Really discouraged.. could use some objective advice

[lhmhtd]

Well, after a very rough semester and countless hours of studying and tears, I have failed physics. I've never failed a class in my life. I studied for the final for literally 25-30 hours, and felt that I did alright. I checked grades on elearning and somehow I made a 23% on the final exam... I even emailed the professor asking him to double check if it had been entered incorrectly. He double checked and that is the grade I made. I have no idea how i managed to do so poorly. After a very crappy weekend, with hours of crying and several alcoholic beverages, I'm stuck in a rut. I paid 8k for this class for one (sickening, right?) and on top of that, I will no longer have my pre reqs completed by Spring semester, disqualifying my application, and throwing hours of hard work and hundreds of dollars out the window. Worse, my GPA is probably totally ruined at this point. I also am doing a work-study in which I help out in the necropsy lab about 10 hours a week, but i will not be paying another 8k for the same class, so I have to tell the lab that i cannot do the work-study anymore. I have a meeting with this professor this week to look over my exam and see where I went wrong, and if ANYTHING can be done. He made it very clear at the beginning of the semester that there are no A's for effort and no extra credit opportunities. I'm absolutely devastated, and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I know it's not the end of the world, but it sure as hell feels like it. I was hoping there's someone else who has hit a speed bump in their vet school journey and can offer some positive words.

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[Fly Racing]

For starters, once you retake the class your GPA will no longer be ruined. Some schools do grade replace (the F goes away) and others take an average of your two attempts (A plus F= C). Also, do you need both physics by spring or only one? If you only need one, you're totally fine. I took physics online with the colorado community colleges online program since I couldn't fit it into my schedule. It is not listed as an online course on my transcript (but I still disclosed it as one on my application). That said, the physics is still the same, so if it is truly the subject that is getting you, you'll likely need to hire a tutor to help you one on one through your work. There is nothing wrong with that. After all it physics, not physiology.

If you need both physics by spring, it might be possible, and your going to need to be creative (take II at a CC where they won't check your prereqs). I won't directly encourage you to take both at once, especially since it doesn't come easy to you, however, it might be theoretically possible if you're dead set on completing both.

You're taking the right first step by meeting with the professor. Maybe he will have some ideas for you and you can see what changes you need to make.

 

[bunnity]

Was the test a scantron? Is it possible that you skipped a line somewhere?

 

[ameropean_chelsea]

First off, I'm so sorry! Physics be damned.

The first time I took physics I had to drop it before the semester's end. I then retook the class at a community college after I got my BA and did miles better. (This coming from a person who really, really, really hates physics and math in general). I've definitely been through long periods of time where I thought my dream was never going to happen because I'd withdrawn from a couple classes and gotten some pretty awful grades on others. The fact is, everybody has a weakness. It's what you do about it that matters.

I took a step back, focused on some other interests for the rest of my undergrad, went to Australia, made a boomerang (), then decided I would tackle my remaining prereqs as a post-bac/grad student of sorts. I definitely did not believe that I could make a comeback, but I have, and know other people who have struggled have done it too. Actually, I know quite a few vets who did horribly in their Organic Chem classes and others, and still made it.

Depending on what this professor can do for you, I would recommend taking the class again at a community college, if for no other reason than it'll be cheap. As for your work study, perhaps see if you can stay on as a regular employee without work-study-status. I'm sure they would still value your contribution.

If you want to chat more, feel free to PM me. Don't give up because of this one setback. I'm sure there are a million other things you are brilliant at and things that make you awesome. Don't lose sight of that. You can make a comeback. It may sound cheesy, but if you force yourself to believe it, and do absolutely everything you can, it will happen. Hang in there!

 

[WillowLeaf]

Sorry you hit a bump in your prevet path, html. Where are you applying? Some schools are fine with one semester of physics. If you need two semesters, maybe see if they'd let you take one over the summer, especially if you can show that you're doing well in other classes, and that you have a plan (tutor, different study strategies, whatever) for your second attempt at physics. I don't know if schools would allow that or not, but it would be worth asking before withdrawing your app or anything.

Does your school offer a physics workshop class, or a math/science tutor center that's free through the school?

