Padding my undergraduate GPA?

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ichor

ichor

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Hi guys, new poster here. This fall, I'll be entering my freshman year of college.

I haven't selected my classes yet and I'm uncertain of what to take. I know that GPA and MCAT score are the 2 most important factors in getting into medical schools, so I'm worried about what classes I should take--whether or not to take easy classes in UG.

Take math for example. In high school, I passed multi-variable calculus with differential equations with straight A's (calculus 2). But other students of my year entering the same college, for example, are racked with choosing between pre-calculus and calculus.

So I figure, why would I jump straight into classes beyond calculus 2 and hurt my GPA?

I am not sure of which route to take, so input from you guys would be very appreciated!
 
ichor said:
Hi guys, new poster here. This fall, I'll be entering my freshman year of college.

I haven't selected my classes yet and I'm uncertain of what to take. I know that GPA and MCAT score are the 2 most important factors in getting into medical schools, so I'm worried about what classes I should take--whether or not to take easy classes in UG.

Take math for example. In high school, I passed multi-variable calculus with differential equations with straight A's (calculus 2). But other students of my year entering the same college, for example, are racked with choosing between pre-calculus and calculus.

So I figure, why would I jump straight into classes beyond calculus 2 and hurt my GPA?

I am not sure of which route to take, so input from you guys would be very appreciated!
Click to expand...

yes, retake the easy classes
 
ichor said:
Hi guys, new poster here. This fall, I'll be entering my freshman year of college.

I haven't selected my classes yet and I'm uncertain of what to take. I know that GPA and MCAT score are the 2 most important factors in getting into medical schools, so I'm worried about what classes I should take--whether or not to take easy classes in UG.

Take math for example. In high school, I passed multi-variable calculus with differential equations with straight A's (calculus 2). But other students of my year entering the same college, for example, are racked with choosing between pre-calculus and calculus.

So I figure, why would I jump straight into classes beyond calculus 2 and hurt my GPA?

I am not sure of which route to take, so input from you guys would be very appreciated!
Click to expand...

I'll disagree with the others and endorse the idea of taking upper level math courses. I started off college bypassing all the calc courses (because they're an insult to my efforts placed on the AP exams) and proceeded with multivariable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. Honestly, if you're good in math (like you were in high school), the GPA wouldn't be a problem and you'll do fine.
 
Agent B said:
I'll disagree with the others and endorse the idea of taking upper level math courses. I started off college bypassing all the calc courses (because they're an insult to my efforts placed on the AP exams) and proceeded with multivariable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. Honestly, if you're good in math (like you were in high school), the GPA wouldn't be a problem and you'll do fine.
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Idk, problem is most of us have that "top of our class in h.s." mentality that doesn't always transfer to college successfully. Maybe at least go straight to Calc 2 first instead of just skipping Calc courses completely to get your bearings? Besides, Calc2 wasn't really that hard.
 
I was in your position last year; I had taken 7 AP tests and was debating whether or not I wanted to retake all of the intro to science courses (Gen Bio, Gen Chem, Physics, etc.) or skip into upper class courses. In the end, I'm glad that I decided to take the AP credit and place out of the intro classes. As a physics major, I was one of two freshmen in my modern physics class in my first semester, but it was one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken. Something else you might want to consider is that at my school at least, the intro to science classes have homework due online (like Mastering Physics), which seemed like a huge pain, especially when it deducts points for each time you submit an incorrect answer.

GPA wise, I did well my freshman year. I had a 4.0 my first semester and a cumulative 3.9 for the year (I got a B+ in linear algebra and an A- in thermodynamics). I think that the fact that I was in more challenging classes made me try harder, and it was rewarding for me.

On the other hand, it is nice to be able to have "easy" classes. I skipped to calc 2 and, except for infinite sums and series, it was exactly what I had taken in AB calc in high school. That class was very stress-free, but at the same time I would rather spend time and pay money to learn something new than to relearn something I already know.
 
I had the option of claiming credit from an I.B. diploma for most of my pre-reqs...but why in the world would I do that? The only credits I took were Cal 1 and 2

Everything works out better if you re-take those intro classes. Better grades, as well as solid review of what's going to be on the MCAT. You'll have to take a few upper-level Bio classes anyway (most schools require it), so that's not a big deal. It also helps if, like me, you're not a science major.

