Academic troubles - how far did you guys go in math and physical sciences?

[robo]

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Hey, guys. I'm a microbiology major and I was wondering, for your majors, how far you guys went in the physical sciences. Did you guys go beyond general chem and orgo? What about physics and math?

The reason I'm asking is because first semester kind of kicked my butt, and second semester kind of threatens to do the same unless I take some sort of action. I feel like I bit off more than I can chew, and that I'm in over my head and I don't see a(ny easy) way out.

Right now, I'm taking calculus-based E&M for physics. Calc-based mechanics went okay for me, so I figured I'd just take the next course in the series. Unfortunately, it was astronomically harder, and on the first exam, I...um...melted down in a pile of despair. The professor kindly told me to leave and invited me to office hours to discuss options.

So, the options are:
1) Drop down to an easier, but apparently still calc-based, E&M course
2) Drop down to algebra-based calc course
3) Stick it out, go over the material, study my butt off, and hope I don't get steamrolled

I feel like I'm overwhelmed, and like I'm already doing all that I can do to prepare for the course. But a part of me still thinks that I just need to take a deep breath, look over the material again, and if I still can't handle it, to consider dropping...😕 Man...

Another issue is stats - I took calc-based stats, and I actually, uh, failed the first exam. (Winner!) And my homework's been taking a turn for the worse. And my prof said he was "concerned." I don't want to get a C in the course, and if the best I can do, acing everything else, would be a B...well, I probably wouldn't ace everything else. Bummer. I would feel like a wimp dropping the course, especially because I have friends in there, but I honestly don't know if I can handle it.

I honestly tried to challenge myself as much as I could this semester, and it looks like I took on more than I can handle. (I didn't do this to be a tool, but talking about it, I guess I seem kind of like one. I don't mean to, I promise!) I'm really sad and stressed out, and I seriously don't know what to do at this point, so if you guys have any input, I really would appreciate it.

Thanks! 😎

 

[JustAdocInBox]

Calc Based EM is known for being a very difficult class, especially if you've never seen the subject before. It gets really tricky with the double integrals. I would say its pretty late in the semester to actually do that much about your grade. Its one of those subjects that builds on itself from day 1. I would say drop and retake the trig based course when you're not so overloaded with other subjects.

Trig based can be easier because instead of deriving all the force equations, you just memorize them. Be warned though, its much more difficult to understand whats "realy" going on with trig based. But as far as preparing for the MCAT goes, I doesn't matter what tool you used to learn the concepts (trig or calc), all that matters is that you know how to apply them.

I can't help you with the Stat class.

Hang in there and don't let this keep you down. Just get through the physics course and you will rarely see calculus again. Remember that physical sciences will only count for a third of your MCAT score. I think most people have at least one area they are weak in (verbal for me)

best of luck

 

[Neuronix]

Protect your GPA. If you flubbed the first exam, get out of the course if possible (W or not) and look for another option. Above all else protect your GPA. Adcoms will never know or care what "level" or difficulty of a course you took. They rarely even look at your transcripts, and if they do in minimal detail. They will almost entirely care about that number. A W or 2 on your transcript, especially this early in college, will NOT hurt you at all.

How many credits are you taking? Consider taking a lighter courseload in the future. Keep your GPA as close to a 4.0 as possible. Adcoms won't care how many credit hours you took per semester, unless in some extreme case you weren't full time and took a long time to graduate.

DO NOT feel like a wimp, let foolish pride, or bad advice get involved in this. If you want to go MD or MD/PhD someday if you take the course of action I'm telling you, this will not hurt you. If you get 2 Cs this semester and continue to take hard courses for no good reason, you will dig yourself a hole that you will fight to get out of the rest of undergrad.

BTW, you're a microbiology major. Yeah, I'm sure hardcore math and physics interests you or something, but if you don't need them for your major. DITCH! If anyone ever asks you just tell them it turned out you wanted to focus more on Biology. High level physics and math are NOT required for MD/PhD or medical school and again because adcoms never really look at your transcripts anyways, nobody will ever care even if you did get As in them.

 

[sternum17]

I'm also a microbiology major. I was thinking about taking the harder physics courses in first year, but I decided to go with the easiest physics and phys-chem classes I could find. I think it was a good idea. Neuronix is right - the adcoms aren't going to recognize that you took the harder physics, so if you can, I'd withdraw and prevent your GPA from sliding. Unless you think you can pull your mark up and not damage the GPA; then it would save a hassle.

