Bad Semester

[missmayhem]

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So I'm a second semester sophomore at UIUC now. Freshman year wasn't too bad. I ended with a 3.45 cGPA, with my sGPA higher than that. This past semester I overwhelmed myself with too many extracurriculars (volunteering at the hospital, pledging a service fraternity, exec- board member for preSOMA) and I ended up burning myself out pretty early on. I ended the semester like this. (The labs were separate from lecture and 2 credit hours each btw.)
Orgo 1: Lecture - C+, Lab - B
Bio: Lecture - C+, Lab A-
Intro to Archaeology - C+
BioStatistics - A-

I know I have to work my butt off to get that GPA back up and I know I can. What I'm mostly worried about is getting a research position. How will I get a professor to let me work with them? I'm also studying abroad in Sydney this semester. I have the option to take organic chemistry and 200- level biochem there, and 75%+ is an A. The courses aren't very rigorous is what I've heard after talking to previous students. I will have to take a different biochem (300- level) at UIUC because of major requirements, but I won't have credit exclusion problems. Since I did so bad this semester, I intend on taking orgo 1 and biochem abroad to get my strengthen my knowledge for future classes/MCAT and improve my sGPA, but it will it go against me to essentially 'repeat' these classes?

 

[Doctor Dream]

So I'm a second semester sophomore at UIUC now. Freshman year wasn't too bad. I ended with a 3.45 cGPA, with my sGPA higher than that. This past semester I overwhelmed myself with too many extracurriculars (volunteering at the hospital, pledging a service fraternity, exec- board member for preSOMA) and I ended up burning myself out pretty early on. I ended the semester like this. (The labs were separate from lecture and 2 credit hours each btw.)
Orgo 1: Lecture - C+, Lab - B
Bio: Lecture - C+, Lab A-
Intro to Archaeology - C+
BioStatistics - A-

I know I have to work my butt off to get that GPA back up and I know I can. What I'm mostly worried about is getting a research position. How will I get a professor to let me work with them? I'm also studying abroad in Sydney this semester. I have the option to take organic chemistry and 200- level biochem there, and 75%+ is an A. The courses aren't very rigorous is what I've heard after talking to previous students. I will have to take a different biochem (300- level) at UIUC because of major requirements, but I won't have credit exclusion problems. Since I did so bad this semester, I intend on taking orgo 1 and biochem abroad to get my strengthen my knowledge for future classes/MCAT and improve my sGPA, but it will it go against me to essentially 'repeat' these classes?

Why would you be looking to get a research position when you just said you took on too much last semester? Research is great but won't do you much good if your GPA is suffering... I'm guessing you're at a 3.2-3.3 at best right now.