Lets say you received a biology degree with a very low GPA, what next?

[KO_TV]

My question is this, are these jobs out of the realm of possibility for my entire life? Like can I put together a resume in the coming years that can get me a chance at these jobs?

I do find it somewhat unfair that my D's in classes like O Chem, Biochem, Microbio, and Genetics are being used against me this harshly in a field where the coursework is completely unrelated for the most part. If I had D's in calc and other finance related classes, that would be fair but if I could take finance related courses, ace them, and build my resume, could I get those jobs?

At my university, there's an event where representatives from many different companies come to recruit people for jobs (in finance, software development, etc). They weren't even the least bit interested in the biochem degree my friend had and only asked him about his Masters GPA because that was the only thing relevant to the field of work. You just gotta make sure to work hard and ace those classes, if that's what you choose to pursue.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

True but think of it this way. I am sure MD schools would look at least be accepting of someone that graduated with a non-science related major in undergrad and had a low GPA but managed to do a post bacc and worked the science classes along with a high MCAT to go with it right?

I wonder, why can't finance jobs be at least fair in evaluating a student? Sure, I was pushed into medicine against my own wishes and I failed hard. I admit that med school or any professional school is not a realistic possibility for me because I objectively proved that I am not cut out for medicine.

But I never had a chance to prove myself to the guys on Wall Street to where they can fairly evaluate me. For all they know, I could ace finance classes and kill the GMAT yet if they still refuse to give me an opportunity, that is bull****.

Very few things on Earth are fair, and none of them will be found in the world of finance.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

But I never had a chance to prove myself to the guys on Wall Street to where they can fairly evaluate me. For all they know, I could ace finance classes and kill the GMAT yet if they still refuse to give me an opportunity, that is bull****.

Why should they give you the opportunity when there are 10 other people who aced more finance classes, killed the GMAT, and didn't nearly fail out of college?

Also, why fixate on Wall Street? There are way better ways to make a good living than slaving 80 hours a week pushing numbers in circles just to earn a paycheck youre too tired to spend.

 

[Law2Doc]

Very few things on Earth are fair, and none of them will be found in the world of finance.

That's for sure. Having worked in the business-law arena, I can assure you that the oportunities for grade rehabilitation/replacement and second and third chances you get on this medical path would be a foreign language on Wall Street. It's very much a "no excuses" environment. Very black and white --You are either a hero or a zero.

 

[Officer Farva]

True but think of it this way. I am sure MD schools would look at least be accepting of someone that graduated with a non-science related major in undergrad and had a low GPA but managed to do a post bacc and worked the science classes along with a high MCAT to go with it right?

I wonder, why can't finance jobs be at least fair in evaluating a student? Sure, I was pushed into medicine against my own wishes and I failed hard. I admit that med school or any professional school is not a realistic possibility for me because I objectively proved that I am not cut out for medicine.

But I never had a chance to prove myself to the guys on Wall Street to where they can fairly evaluate me. For all they know, I could ace finance classes and kill the GMAT yet if they still refuse to give me an opportunity, that is bull****.

It is so hard to break into Wall Street nowadays though, not just for you. I have friends who had all of their ducks in a row who had to find a job elsewhere. From what I have seen at networking events, there are two kinds of people who are on wall street nowadays. The purebred finance types who went to elite undergrads (more elite than my school, my school barely cuts it anymore) who gained the relevant experience in school, or the highly educated types with advanced degrees who are providing a very niche service.

 

[Upwardtrendfornow]

They look at GPA, not just how you did in finance classes. And your gpa is bad -- you DID have a chance or two there. But instead you scorched the earth, Dug yourself a deep hole that will need years of grade rehab to climb out of if you need to do anything involving graduate or professional education. And frankly the top finance/business undergrad students aren't much worse than the top premeds, so I think we are all pretty skeptical that you'd "ace" those classes given that after a ton of credits you were a C-D+ student. A lot of those guys did well in the science classes they took, but liked business more.

I feel bad for you, but let's be realistic. The high powered careers require you to do well in college in most cases. You didn't. So you need a plan B.

