Confused about GPA calculations

[clevertooth]

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Here is my situation:
I just finished my freshman year at private university (will be attending a different state university in the fall.) They use a different credit system from most other colleges where I took eight one credit classes.

I have a 2.9 with 8 credits now. Using the calculator posted on some threads on SDN where it predicts how you need to do in order to get a desired GPA, I'm finding it rather confusing to predict how I need to do from here on. The university that I will be attending has different credits for labs and lectures, and also some classes are of different credits.

Kinda confused...

 

[clevertooth]

Example:
The university that I will be attending lists O-chem as 4.sh (and 1 s.h separately for recitation) huh?? The school where I took ochem just had 1 credit for lecture, lab, recitation all including and lab grade was incorporated in my lecture grade and there wasnt a separate grade for lab.

 

[45408]

Um, one credit classes tend to be filler material - my twice a week weightlifting class was one credit, whereas my gen chem class (three lectures, a lab and a discussion) was five credits. Every school I know of uses different levels of credits for the number of hours a week involved.

 

[Medikit]

Classes that meet 1 hour a week are typically worth 1 unit, 2 hours 2 units, and so on. A class that meets 3 hours a week and has one lab is worth 4 units, a class that meets 2 hours a week and has two labs is also worth 4 units.

 

[clevertooth]

For ochem, we met three hours for lecture, one hour for recitation, 4 hours for lab. Thats how I figure out the number of hours? So, is it 4 units or 5? Its so confusing

 

[45408]

My organic lecture and lab were completely separate courses. First semester lecture was three credits, and the second semester lecture was also three credits, but you typically take the lab concurrently with the second semester (can't take it until you finish first), and it is two credits, for a total of 8 credits for o-chem 1, 2 and lab.

 

[45408]

For ochem, we met three hours for lecture, one hour for recitation, 4 hours for lab. Thats how I figure out the number of hours? So, is it 4 units or 5? Its so confusing

is recitation like a discussion section?

 

[Medikit]

For ochem, we met three hours for lecture, one hour for recitation, 4 hours for lab. Thats how I figure out the number of hours? So, is it 4 units or 5? Its so confusing

I have no idea, that seems like an unusual schedule to me. What did recitation entail?

 

[clevertooth]

is recitation like a discussion section?

yeah, hardly anybody showed up tho. lol

 

[samurai_lincoln]

For ochem, we met three hours for lecture, one hour for recitation, 4 hours for lab. Thats how I figure out the number of hours? So, is it 4 units or 5? Its so confusing

I would say that is a 5 credit class. 3 hours lecture = 3 credits + 1 hour recitation + 1 hour for lab. Don't sweat it too much though, you just finished your freshman year!

Your school doesn't happen to be well known for its funky "block system" schedule by chance?

 

[clevertooth]

I would say that is a 5 credit class. 3 hours lecture = 3 credits + 1 hour recitation + 1 hour for lab. Don't sweat it too much though, you just finished your freshman year!

Your school doesn't happen to be well known for its funky "block system" schedule by chance?

not worried too much, but just curious...

 

[Medikit]

yeah, hardly anybody showed up tho. lol

Was it not mandatory? We would have a 1 unit section that was pass/fail that sounds kind of like that, but only for general chem. If general chem was Chem 37, the class would be called Chem 37X. We have that for physics and math as well. Pass/fail classes aren't counted as hours in the AMCAS system.

 

[clevertooth]

No, it wasnt mandatory but professors dont even care if people show up on lectures, too.