I am a rising sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin. I have a 3.3 GPA. My freshman year was horrible, I made a C+ in Calc I, dropped Calc II in the spring semester. I just finished taking calc II at a community college and made a C. I am feeling pretty hopeless now, seeing a C at a community college. Any advice? Thanks
Feeling pretty down
- Thread starter NNPham
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Dust yourself off and keep going. Freshman year is hard for many people and it can take time to adjust. Plus, calc sucks. You have plenty of time to turn things around. Enjoy the summer and hit the ground running sophomore year
D
deleted303591
No, your chances are not over, but you have to change your study strategies.
A chemical engineer from UT-Austin created the Guaranteed 4.0 plan. There is also a book about the plan that you can get off of amazon.com.
Guaranteed 4.0 consists of Bullet Point Reading (BPR) (book notes), Bullet Point Notes (BPN) (class and professor-provided notes), and Bullet Point Corrections (BPC) (corrected graded material, that you correct in bullet point form).
Basically you have a binder for each class, with dividers with sections for BPR, BPN, and BPC.
Bullet Point Reading (BPR):
* BPR Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYsuN6VYHpU
* BPR Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuYsaL5o5VM
Bullet Point Notes (BPN):
* BPN Your Professor's Notes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiikL3MZ3c
* Streamlining your BPN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IujUC6tla1U
Bullet Point Corrections (BPC):
* Bullet points, 3-5 words, of graded material, put in chronological order, in your binder, in the BPC section
____________________________________________________
Equation Notetaking (Breaking down equations for bullet point reading and Bullet Point Notes):
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j1BpAV31xY
Finding Your Seat:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS9APjZ5qhY
Stress Relieving Activities:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nHxISOj0e4
Staying Awake in Class (LOL):
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTF4YRWUryo
________________________
Also take a look at How to Become a Straight A Student, but use this in conjunction with Guaranteed 4.0, if you chose to do both. You will not like the amount of work required for the Guaranteed 4.0 plan, but you have a Guaranteed 4.0 if you do a bunch of work (and practice problems, from books, in addition-which I recommend, if you are an engineering/science major).
If you have a phone, use this as a tool as a timer, but turn of the Internet. When it is time to work on school work, you put your phone on airplane mode (and don't play games!).
Also, if your pencil is not moving, you are not learning.
A chemical engineer from UT-Austin created the Guaranteed 4.0 plan. There is also a book about the plan that you can get off of amazon.com.
Guaranteed 4.0 consists of Bullet Point Reading (BPR) (book notes), Bullet Point Notes (BPN) (class and professor-provided notes), and Bullet Point Corrections (BPC) (corrected graded material, that you correct in bullet point form).
Basically you have a binder for each class, with dividers with sections for BPR, BPN, and BPC.
Bullet Point Reading (BPR):
* BPR Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYsuN6VYHpU
* BPR Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuYsaL5o5VM
Bullet Point Notes (BPN):
* BPN Your Professor's Notes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiikL3MZ3c
* Streamlining your BPN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IujUC6tla1U
Bullet Point Corrections (BPC):
* Bullet points, 3-5 words, of graded material, put in chronological order, in your binder, in the BPC section
____________________________________________________
Equation Notetaking (Breaking down equations for bullet point reading and Bullet Point Notes):
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j1BpAV31xY
Finding Your Seat:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS9APjZ5qhY
Stress Relieving Activities:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nHxISOj0e4
Staying Awake in Class (LOL):
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTF4YRWUryo
________________________
Also take a look at How to Become a Straight A Student, but use this in conjunction with Guaranteed 4.0, if you chose to do both. You will not like the amount of work required for the Guaranteed 4.0 plan, but you have a Guaranteed 4.0 if you do a bunch of work (and practice problems, from books, in addition-which I recommend, if you are an engineering/science major).
If you have a phone, use this as a tool as a timer, but turn of the Internet. When it is time to work on school work, you put your phone on airplane mode (and don't play games!).
Also, if your pencil is not moving, you are not learning.
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I'm a special case and I don't encourage you to follow my bad example, but I got in with three Fs, a D, and more Cs than I can remember. The game isn't over for you yet. Hit the rest of your classes hard and you'll be fine.
Not sure what kind of answer exactly are you looking for - is a C+/C going to hurt your chances at a med school? It sure ain't going to get you where a 4.0 will get you, but is your case hopeless? Not by a long shot unless you keep bring yourself down with minor setbacks, or did some lawbreaking that gets you a misdemeanor charge.
