Impossible to get A's, where to go from here?

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PurpleLove

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I'm a solid B+ student, but that doesn't get medical school acceptances and it quite frankly makes me sad/mad.

Should I take summer school science courses at an easier university?

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Have you tried to seek help from professors or tutors? Why do you think you were unable to get As?

Your program or major might be just simply very difficult, so depending on what contexts we are talking about, I think you should not be necessarily mad or sad about your GPA.
 
Have you tried to seek help from professors or tutors? Why do you think you were unable to get As?

Your program or major might be just simply very difficult, so depending on what contexts we are talking about, I think you should not be necessarily mad or sad about your GPA.
Yes, but it isn't that I don't know the material. I know the material, very well. The tests ask hard questions.
 
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No. An adcom would see that you're just padding your grades.

And why are you a solid B+ student? That's a narrow range of percentage compared to say a A or B student. A- isn't that far away from B+.
I usually do average or enough above to get a B+. There are a lot smarter kids than me who get the As.
 
So work harder? What year are you in college?
I mean I usually do well enough on tests*. I work as hard as I possibly can to be honest. I am a sophomore planning on a gap year or two.
 
If that is the best you can, do, that's it. Everyone has limits. B+ really isn't that bad. You can't tell me, though that you have no As at all because you certainly must be able to get As in your core stuff that everyone takes. Am I incorrect in that assumption?
 
I mean I usually do well enough on tests*. I work as hard as I possibly can to be honest. I am a sophomore planning on a gap year or two.

Do you have extenuating circumstances? Usually "work as hard as I possible can" means "work as hard as I'm willing to". Do you spend 4 hours a day on school? 8? 10? Also, I see a lot of people who work hard but not efficiently. I find it hard to believe that you can't shift your average to A- when you're already getting B+.

and if you truly are working as efficiently and hard as you can manage, people can still get acceptances with B+
 
I mean I usually do well enough on tests*. I work as hard as I possibly can to be honest. I am a sophomore planning on a gap year or two.

Every day right after lectures spend an hr or 2 going over them. Consider a study group with students who get the A's. If you can get a B+, you can absolutely get an A+, it's just a matter of studying smarter. Draw out pathways, study with people who will bring up the high yield content, don't just read the notes, etc.
 
If that is the best you can, do, that's it. Everyone has limits. B+ really isn't that bad. You can't tell me, though that you have no As at all because you certainly must be able to get As in your core stuff that everyone takes. Am I incorrect in that assumption?
I've had As in non-Science courses yes.
 
Do you have extenuating circumstances? Usually "work as hard as I possible can" means "work as hard as I'm willing to". Do you spend 4 hours a day on school? 8? 10? Also, I see a lot of people who work hard but not efficiently. I find it hard to believe that you can't shift your average to A- when you're already getting B+.

and if you truly are working as efficiently and hard as you can manage, people can still get acceptances with B+

I spend all day and a lot of my night (don't sleep much). I'll try to work harder. In a class full of premeds, most of us try to work as hard as possible. I think it comes down to natural intelligence in the end.
 
If that is the best you can, do, that's it. Everyone has limits. B+ really isn't that bad. You can't tell me, though that you have no As at all because you certainly must be able to get As in your core stuff that everyone takes. Am I incorrect in that assumption?

Ya know, I have to disagree with this. I truly think if you can get a B+, you can certainly get an A, it's just a matter of studying a little more efficiently. It might be corny, but I don't think there's a ceiling on what anyone can accomplish, certainly not so concrete as an 87 vs a 95.
 
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I spend all day and a lot of my night (don't sleep much). I'll try to work harder. In a class full of premeds, most of us try to work as hard as possible. I think it comes down to natural intelligence in the end.

like I said, harder vs. more efficient. if you're up much of the night studying, you might be more productive in less time if you get more sleep. Put the most effort into the things that are worth the most and you can do well on.

There are always ways to improve efficiency, and you're so close to where you need to be.
 
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If your GPA is ~3.4-3.5, you're still in shooting distance for MD schools. You just have to target the right ones. MSAR Online is your friend.


Check out your school's learning center, or education specialists. They can help you with your learning styles and test taking abilities.

If your GPA is anywhere from 3.0-3.4, then there are plenty of DO programs that will give you some love.

I'm a solid B+ student, but that doesn't get medical school acceptances and it quite frankly makes me sad/mad.

AdComs aren't stupid...they're aware of this form of GPA padding.

Should I take summer school science courses at an easier university?[/quote]
 
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I spend all day and a lot of my night (don't sleep much). I'll try to work harder. In a class full of premeds, most of us try to work as hard as possible. I think it comes down to natural intelligence in the end.

It might in med school, but it usually doesn't in college. Unless you are doing chemE or going to Princeton, Cornell, MIT, or another severely grade deflated school, you can totally do it. First, believe you can. Second, figure out what the people who get As do to study. And not the jerks who always say "oh I just study for an hour or so," someone who is willing to tell you what they actually do or study with you. You can seriously do this OP. B+ is pretty good already, if you're plateauing there it just means you have to change up your technique a little.
 
