aahhh! i have the flu and its FINALS week!!

[dr1989]

---

Members do not see this ad.

as many of you know-the "swine flu" is said to have invaded california from mexico. apparently its so bad that all the school are being issued warnings, and my high school (that is like 5 min away from my house) has closed down for a week because they found out one of the students had swine flu.

now the past two weeks ive been feeling under the weather but i thought it was due to work and studying for my tests so i would just take some advil and do away with it. well yesterday i got so sick i started throwing up and decided that i better go to my doctor. turns out-i have the flu!😱 and with this whole "epidemic" (according to my doctor🙄) im not allowed to go to school for a week-AND i have a test thursday and finals the following week!!

i tried to go to school today but all my professors made me go home (which i understand i guess-but seriously? i dont have the swine flu people!) anyways, here i am at home trying to study and take as many herbal teas/lozenges as i can to get better.

unfortunatley, i know it will be at least a good 3 days till i get better and my professors are planning to reschedule my tests-but just in general, if i get like a C in physics/calculus-it wont be the end of the world, right? i mean-its only a cc, what really matters is the private university im going after next year? as long as i get that 3.5 and up gpa after my bachelors, it should be good? right? (not that i WANT a C or anything-its just that im at a low B rite now in calculus and a C in physics and with the last week coming up and this sickness i dont think i will exactly ace the tests)

you can be brutally honest-i would appreciate it, in fact!

this is my transcript so far:

English - C
History - C
College Algebra- D (F second time, got A third time)
Psychology- B
Health- B
English 2 - B
Programming - Withdrawal
Business - B
Chem-Withdrawal
Programming - Withdrawal (dunno why i took it again)
Speech - A
Calculus I - D (taking it right now at a low B)

current gpa - 2.72

------------------

classes taking rite now:
calculus I - B
physics lab - B
physics - C
drafting - A
^all are still in progress
---------------------------------

yes i know its a messy transcript-i was a mess my first year not knowing what to do-i just started to get serious about school-but i feel it may be too late. im thinking (as i blow my nose) that i may be too late to try to repair the damage, academically speaking, and that pharm schools may frown upon those programming classes (i wanted to be a programmer at one point) and that they may laugh and say-what idiot would take ALGEBRA 3x before they pass??!! i feel like a failure (i think its the antibiotics) and that i shouldnt even try-but for some reason, every day im in school-as corny as it may sound, i feel like i have another chance to redeem myself, and that the time i spend in that library or getting a tutor, is an investment for me and my future. but do i have a future with these grades? i still have 2 more semesters left before i go to this private school to get my bs in business/bio-can i turn things around?

i look forward to all your valuable input.

-your fellow sdn poster dr1989

 

[alenadoma]

aw 🙁
I know how you feel. I got sick too a few days ago and had to stay in bed. Luckily, I only had one final left..and thats economics, which is tomorrow. Get plenty of rest, and if worse comes to worse..see if you can take a makeup!
Your transcript has some bumps, but people have posted here who have multiple Fs, and withdraws on their transcripts..and they have still gotten in. It seems like your grades are improving, and schools like to see upward trends. I think if you continue along that upward trend you should be fine.

Feel better and good luck on finals 🙂

 

[AdamSanders]

That was a slick way to turn a swine flu thread into a WAMC thread. It's up to you to turn pull your grades up. Getting low grades at a cc is not good.

 

[lymmys]

Oh dear, I hope you feel better!!!!

 

[avuong]

Last week, I recovered from swine flu within a day.

Stay in bed, get fluids, and eat chicken noodle soup or porridge. Thats the secret doctors wont tell you.

and yes you can turn yourself around. Keep studying and ace your classes from now on, get a good pcat score, and get good recommendations.

 

[Deja]

I got food poisoning the night b4 my organic chem final, I was throwing up the whole night (DAMN YOU PORK FROM WAL-MART!!!) and the next day i feel like i was about to pass out while taking the exam,all the while trying to keep myself from farting and **** myself, then my TA recommended me to drink a beer after my exam after i mentioned that i feel sick lol but i still did okay, so ur flu situation cant be that bad! haha o and i used to get sick everytime finals rolls around when i was little, have no idea why ...