I'd strongly recommend going to the professor's office hours in the future (don't know if you did that this term), starting pretty early in the term. Ask lots of questions, and don't be afraid to ask for extra help during office hours if you're not getting things. Physics is a tough pre-req for a lot of people. I failed a physics final, and normally I love math and science. Lucky for me, it was curved a lot so it turned into a passing grade, but it was so frustrating to feel good during the exam and then see that F on the test grade. And frustrating to know that the only reason I passed was because no one understood the material, not because I actually knew it well.

I hope you can get the physics issue figured out. If you're not able to continue the application process this year, you can always apply later, although I understand that takes more money. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Fireflysushi]

I agree with the others. Talking to the professor sounds like a good first step. It does sound possible that you skipped a line on the test. I would go through each question if the professor will. I also second Fly Racing that there is no shame in getting a tutor. I did for several classes in undergrad and know quite a few people that do it in vet school.
I know how terrible this set back must feel. Try to think of it as something great to put on your personal statement in the future.
I don't know your situation, but I think there may be a way to take classes for cheaper than $8000. You don't need to be a Harvard grad to get into vet school.

 

[lhmhtd]

Thanks everyone for your kind words, it means a lot to me. The test was a scan tron, so I suppose it's possible I skipped a line? I hadn't thought of that, so that might be something I can check when I meet with him.
I've encountered difficult classes before (calculus, chemistry, Etc), but I quickly realized they were something I struggled with and would have to put in a lot more effort than I would for a biology course. If I work hard at something, I can usually pull a B or B- so it is totally shocking that I just flat out bombed this.

It's been a hard semester overall, we just moved to Georgia because my husband got accepted into a PhD program at UGA and he's at school about 10-11 hrs a day while I work and do my classes. I was online at my home university finishing up some electives and took physics at UGA but since I'm considered OOS my tuition is horrendous.

It says on their webpage that UGA requires Physics 1 and 2 to completed with a grade of C or better by Spring prior to matriculation. I'm not sure why you can't finish any pre reqs in the summer, that'd be really helpful in my case.

I am currently looking into the local CC and if I need to retake physics 1, I'll probably be applying to take it there, where its $507 total.

I will keep you all posted as to what he says. Thanks for all the great advice!

 

[Fish pixie]

First off, I'm so sorry. Take a deep breath.
I had a nightmare of a class back during my undergrad and totally, fall-on-my-butt failed it. I received a D- for the class and felt like I was living in some unbelievable hell. I could see why some people off themselves in college when things like this happen. You feel like you just f-ed up your whole life forever, are a failure and hate yourself. It isn't as bad as it seems right now, although it will complicate your life quite a bit if you can't repeat the course and delete the old grade. But it is survivable and you can come out the other side and be competitive for vet school. Remember, you have options. If you are accepted to the DVM program this year, talk to them and see if they will accept a summer course. They may be more flexible about this than their rules make it seem. I'd go in and speak with them in person about this. They may also have some other options and ideas for you.

If you don't get in this year and you're currently enrolled in an undergrad program at UGA, before you do the community college, check to see if the university has a repeat delete options like some of the people above have mentioned. Being able to repeat/and replace a grade is worth its weight in gold. My GPA never recovered after the D- and I had to spend years and a graduate degree to put it far enough behind me to become competitive again for vet school. I didn't realize I had the repeat/delete option until after I graduated and it was no longer an option and then spent the next X number of years kicking myself for not realizing I could have fixed my GPA so much more easily prior to graduating with repeat/delete. I've taken semester after semester of A's and still am only at around a 3.4 GPA. I am only competitive at vet schools that look at the whole person and don't dwell to much on undergrad science GPA or GPA in genereal. That damn D- has really shaped and complicated my life and added years and years on to my vet school journey, not to mention being damn expensive in terms of time and money. It wasn't all negative, however, I think it really made me determined and made me more compassionate and understanding towards other people who struggle. Right now, just try to keep your mind off it, and don't be hard on yourself. Sounds like you really really tried. Give yourself some love for that and move on.