I did like math, however, and went on to do a math minor. I took mathematical stats, and it was definitely the hardest course of my whole degree. These things vary dramatically with the professor, but I'd whole-heartedly recommend switching into an easy stats course if you can.

 

[QofQuimica]

I agree with the previous posters--OP, you should do whatever you need to do to avoid getting Cs (or worse) on your transcript. If you could pull Bs and As in all of the courses that you're taking this semester without killing yourself, that's one thing. But if you can't (and it sounds like you are probably in that situation), then just let the math and physics classes go. It's ok to admit that you're in over your head and you can't handle it. Sometimes the key to success is knowing when it's time to give up on something that's not working and start over. If you're only a freshman and you have a couple of Ws your first year, but you do well for the next three years, no one will probably ever ask you about those Ws.

Do you have a premed advisor or some kind of guidance counselor at your school? If you do, consider making an appointment with them. It sounds like you could really use some help in planning out a more doable premedical curriculum. Best of to you. 🙂

 

[Neuronix]

Do you have a premed advisor or some kind of guidance counselor at your school? If you do, consider making an appointment with them.

Take their advice with a HUGE grain of salt. I've seen so much bad/wrong advice given to pre-meds by their advisors I don't trust them at all. Keep my earlier post in mind in any conversations with them.

 

[QofQuimica]

Take their advice with a HUGE grain of salt. I've seen so much bad/wrong advice given to pre-meds by their advisors I don't trust them at all. Keep my earlier post in mind in any conversations with them.

Yeah, I guess I'm assuming they wouldn't tell a premed micro major to take classes meant for physical science or engineering majors, which may or may not be a good assumption. 😛 I think most schools have a kind of template for premeds to follow, and maybe even specific pre-req courses geared for premeds (ex. physics for premeds, which would probably be trig-based). That's really what the OP needs to know--which pre-req classes are specifically geared toward premeds.

 

[RxnMan]

Protect your GPA. If you flubbed the first exam, get out of the course if possible (W or not) and look for another option. Above all else protect your GPA. Adcoms will never know or care what "level" or difficulty of a course you took. They rarely even look at your transcripts, and if they do in minimal detail. They will almost entirely care about that number. A W or 2 on your transcript, especially this early in college, will NOT hurt you at all.

How many credits are you taking? Consider taking a lighter courseload in the future. Keep your GPA as close to a 4.0 as possible. Adcoms won't care how many credit hours you took per semester, unless in some extreme case you weren't full time and took a long time to graduate.

DO NOT feel like a wimp, let foolish pride, or bad advice get involved in this. If you want to go MD or MD/PhD someday if you take the course of action I'm telling you, this will not hurt you. If you get 2 Cs this semester and continue to take hard courses for no good reason, you will dig yourself a hole that you will fight to get out of the rest of undergrad.

BTW, you're a microbiology major. Yeah, I'm sure hardcore math and physics interests you or something, but if you don't need them for your major. DITCH! If anyone ever asks you just tell them it turned out you wanted to focus more on Biology. High level physics and math are NOT required for MD/PhD or medical school and again because adcoms never really look at your transcripts anyways, nobody will ever care even if you did get As in them.

So, as much as I am for working hard, and learning something beyond your comfort zone, and doing impressive things, ADCOMs don't care.

They. Don't. Care.

I have taken more classes in math, chemistry, and thermodynamics, than 95% of my med school classmates. It took more skull sweat than I thought I had to work through those classes. Yet no interviewer ever said "It's impressive that you took graduate quantum mechanics."

I'm all with Neuronix on this one. Protect your GPA.

 

[RxnMan]

Take their advice with a HUGE grain of salt. I've seen so much bad/wrong advice given to pre-meds by their advisors I don't trust them at all. Keep my earlier post in mind in any conversations with them.

Once again, I agree. OP, in my experience, pre-med advisors don't keep up with the applicants they "help." They never see if their charges failed to get in, or if their advising tactics actually work. Many are doing the same stuff they learned during a weekend seminar 10 years ago.

 

[j-weezy]

Take their advice with a HUGE grain of salt. I've seen so much bad/wrong advice given to pre-meds by their advisors I don't trust them at all. Keep my earlier post in mind in any conversations with them.

quoted for truth.

I haven't gone to the health advising office once this entire application season. For applying MD/PhD they're particularly useless.