 

[Passion4Sci]

i tried to go to school today but all my professors made me go home (which i understand i guess-but seriously? i dont have the swine flu people!) anyways, here i am at home trying to study and take as many herbal teas/lozenges as i can to get better.

... Okay, so let me get this straight.

You're an adult. You're going to college, and your professors "made" you GO HOME? How, praytell, did they do THAT? Unbelievable. I have been sitting in classes with sniffles, coughing, sneezing and I have had to vomit three times in one hour, and they could not make me go home unless they called campus security and you better believe I'd have an attorney in an hour. If you are telling the truth, you need to grow some (whatever gonad you choose) and stand up for yourself.

"Swine flu" is not any more virulent than Influenza A or B that sends 36,000 people every year 6 feet under. To use sickness as an excuse for sub-par performance in easy classes (It's not my fault I have crappy grades, it's the Tetracycline!) is just really poor form.

Is it possible that you're just not good at school? Looking at your current transcripts, they're pretty bad. I won't sugar coat this at all for you - Taking "college Algebra" three times to pass is really, really bad. Sometimes I think this attitude in America of "You can be whatever you want, as long as you try!" is at the root of a lot of our entitlement problems.

You're not going to have ANY easier a time in a 4-year school (Unless by "private" you mean "really easy") and you will still have to put all those sub-par, failing or near-failing grades on your PharmCAS.

i feel like a failure (i think its the antibiotics) and that i shouldnt even try-but for some reason...

You haven't been on antibiotics for the last year, have you? Your academic record is beyond pock-marked, it's soiled, sullied, and has more holes than Swiss cheese.

NO ONE should be sugar-coating this for you right now. You need to make a fundamental change in your life, the way you study, the way you go to class, the way you budget your hobby time, or something. I won't pretend to know you Dr1989 and I can sense that you're a good-natured person, but really, those are horrible grades for a community college, (Not to denigrate any CC) and I heartily recommend seeking some guidance from a licensed clinician or at least a school adviser. Honestly.

I'm sorry, I really am...

 

[confettiflyer]

You're not really competitive in anything with that GPA, especially at a community college. You're right, if you get a 3.5+ each semester here on out at a 4-yr with at least a 75 on your PCAT, you'll be competitive. If I were a betting man, I'd say the odds are stacked against you.

I can't seem to get a read on your strengths via your transcript either... C's in the humanities (english, history) AND C's/D's in math/physics? I'd want to see chem and biology grades as well, your GPA is meaningless without gchem/ochem/bio now that I think about it.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Is it possible that you're just not good at school? Looking at your current transcripts, they're pretty bad. I won't sugar coat this at all for you - Taking "college Algebra" three times to pass is really, really bad. Sometimes I think this attitude in America of "You can be whatever you want, as long as you try!" is at the root of a lot of our entitlement problems.

You're not going to have ANY easier a time in a 4-year school (Unless by "private" you mean "really easy") and you will still have to put all those sub-par, failing or near-failing grades on your PharmCAS.

You haven't been on antibiotics for the last year, have you? Your academic record is beyond pock-marked, it's soiled, sullied, and has more holes than Swiss cheese.

Thank God some one here can finally tell the truth. There's way too much coddling that goes on in the pre-Pharm forums. Sometimes, people just need to explore other possibilities.

 

[aboveliquidice]

... Okay, so let me get this straight.

You're an adult. You're going to college, and your professors "made" you GO HOME? How, praytell, did they do THAT? Unbelievable. I have been sitting in classes with sniffles, coughing, sneezing and I have had to vomit three times in one hour, and they could not make me go home unless they called campus security and you better believe I'd have an attorney in an hour. If you are telling the truth, you need to grow some (whatever gonad you choose) and stand up for yourself.