 

[jmstroup]

I also go to UGA. Who is your physics professor? Are you taking 1212 or 1112? I ended up pulling C's out of 1211/1212 (physics for engineers) and wish I had done the easier 1111/1112 classes. Also, I'm pretty sure that UGA will REPLACE your F with the grade that you get when you retake it, instead of averaging the two grades. I'm not 100% on this. If you feel you need to email the admissions counselor at UGA CVM, I can give you his email if you message me. He's a really nice and helpful guy.

 

[battie]

@lhmhtd, I am in a very similar boat as you. I got an F in Organic I first semester of Junior year (so the fall before I was to apply). Along with that F, Junior and Senior year were riddled with poor grades, including a C in Genetics during the same semester, a D in Developmental Biology the next semester, and Cs in Physics I, II (which were both 5 credits, not three and designed for engineering students cause the professor coddled his two engineering students he had a year), Biochem, and Developmental Biology when I retook that class. I am going to be straight with you, when I applied the first time, I was flat rejected by four schools (Wash, Penn, Mizzou, and CSU (IS)) and then interviewed/waitlisted/never called by one school (Kansas). This second time around, I only applied to two schools because I struggled so much my senior year. So far, CSU as kicked me to the curb and I am anxiously waiting for Kansas. The absolute number one thing you have to do is be honest with yourself on what happened. It sounds like what happened to you is what happened to me in Organic I: a poor professor that does not know how to teach, a douchebag professor, or both rolled into one (my Organic I professor was the last option).

Now that you have that established, you have already gone onto step two: what the hell can you do now. As far as classes go, obviously you have to retake it. I would wait to see where to retake until after you have talked to the professor. It may be that you skipped a line on the scantron and that you actually got a B and not an F. . If that is not the case, I would strongly encourage you to follow the others advice: don't take it again with this professor. You do not click with his teaching style. I strongly feel anyone can do well in any class as long as they have a great professor and a good work ethic. It sounds like you got the work ethic part down. . But you might just need someone else that you just click better with.

As far as your application this year, did you apply to only UGA? Or did you apply elsewhere too?

No one else has talked about this yet, and I hate to be the person that brings it up, but for the possible future application cycles: It sucks to have to apply more than once. It is expensive, emotionally draining, and a lot of work. If you have to reapply, I strongly encourage you to apply to more than one school, especially since you will have since retaken Physics I and taken Physics II and rocked them both. Look at the schools that play to your strengths. Moreover, once you figure out your plan, stick to it and don't waffle like I did. lol.

This is totally possible to come back from. Whenever people freak out about grades, I always say, "I failed Organic I, applied with a 3.3 and got waitlisted at Kansas, which ain't to shabby". I have a feeling that you have taken school more seriously and therefore probably have a better looking GPA than me, so I think you have this in the bag as long as you stay focused and keep your eye on the prize. . You got this!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

A scantron physics tests? WTF?

Sounds like the teacher is a lazy grader.

 

[Fly Racing]

A scantron physics tests? WTF?

Sounds like the teacher is a lazy grader.

My physics professor taught 3 section of physics with 270-300 students each. I don't think he was lazy for not hand grading 800-900 exams every 4 weeks.

 

[hbr1704]

That sucks. I don't really have any advice beyond if you really want to go to vet school you will find a way. I definitely say meeting with your professor is a good first move. Also, I don't know if you had good test scores leading up to the final or not. . . Some vet schools do grade replacement or average the grades it just depends on the school. Everything will work it out in the end.

I mean I would definitely evaluate study habits, not to sound harsh. I mean in vet school you can't spend 25-30 hours studying for one class or you will not do well in the others. I would say find a tutor or talk with people that were successful in the class. I never really understood what the upperclassmen in vet school said, "studying is more about quality rather than quantity" until now when I am currently studying for 5 exams at once.

 

[Fly Racing]

I know how tough it can be to give up an application cycle. I had a medical withdrawal the spring semester of my first application making the whole thing a wash (I already had an acceptance). That said, the extra year of working full time in a vet hospital has really helped me in vet school. The students with more experience really do have a big advantage in school and if you can get a job in a clinic the year will absolutely not be a loss. Next year, you'll be an instate student and have greatly improved odds from UGA. I know your husband is there for the next several years too, so I completely understand if that's the only school you're applying too (it just might take longer).

 

[WildZoo]

A scantron physics tests? WTF?

