College slump.

[La Dentista]

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NOTE: I am/have been a little obsessive about my grades


I've always been that student who worked hard, took home the A's and never settled for anything less... (regarding ONLY myself, I use to consider B's as a lack of studying and a lack of my motivation in prior semesters).

Now after quite a few semesters, I am finding myself in a huge college-slump. Entered this semester a bit down with the mindset "Not again...".
I studied 3 hours a night for two weeks, and 12 hours on saturdays and 12 hours on sundays for my last bio test and still only pulled a 70. I didn't do quite so hot on the first test, hence the crazy weekend hours.



Has anyone ever experienced this slump, and what did you do to overcome it? I'm feeling numb to the C's I've been pulling on tests lately. I study my ass off and am not earning what I should be earning.

2nd question. Is one C viewed as terrible? Or should I be asking someone from the school I plan to attend?

Thanks everyone.

 

[klutzy1987]

Most applicants will have a C on their transcripts, it really isnt a big deal. As long as you dont make a habit out of it.

 

[La Dentista]

Most applicants will have a C on their transcripts, it really isnt a big deal. As long as you dont make a habit out of it.

Schools won't want me to retake the C class/classes (considering it is a bio class, and I am a bio major)??

 

[polarmolar]

Schools won't want me to retake the C class/classes (considering it is a bio class, and I am a bio major)??

Not at all, just make sure you take something for that senioritis you have (I have it too!!).

 

[Enso]

NOTE:
Has anyone ever experienced this slump, and what did you do to overcome it?

For 3 years, I joined a fraternity in one of the biggest party schools; Just got real.

 

[jay47]

Okay, something must be wrong here. First of all, if you are studying 66 hours for a test and still only get a 70, you must not be studying correctly OR you are not really "studying".

No harsh feelings, as you obviously know how to put in some work, but I would change my study style/methods so that I am doing something different.

I find it completely unnecessary to study more than 10 hours for any test in college (biochem, physiology, genetics, etc...) if I have kept up with the material. Maybe start a study group and that will help you.

And as far as a c being bad, no it is not. Like Klutzy said, don't make it a habit though. Avg gpas are around 3.6, which means 60% of somone's grades were A's. So don't get down on yourself, but change your study style to a more inquisitive method where you question the material and not simply "read" it.

 

[Enso]

2nd question. Is one C viewed as terrible?

Let me introduce you to my friend Xanax.

 

[klutzy1987]

Let me introduce you to my friend Xanax.

We should introduce my friend vicadin and your friend xanax. They would make great babies lol

 

[jay47]

Impossible; they don't even have the same number of chromosomes, lol.

 

[jay47]

Here's another message I wrote to help someone out who was having trouble studying, maybe it will help you.

"Sure, I'll be glad to share what works for me.

1. Go to class. This may seem marginally helpful in some classes, but no matter what, it will help you reinforce concepts and and material whether you like to professor or not. Even if you professor is bad, going to class will help you get a good feel for what is important.

2. Do what your professor says. If he/she says read chapters 2-3 by Thursday, go ahead and do it. If they recommend practice problems, go ahead and do them until you know you have mastered the material.

3. Study effectively (not necessarily a lot). This entails a lot of things. For me, it depends on the class. For a class like Biology, I read the book, studying and highlighting (sparingly and only the most important topics/phrases) as I read. Before a quiz or a test, I will read the highlighted materials and review the class notes/slides. For a class like physics or business math, it usually works out best to practice problems that the teacher recommends, or those in the back. Some people fail when it comes to studying effectively; they highlight everything, they read material, but don't really think about it. I am ALWAYS asking myself questions when I read, such as "why is X concept like this, yet Y concept is like that?" Think of real world examples and application questions. Applying the information to yourself and the real world will help you out more than almost anything. For example, when learning about your eyes. I am nearsighted, so I learned what that meant by remembering that "my" condition is called "MYopia". Stuff like that will always help. Also, study like you need to know the material NOW. Instead of saying "I can learn this later, I'll read it now", understand it now and then reinforce that learning when you review.

4. Get old tests (if you can). Knowing what is coming will help you more often than not. JUST knowing what is on the old tests is NOT a good idea. Understand common themes and concepts as well.

5. Be confident. You may ask, "How can I be confident?". You become confident by studying hard and learning the material. If you truly grasp the material and understand it, confidence issues, as well as nervousness and brain farts, will not be an issue when you take the test. Confidence is a bigger issue than most people make it out to be.

6. Look at the big picture. If you make one C on a test, you can still make an A in most cases. If perhaps you end up making a C in the class, don't worry: most people will have a C or two. Dental and medical schools look for consistency and good grades, not perfect 4.0's.