"Swine flu" is not any more virulent than Influenza A or B that sends 36,000 people every year 6 feet under. To use sickness as an excuse for sub-par performance in easy classes (It's not my fault I have crappy grades, it's the Tetracycline!) is just really poor form.

Is it possible that you're just not good at school? Looking at your current transcripts, they're pretty bad. I won't sugar coat this at all for you - Taking "college Algebra" three times to pass is really, really bad. Sometimes I think this attitude in America of "You can be whatever you want, as long as you try!" is at the root of a lot of our entitlement problems.

You're not going to have ANY easier a time in a 4-year school (Unless by "private" you mean "really easy") and you will still have to put all those sub-par, failing or near-failing grades on your PharmCAS.

You haven't been on antibiotics for the last year, have you? Your academic record is beyond pock-marked, it's soiled, sullied, and has more holes than Swiss cheese.

NO ONE should be sugar-coating this for you right now. You need to make a fundamental change in your life, the way you study, the way you go to class, the way you budget your hobby time, or something. I won't pretend to know you Dr1989 and I can sense that you're a good-natured person, but really, those are horrible grades for a community college, (Not to denigrate any CC) and I heartily recommend seeking some guidance from a licensed clinician or at least a school adviser. Honestly.

I'm sorry, I really am...

Thank God some one here can finally tell the truth. There's way too much coddling that goes on in the pre-Pharm forums. Sometimes, people just need to explore other possibilities.

Pre-pharmacy has had a "historic" culture for as long as I have been a member on SDN - supportive.

If you want cutthroat, each man for themselves, it's gonna be me or you mentality - feel free to check yourself to the door. That just isn't how we run things here.

Sure, be realistic. I agree with the sentiment. Just remember to state realism is one thing - to belittle someone else's dream is something totally different.

To the OP - If you want to be a pharmacist someday - your going to have to dig a little deeper than "but all my professors made me go home". Get yourself a disposable mask - and sit your classes and take your exams. If you think life makes it difficult now, wait. It only gets harder from here.

 

[alenadoma]

Pre-pharmacy has had a "historic" culture for as long as I have been a member on SDN - supportive.

If you want cutthroat, each man for themselves, it's gonna be me or you mentality - feel free to check yourself to the door. That just isn't how we run things here.

Sure, be realistic. I agree with the sentiment. Just remember to state realism is one thing - to belittle someone else's dream is something totally different.

To the OP - If you want to be a pharmacist someday - your going to have to dig a little deeper than "but all my professors made me go home". Get yourself a disposable mask - and sit your classes and take your exams. If you think life makes it difficult now, wait. It only gets harder from here.

Thank you for making this point.

 

[atticus27]

... entire post....

Passion4 lays it down.

you can be brutally honest-i would appreciate it, in fact!

As a pharmacist there is absolutely no room for error when preparing medications. You are entrusted with being 100% accurate all the time, anything else and you will injure or kill someone. So, in a sense, when an adcom sees that you repeated college algebra 3x with sub par grades they will place serious doubt in your ability to master pharmaceutical calculations and whether or not you can be trusted with the immense responsibilities required of a practicing pharmacist.

That said, I believe no matter how far you go down the wrong path, you can always turn back around. I suggest if pharmacy is really what you want and you feel worthy of the responsibility, then own up to your current situation because that landmine of C's and a couple B's is doing nothing for you.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Get yourself a disposable mask

I respect you, and your position as a Moderator, but this is poor advice. Disposable masks do very little to counter any virus, including H1N1. H1N1 has a diameter of what, 100 to 300nM? These disposable masks are useless to a large extent.

At the hospital I work at, the masks the first responders are wearing are thick as hell, and remind me distinctly of my bio-hazard MOPP "gas mask."

As far as belittling someone's dreams, my point is valid - America has cultivated and continues to propagate an ideal that, despite any real skill, aptitude or ability, a person can "grow up to be whatever they want to be."

I find it difficult that OP, with very poor grades in pretty much every subject (except for Speech) will be able to attain his or her dream without extreme lifestyle changes (to which I offered several suggestions).

