B- in Gen Chem I

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feist1234

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I'm a freshman at a state university, and got a B- for my first semester of gen chem, and to be honest, I'm kinda bummed out. I feel like I tried really hard this semester, and don't have much of anything to show for it. And I'm worried this is an indicator that I'm not cut out to be on a pre-vet track. I got A's in all of my other classes, it's just Chemistry that I seem to have done poorly in.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or advice to give? I'd love to hear it.
 
I received a B in every chemistry course I took throughout undergrad, I am in year 2 of vet school. A B is not a vet-school ending grade. My advice is to continue to study hard, be sure your study methods don't need to be updated and if you are really struggling, seek help. Ask for a tutor/advisor/or the professor for help. But, a B while not put an end to your chances of getting accepted to vet school. We all have classes we are better at than others, for me I was better at biology and received all B's in Chemistry and Physics; I still made it.
 
I'm a freshman at a state university, and got a B- for my first semester of gen chem, and to be honest, I'm kinda bummed out. I feel like I tried really hard this semester, and don't have much of anything to show for it. And I'm worried this is an indicator that I'm not cut out to be on a pre-vet track. I got A's in all of my other classes, it's just Chemistry that I seem to have done poorly in.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or advice to give? I'd love to hear it.

Yeah. Keep trying hard, and don't look backwards. If your GPA starts to slip below 3.3 or thereabouts (totally subjectively pulling that out of my bum), start asking yourself what you need to do differently.
 
Feist, did you take any other science courses this semester? You say everything else was an A. If you had biology or physics or a tough math class and got an A then you're doing pretty well. A B- while not stellar is also not the end of the world.

Does your school offer tutoring? Perhaps you need a little more individualized help with chemistry. It's a tricky subject, and a tutor may help you learn the key concepts as well as how to study. I had to get a tutor for Physics this semester, and it made a huge difference.

Hang in there. This was your first semester. You may figure out that the chem class was just a bumpy start, or you may discover another field is your calling. But, don't let one class keep you from your dream.
 
Gen chem 1 was my worst grade in any chemistry related class... proceeded to do well in the other classes to follow (o chem and biochem).. If you are concerned that you might need some extra help, maybe try getting a tutor? I did that during gen chem and ended up doing much better... ended up not needing the tutor in o chem because for whatever reason, I understood it better than gen chem. Try not to get too discouraged.. you just started!
 
Don't let it get you down! When I took my first semester of Gen Chem, I got a D on my first exam and thought I was going to fail out of college! I think Gen Chem is one of the hardest classes because its a really demanding course, and as freshmen, we haven't quite found what study techniques work best for us. As someone who is graduating this year, I promise you it gets easier! I am in all upper division courses and getting As, and still look back and shudder at how scary Gen Chem was that first year. Just stay motivated and study hard, and you will be fine! :nod:
 
If it makes you feel better, I withdrew from Gen Chem cause I had a D and didn't think I could pass. Took it over the summer and put the same amount of effort in and did great. It could have been due to teaching style or because I was able to focus solely on that class (was still working like 40+ hours/week)...not really sure. I then proceeded to get a B - and C in O Chem I and II. I ended up getting accepted to 4 veterinary schools. Some Bs and even some Cs are not a death sentence.

Ask professors, classmates or a tutor for help if you're having trouble grasping concepts. The more people you ask, the more likely someone might be able to explain things in a way that you better understand. Also, looking back on things, I definitely did not really learn how to study until my junior year of college. Heck, even in vet school I'm still figuring out which study methods work best because it varies by class.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is probably the first time you've been away from home for an extended period of time. You're on your own, there are more distractions (do I study or go hang with the people down the hall,), etc. It takes a little while to figure out what works for you. It took me probably two years to figure out my routine with each semester getting a little bit better than the previous one. You obviously want to do well from the beginning, but college is an adjustment. It was for me, and I'm a very laid back person who tends to adjust easily. My first semester of vet school grades show a similar trend. They weren't that great, but things are getting better as I start to get the hang of it.

Keep your head up!
 
My other classes were two electives (Intro to American Gov, Cultural Anthropology) and Calculus.
 
You got an A in calculus. That's awesome! Definitely don't let the chem grade discourage you.
 
This thread made me glance to make sure I wasn't in pre-allo by accident. 😉

I made Cs in chemistry classes, mostly. I wouldn't recommend it, but it still worked out okay. Don't sweat it.
 
All b's and c's in my chemistry courses and currently a third year veterinary student. No reason to throw in the towel. Just keep chuggin'....
 
Thanks, you guys have been great. I guess it's hard to not get caught up in bad grades when everyone is constantly reminding you of how competitive it is to get into vet school. 🙄
 
I guess it's hard to not get caught up in bad grades when everyone is constantly reminding you of how competitive it is to get into vet school. 🙄

A B is hardly a bad grade, yes a lot of them can bring your GPA down some but a B is NOT a bad grade and does not deserve for you to be beating yourself up internally over getting a B. Time to view grades in a different light, because you should not be correlating that B= bad, because it does not.
 
I got a B- my first semester in college in gen chem 1 as well... and to this day it remains the worst grade I have ever gotten (not complaining about it at all!, just stating). I actually ended up getting As in the organics, because against all odds i LOVED and understood those classes. And then I took gen chem 2 and I struggled real hard but got a B (almost a B-). I have also gotten a plethora of Bs in my college career and I already have 1 vet school acceptance and interviews still to go to. Basically don't freak out, as other people have mentioned they have gotten lower grades in pre-reqs and still are in vet school. Always try to make high grades, but when you cant/dont just relax. If you have good experiences not having a 4.0 won't matter.
 
I got a BC in gen chem I. Like already said, it isn't the end of the world. In my experience some people find organic chem easier than gen chem (I was one of those people), and maybe you will too. Regardless, a mediocre grade doesn't matter that much freshman year, especially if you have an upward trend by the time you apply. Try not to let it get you down. 🙂
 
Hey! If it makes you feel better i literally withdrew from my general chemistry 1 class the first semester. And i have a big W on my official transcript. Didn't end up taking it until sophomore year. I was never asked about it during interviews or the admissions process. Also took Orgo at a community college and that didn't hurt me either. So keep working hard and in sure you'll be fine especially with all of your other stellar grades!!
 
I received three C+s (in both semesters of gen chem, and second semester of orgo), a B- in the first semester of orgo, and a C in genetics in undergrad. I'm heading into my second semester at Tufts and couldn't be happier.
 
Echoing what many people have said, I got C's in every chem class I took. I may have snuck a B in there somewhere but I'm not quite sure anymore because I'm too busy concentrating on vet school now 😉

So, moral of the story is that while you should aim for the highest grades you can, sometimes we just can't pull A's in every class. A few B's or C's won't keep you out of vet school, but if they start to accumulate it will be more difficult for you. Relax, enjoy your break, and when you start next semester focus on making changes that will help you study and learn more effectively. 🙂
 
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