7. Don't procrastinate (too much!) If you have a test Monday, go ahead and study a little on Friday (not a lot). Just reviewing material will help you more than you think. I have never pulled an all nighter while in college (I've stayed up till around 2 A.M.), because I don't need to. My studying is done thoughout the semester and weekly. If you keep up, you can do well. This is the reason that I have never even made a B on any final that I have taken, I truly know the material."

 

[La Dentista]

Okay, something must be wrong here. First of all, if you are studying 66 hours for a test and still only get a 70, you must not be studying correctly OR you are not really "studying".

No harsh feelings, as you obviously know how to put in some work, but I would change my study style/methods so that I am doing something different.

I find it completely unnecessary to study more than 10 hours for any test in college (biochem, physiology, genetics, etc...) if I have kept up with the material. Maybe start a study group and that will help you.

And as far as a c being bad, no it is not. Like Klutzy said, don't make it a habit though. Avg gpas are around 3.6, which means 60% of somone's grades were A's. So don't get down on yourself, but change your study style to a more inquisitive method where you question the material and not simply "read" it.

No harsh feelings, I promise. I must be studying wrong. The extra hours were review as well, along with explaining to myself the steps, processes, repeating what I know without a book, etc. It could just be part of me is "down in the dumps" about my grade too, I don't know for sure.

Thank you for both replies, I'm going to keep trying, and I'm a little relieved about that C not being as bad as I had comprehended it to be (but not relieved that I could still get it, lol :[ ).

Thank you.

 

[losdientes]

What ARE your studying habits and how are your lectures run? Does your teacher use a power point, etc?

 

[supraman]

What class is this? Einstein Nuclear Biophysics? Just do better from here on in, jeez.

 

[Mazmel]

I am exactly like you, always striving for perfection, especially with grades. When I took Biology I got a 62 (D- !!!) on my first test.

The class wasnt curved, so I was extremely upset about it. I thought that this was going to be the end of my career goals. I spent the next week neglecting Biology and just moped around all depressed. Then I had a epiphany and realized that I still had a chance to do well, even if I got a B.

I started studying 5 hours a day specifically for Biology, even on weekends, and would cram for tests 1 week beforehand. The library and
I were great friends that semester (my boyfriend thought I was cheating on him because he didnt believe that someone could be at the library that much lol). I also went to see my TA for personal office hours 2-3 hours a week (we had a weekly appointment because I couldnt make her real office hours).

In the end somehow I magically ended up with an 'A' in the class! That was one of the happiest days of my life!

The moral of the story is that if you work your ***** off, you are bound to achieve great things. Even a D- to an A! 🙂

 

[who knows...]

I just finished writing a midterm that did NOT GO WELL AT ALL..

I'm very mad and disappointed...I studied completely wrong for it..

This thread is really making me feel better (something I really need right now since I have another midterm coming up tomorrow)..
🙁

 

[supraman]

I am exactly like you, always striving for perfection, especially with grades. When I took Biology I got a 62 (D- !!!) on my first test.

The class wasnt curved, so I was extremely upset about it. I thought that this was going to be the end of my career goals. I spent the next week neglecting Biology and just moped around all depressed. Then I had a epiphany and realized that I still had a chance to do well, even if I got a B.

I started studying 5 hours a day specifically for Biology, even on weekends, and would cram for tests 1 week beforehand. The library and
I were great friends that semester (my boyfriend thought I was cheating on him because he didnt believe that someone could be at the library that much lol). I also went to see my TA for personal office hours 2-3 hours a week (we had a weekly appointment because I couldnt make her real office hours).

In the end somehow I magically ended up with an 'A' in the class! That was one of the happiest days of my life!

The moral of the story is that if you work your ***** off, you are bound to achieve great things. Even a D- to an A! 🙂

A tear of joy rolled down my cheek reading this

 

[telebeans]

Keep studying hard and it will pay off. 🙂

 

[Lurchdubious]

I know exactly how you feel about being in a "Slump." I'm pretty sure overcoming it will be different for everyone. And no, a C here and there isn't bad. I had 2 C+'s on my transcript and still got into 3 schools out of 5 interviews, and my DAT wasn't great. You're still fine! Doing bad on the first exam or two is ok; lets you know where you stand so that you'll make the decision early to take the class serious.

