You will fail to save an animal. You will fail to make the correct diagnosis. You will fail at communicating something correctly to a client and have them drag you over the coals about it. It can happen, and does happen, to even the best vet.

Also, stop having conversations with *******es who only want to talk about classes and grades. It is the worst form of immature competition, and you don't need that in your life. Find better friends with better priorities.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Yes, you are.

I know it can be hard with the pressure we put on ourselves, but you need to take a breath.

Everyone fails at things. All the time. (and hell, a single C is not even close to failure - it is a minor hiccup in what appears to be a great track record with a GPA of 3.7 and all your extra stuff).

You need to start understanding now that you will fail at things in life, and badly. And that's ok. It happens to everyone. You are probably going to fail a quiz, or even an exam at some point. You will fail to save an animal. You will fail to make the correct diagnosis. You will fail at communicating something correctly to a client and have them drag you over the coals about it. It can happen, and does happen, to even the best vet.

Also, stop having conversations with *******es who only want to talk about classes and grades. It is the worst form of immature competition, and you don't need that in your life. Find better friends with better priorities.

Can confirm.

 

[Doktor Timo]

I am confident in many abilities I have gained through my veterinary and animal experience. I used to be very shy and my experiences have definitely brought out my confidence and ability to communicate with others. I love working at my vet clinic and working with clients and animals. It just makes me sick how much pressure school puts on us about grades. It's always, "what grade did you make in that class?" or "Well I got an A on that exam...". I enjoy my classes and I love learning, I just wish there wasn't such a pressure to spit out all the information you retain in one make-or-break exam. Thank you for your comment though- I completely agree, it's just hard to remember that in the moment.

You have those conversations a lot because most pre-vets lack any sense of perspective. I certainly did when I was in your place. Everybody wants to prove that they're the smart one who deserves to get into vet school. Everybody's riding on arrogance and immaturity and hoping it isn't too obvious (it is). Then you get a few semesters into vet school and you start regularly getting test grades back that are 15-20 points lower than you expected and you realize that you have to stop being like that or you're gonna go crazy.

You're in a fine place, your GPA is competitive, and you're going to have more setbacks one way or another. I went from being the guy who had a 4.0 for my first 2+ years of undergrad to the guy who got a D on my Pharmacology final both semesters of that freaking class. It's okay. Don't let the grade-grubbers get you down.

 

[mercy_2]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement everyone. I do feel a lot better after taking a few hours to let myself chill out.

You have those conversations a lot because most pre-vets lack any sense of perspective. I certainly did when I was in your place. Everybody wants to prove that they're the smart one who deserves to get into vet school. Everybody's riding on arrogance and immaturity and hoping it isn't too obvious (it is). Then you get a few semesters into vet school and you start regularly getting test grades back that are 15-20 points lower than you expected and you realize that you have to stop being like that or you're gonna go crazy.

You're in a fine place, your GPA is competitive, and you're going to have more setbacks one way or another. I went from being the guy who had a 4.0 for my first 2+ years of undergrad to the guy who got a D on my Pharmacology final both semesters of that freaking class. It's okay. Don't let the grade-grubbers get you down.

Everybody wants to prove that they're the smart one who deserves to get into vet school. Everybody's riding on arrogance and immaturity and hoping it isn't too obvious (it is)

This is so true! Thank you for your encouragement!

 

[mercy_2]

Yes, you are.

I know it can be hard with the pressure we put on ourselves, but you need to take a breath.

Everyone fails at things. All the time. (and hell, a single C is not even close to failure - it is a minor hiccup in what appears to be a great track record with a GPA of 3.7 and all your extra stuff).

You need to start understanding now that you will fail at things in life, and badly. And that's ok. It happens to everyone. You are probably going to fail a quiz, or even an exam at some point. You will fail to save an animal. You will fail to make the correct diagnosis. You will fail at communicating something correctly to a client and have them drag you over the coals about it. It can happen, and does happen, to even the best vet.

Also, stop having conversations with *******es who only want to talk about classes and grades. It is the worst form of immature competition, and you don't need that in your life. Find better friends with better priorities.

Your post made me laugh! Thank you for the advice and encouragement.

 

[TerraVet]

I had an F, a C, a number of Bs, at least five Ws, and I got in.

I feel your pain though. As early as high school we tend to be socialized by parents, teachers, and classmates, that our grades and test scores RULE our future. I remember not doing so great on the PSATs and my friends were like...omg gurl ur screwed. So I started getting really anxious about my grades, and everyone around me encouraged that narrow mindedness. In college I took heavy course loads, tutored, worked jobs, volunteered etc etc until I just fell apart from exhaustion (see Fs and Ws above). The whole time I was CONVINCED that what I was putting myself through was not only necessary for success, but that everyone else was doing the same amount of work, but better. And that failure at any point would literally, catastrophically ruin my life.

Happily I can now see a giant forest instead of one leaf on one tree, but part of that is from living through a few "failures" both real and imagined, and realizing that they didn't ruin my life. I hope it brings you comfort to know a lot of us felt the same, but don't anymore. And steer clear of the "did you get an A or an A+" snobs. They'll have their reckoning someday, probably in vet school. ;p Just keep on trucking, don't burn yourself out, and give yourself permission to not be perfect.

 

[rockatiel]

I had an F, a C, a number of Bs, at least five Ws, and I got in.

I feel your pain though. As early as high school we tend to be socialized by parents, teachers, and classmates, that our grades and test scores RULE our future. I remember not doing so great on the PSATs and my friends were like...omg gurl ur screwed. So I started getting really anxious about my grades, and everyone around me encouraged that narrow mindedness. In college I took heavy course loads, tutored, worked jobs, volunteered etc etc until I just fell apart from exhaustion (see Fs and Ws above). The whole time I was CONVINCED that what I was putting myself through was not only necessary for success, but that everyone else was doing the same amount of work, but better. And that failure at any point would literally, catastrophically ruin my life.

Happily I can now see a giant forest instead of one leaf on one tree, but part of that is from living through a few "failures" both real and imagined, and realizing that they didn't ruin my life. I hope it brings you comfort to know a lot of us felt the same, but don't anymore. And steer clear of the "did you get an A or an A+" snobs. They'll have their reckoning someday, probably in vet school. ;p Just keep on trucking, don't burn yourself out, and give yourself permission to not be perfect.

I just want to say I hope to one day reach the level of self-acceptance and resolve you're displaying. Truly amazing and inspiring. I was one of those "a C will keep me from being a vet" types. And guess what? I did burn out. It's really true.

 

[littlelynne]

If you go into an interview and wax dramatically about your one dreaded C and your semester of woe - you probably won't get in and it won't be because of that C.

You need to develop a perspective and a confidence that isn't tied to your grades. As you move up the academic ladder and you're subjected to more rigorous coursework and demonstrations of your skills, you will not fare well if you need an exemplary mark to feel accomplished, worthy, intelligent, competent, etc.

Agree^^ if you drone on about this grade in an interview they're not going to like you. One C certainly won't hurt you, I had a couple too, for chemistry. But vet school is tough, and you're likely not going to get an amazing grade in every class. So they don't want to hear that you're going to be super focused on grades, and less so on learning the material and being present for the experiences. Just keep your head up! It'll all be okay


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[Jonah93]

I got into UC Davis DVM program and Western with a 3.4 gpa. You're fine, don't lose sleep over this, you'll have plenty of sleepless nights once you get into school. Grades aren't everything, and vet schools tend to look at the big picture with regards to your grades instead of nitpicking one letter grade you got in one semester.