Anybody else save your hardest classes for last semester??

[that70sfan11]

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This is me kinda having a freak out, but I saved some of my hardest classes for my last semester. my train of thought was that it was best to do them now, because then my grades in the classes wouldn't matter if I got accepted

Well I DID get accepted (yay!), but now not only do I have major senioritis, but my classes are ridiculous and I'm getting a lot of C's. (this is coming from a 3.93 GPA). Plus my two hardest classes (microbio and biochem) have back-to-back finals!

Now I am freaking out thinking I might get a D in a class and lose my acceptance!

Anybody else in this situation?? I know its unlikely I'll actually get a D... but that doesn't help me from stressing all the time about it!

comforting words?

 

[DVMDream]

I can relate to the senioritis, it really sucks. I actually did the opposite and took all of my hard classes early so that I could take make last semester easy. Of course I wish I would have known that my human phys prof taught at Harvard and gives us tests on a similar level to tests that Harvard students take.

Just keep going! You are almost there!

Words of comfort: YOU CAN DO IT!!! KEEP GOING!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!! YOU ARE SMART!!! Just keep pushing along, you can do it and get help if you need it!! Good Luck!

 

[Minnerbelle]

This is me kinda having a freak out, but I saved some of my hardest classes for my last semester. my train of thought was that it was best to do them now, because then my grades in the classes wouldn't matter if I got accepted

Well I DID get accepted (yay!), but now not only do I have major senioritis, but my classes are ridiculous and I'm getting a lot of C's. (this is coming from a 3.93 GPA). Plus my two hardest classes (microbio and biochem) have back-to-back finals!

Now I am freaking out thinking I might get a D in a class and lose my acceptance!

Anybody else in this situation?? I know its unlikely I'll actually get a D... but that doesn't help me from stressing all the time about it!

comforting words?

Congrats on your acceptance!!! That being said, just sit back and take a deep breath! Just look at your grades in all of your classes and evaluate your priorities. Work hard to make sure that you won't get a D, and you're all set! I highly doubt you will!!!

Well, I graduated 2 years ago so it's a bit of a moot point, but I can understand the senioritis! I crammed 7 science course in my last year of college, where all but one was upper level, and 5 had lab! Those were 2 crazy semesters!

 

[nyanko]

I know you are well within your rights to do such a thing and that it's a great strategy for getting in, but I can't say that it doesn't annoy me some that people do this kind of thing.

If I were in a worse mood or magically turned into a pre-allo, I would say that I hope you fail one of the prerequisites, but I'm not so good luck and I hope you manage to get through it all!

(I don't really feel sorry for you though)

 

[ZebraFinch]

Taking my hardest classes as well, but they're going just fine. I'm super motivated by the fact that I need to do well so I can just get on to vet school in the Fall.

This is my inspiration song, ignore the gross album cover. 😳
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UIDdjzHYT4

 

[that70sfan11]

well thank you everyone for being nice!

well except nyanko! please don't think I didn't take hard classes before... I've flown through the o-chems and anatomy and physiology and I worked my butt off

but I've never gotten a real break from school and seeing all my friends take blow off classes is hard. I didn't have room for blow off classes because I changed majors at the end of my freshman year and still managed to graduate in 4 years. WITH honors (which includes 20 hours of extra classes). so give me a break why don't ya?

anyway, again thanks to people who actually are supportive. those are the people I hope I have as classmates in vet school.

 

[nyanko]

I don't doubt that you've worked hard - maintaining a 3.93 is awesome no matter what classes you were taking!

It's just the general strategizing/gaming the system that I don't like. Don't take it personally; you play the game to win it and that's that. Not everyone has to like it, though. 😉

I don't think it's that absurd to feel like it's a bit unfair that my pre-requisite GPA includes the hardest of the prerequisites and is being directly compared to others' that don't, though. Again, it's the schools' fault for allowing it to be that way and setting up that scenario.