Not really, my GPA is bad due to the merciless beatdowns it took from O Chem, Biochem, Genetics, Microbio, and anatomy (D's in those classes). Outside of the sciences, it is clean as clean comes. Even then, I didn't do bad in the INTRO science classes that everyone had to take.

I am sure that there are others with experience on Wall Street to where some of the decent firms will at least see a guy who killed finance classes (which I am confident I could easily ace) and give him a chance. Maybe others can readily chime in, there has to be a realistic way for someone like me to get a job on Wall Street years from now.

Judging me harshly due to D's in irrelevant science classes is just irrational on their part. Now if I take finance classes and flunk them (which is highly unlikely), then they have a reason to reject me.

But hay what do I know, I am just some naive boy who was born to the wrong family. Just because I can't ace Microbio doesn't mean that I will make for a terrible banker or consultant.

 

[Upwardtrendfornow]

That's for sure. Having worked in the business-law arena, I can assure you that the oportunities for grade rehabilitation/replacement and second and third chances you get on this medical path would be a foreign language on Wall Street. It's very much a "no excuses" environment. Very black and white --You are either a hero or a zero.

I am sure that there are plenty of guys sitting on Wall Street who, if they had to sit through cruel GPA killing upper level science classes would not have a high GPA they have now. Honestly, I am convinced that I can do their jobs much better than they ever could, I just wish that the firms would at least give me an opportunity to prove them wrong.

Lets be rational here, just because I make for a poor med school candidate due to harsh science classes from the darkest depths of hell does not mean that I can't ace finance classes like there is no tomorrow.

Now obviously if I had a poor GPA in business and finance classes, I wouldn't be talking.

I do want to break into finance and eventually work on Wall Street, would like to hear from more people though.

 

[Meeehai]

There's always the military.

 

[Officer Farva]

I am sure that there are plenty of guys sitting on Wall Street who, if they had to sit through cruel GPA killing upper level science classes would not have a high GPA they have now. Honestly, I am convinced that I can do their jobs much better than they ever could, I just wish that the firms would at least give me an opportunity to prove them wrong.

Lets be rational here, just because I make for a poor med school candidate due to harsh science classes from the darkest depths of hell does not mean that I can't ace finance classes like there is no tomorrow.

Now obviously if I had a poor GPA in business and finance classes, I wouldn't be talking.

I do want to break into finance and eventually work on Wall Street, would like to hear from more people though.

To be honest, I don't know of anyone who changed careers later on who broke into Wall Street without going the advanced degree/math geek route. It used to be easier back in the day though to get in. A couple of the biggest hedge fund managers nowadays actually went to law school, some actually did not attend a well-known law school!

 

[Law2Doc]

...there has to be a realistic way for someone like me to get a job on Wall Street years from now.

Judging me harshly due to D's in irrelevant science classes is just irrational on their part...,

It's not irrational -- you are the one who chose the classes that composed your GPA. You dug this hole. On paper that is who you are now. It's not worth taking a few finance classes just to see if they'll ignore all that imho, but go for it. All you'll be wasting is time and money.

The short answer is you aren't getting hired on Wall Street with your current credentials via any conventional route, no matter how you do in a couple of finance classes. Are there success stories of people who worked their way in by working overseas in an emerging market exchange somewhere (Singapore?) or worked their way up from the mail room? Maybe. But those success stories are mighty rare. But regardless, come up with a plan C -- because I'd say this one isn't going to pan out.

 

[Upwardtrendfornow]

- sigh -

I'll just confess, I am angry because I feel that I got robbed out of a career due to the parents I had who forced me into a profession I had no passion for. I toughed it out and got a bad GPA for it, graduated college as well. It was my ambition since high school to work on Wall Street and though I did flirt with the idea of going into medicine and dentistry after years of science classes, I know I wasn't interested in it.

Quite frankly, I do believe that I can absolutely dominate in a finance career and one on Wall Street, it would be a cakewalk for me. I do find it unfair that Wall Street firms would hold my bad grades in irrelevant science classes against me without at least giving me a chance to prove myself on the GMAT and in finance classes. It angers me, if I had parents that let me pick my major and didn't push me into medicine, I truly do feel that I would get at least a 3.8 GPA in finance and with ease as well.

