First Quarter of College - 2.3 GPA

[honeybio]

So my first quarter of undergrad just ended and out of the four classes I was taking I got a C in Bio and a D in Calculus (I got As in my other non-STEM classes). I'm retaking the Calculus class in order to replace the failing grade, but I can't retake the bio class since a C is considered passing. I completely know that it's no excuse, but I was going through a lot of personal issues at the same time this year (parent divorce, breakup, family death) and it threw me into a black hole of not caring about anything and slacking off. By the time I started to see a therapist for my mental and emotional health (around late November) it was too late to turn my grades around to be what I know they could have been if I had merely applied myself. I ended my first quarter of freshman year with a 2.3 GPA. I'm a strong student when I apply myself, and I believe that I can work toward bringing my GPA back up as I take more classes in the coming quarters because I'm now taking an active role in bettering my emotional health and it's 100% helping me in terms of motivation and productivity, but I'm fearful that I've already ruined my chances at dental school just from those two bad grades being on my transcript. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or reassurance in this scenario? Or have I completely ruined it for myself?

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[princeafrica]

So it is only your first quarter. Do not panic, your GPA is still fluid. You can use this now to your advantage. Schools like to see upward trend. For the next quarters keep improving your GPA. Schools will see this as "He/she started off low in college but learned to adapt and manage their time and overcame and improved every year".

I started off with a 3.0 which isn't as bad but I showed improvements each semester. Don't worry. Just try to get a 3.6+ each semester and you will be fine by the time you apply.

 

[Cthuluhoop]

Luckily, that C should be enough for the pre-req for all dental schools, so not retaking it shouldn't be a problem. 2.3 GPA isn't great, but you already know that.
It is hard to recover from a low GPA, but work your absolute butt off and have an upward trend and graduate with a decent GPA. You're so early in school that you have a lot of classes left to fix your GPA.
Those two grades will not make or break your dental school application and you haven't ruined your chance of getting in. But know what you're getting into, don't get anything below a B in any of your classes, set high goals and you'll be fine.

 

[Gordo014]

Relax. The most important thing is to realize WHY your grades were the way they were and it sounds like you realize that. Just focus on making changes and crushing everything the rest of the way.

I speak from experience - I had a 1.4 my first semester - I failed Gen Chem (don't ask me how, I still don't know wtf I was doing to this day), got a D in Bio and two C+s and I got accepted to my top choice this cycle. Granted, if you take out that first semester, my GPA by the end of undergrad was somewhere around a 3.92. It'll take a lot of hard work, but it's certainly more than doable.

 

[periopocket]

Your first semester of college has demanded an additional full year of college classes for gpa boost

 

[Alexanderite]

It's going to be okay. It's only your first term. Use this as a learning experience, and make sure that you are taking care of yourself.

I had a really hard time in calculus and physics in college and still made it into dental school.

It's hard to start off with a tough first semester, but you have 7 more to make things right and there are a lot of opportunities. The best thing you can do is try to think about it like you're starting from a clean slate.

If you do your best and work to secure a 3.4-3.5 you should be in a good position. Like the others have said an upward trend in your grades is a very positive thing to application commitees.

 

[Ameer24]

I had a 2.1 GPA at the end of my freshman year and got more than one acceptance this cycle without doing a postbacc. As long as your future grades show it was just a fluke you're fine.