Sounds like the teacher is a lazy grader.

My physics 1 prof did midterms that were a couple MC questions and majority long answer problems. And then the final was 40 MC questions Nobody was able to finish it.

 

[lhmhtd]

You all should be motivational speakers if the whole vet thing doesn't work out!

 

[battie]

You all should be motivational speakers if the whole vet thing doesn't work out!

I was an RA for freshman my senior year. I had a lot of practice. lol. Loved those kids.

 

[LetItSnow]

Well, after a very rough semester and countless hours of studying and tears, I have failed physics. I've never failed a class in my life. I studied for the final for literally 25-30 hours, and felt that I did alright. I checked grades on elearning and somehow I made a 23% on the final exam... I even emailed the professor asking him to double check if it had been entered incorrectly. He double checked and that is the grade I made. I have no idea how i managed to do so poorly. After a very crappy weekend, with hours of crying and several alcoholic beverages, I'm stuck in a rut. I paid 8k for this class for one (sickening, right?) and on top of that, I will no longer have my pre reqs completed by Spring semester, disqualifying my application, and throwing hours of hard work and hundreds of dollars out the window. Worse, my GPA is probably totally ruined at this point. I also am doing a work-study in which I help out in the necropsy lab about 10 hours a week, but i will not be paying another 8k for the same class, so I have to tell the lab that i cannot do the work-study anymore. I have a meeting with this professor this week to look over my exam and see where I went wrong, and if ANYTHING can be done. He made it very clear at the beginning of the semester that there are no A's for effort and no extra credit opportunities. I'm absolutely devastated, and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I know it's not the end of the world, but it sure as hell feels like it. I was hoping there's someone else who has hit a speed bump in their vet school journey and can offer some positive words.

Hang in there. I failed out of one college twice and another one once. My GPA before I went back the last time was somewhere in the 1.6 range. And I'm less than half a year from being done with vet school. So I'm pretty darn sure you can do it. Don't think of this as a door slamming in your face; just an obstacle to bash through.

So what to do next? The first step is pretty clear - meet with the prof and find out what happened. The next step, though, is figuring out why it happened. You said you studied for 25-30 hours - clearly it wasn't effective studying, so you need to figure out a different way to approach the material. The first step in that might be owning up to your study method not being great and being willing to try something different. Not saying you're 'this' person, since I don't know you, but I've seen a lot of people just keep bashing their heads against tough subjects insisting on using the same study techniques when they obviously aren't working. So be smart - find a different way. Do all the things people suggest: spend time with the professor during their open office hours. When I took physics, there were people who ... if the professor had open office hours, they were there the entire time, studying right outside the office so they could ask questions. If there's a tutor, use them. Try studying with a few different people to find someone who talks through things in a way that makes sense to you. Do more problems than are assigned for homework: if they assign you the odd ones in the book, do the odd ones plus the even ones. Make sure to take it with a different prof. (I get really annoyed when people try to shift 'blame' for their grade to the prof, but it's still true that some profs are a) jackasses, b) bad teachers, or c) people who just don't explain things in ways that a particular student's mind works. Regardless of whether it's a, b, or c ... better to find a prof that meshes with your learning style.)

I don't really think taking both at the same time is a <great> idea; first semester was obviously a huge challenge, so why double that problem? Second semester material doesn't really require first semester knowledge (if I recall?), but ... why set yourself up to fail again?

Regarding the whole scantron thing... definitely a possibility. I did something similar first year in vet school. We had a fill-in-the-blank answer sheet that was written "1.______ 2.______ 3.______" and then 4,5,6 on the next line, etc. For whatever reason, I just plain never noticed and I started going top to bottom.

It was clearly obvious what had happened when I got back the results and looked at the published answer sheet. Didn't matter - still got an F. Thank god it was a class with a lot of tests to make up for it.

Anyway, hang in there!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

My physics professor taught 3 section of physics with 270-300 students each. I don't think he was lazy for not hand grading 800-900 exams every 4 weeks.

Classes shouldn't be that big to begin with, because it encourages such methods. But that's a whole nother critique of modern college education that I don't have time to get into.

Multiple choice tests are a **** way to gauge problem solving ability.