 

[luplodw]

Well i'm taking only 12 hours this semester and I thought boy this is going to be easy! Not to mention...bowling is one of my classes. Well I was wrong! I'm probably going to be up the entire night studying. I have a biochem II test tomorrow and I failed the last one!! What is up with that? I also have cell biology and physiology and they are all so hard! I really thought i'd be getting a break, but actually i'm taking the 3 hardest classes I've ever taken! If I make a D while taking 12 hours... I think I may die

 

[that70sfan11]

well it depends on what you call the hardest. many find biochem easy, but we have one professor who is famous for failing half the class. I was told to save it for last by everyone who has had him.

and I didn't think micro would be that hard until I found out my prof had D averages on every test.

I'm not trying to get too defensive, but I worked hard and I think I deserve to be proud of getting into 2 (possibly 3) vet schools. I didn't "cheat" the system. I followed the advice of students and advisers. I technically am only taking two pre-reqs, compared to past semesters where I have had 3 or more.

anyway, I'm sorry I even started this thread. I just wanted support for a stressful semester and now here I am trying to defend myself and my accomplishments.

 

[that70sfan11]

Well i'm taking only 12 hours this semester and I thought boy this is going to be easy! Not to mention...bowling is one of my classes. Well I was wrong! I'm probably going to be up the entire night studying. I have a biochem II test tomorrow and I failed the last one!! What is up with that? I also have cell biology and physiology and they are all so hard! I really thought i'd be getting a break, but actually i'm taking the 3 hardest classes I've ever taken! If I make a D while taking 12 hours... I think I may die

haha don't you just hate biochem?? and yeah cell bio and physio were really hard. but chemistry has always been my Achilles's heel!

 

[Minnerbelle]

I don't think it's that absurd to feel like it's a bit unfair that my pre-requisite GPA includes the hardest of the prerequisites and is being directly compared to others' that don't, though. Again, it's the schools' fault for allowing it to be that way and setting up that scenario.

I totally know how you feel, but I guess that's just unfortunately how it's done. Just like I think it's totally unfair that some people's lower GPA's are unfairly regarded as terrible, even if that can be attributed to that person having gone to a lesser known but very rigorous and grade-deflated undergrad.

Personally for me, it worked to my advantage that all 4 yrs of undergrad counted, since those 2 last semesters of fury brought up my GPA a good 0.2 points! Had I applied while I was still in school, I would've applied with a not so competitive GPA.

 

[HopefulAg]

I don't think it's that absurd to feel like it's a bit unfair that my pre-requisite GPA includes the hardest of the prerequisites and is being directly compared to others' that don't, though. Again, it's the schools' fault for allowing it to be that way and setting up that scenario

That's true, about it not being fair, but it's somewhat senseless not to game the system, knowing how it works. I took a bunch of easy classes my last two semesters to crank up that Last 45 GPA. I was done with everything else and could've graduated early, but instead I stayed just to boost my GPA. It did work though, or helped, at the least. Also started an MBA (which is boring as hell, but the classes are cake) to further boost my GPA, although admittedly I do plan to use the knowledge later in my own clinic, so it's not just to boost GPA.

However, I'd be slightly surprised if the schools didn't take that into account to a degree. They have your transcripts, and A&M commented on me not having taken Physiology nor Anatomy yet in my first interview, so at least one school I know of does look at transcripts to see what courses you've taken. However the degree that they take it into account might need to be adjusted.

 

[nyanko]

^^I like the edit from *****ic to senseless. I know I'm an idiot, I just don't care much about "the game" anymore, or at least not enough to do something like sitting through MBA courses. Ugh, rather eat a bullet, hah!

anyway, I'm sorry I even started this thread. I just wanted support for a stressful semester and now here I am trying to defend myself and my accomplishments.

You don't need to. You're really taking something that's simply an opinion of mine way too personally. I'm sure we all have things we wish we could change about this whole process. That happens to be one of the things I don't like, and that's all I'm saying. Nothing less, nothing more.