And definitely don't do upper level math unless it interests you. Even Calc 2 is not needed for most medical schools. Calc 1 + Stats
 
darklabel said:
Idk, problem is most of us have that "top of our class in h.s." mentality that doesn't always transfer to college successfully. Maybe at least go straight to Calc 2 first instead of just skipping Calc courses completely to get your bearings? Besides, Calc2 wasn't really that hard.
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Haha, I'm from a magnet school, so I've never had the pleasure of experiencing being top of the class. I'm still not exactly sure how college courses work. So say I take Calc 2 freshmen year like you say...do I keep taking a math class each year after that, or do I move onto hard biology courses or something?

dechristine said:
I was in your position last year; I had taken 7 AP tests and was debating whether or not I wanted to retake all of the intro to science courses (Gen Bio, Gen Chem, Physics, etc.) or skip into upper class courses. In the end, I'm glad that I decided to take the AP credit and place out of the intro classes. As a physics major, I was one of two freshmen in my modern physics class in my first semester, but it was one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken. Something else you might want to consider is that at my school at least, the intro to science classes have homework due online (like Mastering Physics), which seemed like a huge pain, especially when it deducts points for each time you submit an incorrect answer.

GPA wise, I did well my freshman year. I had a 4.0 my first semester and a cumulative 3.9 for the year (I got a B+ in linear algebra and an A- in thermodynamics). I think that the fact that I was in more challenging classes made me try harder, and it was rewarding for me.

On the other hand, it is nice to be able to have "easy" classes. I skipped to calc 2 and, except for infinite sums and series, it was exactly what I had taken in AB calc in high school. That class was very stress-free, but at the same time I would rather spend time and pay money to learn something new than to relearn something I already know.
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Hmm, you did really well freshman year. But haven't you basically set yourself up for very tough classes by your junior and senior year? Again, I have no clue what college classes schemes are like, but your classes get progressively tougher, no?
 
ichor said:
Haha, I'm from a magnet school, so I've never had the pleasure of experiencing being top of the class. I'm still not exactly sure how college courses work. So say I take Calc 2 freshmen year like you say...do I keep taking a math class each year after that, or do I move onto hard biology courses or something?



Hmm, you did really well freshman year. But haven't you basically set yourself up for very tough classes by your junior and senior year? Again, I have no clue what college classes schemes are like, but your classes get progressively tougher, no?
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I'd adamantly argue no. More new material? Yes. Harder to get an A? Heck no. Most my intro classes had 5-15% of people get an A, while my major classes were all around 40%. Not to mention these classes were more interesting.
 
ichor said:
Haha, I'm from a magnet school, so I've never had the pleasure of experiencing being top of the class. I'm still not exactly sure how college courses work. So say I take Calc 2 freshmen year like you say...do I keep taking a math class each year after that, or do I move onto hard biology courses or something?

Hmm, you did really well freshman year. But haven't you basically set yourself up for very tough classes by your junior and senior year? Again, I have no clue what college classes schemes are like, but your classes get progressively tougher, no?
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It's true that college classes get tougher as you progress through a department, but its not as if delaying yourself by a semester or two means you'll be saving yourself from anything in the end. In most cases, a department's courses are not completely linear. Once you complete a prerequisite or two, you open yourself up to a lot of the department.

Also, you only have to take math classes for as long as your major will require it or as long as you want to. If you plan to major in something like biology or chemistry, it's possible that you will have already completed all of the math classes necessary for that major within any mathematics credits you have entering college (sorry... not sure if your school's classes awarded any credit that can be applied towards college). It's not uncommon to only need Calculus I and Statistics at most.

Also, a lot of medical schools don't even have mathematics prerequisites and if they do, it's only 4-8 credits which would be Calc I + Calc 2 or Calc I + Statistics.
 
ichor said:
Haha, I'm from a magnet school, so I've never had the pleasure of experiencing being top of the class. I'm still not exactly sure how college courses work. So say I take Calc 2 freshmen year like you say...do I keep taking a math class each year after that, or do I move onto hard biology courses or something?

