Disastrous Semester

[RavensDefense]

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Hi there. I'm making this post to get some advice on what to do moving forward.

Bassically I went to school this entire semester for no reason. I failed all of my important classes and I am going to withdraw... here is my schedule.

Cell Bio- W
Physics 1- W
Gen Chem 2- W
Spanish- ~B
Gen Chem 2 Lab- ~A/B

My reasoning is that I caught bronchitis mid way through the semester and this caused me to miss a few weeks of school and I was unable to catch up. In truth however, I really did get sick and miss classes, but it was my own procrastination and bad study habits which caused this. Will my sickness excuse hold up, considering I do have documentation and everything?

I have a 3.25 GPA so far, what does this absolute fail of a semester do for my transcript?

 

[vin5cent0]

It'll just put some W's on your transcript. I wouldn't sweat it - when it comes time to explain, just say you were sick for several weeks and wasn't able to catch up in time, so you took the W rather than a bad grade.

 

[Global Warming]

Hi there. I'm making this post to get some advice on what to do moving forward.

Bassically I went to school this entire semester for no reason. I failed all of my important classes and I am going to withdraw... here is my schedule.

Cell Bio- W
Physics 1- W
Gen Chem 2- W
Spanish- ~B
Gen Chem 2 Lab- ~A/B

My reasoning is that I caught bronchitis mid way through the semester and this caused me to miss a few weeks of school and I was unable to catch up. In truth however, I really did get sick and miss classes, but it was my own procrastination and bad study habits which caused this. Will my sickness excuse hold up, considering I do have documentation and everything?

I have a 3.25 GPA so far, what does this absolute fail of a semester do for my transcript?

Doctor's note = Golden ticket to the Willy Wonka factory of excuses.

You're good to go!👍

Actually, to think about it...that's why I want to be a doctor. So I can write Doctor's notes and sell them on the black market.

 

[RavensDefense]

So I did the right thing in withdrawing from all these classes and not taking the F's on my GPA?

Has anyone else had a semester like this that they recovered from? I'm really starting to doubt there is any chance left.

 

[Global Warming]

So I did the right thing in withdrawing from all these classes and not taking the F's on my GPA?

Has anyone else had a semester like this that they recovered from? I'm really starting to doubt there is any chance left.

Is it ideal to have W's on your transcript? No

Stuff happens in life and you have a valid reason.

3 W's >>>> 3 F's in pre-reqs

Either way you have to retake the classes, so retaking with a clean slate (GPA) is better than having 1.0.

 

[apumic]

W>>F

Your 3.25 GPA along w/ a semester of Ws, however, could break you. You need to bring that GPA up quite a bit (to at least a 3.6) to competitive. You'll also need a good MCAT score to recover from your GPA (somewhere around a 33-35 or at least the 90th percentile to bring that 3.25 into the competitive range). Check out the WAMC forum's med school spreadsheet. You can find a link in my signature below.

 

[Global Warming]

OP what year are you?

 

[womp]

So I did the right thing in withdrawing from all these classes and not taking the F's on my GPA?

Has anyone else had a semester like this that they recovered from? I'm really starting to doubt there is any chance left.

You need to bump your GPA to 3.4's. The W's will not be a huge hindrance especially as you did have a legitimate reason, although you might be asked to explain them for your interviews.

Had you took F's instead of W's, you would have essentially killed your dream. So you definitely did the right thing there.

However, at some colleges when you are withdrawing with an F will give you a WF, instead of just a W. So you want to check that that is not the case for your school. The AMCAS considers WF to be equivalent to an F in calculating your GPA.

 

[futureboy]

So I did the right thing in withdrawing from all these classes and not taking the F's on my GPA?

Yes, absolutely. Not even close.

 

[Procyon]

Actually, to think about it...that's why I want to be a doctor. So I can write Doctor's notes and sell them on the black market.