Many times on forums such as these, everyone pats people on the back, saying "there, there", but offer very little in the form of actual good advice. Sometimes, it can't be helped. I recognize that and accept it.

I do not want to beg the question from your statement, Liquid, for one thing because you are a leader here and I am rank and file, but for two because it will spiral needlessly into yet another derailed thread. BUT, I must say that your observation,

Sure, be realistic. I agree with the sentiment. Just remember to state realism is one thing - to belittle someone else's dream is something totally different.

,

What if stating the reality is harsh, something that the person does not need/want to hear, yet asked for?

This can be closely analogized to the ever-dangerous question to which every man I know can, will, or has felt the burn of at one time or another: "Does this dress make me look fat?" How does one answer this question? It is much the same for any WAMC, and especially this one.

"I have a 2.75 at a CC, with pretty much all Cs and Ds but it'll improve when I go to a 4 year school, won't it?"

In my prior field, we called what the OP is experiencing "Denial", that is, the failure to recognize something as truth despite evidence loud and clear to the fact.

but just in general, if i get like a C in physics/calculus-it wont be the end of the world, right? i mean-its only a cc...

OP's negative attitude is pointed out clearly in bold. He or she is justifying (also known as intellectualization) the poor grades (or attempting to get us to justify them) because he/she is ONLY going to a CC.

My question to OP is this: Why do you want to take 4-year schooling seriously, but don't want to do likewise for a CC?

To me, this smacks of "I'll start that diet on Monday", the diet being a lifestyle change to study harder (or get tutoring, which OP did mention he/she is doing, albeit rather late in the ballgame) and Monday being a 4-year school.

I do not intend to "belittle" anyone's hopes, dreams, or aspirations, or pretend I am the best student that ever walked or will walk the streets of Pharmacy or SDN. I apologize profusely if that is how I have been received, although you of all people Liquid, having agreed with my posts in the past, should understand that from where I come from, there are no excuses, just results. You either complete your mission or you don't and someone else does.

 

[dr1989]

to all the members who replied-i thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions.

@passion4sci:

let me be honest-i sincerely appreciate all your input-i can tell from your posts that you are very much passionate about this field and i really respect that. you definetly mean well-thank you🙂

but i think there have been a few misconceptions.

1) i am NOT using my sickness as an excuse for my poor grades/academic studies. (and the antibiotics sidenote was slight sarcasm on my part-sorry for trying to be a bit humorous) my grades are MY responsibility and i screwed up my first two semesters-ill admit that. (i was fresh out of high school thinking i could do whatever i wanted-and i had NO IDEA what i wanted to do in future) looking back-i know i butchered the easiest classes and did not take them seriously.

2) how are two Cs considered a "landmine"? i only have 2 on my record so far, and most likely 3-with that physics-but i still dont think that is a "landmine" as mentioned by some previous poster.

3) i am going back to school this thursday-i emailed my professor and told him i will not miss exam day-in fact, i spent all of today making numerous study guides and going over previous hw assignments so i am well prepared for the test (im actually just taking an in between break before i go back to studying)
with this whole stupid flu outbreak i was just trying to be courteous to other students (believe me, if someone sat next to me and hacked all day then i would want them home for at least that day!)

and for the "denial" part-maybe i am in denial-who knows? all i know is that im trying to turn myself around academically speaking-and i want to the best-passion4sci-im glad you pointed out the whole "diet" metaphor-because ive been that girl with the whole crash diet, and that kinda made me realize that you are right, i gotta stick to this plan-and i WILL take my last year seriously! and not to make a point-but for myself!

so thanks to everyone who commented on my post and i really appreciate the support/criticism of this board-it is helpful in every way-and although it can be a bit of shock to the system, i think this may have been a wake up call that i needed.

thanks alot,

dr1989
-mina a.

ps-anyone have any other methods of studying for a physics exam besides making study guides/notes?😀

 

[IrishHammer]

You're by no means done. I know a student who dropped out of a CC twice (and never withdrew officially, consequently failing everything), but finally got her act together and got into pharmacy school. Yes, things look grim, but if there's one thing that gets really reinforced on this forum, it's that GPA is far from the end-all, be-all of deciding who would make a good pharmacist. You have made your path exponentially harder, but you can still turn it around. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your goal. As a side note pertaining to your flu, I'd like to provide everyone with some witty advice that a history professor and good friend of mine gives his students-

"Successful students never worry about getting the rest of the class sick. They never have alarms that don't go off, their friends never have birthdays, and their grandmothers live forever."