I guess I have to live with this kind of regret without knowing whether or not I was right. It sucks that the firms do not give me a chance to least prove myself in finance so if I fail those classes, I can at least say with certainty that I was wrong. I wish there was a chance for me to prove myself to them but apparently not, no wonder all of America hates them.

Anyways, I have a lot to think about it but before I go, I want to thank everyone on this forum who talked with me through the roughest times of my life that have me beyond depressed. This whole life isn't fair thing can really get you down in the dumps.

I am a distraction to this forum full of aspiring doctors who will one day make the world a better place. I hope all of you get into med school and enjoy your life, I have mines to work out.

This is my last post on SDN, thank you everyone for being well beyond patient with me, I did not deserve this kind of hospitality but do understand that I am angry over what has happened.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Not really, my GPA is bad due to the merciless beatdowns it took from O Chem, Biochem, Genetics, Microbio, and anatomy (D's in those classes). Outside of the sciences, it is clean as clean comes. Even then, I didn't do bad in the INTRO science classes that everyone had to take.

I am sure that there are others with experience on Wall Street to where some of the decent firms will at least see a guy who killed finance classes (which I am confident I could easily ace) and give him a chance. Maybe others can readily chime in, there has to be a realistic way for someone like me to get a job on Wall Street years from now.

Judging me harshly due to D's in irrelevant science classes is just irrational on their part. Now if I take finance classes and flunk them (which is highly unlikely), then they have a reason to reject me.

But hay what do I know, I am just some naive boy who was born to the wrong family. Just because I can't ace Microbio doesn't mean that I will make for a terrible banker or consultant.

I'm not going to even entertain the Wall Street discussion because even thinking about it isnt helping you. What you need to do is focus on where you are right now and your situation.

So what can someone with a 2.4 GPA do? The first thing as people have said above is you have to do SOMETHING. Anything for these next 6 months to begin to get on your feet, realize where you are, wake yourself into reality. To be honest it doesnt matter what it is. Even if you have to work at a minimum wage job for the next 3-6 months, do it. Develop some work skills. Get some decent references. Get in a decent routine. Just do something productive and make money. Once you've started doing something, then you can start looking for entry level jobs. There are entry level jobs in management, real-estate etc. where either a) you dont need a college degree b) just having a degree is enough and nobody will care what's on your transcript as long as it has degree on it. It's on you to find those type of jobs. Again, what you need to do is start by doing something. Get some references and make some connections. The hardest part often times is the first step, making the first move. Whatever that first move is largely irrelevant. Just get out of the current rut you are in right now.

Others have mentioned the military. That's one option if you are interested in it. Vocational degrees is another solid way to have a relatively stable career and making acceptable wage. If nothing else, itll give you something to do that is productive and focused for several years. Once you start doing some kind of work in any field and being productive, alot of things will start to take care of themselves. Right now, you really shouldnt be thinking about med school, or law school, or wall street, or PA school or anything like that. You should focus on taking that first step and gaining some kind of employment, whatever it is for the next 6 months. Once you start some kind of work, whatever it may be, your life plan and direction will start to take its own shape and you can begin to realize if grade replacement/DO or other kind of graduate school is what you want. But that is getting way ahead of yourself.

 

[Law2Doc]

- sigh -

I'll just confess, I am angry because I feel that I got robbed out of a career due to the parents I had who forced me into a profession I had no passion for. I toughed it out and got a bad GPA for it, graduated college as well. It was my ambition since high school to work on Wall Street and though I did flirt with the idea of going into medicine and dentistry after years of science classes, I know I wasn't interested in it.

Quite frankly, I do believe that I can absolutely dominate in a finance career and one on Wall Street, it would be a cakewalk for me. I do find it unfair that Wall Street firms would hold my bad grades in irrelevant science classes against me without at least giving me a chance to prove myself on the GMAT and in finance classes. It angers me, if I had parents that let me pick my major and didn't push me into medicine, I truly do feel that I would get at least a 3.8 GPA in finance and with ease as well.

I guess I have to live with this kind of regret without knowing whether or not I was right. It sucks that the firms do not give me a chance to least prove myself in finance so if I fail those classes, I can at least say with certainty that I was wrong. I wish there was a chance for me to prove myself to them but apparently not, no wonder all of America hates them.