@OP: On the bright side, at least you managed the Gen Chem II Lab. So even if you have to take the course again, that's one less lab to worry about. Sorry you had such a rough semester though, I'd be so frustrated. 🙁

 

[RavensDefense]

I am in my 3rd year. All of these classes, especially gen chem 2 are pre-reqs for a lot of other classes in my biochem major (along with being med school pre-reqs). Since I won't be able to move on to other classes until I finish this class, I'm pretty much behind an entire semester. I can't believe how much time and money I wasted in these past few months...

I did get sick and miss 3 weeks of class, but I shouldn't have failed these classes. Maybe I shouldve gotten a B where I would have had an A, or a C instead of a B. Everything snowballed, whenever I was about to get started on work, I thought about the sheer volume of material I had to make up, and for whatever reason, just put it off even more. If I had simply done the work when I should have, I could have chipped away at it and been back with the class in a week or two. But it's too late now, dug my own grave...

Even now, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, the thought of how badly I ****ed it up and how deep of a hole I'm in stays in the back of my head. And when it comes to the front and I start to think about it, I just repress it because it's really that unbearable to think about lol.

Sorry I don't mean for this to turn into a pity party, just need to put this in writing so hopefully I'll remember it and won't go down this same road again.

 

[Global Warming]

I am in my 3rd year. All of these classes, especially gen chem 2 are pre-reqs for a lot of other classes in my biochem major (along with being med school pre-reqs). Since I won't be able to move on to other classes until I finish this class, I'm pretty much behind an entire semester. I can't believe how much time and money I wasted in these past few months...

I did get sick and miss 3 weeks of class, but I shouldn't have failed these classes. Maybe I shouldve gotten a B where I would have had an A, or a C instead of a B. Everything snowballed, whenever I was about to get started on work, I thought about the sheer volume of material I had to make up, and for whatever reason, just put it off even more. If I had simply done the work when I should have, I could have chipped away at it and been back with the class in a week or two. But it's too late now, dug my own grave...

Even now, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, the thought of how badly I ****ed it up and how deep of a hole I'm in stays in the back of my head. And when it comes to the front and I start to think about it, I just repress it because it's really that unbearable to think about lol.

Sorry I don't mean for this to turn into a pity party, just need to put this in writing so hopefully I'll remember it and won't go down this same road again.

3.25 GPA in your 3rd year means even if you make 4.0 from here on out...your GPA will not make any dramatic increases. Med. school is still possible, but your chances are definitely low, compared with the already low chances all pre-meds start with.

 

[RavensDefense]

How do you figure that? I think it would easily go above a 3.5 if I somehow managed 4.0 the rest of the way. I would have to bust out the calculator and count up all the credits and grades and everything. But as a junior in the fall semester, (who will have to essentially repeat this entire semester) I pretty much have ~50 still to go. There is room to go significantly up or down there.

 

[Global Warming]

How do you figure that? I think it would easily go above a 3.5 if I somehow managed 4.0 the rest of the way. I would have to bust out the calculator and count up all the credits and grades and everything. But as a junior in the fall semester, (who will have to essentially repeat this entire semester) I pretty much have ~50 still to go. There is room to go significantly up or down there.

I am not in any way attempting to bash or discourage you. I think you're right about being able to get above a 3.5 and should definitely try your hardest to achieve that.

The truth is that I don't know you and any comment I make is simply based on speculation and brief information you have provided in this post. However, my comment stems from the fact that you currently have a 3.25. It is easy to state that IF you get 4.0 from here on out, you'd be able to get a 3.5 (which is still below the national average of 3.6). However, future behavior is best predicted by past behavior.

Are you incapable of getting 4.0 from here on out? Of course not!

Should you try your hardest? Definitely!

Keep at it 👍

 

[sgtbrushes]

I can't believe how much time and money I wasted in these past few months...

I understand where you're coming from, but don't sweat it. I am 24 years old and have 17 college credits. You're doing fine.

 

[RavensDefense]

Oh I can definitely agree with you on that. I was simply saying that mathematically I am still capable of bringing my GPA up quite a bit.

