3.56 1st semester

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coolcucumber91

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Ok I just got my grades back and I ended up with a 3.56. I got an A in chemistry and psychology but ended up with a B in biology and English 101. Biology is one of the harder classes in my school, but what got me disappointed was that I would've got an A if I did fine on my last test..but I didn't

I know it's not the end of the world and I should do better next semester. And I know I sound whiney.. Yet I feel concerned. It seems like everyone around me is doing a lot better than me GPA-wise (although very few are taking bio and chem in the first semester)...also I haven't done any extracurriculars yet unlike other people too...is this something I should be worried about?

And, is 3.56 gpa considered bad for med school?

Thanks
 
Med schools want to see at least a 3.97 GPA and 42 MCAT with at least 5 publications and the ability to walk on water...


Seriously, though, you're fine with that GPA. Many people start off worse than that after their first semester(s), and they rebound and get their GPA back up. You're definitely on the right track with your grades, so enjoy your break and your time off!
 
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Ok I just got my grades back and I ended up with a 3.56. I got an A in chemistry and psychology but ended up with a B in biology and English 101. Biology is one of the harder classes in my school, but what got me disappointed was that I would've got an A if I did fine on my last test..but I didn't

I know it's not the end of the world and I should do better next semester. And I know I sound whiney.. Yet I feel concerned. It seems like everyone around me is doing a lot better than me GPA-wise (although very few are taking bio and chem in the first semester)...also I haven't done any extracurriculars yet unlike other people too...is this something I should be worried about?

And, is 3.56 gpa considered bad for med school?

Thanks

Sigh... You're fine.

The good part is that you're actually concerned, which means you're not meeting your standards. Just work harder next time. Learn from this semester. A 3.56 this early is not "bad for med school."
 
Thanks for your answers! But what I'm concerned about is that I got 2 Bs my first semester in college. Isn't the first semester usually the easiest?
 
In terms of material, it's pretty easy, you aren't learning anything extremely spectacular or unbelievable. However its because the material isn't spectacular or the fact that you don't dive deeply into any of the topics that it becomes difficult to truly study. Not to mention you're still learning how to deal with college life and learning how to study in a college environment. Which overall makes freshman year effectively the hardest year for most students.
Fact is that while upper level courses are significantly harder in terms of material. They in my mind are easier to study for simply because they are in-depth courses rather than survey courses which is what freshman year courses are.
 
You're being a nerd. Stop.
 
You're being a nerd. Stop.

Nothing wrong with being a nerd.

Thanks for your answers! But what I'm concerned about is that I got 2 Bs my first semester in college. Isn't the first semester usually the easiest?

Maybe the material itself isn't that complicated but i find that college courses are more frequently challenging because of the professor and his/her grading policies than the material. The easiest subject can become difficult depending how reasonable the professor is.
 
In terms of material, it's pretty easy, you aren't learning anything extremely spectacular or unbelievable. However its because the material isn't spectacular or the fact that you don't dive deeply into any of the topics that it becomes difficult to truly study. Not to mention you're still learning how to deal with college life and learning how to study in a college environment. Which overall makes freshman year effectively the hardest year for most students.
Fact is that while upper level courses are significantly harder in terms of material. They in my mind are easier to study for simply because they are in-depth courses rather than survey courses which is what freshman year courses are.

That sort of happened to me. I had a bunch of easy classes that didn't really teach anything so as I started of with a 4.0, over the course of the semester I slacked off, and now I have a 3.375 🙁
 
Thanks for your answers! But what I'm concerned about is that I got 2 Bs my first semester in college. Isn't the first semester usually the easiest?

You are without a doubt perfectly fine. Really good start might i say. Med schools are NOT looking for someone who can pull off a 4.0 but rather someone who can make 3.5-3.8 and is WELL ROUNDED and NOT socially ackward. About the EC's you can start the summer before your sophomore year or your sophomore year as long as you can balance school and EC's. You are not late what so ever, they expect for a student to get use to the college life style and become familiar then do EC's. Hope this helps. GOOD LUCK!!
 
You're being a nerd. Stop.

Lol. It's sdn.

