I hate UMCP... whats your schools policy on summer courses?

[terpgirl]

I had an advising appointment yesterday (college of life sciences makes it mandatory everysemester or you can't register for the next semester). This summer in summer session I, I planned to take physics I and biology I; session II, chemistry II and physics II. I had mapped out to take only physics this summer; however, because that I got sick at the fault of the school (and therefore failed the biology class as I was in the ER and the professor refused to let me make up the exams--major ADA no no; surgery was scheduled for the day of the first chemistry exam, and when all your average peers are failing, you have no choice but to drop the class on that hunch or end up failing it, because you have no marker how you are doing), and I intend to take the MCAT in spring 2005 to start the application process June/July 2005.

Well, according to my advisor, they won't let me take 2 labs the same summer session. She went back to correct herself to say that I only could if I wasn't going to graduate on time (I intend to graduate early because UMCP is my own personal hell). Why? It's the college of life science's policy not to let students take 2 classes the same session if one is a science. It's published NOWHERE!! I went with the university policy, which allows me to take 8 credits. My response was that if life sciences won't allow me to, I'm changing majors/colleges, which I intended to do to apply for a special program at the end of the semester--NOW. Asked for directions and walked right over there. She said she was going to drop me from the physics class... but couldn't figure out how to do it. Because they are responsable for the biology and chemsitry, if I don't drop phsyics they will drop my from biology and chemistry. The physics department has a lot of insane professors, some of who don't speak English remotely well, and the lady who I signed up for is one of the best and speaks well but only teaches in the summer.

What does your school's polic say--what are you allowed to and not allowed to take in the summer?

If you are wondering, I did fine in chem I and was batting an 80% with one of the most difficult biology professors. And in my HS physics class, I did very well (above honors level, could have taken the AP and gotten a 3/4 as some classmates did).

And I am currently in talks with a lawyer, over the ADA violations of the university that got me sick and others that lead to me failing the course.... and if the school drops me from any of my registered summer courses I will be filing against that (there is a waitlist on these classes now so if I'm dropped I cannot get back in).

Thanks!

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[KatieOConnor]

you were in the er and they wouldnt letyou make up the exam?!?! Where I went to school, you could take an exam later for nearly any reason. I'm so sorry that happened! I once went to my orgo professor the day before an exam, asked if I could take it early for no reason and he let me take it in his office. I didnt like my school socially but academically it was great. I cant believe some people have to put up with this bs.

At my school you would not get credit for courses taken over the summer and we didnt even OFFER summer school courses. However, some premeds who went abroad would take orgo over the summer somewhere else. The premed advisor told us this was acceptable for med school, but did warn us that it "looks bad" to take too many science (lab) courses over the summer.

Good luck getting everything straightened out!

 

[terpgirl]

Yeah, stupid advisors. Funny how mine shut up when I said the adcoms I was speaking to were numerous people on Hopkins--she thought she had me on the one up because she worked in the offices of 3 low-tier schools... count 'em, 3. When they say "you need the 4 years of undergrad for maturity" and my response was "1 year won't make a difference, and when you're told that 'we'd love to have more people with your attitude and charisma here' from a really good school... you discount the opinions of people you've known for all of 30 seconds"

-Liz

 

[Smile80]

You should have went to Salisbury on the eastern shore. Science profesors are nice there.