 

[Minnerbelle]

anyway, I'm sorry I even started this thread. I just wanted support for a stressful semester and now here I am trying to defend myself and my accomplishments.

no need to be sorry, and no need to defend yourself really... i mean, it's not like you purposely left these courses for this semester just so that adcoms don't see your grades in them right?

**** happens. maybe you're burned out. i'd say better burned out now so you recover by the time you enter vet school, than to go splat once you matriculate.

(for anyone planning on doing something so cunning though, i would say DON"T DO IT! not only does it piss off nyanko, it's bad tactic in case you don't get in during your first round of applications. cause rather than improving for the next cycle, your gpa will probably take a nose dive)

 

[Minnerbelle]

It's just the general strategizing/gaming the system that I don't like. Don't take it personally; you play the game to win it and that's that. Not everyone has to like it, though. 😉

haha, now that i look back on it though, i think there are a few things i did that resulted in me deliberately handicapping myself...

i took a few "honors" versions of intro courses which were meant for students who needed to have gotten 4-5 on the AP exam before coming into college. i was being an idealist and felt like i just wanted to learn... hmmm.... well i'm not sure that was worth the dip in GPA i got as a result.

i also took japanese courses for native speakers (all my classmates finished through high school either in japan or at least in japanese school). i'm fluent, but as for formal schooling, i flunked out of japanese school in the 5th grade.

i could have gotten solid A's in all of those courses had i "played the system" but were instead B+ and A-.... and you might think boo hoo, an A-/B+, but there's a huge diff between 4.0 and 3.3.

in the end, it's not like adcoms go, oh this girl took the accelerated intro bio! we'll count that A- really as an A!

i'm one of those ridiculously honest people who get shafted ALL the time.

 

[that70sfan11]

my only "strategy" was that if I got into vet school, then I could finally relax my last semester and not freak out about getting straight A's for once in my entire life. If I didn't get into vet school, then I was going to work as hard as ever.

well I found out I did my third week of class and thus the slacking ensued and yes it caught up with me.

so my advice to future applicants is: yes having easy classes your last semester is very nice and I wish I had had the opportunity for it. but I also say there is nothing wrong with taking it easy your last semester and not stressing as much about grades (just don't take the slacking to the extreme that I have!!). especially if you get in and know you have a whole 4 more years of even harder work ahead of you.

 

[nyanko]

Well the admissions committees certainly approved of what you did, Minnerbelle, haha!

I'm the same way, though. I can't bring myself to just do things the easy way and I'm honest to a fault (sometimes tactless as you can see here). You can see how far that's gotten me. 🙄

 

[Minnerbelle]

Well the admissions committees certainly approved of what you did, Minnerbelle, haha!

I'm the same way, though. I can't bring myself to just do things the easy way and I'm honest to a fault (sometimes tactless as you can see here). You can see how far that's gotten me. 🙄

there's a place in life for the ridiculously honest. sometimes it's not where the stereotypical "success" lies, but we have our own little club... and i've decided that's good enough for me. 😛

 

[canis13]

I'm graduating in May, but it sure doesn't feel like it to me, since I'm right in the thick of things, and am applying next fall.
Every senior is required to do a thesis at my school, and everyone looks at me like I have 5 heads when I tell them that I'm taking o-chem my senior year...and my thesis is suffering because of this damn class :-(. Like today I meant to start writing my results section, but instead I spent 5 hours on an o-chem problem set. But on the bright side, o-chem is making microbio seem easy! Kind of. My experience has been similar to Minnerbelle's, and I often regret going to a grade-deflated, GPA-lowering undergrad that's a Ph.D. factory.

I've also crazily decided to take physics this summer, and my last 2 pre-reqs next fall, so I won't really be done for another 9 months. I feel like I'm in one giant academic sprint. But I'm trying to make it feel more manageable by just thinking about how wonderful the feeling of graduating will be this May.