Hmm, you did really well freshman year. But haven't you basically set yourself up for very tough classes by your junior and senior year? Again, I have no clue what college classes schemes are like, but your classes get progressively tougher, no?
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To answer your first question, it depends on what major you're going into and what the requirements are to graduate. If you're going into hard sciences or engineering, you'll probably need math through differential equations. If you're planning on going into bio or the health sciences, you may have specific calculus or statistic classes for your major (e.g. calculus for biology majors). Otherwise, you will probably only need a semester or two of math (not necessarily calc). Outside of your major requirements and your college core requirements, you're free to take whatever you want. If you're not majoring in the sciences, many of these free electives will probably have to be medical school prerequisites, which is why many pre-med students default to biology (many biology major requirements are also medical school prerequisites).

To be honest, I don't think that my classes are going to get progressively harder (to get an A in). The material may or may not get more challenging, but with experience I'll be more capable of handling the course work. Also, most professors don't want you to fail and there are some pretty hard curves in upper level science classes. To be fair, I am not looking forward to taking pchem or achem instead of gen chem, but I'm scheduling my classes so that I have at most two "hard" classes (mostly physics or math requirements for my major) and the rest either medical school requirements or classes that I find interesting that have nothing to do with my major (like linguistics or sociology).
 
Doctor Strange said:
Got 5s on all my AP tests and retook all the classes. It was not only helpful as a GPA booster but also a nice review for the MCAT.
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+1

I wish somebody had told me this when I was a freshman. This tip as well as going to less competitive school to have a higher GPA are 2 pieces of advice I wish I had known 🙁

You're still young OP, use these to your advantage! Good luck
 
Doctor Strange said:
Got 5s on all my AP tests and retook all the classes. It was not only helpful as a GPA booster but also a nice review for the MCAT.
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Yeah probably. I guess the question is whether OP wants to take it easy his freshman year, or to stop wasting his time with the baby stuff and go to more advanced classes. I chose the second option, but that wouldn't be a wise move for ordinary premeds.
 
Good input from everyone else about both sides of the argument for which math classes to take, but I have one thing to add. Keep in mind that there can be a transition period personally and socially from high school to college. Are you moving far from home? Are you going to a school with or without friends?

If you're setting up new, I'd suggesting starting with the easier math class so that you have time to adjust, make friends, and get acquainted socially. You don't want to be battling math and adjusting to college life at the same time if you can help it.
 
Agent B said:
I'll disagree with the others and endorse the idea of taking upper level math courses. I started off college bypassing all the calc courses (because they're an insult to my efforts placed on the AP exams) and proceeded with multivariable calculus, linear algebra and differential equations. Honestly, if you're good in math (like you were in high school), the GPA wouldn't be a problem and you'll do fine.
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Umm, you do know that college math is much harder than high school math, even if it's calculus. Don't listen to this guy. Start off with calc 1 and continue. It'll make your first year easier and give you time to focus on other classes.

darklabel said:
Idk, problem is most of us have that "top of our class in h.s." mentality that doesn't always transfer to college successfully. Maybe at least go straight to Calc 2 first instead of just skipping Calc courses completely to get your bearings? Besides, Calc2 wasn't really that hard.
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darklabel said:
Idk, problem is most of us have that "top of our class in h.s." mentality that doesn't always transfer to college successfully. Maybe at least go straight to Calc 2 first instead of just skipping Calc courses completely to get your bearings? Besides, Calc2 wasn't really that hard.
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Seems like at my college, Calc 2 is the pre-med killer because of all the series stuff (I skipped Calc 2, though, so I don't know from personal experience). So...YMMV.

Vector calculus (Calc 3) is very fun, though! Give that a try.
 
Plue00 said:
Umm, you do know that college math is much harder than high school math, even if it's calculus. Don't listen to this guy. Start off with calc 1 and continue. It'll make your first year easier and give you time to focus on other classes.
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It's not really harder, just a bit faster paced.
 
Badger MD said:
Which for many people means that it will be harder.
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Maybe so, but probably not for people who took it in high school and are basically just reviewing already-learned material.
 