 

[needa20]

i cant speak for bio majors, as i was business, but i did take:
bio 1 and 2
g chem 1 and 2
o chem 1 and 2
physics 1 and 2
biochem1
human anatomy (gross anatomy with actual cadaviers)

my suggustion goes for bio and non bio majors. even if you make a C here or there, it is not the end of the world. just make sure that the pre-recs for D-school you pull A's and B's.
Eng Comp
G-chem
O-chem
Gen-Bio
Physics

that being said, i pulled a C in Gchem 2. so I retook and got an A. I pulled a C in physics 1, but never re-took...I hated physics so much and it was the last pre-rec that i took. so i did not take my own advice as i pulled that C in phy

 

[Lurchdubious]

My C+'s were in O-Chem II and Biochem. (All of my other Chem grades were A-). It's a love-hate thing. 😉

But yeah, for the most part, do sweet on the D-school pre-reqs.

 

[boxdesker]

So how is it ok to have gotten Cs on your transcript, but once you get accepted you have to get B- or higher in all your classes?

 

[chober]

So how is it ok to have gotten Cs on your transcript, but once you get accepted you have to get B- or higher in all your classes?

Childhood indiscretions, once you get into D school you're all grown up now.

 

[MrLebowski]

So how is it ok to have gotten Cs on your transcript, but once you get accepted you have to get B- or higher in all your classes?

Who told you that?

 

[sddat]

I am exactly like you. I have all A's except one B in a Bio Lab (88.5% errrr!!!). Right now I'm in Phy I and Orgo II...I am getting the highest grades orgo..but not breaking a 90% ( no one is). In physics class I got a 70% on the first test...pretty bad for me. Anyways, I started to freak out and think that I should consider changing majors if I don't have solid A's. But then I took a step back and realized how stupid it would be to stress out over 1 silly C, D, or F on a single exam in an entire semester. Grades change so quickly..right now I have an A+ in physics b/c I did really well on the last exam and there's a curve. So I went from a C- to an A+.

Keep putting in all the effort and I would bet that you get the grade you are looking for. I'm sure your professor will consider a curve if the average is low enough. Keep your head up.

 

[MrLebowski]

but once you get accepted you have to get B- or higher in all your classes?

I just wanted to bring this up again to sort some of this out. If anyone can provide a correction to what I'm about to say, or some definitive answers, I'd LOVE to hear them.

From what I have gathered from talking to people, reading schools' websites, etc., the only concrete parameters that seem to exist are that following an offer of acceptance from a school, you must complete the prerequisites for that school (usually a C or better in these prereqs is the criteria for most schools) prior to matriculation.

So basically, within this logic, it seems one would not be "let go" if he received C-s, Ds, or even (god forbid) an F in classes that aren't prerequisites that are taken post-acceptance.

While it may be a poor academic strategy to set yourself up for four more rigorous years, nothing I can find seems to indicate you would be cut loose if you got, say, a D in a class post-acceptance. There are many contingencies that can cause poor grades, so to require B-s in a final year of undergraduate study with mostly 400-level classes would be bad policy.

 

[Doh Boy Fresh]

No, you are still subjected to getting a C+ or above...BUT, on the flip side, this C+ wont' exist on your transcript when applying to bring down your gpa BEFORE you turn in your applications.

 

[MrLebowski]

No, you are still subjected to getting a C+ or above...

Where do you guys get these statistics???

 

[harrygt]

Here is the BIG secret key to success in bio classes: Taking notes, and taking notes.

I always take good notes on my laptop in any bio related classes. Today, we had a molecular biology test. I had taken good notes and read the ambiguous parts from the text book [Did not read all the chapters! only the complicated stuff that needed some clarification], while my friends had read each of the assigned chapters. Guess what? I did very well on the test, and my friends were all pissed off, becuase they missed a lot of questions. Remember, there is never enough time for any bio professor to cover all the details in the text book. So they teach the important stuff, and test you on those stuff ONLY [I've rarely seen a professor who puts questions on the test out of parts of the text book that were never covered in lecture]. Only reading textbook for bio classes = screwing youself up.
One C is not going to be a disaster, but try to change your study habits for bio classes, and you will definitey start pulling up A s again.

 

[losdientes]

My teacher posts power points in bullet form with very vague information a couple days before class and then verbally adds to it when we have lecture.

Generally, I don't bother going to class and instead, I choose to copy each slide into my notebook and supplement extra information from the text book. This has worked out wonderfully for me and I currently have an A in cell biology. If your teacher does not post outlines, one suggestion is buying a tape recorder. You can ask your teacher if he/she would be comfortable with you recording the lecture and then go home and make an organized and concise outline of the information you need to know. Once you have done that, you can refer to the book for added information and understanding.

Don't hesitate to look on websites, either! If you're struggling to understand some of the more conceptual topics, seek out videos that can explain it better with pictures.