 

[that70sfan11]

I'm graduating in May, but it sure doesn't feel like it to me, since I'm right in the thick of things, and am applying next fall.
Every senior is required to do a thesis at my school, and everyone looks at me like I have 5 heads when I tell them that I'm taking o-chem my senior year...and my thesis is suffering because of this damn class :-(. Like today I meant to start writing my results section, but instead I spent 5 hours on an o-chem problem set. But on the bright side, o-chem is making microbio seem easy! Kind of. My experience has been similar to Minnerbelle's, and I often regret going to a grade-deflated, GPA-lowering undergrad that's a Ph.D. factory.

I've also crazily decided to take physics this summer, and my last 2 pre-reqs next fall, so I won't really be done for another 9 months. I feel like I'm in one giant academic sprint. But I'm trying to make it feel more manageable by just thinking about how wonderful the feeling of graduating will be this May.

yeah my research keeps giving me the weirdest results. so everytime I think i'm done doing labwork and can move on to thesis writing, something unusual happens and I have to run a whole other round of trials. and all my research focuses on behavior which means looong hours of watching videos of scorpions doing... not much 😀

it is great experience but I think it was exhausting enough to show me research is not the direction I want to go in

 

[canis13]

yeah my research keeps giving me the weirdest results. so everytime I think i'm done doing labwork and can move on to thesis writing, something unusual happens and I have to run a whole other round of trials. and all my research focuses on behavior which means looong hours of watching videos of scorpions doing... not much 😀

it is great experience but I think it was exhausting enough to show me research is not the direction I want to go in

Oh man, talking about weird results: my results are significant...in the opposite direction from my hypothesis! Opposite to like 40 published studies from over 3 decades!
I didn't have to collect the data myself (a PhD researcher at the nearby primate center let me use her data set of alcohol-consuming monkeys), but I'm getting pretty sick of data analysis, and I'm not anywhere close to being done.
And yes, this year has also made it perfectly clear to me how much I don't want to get a Ph.D.

 

[nyanko]

And yes, this year has also made it perfectly clear to me how much I don't want to get a Ph.D.

See, this is how I'm different.

These kinds of things are precisely why I do.

 

[HopefulAg]

Alcohol consuming monkeys eh? Sounds like a blast!

i was being an idealist and felt like i just wanted to learn... hmmm.... well i'm not sure that was worth the dip in GPA i got as a result.

I did that! Took a hard Ochem professor my first semester, knew he was hard my second semester but still took him, where as my friends who had the other professor are regaling me with how easy the other prof is and how much detail they DON'T need to know, and I still went with the other professor again. Why? "To learn", even though Ochem seems to be worthless in vet school, wasn't touched on much in Biochem (a few mechanisms, but nothing like having to know if it's Sn2 or how much bond energy is being exerted), and we don't have to take the MCAT either. So gaming the system or not, taking the 'harder' Ochem session was pretty much worthless and put me at a disadvantage to those who took the easier one. Could've gotten an easy A, but got a hard B instead.

 

[luplodw]

So I tried to squeeze in 2 hours of sleep...yet I couldn't really get any because I had thoughts of chemical formulas swirling in my head. Why does this happen to me???? Ahhhhh

 

[deleted266066]

.

 

[sumstorm]

but I've never gotten a real break from school and seeing all my friends take blow off classes is hard. I didn't have room for blow off classes because I changed majors at the end of my freshman year and still managed to graduate in 4 years. WITH honors (which includes 20 hours of extra classes). so give me a break why don't ya?

LOL. I always wonder what it means to have a 'real break' from school. I hear the traditional FY's bemoan this, and all I can think is worked PT-FT 12-16, then FT+PT since 16. I want to know when we get a real break? Oh, yeah, vet school is my break. 😀 I'm mostly teasing. Buckle down, this is a great struggle to have, one you can handle, and get it done! BTW, we have 6 solid days of finals, with 2 finals on at least one of those days so this is good prep!