Badger MD said:
Which for many people means that it will be harder.
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Which for the OP is a breeze:

ichor said:
Take math for example. In high school, I passed multi-variable calculus with differential equations with straight A's (calculus 2). But other students of my year entering the same college, for example, are racked with choosing between pre-calculus and calculus.
Click to expand...

I see that most premeds here want OP to play it safe by retaking all the calculus courses despite doing well in high school, as they are arguing that college is going to be a rude experience going in with difficult classes. I disagree with that assertion because intro courses are not necessarily easy and can in fact be much harder for the OP (OP is still expected to feel these intro courses as a breeze if he actually learned something in high school). But instead of retaking the classes as a refresher, briefly refresh over the summer and proceed with the more advanced math classes in the Fall.

Clearly, this view is biased since I'm a physics major, but make that what you will OP. Do you want to play it safe or do you want to stop wasting your time and go on with the classes that actually test your skills?
 
People here really need to stop trying to show off how smart they are and how they were able to handle something easily and try to give good advice to the OP.

Hell, the school I go to, everyone did amazing in everything in high school. Then a lot of people got into upper level classes their first year thinking they were hot shots and did horrible. Few did do well, but most got much lower grades than they would have if they had started from the intro series. Why leave it to a chance that the OP will be part of the few? Be safe and take them over. If you really are that good in math, then it'll be a great GPA pad for you and make your first year much easier.
 
Agent B said:
Which for the OP is a breeze:



I see that most premeds here want OP to play it safe by retaking all the calculus courses despite doing well in high school, as they are arguing that college is going to be a rude experience going in with difficult classes. I disagree with that assertion because intro courses are not necessarily easy and can in fact be much harder for the OP (OP is still expected to feel these intro courses as a breeze if he actually learned something in high school). But instead of retaking the classes as a refresher, briefly refresh over the summer and proceed with the more advanced math classes in the Fall.

Clearly, this view is biased since I'm a physics major, but make that what you will OP. Do you want to play it safe or do you want to stop wasting your time and go on with the classes that actually test your skills?
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I'm sort of interested in majoring in physics or math as well. And in general, I've always been one to challenge myself and learn...but after going to a magnet high school, I've had many friends who took easier classes than me earn a higher GPA, and subsequently get into better colleges. I'm also not one to repeat mistakes.

Will I be significantly stunted if I major in physics and start off at pre-calc and other basic classes?

Let's not take into consideration if I want to be challenged. Challenging myself for the sake of challenging myself isn't conducive to gaming the system.
 
Plue00 said:
People here really need to stop trying to show off how smart they are and how they were able to handle something easily and try to give good advice to the OP.

Hell, the school I go to, everyone did amazing in everything in high school. Then a lot of people got into upper level classes their first year thinking they were hot shots and did horrible. Few did do well, but most got much lower grades than they would have if they had started from the intro series. Why leave it to a chance that the OP will be part of the few? Be safe and take them over. If you really are that good in math, then it'll be a great GPA pad for you and make your first year much easier.
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Looks like you bypassed my handy link and my main points just to criticize me for showing off. Swag move bro. 👍

Also, those "everyone who did well in high school" had nicely received a crushing blow to their ego. It seems they didn't develop efficient study skills quickly.

ichor said:
I'm sort of interested in majoring in physics or math as well. And in general, I've always been one to challenge myself and learn...but after going to a magnet high school, I've had many friends who took easier classes than me earn a higher GPA, and subsequently get into better colleges. I'm also not one to repeat mistakes.

Will I be significantly stunted if I major in physics and start off at pre-calc and other basic classes?

Let's not take into consideration if I want to be challenged. Challenging myself for the sake of challenging myself isn't conducive to gaming the system.
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If you're not confident in your math skills, I'd recommend taking Calc 2 first (or if you really lack confidence, take Calc 1, but AVOID pre-calc - it's unnecessary). You misinterpreted my comment on challenging yourself, but it doesn't matter when you lack self-confidence.
 
ichor said:
I'm sort of interested in majoring in physics or math as well. And in general, I've always been one to challenge myself and learn...but after going to a magnet high school, I've had many friends who took easier classes than me earn a higher GPA, and subsequently get into better colleges. I'm also not one to repeat mistakes.