I thought after the first couple semesters of not getting straight A's, "oh well I'll just work my ass off and get a 4.0 next semester." Next semester has never come. And I'm realizing now that it's just very difficult for me to pull that off, I simply don't have the ability right now to get an A in all of my classes. I can study very hard and do well in one class, but that leaves me lagging a bit in others, just the way it is. Until I learn some way to study faster and retain information better, that won't change.

So no, you're not being discouraging, I appreciate your input. Sugar-coating is the last thing I need, I actually deserve a round-house kick to the face at this point. You 100% correct, based on my previous performance there is no way I should just count on a 4.0 the rest of the way.

 

[womp]

I am in my 3rd year. All of these classes, especially gen chem 2 are pre-reqs for a lot of other classes in my biochem major (along with being med school pre-reqs). Since I won't be able to move on to other classes until I finish this class, I'm pretty much behind an entire semester. I can't believe how much time and money I wasted in these past few months....

So when do you plan to take Ochem now? I was surprised to read that you are already 3rd year. Most people I know take gen chem first year (or get AP credit). What classes did you take your first two years that got you such a low GPA?

I assume your biochem major would also require at least one biochem course? Your 4th year is going to be brutal if you are trying to do upper-level courses to complete your major as well as finish gen chem and physics.

At my undergrad, the biochem major requires a year of pchem too. Ochem, Biochem, Pchem and physics all in one year would simply be asking for more withdrawals. Not sure about your school, but nevertheless, the point is that your classes are only going to be harder so it's a mighty tall order to expect 4.0 from here on out.

Edit: so you still have Gen Chem 2, Physics 2 and Biochem left? I guess that's not too bad.

 

[RavensDefense]

At my university we take Gen Chem 1, Orgo1 +2, Gen chem 2. In that order.

The grades which have brought me down are a C in Orgo 2 and a C in Calc 2.

 

[apumic]

How do you figure that? I think it would easily go above a 3.5 if I somehow managed 4.0 the rest of the way. I would have to bust out the calculator and count up all the credits and grades and everything. But as a junior in the fall semester, (who will have to essentially repeat this entire semester) I pretty much have ~50 still to go. There is room to go significantly up or down there.

If you have 70 of 120 units and a 3.25, that means perfect grades would put you at 3.56, which is still quite a bit below the average of 3.65 (about 0.5 SD below). Basically, you need to do extremely well from here on out and then do above average on the MCAT. The average acceptee has about a 31 on the MCAT or the ~84th percentile. Since you will be ~0.1 below the average if you get perfect grades, you would likely need a minimum of a 32 MCAT to be competitive at low to mid tier schools.

Basically, you've got a long road ahead of you and it'll be tough but it IS doable. You simply need to get your butt in gear and get moving. Good luck!

 

[Global Warming]

Oh I can definitely agree with you on that. I was simply saying that mathematically I am still capable of bringing my GPA up quite a bit.

I thought after the first couple semesters of not getting straight A's, "oh well I'll just work my ass off and get a 4.0 next semester." Next semester has never come. And I'm realizing now that it's just very difficult for me to pull that off, I simply don't have the ability right now to get an A in all of my classes. I can study very hard and do well in one class, but that leaves me lagging a bit in others, just the way it is. Until I learn some way to study faster and retain information better, that won't change.

So no, you're not being discouraging, I appreciate your input. Sugar-coating is the last thing I need, I actually deserve a round-house kick to the face at this point. You 100% correct, based on my previous performance there is no way I should just count on a 4.0 the rest of the way.

I was in the same situation at the start of college b/c I goofed off in HS and didn't possess any of the study habits required for college level courses. Needless to say, I was thrown in the pool and had to learn to swim...fast.

I do not know how you currently study, but from my experience, I can tell you that you need to be using the majority of your time studying. When I was a freshman, an upperclassman said," if you want to go to medical school, don't have a life". I have stood by this quote for 3 years and finally feel able to balance school & fun. However, let me tell you, the past 3 years has been full-on studying without much fun mixed in. I'm studying for the MCAT now and feel extremely burnt out at times. SDN people provide me with encouragement that can be found nowhere else. So I hope that I can pay-it-forward by perhaps giving you a bit of encouragement.