 

[DVMDream]

So I tried to squeeze in 2 hours of sleep...yet I couldn't really get any because I had thoughts of chemical formulas swirling in my head. Why does this happen to me???? Ahhhhh

Haha...I remember dreaming about Ochem and Biochem the night before an exam it really sucked...and made me kind of feel like a complete geek. Until my other classmates mentioned it happening to them too. 😀

I did that! Took a hard Ochem professor my first semester, knew he was hard my second semester but still took him, where as my friends who had the other professor are regaling me with how easy the other prof is and how much detail they DON'T need to know, and I still went with the other professor again. Why? "To learn", even though Ochem seems to be worthless in vet school, wasn't touched on much in Biochem (a few mechanisms, but nothing like having to know if it's Sn2 or how much bond energy is being exerted), and we don't have to take the MCAT either. So gaming the system or not, taking the 'harder' Ochem session was pretty much worthless and put me at a disadvantage to those who took the easier one. Could've gotten an easy A, but got a hard B instead.

I had the same thing kind of happen to me except I took the easy Ochem prof first semester and then all of my friends took her again the following semester while I was in the hard Ochem profs class. I worked my ass off and walked into the final with a solid A..but that stupid standardized ACS final completely killed me (I don't think I even got one answer right) and I ended up with a B in the class..I was so mad. I had worked so hard for that A.

 

[twelvetigers]

I only have two classes, one of which I almost never attend, and I *still* think I'm slacking (beyond the not attending part, lol). I think it happens to everyone.

OkSU does specify that any acceptance is contigent upon your spring semester grades. I think that means just passing, but...

 

[Freddie12]

Life is full systems... There is no sense in not working it to your advantage. (Some people call it capitalism.) Your ethical obligation is to stay within the rules and not violate your moral code. Putting other artificial rules in place does nothing for you!

Everyone has access to the same rules. That's fair. The rules themselves might not be fair, but that's not something we can change right now - that's tomorrow's battle. If you can figure out how to work within those rules to create an advantage, you deserve it!

This is, unfortunately, the trade off. Stay smart, work hard, you can make it!

 

[sumstorm]

Everyone has access to the same rules. That's fair.

Wish I could live in your world where everyone has access to the same rules. Maybe with in the same population, but vary anything (ie undergrad, location, $, culture) and the rules change. Fair is a very bizarre concept, particularly in a capitalist society.

 

[ColoradoDVM]

You can get through this! I took biochem and another pivitol class the summer before applications were due because I wanted those grades to show up on my application. Seemed like a great idea when I thought of it but ended up being really stressful because I knew I had to 4.0 it. About half way through the semester I had to go into a zone where almost my entire life was coursework. A few times I started really freaking out and had to just put studying aside for the rest of the day and start fresh the next day. Near the end of the semester I was doing really well in physio and knew I wouldn't loose my grade so the last few weeks spent all my time on biochem. The bet paid off and everything worked out great. I am terrified of biochem so I feel for you! All you have to do is 2.0 and with your record you can do it 🙂

 

[gilch]

I kept one of my hardest classes for the last semester, but it is not a prereq. Physiology of Reproduction is crazy hard! That was more of a timing thing than anything, though. I'm not doing too badly, though, esp since I have almost zero drive to study since I got into vet school!

I finished all my prereqs last semester--Biochem for all my schools and 2 other classes that were prereqs for 1 class each. It definitely made for a stressful semester, especially when I was really sick for the last month and was applying, which I think should be a 3 credit class in itself!

I feel that trying to work the system in your favor is perfectly fine. You take a risk that if you don't get in this cycle, you have an awful lot a pressure to do well in difficult pre req classes. If you can make it work for you, go for it.

 

[badcats]

I am stuck with hard classes last quarter/semester too 70s fan. Don't stress too much, just know that you have to pull it out. Plus I am pretty sure if you already are feeling the squeeze, you are probably changing your habits. Good luck, and you can do it!

I still haven't started biochem (spring), however sometimes that is just how scheduling works out. Stuck with biochem, herp, and gov next quarter, which is light credit wise, but I have heard horror stories about the work load in all three of them. We will see how it goes...