Will I be significantly stunted if I major in physics and start off at pre-calc and other basic classes?

Let's not take into consideration if I want to be challenged. Challenging myself for the sake of challenging myself isn't conducive to gaming the system.
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Follow Plue's advice. There is no point in entering higher level math classes at a college or university your first semester of higher education. Yes, the best that could happen is that you get an A. However, there are a whole lot of grades below that that you could also get.

Chances are that the course you'll take will be graded on a curve and you will be in a class chock full of equally or more intelligent individuals who will have a background in your school's introductory classes and will be much more familiar with the department's testing practices and expectations. If anything, you come in at a disadvantage.

It's similar to the same dilemma that has been asked and answered a thousand times before on this forum: Should I attend a top ranked college or go to a lower tier college where I will have an excellent GPA? The answer is always go the route that gets as close to possible to guaranteeing you a great GPA.

Not to mention, college is a new environment and for all you know, you may have trouble adjusting to it. A lot smarter and more accomplished people have. Do you want to add the stress of upper level mathematics courses to the mix of a period of awkward social and responsibility readjustment?

You acknowledged that you really have no experience with being the top of your class because you attended a magnet school, but a lot of the people posting in this thread went to traditional schools and were very accustomed to being a big fish in a small pond while in high school. College is an entirely different game and few students are still a big fish when they finish with it.
 
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I would re-take, if only for the potential to pad your GPA - you never know how difficult upper-level classes will be, nor how you will react to them. A padded GPA would help soften any potential blows you take (if any at all). Difficulty/workload in those classes are more tailored to the professor you take instead of the content, so it's very unpredictable.

I'll also throw in that if you take classes you are familiar with, you will probably have more free time. The result is more time to pursue ECs with less stress of classes looming overhead, not to mention more time to simply enjoy college - to socialize, get involved more meaningfully/intimately and just explore. Don't take that aspect for granted.
 
Physics at some schools is notoriously difficult, and it might be hard to get a high GPA in such a major. I wouldn't really know though.

I think the hardest part of college so far (just finished freshman year) has not been the course material, but rather getting used to the "independence" and forcing yourself to study and establish new habits. Time management.
 
You'll be fine (on par) if you start with physics 1 and calc 1 in your first semester. Most of my freshmen physics major friends skipped to calc 2 (some skipped to calc 3) and a smaller number also skipped to physics 2 (one other freshman skipped physics 2 with me), but if you don't feel comfortable skipping or want to to retake, you won't be "behind".

Also note that it's easier to sign up for a more advanced class and drop down (before the deadline) than to move up. You can always sign up for upper level classes using AP credit and decide to retake the intro classes within the first few weeks if you think you want more review or a lighter course loaf, but you can't always go the other way around because you'll have missed information.
 
One thing I'll say is that despite getting 5's on all 10 AP exams that I took, when I re-took them I still learned something new and found the college-level courses to be slightly more in-depth. I attend a school where you couldn't place out of the intro courses except for calculus, but I'm actually glad that I retook especially for chem.
 
Skip intro Calc
 
I retook calc 1 (had AB in highschool) and it was a necessary refresher that acted as an easy A. I know people who went straight to calc 2 and did poorly because they became rusty over the summer.
 
don't ever take harder courses. EVER. adcoms have NO IDEA WHAT CLASSES ARE HARD OR EASY AT YOUR SCHOOL. they only care that you completed the pre-reqs. so complete them in the easiest way possible...even if it means retaking high school classes.
 
ReptarBar said:
don't ever take harder courses. EVER. adcoms have NO IDEA WHAT CLASSES ARE HARD OR EASY AT YOUR SCHOOL. they only care that you completed the pre-reqs. so complete them in the easiest way possible...even if it means retaking high school classes.
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Lol, even when you're required? Not everything is easy in college.
 
i'm talking about when you have an option -_-
 
ReptarBar said:
don't ever take harder courses. EVER. adcoms have NO IDEA WHAT CLASSES ARE HARD OR EASY AT YOUR SCHOOL. they only care that you completed the pre-reqs. so complete them in the easiest way possible...even if it means retaking high school classes.
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This.
 