Anyways, I have a lot to think about it but before I go, I want to thank everyone on this forum who talked with me through the roughest times of my life that have me beyond depressed. This whole life isn't fair thing can really get you down in the dumps.

I am a distraction to this forum full of aspiring doctors who will one day make the world a better place. I hope all of you get into med school and enjoy your life, I have mines to work out.

This is my last post on SDN, thank you everyone for being well beyond patient with me, I did not deserve this kind of hospitality but do understand that I am angry over what has happened.

Just know there are thousands of ways to earn a living in this world, and, though it might not be your favorite, you will probably find one that's palatable. There are tons of forms of "business" outside of Wall Street and in retrospect you might actually realize you are better off outside of those shark infested unforgiving waters.

 

[Officer Farva]

I still think learning to code is the best bet. Go through job listings, and count the number of jobs that require knowledge of a scripting language, SQL, or R. As someone with a cookie cutter major, the only things that made employable outside of the medical/research field was all the CS coursework I took.

 

[Meeehai]

It angers me, if I had parents that let me pick my major and didn't push me into medicine, I truly do feel that I would get at least a 3.8 GPA in finance and with ease as well.

I doubt that.

Anyway, the most important thing in my opinion is to realize that your life isn't over and you don't have to work at McDonalds for the rest of your life for minimum wage, etc. I'm just gonna be honest with you here, I think you suck at school. And that's okay, but I wouldn't try to pursue any type of further schooling. There are a lot of other things out there you can do and I think it was a good idea for you to make this thread and try to get some guidance on what options you have. But now it's on you to start getting your hands dirty and find something you can do to sustain your life. You're lucky your parents are letting you stay with them while you get your ish together. Who knows? Maybe in a couple years you'll have a job you enjoy and also pays very well. Good luck friend.

 

[el_duderino]

finance classes (which I am confident I could easily ace)

I got robbed out of a career due to the parents

Quite frankly, I do believe that I can absolutely dominate in a finance career and one on Wall Street, it would be a cakewalk for me.

From the sounds of it, you have never been even moderately successful at anything in your life. How are you managing to convince yourself that if you just get into the right field you'll suddenly be a superstar?

It doesn't work that way. Success, particularly wild success in literally the most ruthless, predatory, and unforgiving industry in the country, doesn't just spring out of nowhere based on feelings. You seem to have zero experience with "Wall Street" or the world of finance at all, save one or two undergrad economics classes, yet you think you can just waltz in and kill it. This is called magical thinking.

You want to succeed? Stop blaming your parents or anyone else and be successful at something. You sound like you're completely adrift, with no idea what you actually want to do besides sit around and wish you were better. Well, be better. Get a job or go to a trade school or do a second bachelor's and actually succeed at it.

Success is a habit, not a goal.

 

[Lannister]

OP your attitude is really obnoxious.
1) You weren't robbed of anything. You're an adult, you made your own choices, and those choices were bad choices. Stop blaming other people for your failures.
2) You can sit here and whine about how unfair it is all you want. It is what it is. You might be of the opinion that employers shouldn't take into account your bad science grades, but they will. Accept it and move on.

I am of the opinion that OP would not do well in medicine or in finance, given what I've seen here.

 

[Upwardtrendfornow]

Just know there are thousands of ways to earn a living in this world, and, though it might not be your favorite, you will probably find one that's palatable. There are tons of forms of "business" outside of Wall Street and in retrospect you might actually realize you are better off outside of those shark infested unforgiving waters.

I rather find out they're shark infested waters the hard way, by going there and failing. Unfortunately, from the sounds of this thread, that won't happen on this lifetime but I don't want to go into medicine either. Looks like I will have to get my hands dirty the other way and ask a lot more people with Wall Street experience how hard it will be for me to be that one kid with a 2 point something GPA to work there. I know for a fact that if I work there, I will dominate and outperform most of the people that work there now but I am more than open to learning otherwise the hard way if that is what it takes.

Fact of the matter is, I know that if I majored in finance I would have had pretty close to a 4.0 and it would have been a cakewalk.