 

[that70sfan11]

thanks again everyone!

and yes I think I was just having a freak out... a lot of people told me the first tests are the hardest in both classes because they are trying to get people to drop, so I shouldn't take my early grades seriously

but even so I'm focusing much better

(although I will use spring break/lots of beer as a way to fight my current burn out!!!) and then fight till the end!

 

[Pouches Rock]

So I am having a similar problem to many of the people who have posted on this thread but my easiest class is what's getting to me! I am taking a 100 level course, introduction to animal science, correspondence because it was recently added to my schools prerequisites. I am having a horrible time with it because the level of material and questions get on my nerves. The text is vague; the questions are vague and it is driving me crazy. My friends say to answer the questions like an undergraduate but it's hard to not answer to the best of my ability. I know I need to devote less time to the class and devote my time to research.

Examples:

What species is most important to world egg production?

My first reaction is homo sapiens


Compare the per capita meat usage in this chart and discuss the differences between the developed and developing countries
(keep in mind nothing on the graph indicates the countries level of devo)

I could go on and on but I won't make you suffer as I am suffering. Le sigh....as for game playing I have been answering the questions less and less well on each subsequent homework and I am still getting 100s. I am attempting to find out the threshold for least information to get the answers right but I still haven't found it.

Thanks for reading my rant if you did 🙂

 

[zeebra44]

Wow. I'm not even taking class this semester because I graduated last May. I read through this thread out of sheer boredom, but I'm shocked at how RUDE some of these posts are. I was under the impression that this site was designed to support one another.

 

[marycatherine]

Wow. I'm not even taking class this semester because I graduated last May. I read through this thread out of sheer boredom, but I'm shocked at how RUDE some of these posts are. I was under the impression that this site was designed to support one another.

I don't think anyone has been rude. The OP said she had saved her hardest classes for the end, and some people said "yes that sucks, but maybe you shouldn't have done that." People are supportive, and congratulated her for being accepted, and told her they were also having trouble.

Sorry but the fact is the OP deliberately left these classes for her last semester. Sure I'll commiserate about science being hard, but she chose to play the system instead of having an easier last semester. Nothing wrong with this, she just gets to deal with it now.

OP, no offense meant, I feel your pain-- I'm about to graduate in May but have just started my pre-reqs. All my friends are taking tons of joke classes and partying whereas I'm just starting the beginning of tons of hard studying and classes.

 

[hoping2be11]

I think "hardest class" is subjective, because some of the classes that people told me were easy I didnt do very well in. But other classes that were labeled "hard classes" by students I ended doing very well. So I guess it is all relative.

Now that I just said that hard and easy classes differ for each person I am going to not follow my own logic and ask what people think about Microbiology :] Is this a "hard" class? 🙂 haha thanks

 

[Okilani]

You are going to be okay. Just keep remembering why you are doing what you are doing! This is coming from a person who switched professions and talk about a LONG HAUL! DONT GIVE UP!!! You've come too far!

 

[Tricolorbadness]

Is this a "hard" class? 🙂 haha thanks

Worry not...Microbiology is a piece of cake. Yes, I was the geek that came in outside of class to play with the cultures. The lecture is only fun if you take a lab with it, gives it context.

 

[Tricolorbadness]

Examples:

What species is most important to world egg production?

My first reaction is homo sapiens


Compare the per capita meat usage in this chart and discuss the differences between the developed and developing countries
(keep in mind nothing on the graph indicates the countries level of devo)

Pouches Rock you validate me soooooo.
I have a PhD and have been working in research for a few years. When I applied to vet school, I found out I was missing a freshman biology requirement. 😱

Luckily, I was able to choose between some Jr/Sr level classes to meet the requirement, however, I was frequently asking the prof for clarification on the questions during class when everyone else seemed to understand exactly what answer he wanted. My (grown) children said, "Well Mom, you've got this 'detail' problem...." I'm so glad to see it is not just me!!!