 

[LetItSnow]

Classes shouldn't be that big to begin with, because it encourages such methods. But that's a whole nother critique of modern college education that I don't have time to get into.

Multiple choice tests are a **** way to gauge problem solving ability.

Especially for something like physics. Totally agree.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Especially for something like physics. Totally agree.

And pathology. When I am a professor I will be all fill in the blank, short answer, and diagnose-the-pictures! My name will be whispered fearfully in the dark alleys of the teaching hospital. They will laugh nervously at my not-funny pathology jokes in an attempt to pacify me. In their most desperate moments, reviewing the twelve or so different types of leukemia, they will curse the ACVP for ever allowing a monster like me to roam academia.

But those buggers will learn proper!

 

[LetItSnow]

And pathology. When I am a professor I will be all fill in the blank, short answer, and diagnose-the-pictures! My name will be whispered fearfully in the dark alleys of the teaching hospital. They will laugh nervously at my not-funny pathology jokes in an attempt to pacify me. In their most desperate moments, reviewing the twelve or so different types of leukemia, they will curse the ACVP for ever allowing a monster like me to roam academia.

But those buggers will learn proper!

Neoplasia is not a morph, neoplasia is not a morph, neoplasia is not a morph.

*cringe*

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Neoplasia is not a morph, neoplasia is not a morph, neoplasia is not a morph.

*cringe*

 

[LetItSnow]

I morphed something as .... oh .... I dunno. Something with an -osis on the end. I got about a 15-minute lecture in rounds about how that's not a morphological diagnosis and go re-write your necropsy report complete with papers being thrown in my face. Ok, the last part isn't true. Our chief is service is actually really funny, smart, and nice. But it sounds better if he threw everything back at me.

Honestly, it confuses my simpleton brain. Zachary and McGavin says "Morphologic diagnoses can also use the suffixes "osis" (diseased or abnormal condition) or "opathy" (disease)." (In the short discussion 'Nomenclature of the Inflammatory Response (MORPHOLOGIC DIAGNOSES)')

You path peeps need to get your story straight, yo. Or, yanno, 'splain it for us lesser beings. I so baffled.

Yay for being off-topic.

 

[DVMDream]

I morphed something as .... oh .... I dunno. Something with an -osis on the end. I got about a 15-minute lecture in rounds about how that's not a morphological diagnosis and go re-write your necropsy report complete with papers being thrown in my face. Ok, the last part isn't true. Our chief is service is actually really funny, smart, and nice. But it sounds better if he threw everything back at me.

Honestly, it confuses my simpleton brain. Zachary and McGavin says "Morphologic diagnoses can also use the suffixes "osis" (diseased or abnormal condition) or "opathy" (disease)." (In the short discussion 'Nomenclature of the Inflammatory Response (MORPHOLOGIC DIAGNOSES)')

You path peeps need to get your story straight, yo. Or, yanno, 'splain it for us lesser beings. I so baffled.

Yay for being off-topic.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I think sometimes people can be too picky on morphs. I'm always more concerned with if someone understand the pathogenesis. McGavin is also more loosey goosey with what constitutes a mdx than Jubb and Kennedy which is our super path book series. Depends which school of thought you are in.

 

[LetItSnow]

I think sometimes people can be too picky on morphs. I'm always more concerned with if someone understand the pathogenesis. McGavin is also more loosey goosey with what constitutes a mdx than Jubb and Kennedy which is our super path book series. Depends which school of thought you are in.

I'm in the "quit making me cry" school of thought.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Everyone else in the thread be like

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I'm in the "quit making me cry" school of thought.

No. Your tears are tasty.

 

[dyachei]

Everyone else in the thread be like

i started morphing my wrist lesions.

stupid drugs making me crazy

 

[battie]

Hang in there. I failed out of one college twice and another one once. My GPA before I went back the last time was somewhere in the 1.6 range. And I'm less than half a year from being done with vet school. So I'm pretty darn sure you can do it. Don't think of this as a door slamming in your face; just an obstacle to bash through.

Anyway, hang in there!

The most inspirational thing ever. Just saying.

