Withdrawing from a pre req my freshman year

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PreVetGator

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Hey guys,

I'm not sure where to ask this so i figured i would try here.

I had a really rough semester and was going through some personal issues, and because of that I've been struggling in my pre reqs this semester. It's possible I'll have to drop chem 1 and will probably get only a C+ or some sort of B in biology.

Will this really hinder me the future if I show improvement? I've been considering changing my major and letting go of my dream because of this and I just need to know if that would be in my best interest.

Thank you.

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Hey guys,

I'm not sure where to ask this so i figured i would try here.

I had a really rough semester and was going through some personal issues, and because of that I've been struggling in my pre reqs this semester. It's possible I'll have to drop chem 1 and will probably get only a C+ or some sort of B in biology.

Will this really hinder me the future if I show improvement? I've been considering changing my major and letting go of my dream because of this and I just need to know if that would be in my best interest.

Thank you.

At the end of my third semester at UVA I had a 2.7 gpa (really bad humanities grades, oddly enough). I was getting my ass handed to me because I didn't know how to study and I was too prideful/stubborn to seek out a study coach or tutor. It was initially a slow process, but I did get back on track and pulled my GPA out of the gutter (my cumulative gpa was still on the lower end of the spectrum, though). In the end, my bread and butter were all in my last two years of undergrad. In short, no, of course you shouldn't give up on a dream because your first year as an undergrad didn't go as planned. Buckle down, take summer classes if need be in order to avoid overload/burnout, and get back in the game. Try to make sure that you remind yourself why you want to be a vet when you're feeling a little hopeless (i.e. step outside of the confines of student life and go do stuff; all grad schools want to see people who are motivated to excel outside of the classroom) and, more importantly, get into a consistent study/life routine. Repetition/consistency is an understated ingredient for a functional life.
 
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When I graduated high school and transitioned to college, I did not know how to study (4.0 and never cracked a book type). I got my first C my second semester freshman year in chemistry (I retook it and later got an A). It took me a good while to learn good study habits and to get completely on track. I graduated my undergrad with 3 C's total and some B's too and I still got into vet school. I showed an upward trend on GPA because I was studying correctly and had a last 45 GPA of around 3.8. You don't have to give up on your dream from a dropped class and a B or C in the other. Just try to develop good study habits and seek help when you need it.
 
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I withdrew from Chem I my freshman year. The professor was new and really ineffective, and I'd always struggled with chemistry anyway. I re-took it with a highly recommended professor (I ended up taking her for Chem II as well) and I have 0 regrets. The withdrawal was a wake up call of sorts that made me realize chemistry was something I was going to have to work at, and I made some really good changes to my study habits that have helped me a lot down the road. Plus, taking it again (with better studying and an awesome professor) gave me a great foundation in chemistry, which helped me tremendously in ochem (and now biochem), and I got an A in the course. I got into my IS this cycle with no problems.

Long story short: a W isn't the end of the world, as long as you learn from it.
 
At the end of my third semester at UVA I had a 2.7 gpa (really bad humanities grades, oddly enough). I was getting my ass handed to me because I didn't know how to study and I was too prideful/stubborn to seek out a study coach or tutor. It was initially a slow process, but I did get back on track and pulled my GPA out of the gutter (my cumulative gpa was still on the lower end of the spectrum, though). In the end, my bread and butter were all in my last two years of undergrad. In short, no, of course you shouldn't give up on a dream because your first year as an undergrad didn't go as planned. Buckle down, take summer classes if need be in order to avoid overload/burnout, and get back in the game. Try to make sure that you remind yourself why you want to be a vet when you're feeling a little hopeless (i.e. step outside of the confines of student life and go do stuff; all grad schools want to see people who are motivated to excel outside of the classroom) and, more importantly, get into a consistent study/life routine. Repetition/consistency is an understated ingredient for a functional life.
There's another wahoo on here??

But in reference to the original question, it shouldn't be a big deal assuming that you do decent when you retake the class.
 
There's another wahoo on here??

But in reference to the original question, it shouldn't be a big deal assuming that you do decent when you retake the class.

Yup, I'm the one who was in love with Kittlesen's immuno class. We've actually messaged previously.
 
Dropping the class isn't a problem.

Coming up with a plan to study more efficiently, retain information better, etc. is the important part. Dropping fixes it now, but you'll have to work to make sure it's something that gets fixed.
 
One W means nothing. If you have a slew of W's throughout your academic record, that's another story.
 
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