As for hard vs easy classes, I took the hard stuff first, ended my last semester undergrad with horse training, equine science, Spanish, all the fun classes. Made for a nice last 45 GPA. I could not imagine doing it the other way around. Hang in there that70sfan11, I'm sure you'll do great!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Worry not...Microbiology is a piece of cake. Yes, I was the geek that came in outside of class to play with the cultures. The lecture is only fun if you take a lab with it, gives it context.

hmmmm... i might beg to differ. i think it was the one lab that i think i could have done without. i didn't think it was necessary for me to physically measure the crowth curve of e.coli or to do a viral titer in order for me to understand micro... separating and identifying mixed cultures of bacteria was also just as unappealing to me. (maybe it was just that this was my 16th lab class and i was just sick of labs?)

it kind of bugged me that a lot of the material covered in micro was a repeat of intro bio/cell phys/genetics... but for some reason, the exams by my professor was ridiculously hard. she took pride in the fact that no one could finish it (it was seriously like 20 pages long. all essay questions). so you never know... it all depends on the instructor.

in retrospect, i was glad i took the course, but only because the prof in this course helped me get a job... and it was a 3rd course i had with my lab instructor who wrote one of my LORs. i don't really like working with bacteria... i custom make my own virus at work, and that's pretty cool, but otherwise i don't like them either.

 

[Tricolorbadness]

so you never know... it all depends on the instructor.

i don't really like working with bacteria... i custom make my own virus at work, and that's pretty cool, but otherwise i don't like them either.

Alas the motives of the instructor are very important. I loved mine.

I laughed out loud at your closing statement🤣. I felt the same about some of my other classes (ahem..genetics..loved the lab, HATED the lecture).

There are things at my current job that are kinda cool some days but I could completely do without on others, hence the career change.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Luckily, I was able to choose between some Jr/Sr level classes to meet the requirement, however, I was frequently asking the prof for clarification on the questions during class when everyone else seemed to understand exactly what answer he wanted. My (grown) children said, "Well Mom, you've got this 'detail' problem...." I'm so glad to see it is not just me!!!

YES! I hadda take psych 101... worst class ever!

question on the exam: "so students writing a senior thesis go out and interview people on the street. they find that X number of people said this, and Y number of people said that (something like that). are the results significant?"

my answer: "i'm not sure, it looks like it but i would have to perform an appropriate statistical analysis to check for significance"

markup: "-10/12. a difference of 10 responses sure looks significant. you'll cover stats once you get to the research methodology class"

WTF!!! like what's the point of the question then??? to see if you can read?

another question on the same exam: "suzie was pissed off that her older sister wouldn't let her borrow her clothes. so when her sister was making out with her boyfriend out on the porch, suzie went up to her sister's room and decided to try some of her sister's clothes. as she was trying on a dress, it ripped and she felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety. what was the cause of her anxiety?"

i felt my braincells dying just reading that question... i got it all wrong too. i was right in bringing up freud, but apparently i missed some of the main points about suzie feeling like a "bad girl" or some **** like that.

😕😕😕

 

[Minnerbelle]

There are things at my current job that are kinda cool some days but I could completely do without on others, hence the career change.

ditto that. speaking of work... i'm late. le sigh. i gotta kick off the cat sleeping on my bum and take a shower.

 

[Tricolorbadness]

i felt my braincells dying just reading that question... i got it all wrong too. i was right in bringing up freud, but apparently i missed some of the main points about suzie feeling like a "bad girl" or some **** like that.

😕😕😕

Minnerbelle youi're killing me!!!!!

 

[purplesaurus]

I think "hardest class" is subjective, because some of the classes that people told me were easy I didnt do very well in. But other classes that were labeled "hard classes" by students I ended doing very well. So I guess it is all relative.