 

[icalz]

Doctor's note = Golden ticket to the Willy Wonka factory of excuses.

You're good to go!👍

Actually, to think about it...that's why I want to be a doctor. So I can write Doctor's notes and sell them on the black market.

Lol...I wonder if you could sell them on ebay....?

 

[Global Warming]

Lol...I wonder if you could sell them on ebay....?

Of course. Haven't you heard?

Ebay is the new vehicle for drug trafficing and money laundering. Well in this case, illegal doctor notes. 6 months ago, I started purchasing my stash from Ebay auctions.

Lot of 5 eight balls - Buy it Now: $69.99.

 

[futureboy]

OP, I was wondering if you actually did the paperwork to process the withdrawals? You don't want to miss the deadline...

 

[chessknt]

Err, if I were reading your "excuse" for withdrawing from those 3 classes and I saw you got a B and an A in the other two, I would be confused/suspicious. You were so sick you couldnt do physics and chemistry, but you could still do spanish?

 

[njbmd]

Hi there. I'm making this post to get some advice on what to do moving forward.

Bassically I went to school this entire semester for no reason. I failed all of my important classes and I am going to withdraw... here is my schedule.

Cell Bio- W
Physics 1- W
Gen Chem 2- W
Spanish- ~B
Gen Chem 2 Lab- ~A/B

My reasoning is that I caught bronchitis mid way through the semester and this caused me to miss a few weeks of school and I was unable to catch up. In truth however, I really did get sick and miss classes, but it was my own procrastination and bad study habits which caused this. Will my sickness excuse hold up, considering I do have documentation and everything?

I have a 3.25 GPA so far, what does this absolute fail of a semester do for my transcript?

If you W the sciences in your transcript in the manner that you have illustrated above, you need to W the Spanish too. Otherwise, it's going to look as if you can't cut the pre-med courses and bailed with Ws to avoid a poor grade. If you were too sick to do Chem, Physics and Cell Bio, then you were too sick to do Spanish.

When you have a string of Ws in one semester and you claim illness, you can't pick and choose the courses especially since all of the ones that you were too "sick" to complete are pre-med courses. Also, be aware that you can't use the W thing for any more semesters. If you keep getting too "sick" to complete coursework, you are likely going to be "too sick" for medical school.

Multiple withdrawals are going to "red flag" you anyway. You might as well make them look somewhat creditable.

 

[bannie22]

oh god, and i thought it was going to be something of a thread that discusses our horrible semesters this year!

u beat me though, i dropped 3 too, but before the drop date.

i dont think you should worry too much, schools do not place much negative emphasis on Ws

 

[njbmd]

oh god, and i thought it was going to be something of a thread that discusses our horrible semesters this year!

u beat me though, i dropped 3 too, but before the drop date.

i dont think you should worry too much, schools do not place much negative emphasis on Ws

Don't "bet the farm" on this. With applicaitons up and many that are excellent, those Ws might "bite" you. Presented with a string of Ws verses and an excuse, versus a student who performed excellently throughout undergraduate with no Ws, we are going to pick the no W student.

 

[jvesco22]

If you W the sciences in your transcript in the manner that you have illustrated above, you need to W the Spanish too. Otherwise, it's going to look as if you can't cut the pre-med courses and bailed with Ws to avoid a poor grade. If you were too sick to do Chem, Physics and Cell Bio, then you were too sick to do Spanish.

When you have a string of Ws in one semester and you claim illness, you can't pick and choose the courses especially since all of the ones that you were too "sick" to complete are pre-med courses. Also, be aware that you can't use the W thing for any more semesters. If you keep getting too "sick" to complete coursework, you are likely going to be "too sick" for medical school.

Multiple withdrawals are going to "red flag" you anyway. You might as well make them look somewhat creditable.

extremely good point that no one mentioned. OP good luck with that. But as everyone said W > F, no matter what.