First semester of freshman year is almost over... getting low grades

[FrustratedFreshman]

So I'm very disappointed in my first semester grades. So far I expect a B in bio, B in calculus, and a D+ in chemistry for this semester (I'm also taking piano lessons for another 2 credits and I have a B in that). I'm really worried that these low grades will make it much more difficult to get into medical school. I've also been having trouble socially and have started seeing a therapist. If I can pick things up a LOT do I still have a chance? I'm wondering because I know a lot of these classes are pre-med prereqs. Things are going much better later in the semester and my hope is that I can continue my upward trend.

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[Boolean]

So I'm very disappointed in my first semester grades. So far I expect a B in bio, B in calculus, and a D+ in chemistry for this semester (I'm also taking piano lessons for another 2 credits and I have a B in that). I'm really worried that these low grades will make it much more difficult to get into medical school. I've also been having trouble socially and have started seeing a therapist. If I can pick things up a LOT do I still have a chance? I'm wondering because I know a lot of these classes are pre-med prereqs. Things are going much better later in the semester and my hope is that I can continue my upward trend.

D+ this early on is going to certainly be something it takes something to bounce back from (especially so in Chemistry). Why did you not drop the course if you knew you were struggling in it?

 

[AspiringERMD]

So I'm very disappointed in my first semester grades. So far I expect a B in bio, B in calculus, and a D+ in chemistry for this semester (I'm also taking piano lessons for another 2 credits and I have a B in that). I'm really worried that these low grades will make it much more difficult to get into medical school. I've also been having trouble socially and have started seeing a therapist. If I can pick things up a LOT do I still have a chance? I'm wondering because I know a lot of these classes are pre-med prereqs. Things are going much better later in the semester and my hope is that I can continue my upward trend.

If this is a fluke, then absolutely.

But you have a lot to prove, and you need drastic improvement ASAP, so make sure you start getting as many As as humanly possible. Maybe take one fewer course next semester to help you continue to adjust to college and gain confidence in your abilities, then pick up the workload next year? And obviously, you'll need to retake chemistry.

 

[allantois]

Your chances are not doomed at this point.

 

[bioman1275]

should have studied harder. there are very few excuses for poor academic performance. Take school more seriously and retake Chem 1. Don't freak out about the grade though, the average test score at my school is D- with a curved grading scale, only like me and 3-4 other people made in the A-/A range. It isn't that hard of a class if you put the time in. Too many C's and D's will cross you out for good thought... That is unless you're an EXTREMELY special case.

 

[ProudMD]

should have studied harder. there are very few excuses for poor academic performance. Take school more seriously and retake Chem 1. Don't freak out about the grade though, the average test score at my school is D- with a curved grading scale, only like me and 3-4 other people made in the A-/A range. It isn't that hard of a class if you put the time in. Too many C's and D's will cross you out for good thought... That is unless you're an EXTREMELY special case.

Agree with this. Figure out what went wrong this semester so you can start improving.

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

When I retake chemistry will they give more weight to the newer grade or will they average them out? Also this semester I'm taking chem 001. Next semester I'm taking chem 002. If I do better next semester (chem 002) can I just retake 001?

 

[bioman1275]

When I retake chemistry will they give more weight to the newer grade or will they average them out? Also this semester I'm taking chem 001. Next semester I'm taking chem 002. If I do better next semester (chem 002) can I just retake 001?

retake it. They will take the better of the two grades for your cGPA and your AMCAS GPA will take both into account. but the good news is they do weighing by year I.e. freshman year is weighted the least, senior them most.

In my opinions Gen Chem 2 was easier than 1, lab was 10x harder though. Like I have a 96 test average in lecture and the best I can do is a 75 in lab.

 

[Pierre Escargot]

When I retake chemistry will they give more weight to the newer grade or will they average them out? Also this semester I'm taking chem 001. Next semester I'm taking chem 002. If I do better next semester (chem 002) can I just retake 001?

If I'm not mistaken, AAMC (allopathic [MD] schools) considers them both, but AACOM (osteopathic [DO] schools) will take the better of the two grades.

And if you do poorly in chem 1 but well in chem 2, you can just retake chem 1.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

So I'm very disappointed in my first semester grades. So far I expect a B in bio, B in calculus, and a D+ in chemistry for this semester (I'm also taking piano lessons for another 2 credits and I have a B in that). I'm really worried that these low grades will make it much more difficult to get into medical school. I've also been having trouble socially and have started seeing a therapist. If I can pick things up a LOT do I still have a chance? I'm wondering because I know a lot of these classes are pre-med prereqs. Things are going much better later in the semester and my hope is that I can continue my upward trend.

I had some issues early and had almost the exact same first semester as you and have one interview so far at a top 50 school and had two others at mid tier schools. Your not doomed at this point, schools understand that the transition to college can be challenging. But you have to improve and keep your GPA high. Retake, improve, and turn it into a learning experience about your strengths and weaknesses. Its not good but hardly a closed casket.