I mean I usually do well enough on tests*. I work as hard as I possibly can to be honest. I am a sophomore planning on a gap year or two.

Well if that's your limit then that's your limit. But I don't think that is your limit. There are probably redundancies and inefficencies in your study habits.
 
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I've had As in non-Science courses yes.
Alright. Well that tells me that your limits are above B+. The help available here may not be one on one enough for you to really figure out how to excel, so I urge you to seek out some tutors and your school academic success center. There are trained people there who will identify what you are doing right and wrong and help you fix the latter and augment the former. Take the time to get some help and you will be fine!
 
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It might in med school, but it usually doesn't in college. Unless you are doing chemE or going to Princeton, Cornell, MIT, or another severely grade deflated school, you can totally do it. First, believe you can. Second, figure out what the people who get As do to study. And not the jerks who always say "oh I just study for an hour or so," someone who is willing to tell you what they actually do or study with you. You can seriously do this OP. B+ is pretty good already, if you're plateauing there it just means you have to change up your technique a little.

Ah I'll try really hard. I went from C's freshmen year to B+'s at the end of the year.
 
Ya know, I have to disagree with this. I truly think if you can get a B+, you can certainly get an A, it's just a matter of studying a little more efficiently. It might be corny, but I don't think there's a ceiling on what anyone can accomplish, certainly not so concrete as an 87 vs a 95.

I completely agree - I'm a believer that everyone is capable of excelling in a class. You need to identify where the weaknesses are and find ways to push from a B+ to an A- to an A. Classwork is, at the most basic level, general coursework and exams. Usually exams are the more difficult part of the class; from my experience, professors have very specific "styles" to forming exams and some people have to get a poor first exam to learn/prepare for subsequent exams. However, this can be avoided by finding TAs or upperclassmen who have taken the course and know the professor.

But you say you do well on the exams, so the next step is doing well on coursework. Again, finding a TA/upperclassman willing to help, using tutoring programs at the university, or working in groups often pushes the B+ on general assignments into the A range. Keep working at finding the best method in each class! It IS possible!
 
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I completely agree - I'm a believer that everyone is capable of excelling in a class. You need to identify where the weaknesses are and find ways to push from a B+ to an A- to an A. Classwork is, at the most basic level, general coursework and exams. Usually exams are the more difficult part of the class; from my experience, professors have very specific "styles" to forming exams and some people have to get a poor first exam to learn/prepare for subsequent exams. However, this can be avoided by finding TAs or upperclassmen who have taken the course and know the professor.

But you say you do well on the exams, so the next step is doing well on coursework. Again, finding a TA/upperclassman willing to help, using tutoring programs at the university, or working in groups often pushes the B+ on general assignments into the A range. Keep working at finding the best method in each class! It IS possible!
:D Will do.
 
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Spend a few hours reading "mindset" by carol dweck.



I'm a solid B+ student, but that doesn't get medical school acceptances and it quite frankly makes me sad/mad.

Should I take summer school science courses at an easier university?
nd
 
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I'm a solid B+ student, but that doesn't get medical school acceptances and it quite frankly makes me sad/mad.

Should I take summer school science courses at an easier university?

Not a solid B+ student. You went from C's to B+'s, you can overcome and do even better.
 
Talent won't get a person very far at the college level without hard work. In high school, everyone is convinced that talent is godly and untouchable since it allows one to get away with stellar grades and test scores without as much effort. That's HIGH SCHOOL material, which isn't very advanced. Once you get to the college level, effort is necessary to do well.

If you are capable enough to pull a B+, you can definitely pull an A. There are probably much more effective ways to study and you just need to find them, then master them. Best of luck!
 
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You can do even better. If it seems impossible, there is a program called the Guaranteed 4.0 Plan. It is a lot of work, but it works. Search Amazon for "Guaranteed 4.0".

For what it's worth, I am attending an accredited university online, now, which is physically easier on my body and I am getting a better GPA (I have medical problems.).
 
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Talent won't get a person very far at the college level without hard work. In high school, everyone is convinced that talent is godly and untouchable since it allows one to get away with stellar grades and test scores without as much effort. That's HIGH SCHOOL material, which isn't very advanced. Once you get to the college level, effort is necessary to do well.

If you are capable enough to pull a B+, you can definitely pull an A. There are probably much more effective ways to study and you just need to find them, then master them. Best of luck!
Excited to begin to pull these A's. :)
 
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So work harder? What year are you in college?
I spend all day and a lot of my night (don't sleep much). I'll try to work harder. In a class full of premeds, most of us try to work as hard as possible. I think it comes down to natural intelligence in the end.

More than work harder you probably need to figure out how to work smarter (i.e. more efficiently). Talk to professors ,TAs, and upperclassmen about how you approach preparing for your science classes. See if you can get a tutor to help you in these classes. Most schools have academic skills centers where they'll go over how to study with you. Best of luck!
 
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If it's impossible for you to be very successful in undergrad, why do you believe you will be successful in medical school? Just curious.
 
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