 

[charfdorn]

With your GPA where it is, you need to pretty much get straight As next year. This shouldn't be too hard to do; if it is, pharmacy school will be too hard for you. You have the wrong attitude about CC. When you say it's "only" CC, that's true - but the adcoms will look at this and wonder why you couldn't thrive in classes that were "only" CC. They won't ignore them; if anything, bad grades in CC courses will hurt you much more. But all is not lost! If you turn things around now, you can not only raise your GPA to at least 3.3 (probably higher), but also show a trend of improvement as you go along. PharmCAS breaks down your grades year-by-year, so adcoms will see this: 2.72 in your first year, 4.0 second year, 3.5 after transferring to private school in your third year...

It sounds like you realize that you need to make a change, and probably have already done so. Keep your head on straight, and this will some day be a funny story you tell your class of 2016 classmates.

 

[IrishHammer]

Sometimes I think this attitude in America of "You can be whatever you want, as long as you try!" is at the root of a lot of our entitlement problems.

Eh...yes and no. I agree that America's sense of entitlement is ridiculously out of whack, but I don't think the people pursuing pharmacy feel much of a sense of entitlement at all. And if they do, they either get humbled quickly, or they quit and try something else.

As a rule of thumb, I've found that the most spoiled people with the biggest sense of entitlement usually are far, far away from any math or science fields. No, no, those are work! The aforementioned spoilees usually end up partying at some third tier law or business school, then either drop out and start working some unskilled labor position or get their degree and only manage to get a very meager salary for the half-assed effort they put forth in school and end up up to their ears in debt because they felt entitled to spend well beyond their means.

Dr1989, nor anyone else on this forum, fits that description, so I don't find the sense of entitlement argument applicable by any means. Okay, I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[Deja]

you need to pretty much get straight As next year. This shouldn't be too hard to do; if it is, pharmacy school will be too hard for you.

ehhh yeah she probably needs all As next semester to redeem herself, but i just hate when ppl say you need to get all As or pharmacy school will be too hard for you, because that is not sure and all it does is "scaring" ppl

ps-anyone have any other methods of studying for a physics exam besides making study guides/notes?😀

I personally finds that making notes or underline your book are useless, for physics, I just did all the questions from previous exams, went over all my homeworks and recalculated everything... I think just by doing problems will be more useful (also in organic chem), cause I feel why waste all that time making notes when I can just do more problems and really understand the problem... cheers 🙂

 

[thephoenician88]

You're an adult. You're going to college, and your professors "made" you GO HOME? How, praytell, did they do THAT? Unbelievable. I have been sitting in classes with sniffles, coughing, sneezing and I have had to vomit three times in one hour, and they could not make me go home unless they called campus security and you better believe I'd have an attorney in an hour. If you are telling the truth, you need to grow some (whatever gonad you choose) and stand up for yourself.

"Swine flu" is not any more virulent than Influenza A or B that sends 36,000 people every year 6 feet under. To use sickness as an excuse for sub-par performance in easy classes (It's not my fault I have crappy grades, it's the Tetracycline!) is just really poor form.

So the rest of your post i agreed with for the most part.....but would you really be so selfish as to expose this new strain of the flu to everyone in the classroom just because you wanted to hear what the professor had to say? You couldn't get the notes from anyone or anything along those lines?

Also this virus is transferred in liquid droplets, so having a surgical mask would help to a certain degree.

I'm not trying to start an ethics argument here though, because i see you have a lot of spunk and hard feelings for it.