I'd imagine plenty of students with grades of C gets into med school, so like the previous poster said, get yourself back together and wipe the negativity off your mind. And don't come back with the same issue - learn from your setbacks and be independent on your pursuit. Good luck to all of us!
D
deleted303591
Yes.
Look at the non-trad forums. There are success stories everywhere.
But, you need to step up your game when it comes to studying.
Things could be far worse than a 3.3 GPA. Calc isn't even a pre-req for most med schools, although as a math class, it will count against your BCPM GPA.
You could easily boost your GPA to 3.6+ come your senior year.
You could easily boost your GPA to 3.6+ come your senior year.
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Don't let it pre-occupy you. I know, prolly easier to say than actually do. If it is what you want, then be persistent and think long term. Keep trying to up your game academically. Sacrifice your free time to work on your studies. If you are willing to work hard, you will be able to overcome worse.
Nice comeback Chip! My experience was similar but I don't know if it was quite so...dramatic 🙂. NNPham, it's do-able so don't spend too much time on what cannot be changed and make plans for future success. 🙂
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You managed to get away with a 3.3! That's not bad... there are plenty of people with sub 3.0 GPAs that are a lot further along than you posting on these boards trying to figure out how they are going to get in. You need to identify where you are going wrong (are you cramming or studying consistently?) and then fix it! You can demonstrate a solid upward trend and get that GPA up, don't be discouraged.
Survivor DO
Survivor DO
Since you're still early in your undergrad career, you have time to raise your GPA if you can do very well. You have a shot at both.
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You're lucky, I've got 3 Cs and an F, and I'm in my semi-final year(s); As long as you don't get an F, it should be all good.
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i started with about a 3.3 after my first year as well. did decently after that and made it in. don't lose hope, just reevaluate your study strategies and study smart. do practice questions and spend a lot of time with TAs and professors if you can (office hours are great)
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I got a C+ in one of my classes. I retook it and got a B! I don't think it will really matter that much if the rest of your grades are good. We all have something we suck at. I think AMCAS averages grades if you retake the class. You can do it!
You should do that regardless.
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Lots of people struggle freshman year. I did, too, and you have a higher GPA than I did. Short of cheating, there is very little you can do as a freshman to torch your chances. Dust yourself off, as someone else said, focus on taking classes you really enjoy for a semester or two, and then get back in the game.
There is no magical path to med school that you have to follow. After struggling as a freshman, I spent an entire year taking light loads of classes I loved that were mostly history/poli sci/anthropology stuff. After that, I was much more energetic for chem and bio when I got around to taking them.
There is no magical path to med school that you have to follow. After struggling as a freshman, I spent an entire year taking light loads of classes I loved that were mostly history/poli sci/anthropology stuff. After that, I was much more energetic for chem and bio when I got around to taking them.
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Use google calendars the trick to getting straight A's is time managment/getting good at using schedules.
if you can manage your time effectively you can acheive alot.
if you can manage your time effectively you can acheive alot.
Yes, agree
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Good advice, actually. GC is how I made it through med school.
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Thats good to hear! tell me, how was your experience? was it ridiculously rigorous and overwhelming or were you able to maintain a good balance using GC?
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Are you sure? I didn't get anything :/
5
558363
Honestly, you're fine. I had a worse freshman year than you. You have plenty of years to raise that GPA. And it's not like you even have to get straight As from here on out. You have many semesters ahead - I'm not saying that it's okay for you to still be getting Cs, but as long as you learn from the mistakes you have made or what went wrong and seek to improve yourself, everything will work out. Tbh haha, I would rather trade positions with you just so I could be a sophomore again. Don't even worry - have fun and enjoy college.
If you couldn't handle any coursework, try and make schedules that have an equal number of hard and easy classes so you're not swamped with work.
Also, if your goal is to get into a MD or a DO school, and you don't really have any preferences or aspirations to attain only a prestigious top 10, then just relax, work hard, and you'll get accepted one day.
If you couldn't handle any coursework, try and make schedules that have an equal number of hard and easy classes so you're not swamped with work.
Also, if your goal is to get into a MD or a DO school, and you don't really have any preferences or aspirations to attain only a prestigious top 10, then just relax, work hard, and you'll get accepted one day.
Well I am a Texas resident so I would like to get into a medical school in state and preferably a MD school.
5
558363
You'll definitely get in. The fact that you made a thread and are willing to be accountable and seek advice as to how to avoid having future academic difficulties shows that you are a person that can and will improve over the next several years.
Thank you for your words, I'm feeling hopeful.
And iforget2, check now. I think I PM'd you lol
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Great post, great advice!