ReptarBar said:
don't ever take harder courses. EVER. adcoms have NO IDEA WHAT CLASSES ARE HARD OR EASY AT YOUR SCHOOL. they only care that you completed the pre-reqs. so complete them in the easiest way possible...even if it means retaking high school classes.
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I guess it depends on your priorities, which we can't determine for you. I decided to go the "harder" route because I'm still not completely sure that I want to go to medical school instead of research or industry. As such, I would personally feel regret playing it safe by retaking classes instead of taking classes I'm interested in that may have absolutely nothing to do with my major. If you are intent on going to medical school, are worried about maintaining a high GPA, or want a better foundation, then you should retake the classes. Despite all the opinions in the thread, it's your life and your decision, and there is no right answer, just what you think is right for yourself.
 
Agent B said:
Looks like you bypassed my handy link and my main points just to criticize me for showing off. Swag move bro. 👍

Also, those "everyone who did well in high school" had nicely received a crushing blow to their ego. It seems they didn't develop efficient study skills quickly.
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Dude, get a life and stop giving bad advice. You're assuming that the OP is different and will develop amazing study skills his first year while the majority of college students don't? We can't just assume the OP is different compared to his peers.

ReptarBar said:
don't ever take harder courses. EVER. adcoms have NO IDEA WHAT CLASSES ARE HARD OR EASY AT YOUR SCHOOL. they only care that you completed the pre-reqs. so complete them in the easiest way possible...even if it means retaking high school classes.
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👍 listen to this guy
 
Thanks guys; all of your input on both sides of the spectrum have been very enlightening and informative!

I've decided to try to take the easier classes at every possibility. But that brings me to another issue: the placement tests. So I would appreciate input from those of you who chose to take the easy route as I have selected.

My college requires placement tests for math, chemistry, and a foreign language. The math placement isn't really a placement test, but rather a placement recommendation test, so I have no worries.

However, the chemistry and foreign language tests are legitimate placement tests. (I am fairly confident in my chemistry and Spanish skills though)

Should I try to bomb these chemistry and Spanish placement tests? I cannot see any real potentially bad consequences, after all, I can't do so bad that I get kicked out of the college, right? But it all just feels so wrong.
 
OP, you also need to account for the "getting used to college" part, which some people would say is about 1 or 2 proper classes worth of time. If you have the option to take the advanced level Calc class your second semester, do that instead. But if you aren't doing anything more difficult your first semester, might as well take the harder class.

Also ask some upperclassmen whether there is a benefit to taking a class "off-track". At my school, the math classes taken off-track are significantly easier than those taken "on-track" because all the serious math majors ruin the curve in the latter. So for you, if the "track" is to take Calc 1 Fall semester and Calc 2 in the Spring, it might be beneficial to take Calc 2 in the Fall.
 
My school has HUGE intro level classes (meaning 400+ people in a lecture hall). And they were basically intro to bio and intro to chem things like that. I looked at the bio textbook, way harder than AP bio. Asked upperclassmen about their thoughts and looked at upper classes, then decided to take my AP credit and jump in engineering physics, genetics, and upper calc classes. Ended up with 3.89 GPA, not too bad for a starting year I assume.
Why? Cuz the upper level classes were smaller and you get more attention from the instructor. Every school's situation is different. Some intro classes are designed to weed out premeds. Be careful.

And I agree with agentB and dechristine, I wouldn't want to waste money on learning something I've learned before. I feel like wasting my money I've spent for AP.
 
Plue00 said:
Dude, get a life and stop giving bad advice. You're assuming that the OP is different and will develop amazing study skills his first year while the majority of college students don't? We can't just assume the OP is different compared to his peers.



👍 listen to this guy
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Lolol, it's amusing when you get butthurt just because you don't agree with an opposing viewpoint. It's actually even more interesting, though not surprising, to see me being pitted against a large crowd of cautious premeds fearing that an upper level math course is equivalent to a death sentence. As if the intro math courses are meant to be easy (hint: it's a lot worse and hence an effective weed-out). Regardless of me being outnumbered by very cautious and sensitive premeds who view my comments as arrogant, i'll stick by my claim and remain to recommend OP to stop being scared of upper level math courses and go for it. You'll do fine as long as you're not too confident or careless.