 

[lhmhtd]

I really despise the fact that these tests are multiple choice scantrons- if you make a tiny mistake somewhere along the way, you're straight up wrong. There's no partial credit, there's no way for the prof to see that you understand the material but made an arithmetic error, etc. I approached studying for this course the same way I approached organic chem- practice the problems. I worked through old tests that were made available on the physics website, I reworked homework problems, I watched khan academy videos... I am seriously baffled as to where I went wrong. I did feel like the final was not representative of what he focused on in lecture and that sort of frustrates me. I made an A in lab and in the homework, so given the proper materials and time, I can solve physics problems, just not when I take the test. I'm bummed that it's a 4-0 class, and not a 3-1 and worse, the lab doesn't count for 25% of your grade, it counts for 15% for some bizarre reason. I know everything will work out; maybe a year off wouldn't be such a bad thing. I just feel like a giant loser right now and it's so defeating. I'm questioning all my life decisions at this point. ugh.
I can seriously see why people do not finish their college education. This is my 6th year as an undergraduate and physics 1 is the only class I have left to get my biology degree, but if i weren't so far along, I'd probably say screw it. It's very discouraging.

 

[WillowLeaf]

This thread is inspiring me to consider keeping an inspirational quotes list. There would probably be quite a few quotes from SDNers on that list.

 

[DVMDream]

This thread is inspiring me to consider keeping an inspirational quotes list. There would probably be quite a few quotes from SDNers on that list.

I can't post any of my favorite quotes on here because they are against TOS.. and it is kind of debatable as to how "inspirational" they are...

 

[WillowLeaf]

I really despise the fact that these tests are multiple choice scantrons- if you make a tiny mistake somewhere along the way, you're straight up wrong. There's no partial credit, there's no way for the prof to see that you understand the material but made an arithmetic error, etc. I approached studying for this course the same way I approached organic chem- practice the problems. I worked through old tests that were made available on the physics website, I reworked homework problems, I watched khan academy videos... I am seriously baffled as to where I went wrong. I did feel like the final was not representative of what he focused on in lecture and that sort of frustrates me. I made an A in lab and in the homework, so given the proper materials and time, I can solve physics problems, just not when I take the test. I'm bummed that it's a 4-0 class, and not a 3-1 and worse, the lab doesn't count for 25% of your grade, it counts for 15% for some bizarre reason. I know everything will work out; maybe a year off wouldn't be such a bad thing. I just feel like a giant loser right now and it's so defeating. I'm questioning all my life decisions at this point. ugh.
I can seriously see why people do not finish their college education. This is my 6th year as an undergraduate and physics 1 is the only class I have left to get my biology degree, but if i weren't so far along, I'd probably say screw it. It's very discouraging.

Multiple choice is not a good measure of whether students actually understand physics. On the bright side, that's really good that you did well in the lab and homework and understand the material. I really hope you find out it was a mixing-up-the-question-numbers issue or something.

Did you try doing practice problems/practice tests without looking at notes, and with a timer? That might help if you were doing well on the homework but not as well on the exams. Also, mixing up practice problems from different units can be helpful. I know I ran into problems because I practiced each unit alone and did fine because it was easier to tell which equations I was supposed to use, but when the test came, I realized I wasn't very good at figuring out which unit to draw equations and problem solving strategies from.

 

[WillowLeaf]

I can't post any of my favorite quotes on here because they are against TOS.. and it is kind of debatable as to how "inspirational" they are...

My list would have a separate section for grumpy-cat-like inspirational quotes from DVMD.

 

[dyachei]

Multiple choice is not a good measure of whether students actually understand physics. On the bright side, that's really good that you did well in the lab and homework and understand the material. I really hope you find out it was a mixing-up-the-question-numbers issue or something.

Did you try doing practice problems/practice tests without looking at notes, and with a timer? That might help if you were doing well on the homework but not as well on the exams. Also, mixing up practice problems from different units can be helpful. I know I ran into problems because I practiced each unit alone and did fine because it was easier to tell which equations I was supposed to use, but when the test came, I realized I wasn't very good at figuring out which unit to draw equations and problem solving strategies from.

When done well, mc questions CAN test for understanding. They are often done poorly

 

[lhmhtd]

Multiple choice is not a good measure of whether students actually understand physics. On the bright side, that's really good that you did well in the lab and homework and understand the material. I really hope you find out it was a mixing-up-the-question-numbers issue or something.