Thanks for your concern friend but I truly do feel this strongly about performance in finance and on Wall Street, I just wish that there was a way for me to learn the hard way like you know, having finance kick my ass instead of these upper level science courses from the 9th circle of hell.

 

[el_duderino]

This is my last post on SDN

I know for a fact that if I work there, I will dominate and outperform most of the people that work there now

First of all.... good job with your last post. Do you follow through with anything?

Look, I'm not being very nice to you but you need to hear the truth. You're in your 20s and you have an unbroken history of failure behind you. You're probably a smart kid, but your attitude is not compatible with success of any kind, let alone success in the toughest industry on the face of the earth.

You don't become successful by sitting around thinking "golly gee, if I just had that one chance, I'd be incredibly successful, and better than everyone." It doesn't work that way, because success is hard. It requires you to do things you don't want to do, for long periods of time, and accept responsibility for your actions and your results. You have no interest in doing the hard things you don't want to do, and you do not accept responsibility for your actions or results.

In other words, you have no discipline and you have no accountability. These qualities are not ones that simply exist within you and need the right opportunity to shine. There isn't a champion sitting inside you who will just pop out one day. You need to manufacture that champion, and the raw materials you use to do it are discipline and accountability.

These don't appear from nowhere. You need to live with discipline and accountability. Apply yourself to something - ANYTHING - with discipline. Be responsible for your results. It will be unfair and it will suck and people won't give you fair shots. That's how it is for everyone. The only person who can own your life is you.

Do *something*. Get a job. Work that job with discipline and be responsible for your results, no matter how fair it is. Develop those qualities within yourself and they will lead to success in any avenue of life. Without them, you will go nowhere, no matter how much you convince yourself you'll be a rock star if you just get that right job.

 

[NewHorizons]

First of all.... good job with your last post. Do you follow through with anything?

Look, I'm not being very nice to you but you need to hear the truth. You're in your 20s and you have an unbroken history of failure behind you. You're probably a smart kid, but your attitude is not compatible with success of any kind, let alone success in the toughest industry on the face of the earth.

You don't become successful by sitting around thinking "golly gee, if I just had that one chance, I'd be incredibly successful, and better than everyone." It doesn't work that way, because success is hard. It requires you to do things you don't want to do, for long periods of time, and accept responsibility for your actions and your results. You have no interest in doing the hard things you don't want to do, and you do not accept responsibility for your actions or results.

In other words, you have no discipline and you have no accountability. These qualities are not ones that simply exist within you and need the right opportunity to shine. There isn't a champion sitting inside you who will just pop out one day. You need to manufacture that champion, and the raw materials you use to do it are discipline and accountability.

These don't appear from nowhere. You need to live with discipline and accountability. Apply yourself to something - ANYTHING - with discipline. Be responsible for your results. It will be unfair and it will suck and people won't give you fair shots. That's how it is for everyone. The only person who can own your life is you.

Do *something*. Get a job. Work that job with discipline and be responsible for your results, no matter how fair it is. Develop those qualities within yourself and they will lead to success in any avenue of life. Without them, you will go nowhere, no matter how much you convince yourself you'll be a rock star if you just get that right job.

This OP is a lost cause so we shouldn't waste our time on people that are covering their ears... we've helped plenty on every post he's made and he continues to be ignorant about his own abilities. Help those that actually want to be helped and will be humbled.

 

[el_duderino]

This OP is a lost cause so we shouldn't waste our time on people that are covering their ears... we've helped plenty on every post he's made and he continues to be ignorant about his own abilities. Help those that actually want to be helped and will be humbled.

When I was 23, I was a guy who had failed out of college and was working part time in a retail store, with mounting debt and no idea what to do with myself.

10 years later, I was sitting down for my first day of lecture at medical school.

No one is a lost cause. If you don't want to waste your time, then don't. Don't tell me what to waste my time on.

 

[NewHorizons]

When I was 23, I was a guy who had failed out of college and was working part time in a retail store, with mounting debt and no idea what to do with myself.

10 years later, I was sitting down for my first day of lecture at medical school.

No one is a lost cause. If you don't want to waste your time, then don't. Don't tell me what to waste my time on.

