First Semester = 2.0. I'm doomed, right?

[45408]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Oh, I didn't realize this forum has fallen to the maturity level of 4chan. 😴

If you already know what 4chan is and can make a comparison, you don't have much room to talk. Besides, SDN still has the moral high ground over that cesspit.

 

[45408]

Austin is a troll. He does not seriously believe that you need a 4.0 to be intelligent, he is probably not a premed, he is probably not even in college. He is that kid that was so unpopular that his dungeons and dragons club told him not to come by any more, and his World of Warcraft guild kicked him out, so now he logs into large forums like SDN to harass users so he can pass the the time until his Mom comes home. Normally he would have been banned way before he got to 50 posts, but it's nearly Christmas and the Mods aren't around. Ignore him and his commentary.

Oh, snap!

 

[coldweatherblue]

OP, if what you say is true and you got a 34 on the ACT, etc, then I would say that there definitely is hope. I know how it is to get into college and suddenly be able to spend your time however you want. There is a ton of fun stuff to do in college; clubs, parties, sports, friends, dating, etc. When I started undergrad I knew that I wanted to go to med school but at the same time there was no way that I was going to study other than before tests cause there were so many cool things to do. My first two years I had a BCMP GPA of around 3.1... not so good. I never took the classes seriously and it showed. So I realized that either I could either keep screwing up my GPA or I could take some time off. I ended up taking a year out (taught english in Prague) and it was the best thing I could do for my "pre-med" motivation. I had enough time to make new friends, go out with people, party, enjoy life in Europe, etc but at the same time it made me take my studies more seriously when I returned.

ANYWAY, my point is that you have a choice; you can either stop taking those science classes for a bit and have fun, party, get it out of your system, whatever; or you can buckle down and study. Don't try to take science classes if you know you won't commit to them because they will hurt you down the road. If you are a good test taker you will probably get a good MCAT score and that will help you a lot but it can't make up for a <3.0 BCMP GPA.

However, know that ADCOMs don't "overlook" anything and be prepared to justify your poor academic performance during your interview. The best way to do this is with a solid upward trend and a stellar MCAT; two things that are not exactly easy to achieve.

 

[CA0708]

Any chance that adcoms will try to overlook my first semester? I got straight C's (in Orgo I, Calc I and a German class, but I guess the classes don't really matter). Please tell me I'm not the first freshman to get too excited about college life/independence and f*** up first semester.

Also, since it's a prereq, do I have to retake Orgo I even if I get an A in Orgo II?

I am so discouraged. 😡 If I can't hack these classes, should I even bother with the whole premed thing anymore?

It's your first year in college all it will show is your immaturity; now, work towards showing them you are serious. Cut out all the BS and focus on your work. If you really want to be a physician, you will be one. "Never QUIT"

 

[da8s0859q]

Cut out all the BS and focus on your work.

Well, maybe some of the BS. Don't be like me and stick so much to the academics that you forget to enjoy the first few years of undergrad.

 

[madeinVEGAS]

wow...jumping into undergrad without taking the gen bios and gen chems because of AP...that must have been rough. Congrats for scoring that well on ur AP exams though and taking that many. Being that it's your first semester in college and you took some pretty difficult classes, i'm sure you'll do well in the future. Just curious though, do u have to take the general bio and chem courses because i know a lot if not all med schools don't accept AP credits for pre-req courses?

 

[novastorm]

Any chance that adcoms will try to overlook my first semester? I got straight C's (in Orgo I, Calc I and a German class, but I guess the classes don't really matter). Please tell me I'm not the first freshman to get too excited about college life/independence and f*** up first semester.

Also, since it's a prereq, do I have to retake Orgo I even if I get an A in Orgo II?

I am so discouraged. 😡 If I can't hack these classes, should I even bother with the whole premed thing anymore?

There is nothing to do here except do well and re-evaluate in a year or two. Then you will know for sure. Just remember 95% of students have the stats the you get in the MSAR, you can hope to be part of that 5%, but then your really chancing it. I think its time to just focus on doing WELL and getting a few semesters under your belt. ADCOM's are like wild animals you never quite know what they'll do.

 

[Maxprime]

In my day, I put together semester or two on that high level of excellence. What you need to do is the following:

1) Figure out whether or not you belong in college right now. I'm serious. If you're not that into it, don't clutter up your academic record with crappy grades. There's plenty to do outside of school, take a leave of absence - it shows maturity.

2) If you decide you want to stay in school, spend this break identifying and fixing your mistakes. C's happen from a lack of effort, not a lack of talent. If you can get into college and work your hardest, you will get B's. Don't get me wrong, hard-working, intelligent people can bomb a test and get a C in a class. But a semester full of C's means you're getting C's in non-science classes, which must change.

3) Keep your head up - many current physicians have done worse than that in one semester. I like to say, "Life kicks everyone in the balls sooner or later, maturity is what you do afterwards."

 

[Snake Doctor]

wow...jumping into undergrad without taking the gen bios and gen chems because of AP...that must have been rough. Congrats for scoring that well on ur AP exams though and taking that many. Being that it's your first semester in college and you took some pretty difficult classes, i'm sure you'll do well in the future. Just curious though, do u have to take the general bio and chem courses because i know a lot if not all med schools don't accept AP credits for pre-req courses?

I second that. I say hold off on chemistry and take other pre-reqs like English and Stats. You should take a year of Gen. Chem in a college environment because I wouldn't risk taking all off the courses only to be given the "we don't accept AP credits" statement a few years down the road. Check your PM.

 

[souslepont]

wow...jumping into undergrad without taking the gen bios and gen chems because of AP...that must have been rough. Congrats for scoring that well on ur AP exams though and taking that many. Being that it's your first semester in college and you took some pretty difficult classes, i'm sure you'll do well in the future. Just curious though, do u have to take the general bio and chem courses because i know a lot if not all med schools don't accept AP credits for pre-req courses?

Well, the policy of most schools is that you have to take a year of upper-level science for whatever you place out of. Since I plan on majoring in Biochem, I'll be taking a year of upper level biology (genetics and some other course, probably) and chemistry (analytical, inorganic, biochem, etc..). Also, since most schools require a full year of english, I'm taking a lit course I wouldn't have had to take otherwise. Other than that, I'm set - I'm taking calculus as we speak and taking calc-based physics next year.

 

[da8s0859q]

Also, since most schools require a full year of english, I'm taking a lit course I wouldn't have had to take otherwise.

Do check on this; it's probably school-specific, but "a year of english" may not always include lit classes beyond the typical introductory rhetoric/composition classes that are usually intended by "a year of english."

That said, western lit / British romantic lit were two of my more enjoyable non-science classes in undergrad.

 

[TheRealMD]

I would not focus on med school right now. You are a freshman. You have another 2.5 years ahead of you before you deal with med school apps. However, what you really need to focus on is why you got all C's in your first semester. Did you not apply yourself. Did you underestimate how much work was required? Did you ever make As on a test?

All Cs leads me to believe that there is a fundamental problem with your work and study ethic than any particular class. You need to learn to adjust to the situation in order to succeed. Just keep in mind that this is NOT high school where cramming gets you somewhere. I repeat, this is NOT high school.

Good luck. Merry Christmas.

 

[Timmythemic22]

If you already know what 4chan is and can make a comparison, you don't have much room to talk. Besides, SDN still has the moral high ground over that cesspit.

QFT.

Though I do love some of those quaint memes they create...