Did you try doing practice problems/practice tests without looking at notes, and with a timer? That might help if you were doing well on the homework but not as well on the exams. Also, mixing up practice problems from different units can be helpful. I know I ran into problems because I practiced each unit alone and did fine because it was easier to tell which equations I was supposed to use, but when the test came, I realized I wasn't very good at figuring out which unit to draw equations and problem solving strategies from.

i didn't use a timer, no. and i did problems initially using my notes and then i got to the point where I didn't need to refer to them. That's a really good idea about mixing up the problems. If the problems I was working were from a specific chapter, I knew which equations that chapter used, but I very likely could have mixed them up on the exam. The questions did not go in consecutive order from how we learned it and I might have been confused as to which formula went with the different questions. This guy was not a bad professor, he tried to make it interesting for us, I guess like others have said, his teaching style and my learning style do not mesh... wish I would've known that about 4 months ago.

 

[WillowLeaf]

When done well, mc questions CAN test for understanding. They are often done poorly

True. I should've said "often not a good measure". I forgot the first lesson I learned in college science classes: Rarely use always or never statements.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

When done well, mc questions CAN test for understanding. They are often done poorly

True. They are good for basics and recall. But for a subject like physics where thought process and problem solving are integral, meh. I mean hell, the fact that the NAVLE is 100% multiple choice chaps my behind, even though due to numbers there is no good way around it.

 

[Coquette22]

If my physics class had used multiple choice exams, I'd probably STILL be trying to pass it. My final grade in physics was reasonable, but it was almost completely based off partial credit. I rarely ended up with a final answer that was right.

 

[GretaBug3]

Hang in there. I failed out of one college twice and another one once. My GPA before I went back the last time was somewhere in the 1.6 range. And I'm less than half a year from being done with vet school. So I'm pretty darn sure you can do it. Don't think of this as a door slamming in your face; just an obstacle to bash through.

So what to do next? The first step is pretty clear - meet with the prof and find out what happened. The next step, though, is figuring out why it happened. You said you studied for 25-30 hours - clearly it wasn't effective studying, so you need to figure out a different way to approach the material. The first step in that might be owning up to your study method not being great and being willing to try something different. Not saying you're 'this' person, since I don't know you, but I've seen a lot of people just keep bashing their heads against tough subjects insisting on using the same study techniques when they obviously aren't working. So be smart - find a different way. Do all the things people suggest: spend time with the professor during their open office hours. When I took physics, there were people who ... if the professor had open office hours, they were there the entire time, studying right outside the office so they could ask questions. If there's a tutor, use them. Try studying with a few different people to find someone who talks through things in a way that makes sense to you. Do more problems than are assigned for homework: if they assign you the odd ones in the book, do the odd ones plus the even ones. Make sure to take it with a different prof. (I get really annoyed when people try to shift 'blame' for their grade to the prof, but it's still true that some profs are a) jackasses, b) bad teachers, or c) people who just don't explain things in ways that a particular student's mind works. Regardless of whether it's a, b, or c ... better to find a prof that meshes with your learning style.)

I don't really think taking both at the same time is a <great> idea; first semester was obviously a huge challenge, so why double that problem? Second semester material doesn't really require first semester knowledge (if I recall?), but ... why set yourself up to fail again?

Regarding the whole scantron thing... definitely a possibility. I did something similar first year in vet school. We had a fill-in-the-blank answer sheet that was written "1.______ 2.______ 3.______" and then 4,5,6 on the next line, etc. For whatever reason, I just plain never noticed and I started going top to bottom.

It was clearly obvious what had happened when I got back the results and looked at the published answer sheet. Didn't matter - still got an F. Thank god it was a class with a lot of tests to make up for it.

Anyway, hang in there!

Can I ask how you explained all of your past educational issues when interviewing with schools? I never failed anything while getting my BS, just made several C's mostly my first 2-4 semesters in college. I am re-applying again, and have since retaken these course making A's and B's and still don't feel like I measure up. I seem to be weeded out based on GPA, at least that is what I assume, based on my experience hours and vet work and previous correspondence two years ago when I reapplied for a 2nd time! I know this is a bit unrelated to everything. I am just waiting to hear from any schools again this cycle, and am feeling worried again about rejection. I am a third time applicant now....sigh... So perhaps your insight might be helpful in figuring out a way to talk about my grades...