Not sure why you're getting so sensitive... as if you were the only person who've faced adversity or uncertainty... besides at least you were trying to move forward and being realistic... where is the OP doing that other than getting defensive?

Agree to disagree, but some people are lost causes until they choose not to be and shape up. No one is a lost cause forever is probably closer to reality.

I wasn't even telling you what to do... just saying we as a collective don't need to do it anymore... if you don't like it then don't read it. I certainly won't waste any time bothering to respond.

 

[Goro]

I think that you meant hostility? Go look up "hospitality".


Even if OP has left the theater, I have to point out that age 18, one is old enough to vote, drink, smoke, drive, work and pay taxes, and fight and die for your country. So don't blame your parents just because they're overbearing.

Delusions of grandeur in red are disturbing, though.

- sigh -

I'll just confess, I am angry because I feel that I got robbed out of a career due to the parents I had who forced me into a profession I had no passion for. I toughed it out and got a bad GPA for it, graduated college as well. It was my ambition since high school to work on Wall Street and though I did flirt with the idea of going into medicine and dentistry after years of science classes, I know I wasn't interested in it.

Quite frankly, I do believe that I can absolutely dominate in a finance career and one on Wall Street, it would be a cakewalk for me. I do find it unfair that Wall Street firms would hold my bad grades in irrelevant science classes against me without at least giving me a chance to prove myself on the GMAT and in finance classes. It angers me, if I had parents that let me pick my major and didn't push me into medicine, I truly do feel that I would get at least a 3.8 GPA in finance and with ease as well.

I guess I have to live with this kind of regret without knowing whether or not I was right. It sucks that the firms do not give me a chance to least prove myself in finance so if I fail those classes, I can at least say with certainty that I was wrong. I wish there was a chance for me to prove myself to them but apparently not, no wonder all of America hates them.

Anyways, I have a lot to think about it but before I go, I want to thank everyone on this forum who talked with me through the roughest times of my life that have me beyond depressed. This whole life isn't fair thing can really get you down in the dumps.

I am a distraction to this forum full of aspiring doctors who will one day make the world a better place. I hope all of you get into med school and enjoy your life, I have mines to work out.

This is my last post on SDN, thank you everyone for being well beyond patient with me, I did not deserve this kind of hospitality but do understand that I am angry over what has happened.

 

[Officer Farva]

I rather find out they're shark infested waters the hard way, by going there and failing. Unfortunately, from the sounds of this thread, that won't happen on this lifetime but I don't want to go into medicine either. Looks like I will have to get my hands dirty the other way and ask a lot more people with Wall Street experience how hard it will be for me to be that one kid with a 2 point something GPA to work there. I know for a fact that if I work there, I will dominate and outperform most of the people that work there now but I am more than open to learning otherwise the hard way if that is what it takes.

Fact of the matter is, I know that if I majored in finance I would have had pretty close to a 4.0 and it would have been a cakewalk.

Thanks for your concern friend but I truly do feel this strongly about performance in finance and on Wall Street, I just wish that there was a way for me to learn the hard way like you know, having finance kick my ass instead of these upper level science courses from the 9th circle of hell.

Learn some humility my friend. I have friends who are top students at target schools for Wall Street that are having a hard time and have to take jobs in other areas like marketing or sales. Did you attend a target school with a high GPA, do you have relevant experience, is your last name Morgan of the JP Morgan lineage? If no to any of these, finding a job on Wall street will be very tough.

However, there are great jobs outside of Wall Street! Try to rationalize it like this. If you are making a ton of money as an investment banking analyst, what's the point if you don't have the free time to spend it?

 

[Upwardtrendfornow]

I think that you meant hostility? Go look up "hospitality".


Even if OP has left the theater, I have to point out that age 18, one is old enough to vote, drink, smoke, drive, work and pay taxes, and fight and die for your country. So don't blame your parents just because they're overbearing.

Delusions of grandeur in red are disturbing, though.

I indeed meant hospitality, especially from you Goro.

Throw tolerance and patience in there too because quite frankly, as someone who feels like circumstances out of his control have for now robbed him of his chances of being successful in life, I've whined a **** ton.

 

[damienwayne]

OP i am in your exact same situation and would like to and know others in a simular situation. if you would like to network let me know