Again, thanks for your responses. Honestly, I didn't go out much and I studied A LOT. It's just I couldn't focus or concentrate very well. But I have a decent amount of friends they know I study a lot. 😀
 
Ok I just got my grades back and I ended up with a 3.56. I got an A in chemistry and psychology but ended up with a B in biology and English 101. Biology is one of the harder classes in my school, but what got me disappointed was that I would've got an A if I did fine on my last test..but I didn't

I know it's not the end of the world and I should do better next semester. And I know I sound whiney.. Yet I feel concerned. It seems like everyone around me is doing a lot better than me GPA-wise (although very few are taking bio and chem in the first semester)...also I haven't done any extracurriculars yet unlike other people too...is this something I should be worried about?

And, is 3.56 gpa considered bad for med school?

Thanks
:prof:
 
Lol. It's sdn.

Again, thanks for your responses. Honestly, I didn't go out much and I studied A LOT. It's just I couldn't focus or concentrate very well. But I have a decent amount of friends they know I study a lot. 😀

Grades are important, but so is experiencing life. You can make good grades and still party/drink/engage in immature behavior that leads to wonderful memories (or leaves you with no recollection whatsoever). Remember, you only get one college experience. Don't let yours be the library.

Try to have fun and explore. It is not too late. Ultimately, if you focus solely on something that is SO far away, you are going to miss all of the endless opportunities that are around you and you might even miss out on life. Don't.
 
As everyone has said you are absolutely fine. It's your first semester and with each semester you will figure out the game a little more. I had no idea how to study my first semester of college. I realized I wasn't doing as well as I would have liked so I reevaluated what I was doing. I am taking a lot harder classes now but have done better recently.
 
Nothing wrong with being a nerd.
👍
As everyone has said you are absolutely fine. It's your first semester and with each semester you will figure out the game a little more. I had no idea how to study my first semester of college. I realized I wasn't doing as well as I would have liked so I reevaluated what I was doing. I am taking a lot harder classes now but have done better recently.
Agreed, just don't be like bella and cheat in a foreign language :meanie:

Totally kidding by the way 😛
 
Thanks for your answers! But what I'm concerned about is that I got 2 Bs my first semester in college. Isn't the first semester usually the easiest?

you have my freshmen transcript almost exactly and at the time i thought i did really well! lol. as the courses get harder you realize how to study differently. i applied with ~3.6 and have done just fine this application cycle. focus on school now (don't get any c's) and focus on the mcat later
 
Ok I just got my grades back and I ended up with a 3.56. I got an A in chemistry and psychology but ended up with a B in biology and English 101. Biology is one of the harder classes in my school, but what got me disappointed was that I would've got an A if I did fine on my last test..but I didn't

I know it's not the end of the world and I should do better next semester. And I know I sound whiney.. Yet I feel concerned. It seems like everyone around me is doing a lot better than me GPA-wise (although very few are taking bio and chem in the first semester)...also I haven't done any extracurriculars yet unlike other people too...is this something I should be worried about?

And, is 3.56 gpa considered bad for med school?

Thanks

You'll be fine man, actually that is a great GPA for your first semester of college. I know how you're feeling, especially on SDN where many kids have 4.0s and crazy ECs. At least at my school chem 1 and bio 1 are the primary weed-out classes, especially chem 1. Since you actually care about your GPA, I think you'll do better next semester and you might even want to make that a goal. You should celebrate that 3.56 and you have 7 more semesters to reach whatever your desired GPA is. Good luck and keep your head up.
 
You are without a doubt perfectly fine. Really good start might i say. Med schools are NOT looking for someone who can pull off a 4.0 but rather someone who can make 3.5-3.8 and is WELL ROUNDED and NOT socially ackward. About the EC's you can start the summer before your sophomore year or your sophomore year as long as you can balance school and EC's. You are not late what so ever, they expect for a student to get use to the college life style and become familiar then do EC's. Hope this helps. GOOD LUCK!!

I just hear "Aflac" in my head for some reason.
 
Your gpa is better than what mine was my first semester. I've brought mine up and if you're this worried about it, I'm sure you will too. You should realize that College isn't like High School. Just because you made all A's in HS doesn't mean you will in College. That took me a while to learn. Believe it or not, but your gpa is GREAT compared to a lot of people.
 
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