I'll make my point clear: OP and every cautious and math-hating premed. You're making a mistake by assuming an intro level math (or any) course is a GPA padder. It's not and by feeling too haughty, you'll set yourself up for a disaster. Intro level courses are weed-out courses. They will be difficult because they want to ensure you're smart and not an idiot. Upper level classes are inevitable and contrary to the premed myth, they are NOT always harder than the intro courses. More material, yes. In-depth knowledge, yes. Difficult exams, yes. But I will confidently say that you will be far more prepared in upper level courses than intro courses. So, OP, take what you will. The decision is on your hands now.

OP, regardless of your decision, do NOT assume that intro courses are GPA padder. They are not and they will destroy you if you're careless.
 
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ichor said:
Thanks guys; all of your input on both sides of the spectrum have been very enlightening and informative!

I've decided to try to take the easier classes at every possibility. But that brings me to another issue: the placement tests. So I would appreciate input from those of you who chose to take the easy route as I have selected.

My college requires placement tests for math, chemistry, and a foreign language. The math placement isn't really a placement test, but rather a placement recommendation test, so I have no worries.

However, the chemistry and foreign language tests are legitimate placement tests. (I am fairly confident in my chemistry and Spanish skills though)

Should I try to bomb these chemistry and Spanish placement tests? I cannot see any real potentially bad consequences, after all, I can't do so bad that I get kicked out of the college, right? But it all just feels so wrong.
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I know my premed opponents in this thread will disembowel me for saying this... BUT DON'T BOMB THE PLACEMENT TESTS.
 
ichor said:
Thanks guys; all of your input on both sides of the spectrum have been very enlightening and informative!

I've decided to try to take the easier classes at every possibility. But that brings me to another issue: the placement tests. So I would appreciate input from those of you who chose to take the easy route as I have selected.

My college requires placement tests for math, chemistry, and a foreign language. The math placement isn't really a placement test, but rather a placement recommendation test, so I have no worries.

However, the chemistry and foreign language tests are legitimate placement tests. (I am fairly confident in my chemistry and Spanish skills though)

Should I try to bomb these chemistry and Spanish placement tests? I cannot see any real potentially bad consequences, after all, I can't do so bad that I get kicked out of the college, right? But it all just feels so wrong.
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Try to get out of the foreign language placement test as soon as possible. And if you're interested in continuing in Spanish, you might as well try your best anyways.

What does the chemistry placement test determine? If you take normal intro or advanced? Either way, try and do the normal intro chem if you can.
 
ichor said:
Hi guys, new poster here. This fall, I'll be entering my freshman year of college.

I haven't selected my classes yet and I'm uncertain of what to take. I know that GPA and MCAT score are the 2 most important factors in getting into medical schools, so I'm worried about what classes I should take--whether or not to take easy classes in UG.

Take math for example. In high school, I passed multi-variable calculus with differential equations with straight A's (calculus 2). But other students of my year entering the same college, for example, are racked with choosing between pre-calculus and calculus.

So I figure, why would I jump straight into classes beyond calculus 2 and hurt my GPA?

I am not sure of which route to take, so input from you guys would be very appreciated!
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Wouldn't hurt to retake Calc. Would help you out if some med schools prefer undergrad only math credit, and would also help your GPA.
 
ichor said:
Thanks guys; all of your input on both sides of the spectrum have been very enlightening and informative!

I've decided to try to take the easier classes at every possibility. But that brings me to another issue: the placement tests. So I would appreciate input from those of you who chose to take the easy route as I have selected.

My college requires placement tests for math, chemistry, and a foreign language. The math placement isn't really a placement test, but rather a placement recommendation test, so I have no worries.

However, the chemistry and foreign language tests are legitimate placement tests. (I am fairly confident in my chemistry and Spanish skills though)

Should I try to bomb these chemistry and Spanish placement tests? I cannot see any real potentially bad consequences, after all, I can't do so bad that I get kicked out of the college, right? But it all just feels so wrong.
Click to expand...

No, don't bomb the placement tests on purpose.
 