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Can I ask how you explained all of your past educational issues when interviewing with schools

LIS is also an accomplished belly dancer.

 

[battie]

If my physics class had used multiple choice exams, I'd probably STILL be trying to pass it. My final grade in physics was reasonable, but it was almost completely based off partial credit. I rarely ended up with a final answer that was right.

This. This just. Partial credit and lab saved my physics self last year.

 

[LetItSnow]

Can I ask how you explained all of your past educational issues when interviewing with schools? I never failed anything while getting my BS, just made several C's mostly my first 2-4 semesters in college. I am re-applying again, and have since retaken these course making A's and B's and still don't feel like I measure up. I seem to be weeded out based on GPA, at least that is what I assume, based on my experience hours and vet work and previous correspondence two years ago when I reapplied for a 2nd time! I know this is a bit unrelated to everything. I am just waiting to hear from any schools again this cycle, and am feeling worried again about rejection. I am a third time applicant now....sigh... So perhaps your insight might be helpful in figuring out a way to talk about my grades...

Sure. The first time I applied, I talked about it in my PS. How I failed out because blah blah blah, how I learned blah blah blah. Etc. Throw in some more blahs. I didn't get accepted. On review, the advice the admissions director gave me was: "Explain it briefly in the explanation portion of the application. Bringing it up in your personal statement just raised red flags. Too much emphasis on it."

So the second time around I wrote a brief - like 4 sentences brief - statement in the Explanation section. First sentence said WHAT happened (that I failed out). Next three sentences talked about my success after that point. That's it. No melodrama, no wallowing in the 'why' of it - just "here's what happened and here's how I proved that I can do better".

I'm not sure that's really helpful for your specific situation, though. In a technical-only sense, I was considered a 4.0 student when I applied because of the way UMN calculates GPAs (pre-reqs and last-45 credits only).

The one thing I would suggest is that you shouldn't have to assume: call the schools you were rejected from and ask. When I was rejected, that's what I did. I came out of the meeting with a step-by-step plan for improving my application. I focused my energy on the high-value items plus the ones I could reasonably accomplish, and was accepted the next time 'round.

For the tl;dr crowd: Turn failures into talking points by focusing on the positive.

LIS is also an accomplished belly dancer.

You found my video!

 

[lhmhtd]

uhm?

 

[Cephal0pod]

Did you try doing practice problems/practice tests without looking at notes, and with a timer? That might help if you were doing well on the homework but not as well on the exams. Also, mixing up practice problems from different units can be helpful. I know I ran into problems because I practiced each unit alone and did fine because it was easier to tell which equations I was supposed to use, but when the test came, I realized I wasn't very good at figuring out which unit to draw equations and problem solving strategies from.

Yes, yes, yes. Chiming in to echo these suggestions and the importance of closely (and honestly!) examining how you studied. I do some tutoring, and for many of the people I work with, the study habits are where most of the issues lie.

One of the best suggestions I have ever received for studying was to purchase a mini whiteboard and use it to do problems over and over again. I got mine for 5 bucks at Target, and it is easily the best 5 bucks I have ever spent. It seems simple, but it helped me tremendously in getting through organic, genetics, and biochem.

 

[that redhead]

Is it possible you still made a C with your other exams factored in plus a curve?

 

[Gemgrrrl]

lhmhtd: It looks like you have already gotten a lot of good advice, but I just wanted to add to the encouragement not to give up. I know how it feels to have a crappy semester. The semester I took genetics, cell bio, org chem, and calculus my husband got deployed, and I started a new job. I should have dropped, but I felt like I had to keep going because you can only apply once a year. I ended up with all C's that semester, and it tanked my GPA. I ended up having to wait a year to apply anyway, just so that my last 45-hours wouldn't show those grades. It was really devastating.

But, I waited that year and worked really hard to make sure that I rocked all of my other classes. I got my first interview invitation last week (Yay!!). So, hang in there. I know it seems like the end of the world. It's not. You will rise above this, and be stronger for it.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Wut.