Now that I just said that hard and easy classes differ for each person I am going to not follow my own logic and ask what people think about Microbiology :] Is this a "hard" class? 🙂 haha thanks

I found microbiology very easy, but I think it had a lot to do with the professor (MIP 300 with Dr. Klein at CSU, for those who are interested). I picked up on his style very quickly, and it was a style that fit well with my own. I have heard that our other micro prof is very difficult. So like any class, I think it varies.

And I did not take the micro lab. I put it off since I was taking two other labs at the time (o chem and domestic animal anatomy, yikes!), and then I realized I did not need to take it at all (I'm not a fan of most undergrad labs; anatomy was great, though). Some people tell me it's the "fun" lab, but I don't feel that I was missing out on anything.

ETA: Actually, my sister took the micro lab (this was in Kentucky, so different prof), and she received a B when she should have received an A. In the "Identify this" lab that all micro labs seem to have, she mis-identified her bacteria (when all of her test results pointed away from the correct bacteria), and she received minimum points despite actually showing up, running the tests, recording results, etc (also despite getting As on all her other work; but the lab was worth a lot). She received the same amount of points someone would have received for not doing anything and then turning in a piece of paper with a guess on it. I know that's not the typical experience, but it made less motivated to take the lab...

 

[nyanko]

separating and identifying mixed cultures of bacteria was also just as unappealing to me.

!!!!!!

This is so much fun to me that I have a job at the VMTH Microbiology diagnostic lab that is by all accounts unnecessary (my PI tried to get me to quit and certainly pays me enough to) but I absolutely pleaded to be allowed to keep working there on weekends.

I'm always sad when everybody in these kinds of threads complains about genetics too. 😳

 

[Tricolorbadness]

!!!!!!

This is so much fun to me that I have a job at the VMTH Microbiology diagnostic lab that is by all accounts unnecessary (my PI tried to get me to quit and certainly pays me enough to) but I absolutely pleaded to be allowed to keep working there on weekends.

I'm always sad when everybody in these kinds of threads complains about genetics too. 😳

I'm with you about the microbe ID, naynko. I spanked that part of the lab and helped out my classmates that were having trouble. It was the micro lab that convinced me to make it my undergrad major and started me down the path of becoming a professional lab rat. At work I'm currently isolating and identifying novel microbes from bovine lesions using some of those UG lab skills to this day (and some modern stuff too).

Genetics as a whole is just fine. It was my undergrad class in genetics that was not. The lecture was such a snoozer, while the lab was awesome.😉

 

[DVMDream]

YES! I hadda take psych 101... worst class ever!

question on the exam: "so students writing a senior thesis go out and interview people on the street. they find that X number of people said this, and Y number of people said that (something like that). are the results significant?"

my answer: "i'm not sure, it looks like it but i would have to perform an appropriate statistical analysis to check for significance"

markup: "-10/12. a difference of 10 responses sure looks significant. you'll cover stats once you get to the research methodology class"

WTF!!! like what's the point of the question then??? to see if you can read?

another question on the same exam: "suzie was pissed off that her older sister wouldn't let her borrow her clothes. so when her sister was making out with her boyfriend out on the porch, suzie went up to her sister's room and decided to try some of her sister's clothes. as she was trying on a dress, it ripped and she felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety. what was the cause of her anxiety?"

i felt my braincells dying just reading that question... i got it all wrong too. i was right in bringing up freud, but apparently i missed some of the main points about suzie feeling like a "bad girl" or some **** like that.

😕😕😕

I am taking psych 101 currently and I can not stand it! It is not difficult it is just boring and really, really generalized (like I have to change my way of thinking/things I have learned in upper-level classes to get the answers right). It is quite annoying.

As for Micro: It was my all time favorite class. We went out and swabbed random things in the environment, then isolated one bacteria until we had pure colonies, and then performed various tests on tha bacteria to determine exactly the genus and species of the bacteria. Then, I got to write a nice scientific report on the entire project (it was around 20 pages long). It was really cool. We wrote so many papers in that lab though that was probably the only thing that I really did not like, but the actual lab was really cool. The lecture was awesome too but I had an amazing professor.