Doctor Strange said:
Got 5s on all my AP tests and retook all the classes. It was not only helpful as a GPA booster but also a nice review for the MCAT.
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Yep this is what I did as well. It might sound annoying to retake a class that you already took all over again, but it's a great way to see what college courses are like and transition into them. It should be an easy transition since you already took these classes. If you jump into a hard bio class like genetics your freshman year, you might be overwhelmed. Also, I've heard adcoms prefer you take all the pre med classes in college instead of testing out of them
 
Doctor Strange said:
Got 5s on all my AP tests and retook all the classes. It was not only helpful as a GPA booster but also a nice review for the MCAT.
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I retook all my general classes too (I didn't bother to take any AP exams except for lit). It was great review for a lot of stuff, and it made studying for the MCAT way easier.

Honestly, I don't really think AP exams accurately reflect how well you know the material anyways. I was a TA the other semester, and I can't even begin to tell you how many of my students weren't aware of super basic things like chemical equilibrium or basic physics or other really simple stuff. When I'd ask "didn't you see this stuff in your general classes?" they'd almost all go "nah, we did that stuff back in high school and AP tested out!" Like, because they did it in high school it's suddenly not relevant to their college class, so they felt free to forget it. They'd almost get mad when I'd bring up 'high school stuff' they felt they didn't need to know ('cause it's high school duh!).

AP tests should either be way harder, or they should get rid of them and force kids to test out individually at each university.
 
Benedictus123 said:
I retook all my general classes too (I didn't bother to take any AP exams except for lit). It was great review for a lot of stuff, and it made studying for the MCAT way easier.

Honestly, I don't really think AP exams accurately reflect how well you know the material anyways. I was a TA the other semester, and I can't even begin to tell you how many of my students weren't aware of super basic things like chemical equilibrium or basic physics or other really simple stuff. When I'd ask "didn't you see this stuff in your general classes?" they'd almost all go "nah, we did that stuff back in high school and AP tested out!" Like, because they did it in high school it's suddenly not relevant to their college class, so they felt free to forget it. They'd almost get mad when I'd bring up 'high school stuff' they felt they didn't need to know ('cause it's high school duh!).

AP tests should either be way harder, or they should get rid of them and force kids to test out individually at each university.
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Your criticism.of the AP exams is extremely subjective and unnecessarily dismissive. If you're able to study and do well on the AP exams, you should do well in those intro level classes regardless of the difficulty (i.e. Bypass the weed-out). However, I feel I have higher expectations for future freshmen when they really don't have the capacity to do well in college. The small minority of freshmen who are daring and dive into harder classes immediately tend to be very successful in the long run.

I bypassed most of the intro courses because my high school teachers really prepared me well for the AP exam. Their exams were at college-level and had really difficult questions. I still remember my gen chem, bio and physics stuff thanks to their solid preparation, so I was lucky to do well in advanced courses in my freshman year. I guess I developed my study skills for college right in high school itself, so the transition was mostly smooth academically. It sounds like OP didn't have that advantage in high school.
 
Agent B said:
Your criticism.of the AP exams is extremely subjective and unnecessarily dismissive. If you're able to study and do well on the AP exams, you should do well in those intro level classes regardless of the difficulty (i.e. Bypass the weed-out). However, I feel I have higher expectations for future freshmen when they really don't have the capacity to do well in college. The small minority of freshmen who are daring and dive into harder classes immediately tend to be very successful in the long run.

I bypassed most of the intro courses because my high school teachers really prepared me well for the AP exam. Their exams were at college-level and had really difficult questions. I still remember my gen chem, bio and physics stuff thanks to their solid preparation, so I was lucky to do well in advanced courses in my freshman year. I guess I developed my study skills for college right in high school itself, so the transition was mostly smooth academically. It sounds like OP didn't have that advantage in high school.
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Eh, maybe. Has anyone ever done a study where they put people who get 5s into those general classes and correlate grades? I guess it'd be hard to do unless you had a wide number of colleges participating, but it'd be interesting to me.

Studying skills developed in high school are probably the most critical thing you can take with you, and it's definitely what separates the best from the "but I did so well in high school why am I so bad at college!!" crowd.
 
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