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

How bad does taking a semester/year off look after you've already started? I have too much going on both inside and outside of school.

 

[bioman1275]

How bad does taking a semester/year off look after you've already started? I have too much going on both inside and outside of school.

Don't do that unless you absolutely have to. Because they will ask about it and you need to have a legitimate explanation other than "Lyfe iz hrad. YOLO."

In all seriousness though, don't skip a year unless you have to for family, medical or financial situations, it can only set you back.

 

[Goro]

Yes.

If I can pick things up a LOT do I still have a chance?

 

[EvenStevens]

Whatever you're doing that impeding on becoming a doctor is not worth it unless you're not serious about medicine then you can continue doing them. Either give them up or learn to manage them so your grades dont suffer

 

[Doug Underhill]

Don't worry, you can still get Ds and become a nurse practitioner and do everything a MD can do with half the debt.

You should probably pull that up if you're hellbent on going MD/DO though.

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

I might be able to pull the grade up to a C if I do well on my next exam and the final. I have only completed 3/5 exams for the course, and the final counts for a bit more. Would pulling the grade up to a C even help at this point or should I just give up and retake it next year?

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

AAMC (allopathic [MD] schools) considers all grades, but AACOM (osteopathic [DO] schools) will take the better of the two grades. Sometimes schools will not allow you to retake a class if you get a C. So the next steps may depend on whether you'd consider DO and what your school allows.

Personally, I think it's MUCH, much better to study well and do the best you can regardless of the MD / DO decision. Heck, you may not seriously consider a medical degree, but your gpa will matter regardless of what you do.

Last bit of warning: it's important to stay realistic about grades and not assume that "next semester you'll do better". If you can do better now, do it. If there's something preventing you from doing your best, work it out.

 

[Lucca]

If you can I would advise dropping Chem 1, taking the W and then retaking next semester and trying to do better in it. A D or C will hurt you more, in my opinion, than a single W. If you were not able to perform well on the first three chem exams I am skeptical you will be able to lift your grade up significantly on the last two, especially the final. Clutching is very rare in undergrad, in my experience

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

^Unfortunately I cannot drop the course at this point (the deadline was right before my third exam so I only had 2/5 exams to base my decision off of).

Thanks for commenting everyone, I would like to point out however that the question posed was not whether I CAN do better, it's if it would help me to do better these last few weeks. I have been doing MUCH better on the latest weekly quizzes (As and Bs). I think at this point I should try to get a C this semester and start of stronger next semester in chem 2. I will pre-study over the holiday break.

Also (obviously I'm not going to include this in my application and it's no excuse), but I did have a medical problem if you count depression... legitimate depression (actually diagnosed). I see a therapist weekly now and a psychiatrist from time to time. The extra anxiety of school induced more depression related issues. Part of why I'm doing better now is because I have talked to people about the depression and I have a lot more resources to deal with the depression and anxiety now. It's not entirely fair to say that my grade is purely a result of not studying/partying/laziness/etc. because when you have depression daily activities (such as studying) can be very difficult. Now, you might ask "well if your depression isn't allowing you to study how are you going to handle medical school or medicine in general?" The answer is simple, going into college my depression was left unchecked. I had seen a therapist every couple months and he told me to drink tea and do yoga and meditate (no joke) and these actually helped me a little, but not a whole lot. Now the depression actually has a clinical diagnosis and I have a lot of support to handle it. That's why I'm doing better now and that's why I will continue to do better in the future.

I'm not lazy and I have a genuine interest in science (especially biology). I'm not some pot-head party animal who "wantz to becomez doktor, yo". I know none of you used those exact words but that's the general impression I got.

 

[Pierre Escargot]

As you mentioned yourself, just get the best grade possible this semester and then hit the ground running next semester while continuing to see your therapist/psychiatrist so that your depression continues to improve and doesn't impede upon your studying anymore. Additionally, I might consider a retake of chem 1 at some point if necessary. You can turn this around, but it will take quite a bit of work.

If you're willing to put the work in, though, all is certainly not lost.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

Yeah, undiagnosed depression can be especially hard during the first semester. I have very good buddy who still struggles, but it's getting better. I'm sorry I had to force you to explain a bit more, but it helps to understand why improving your gpa is a very realistic goal. I'm glad you found the help you needed. Did you every speak your TA or professor to explain?

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

Yeah, undiagnosed depression can be especially hard during the first semester. I have very good buddy who still struggles, but it's getting better. I'm sorry I had to force you to explain a bit more, but it helps to understand why improving your gpa is a very realistic goal. I'm glad you found the help you needed. Did you every speak your TA or professor to explain?

No I don't think there's really anything they can do about it.

 

[FrustratedFreshman]

Hate to derail my own thread, but what are some good online study resources for chemistry? I've tried khan academy videos, but they go nowhere near in-depth as my professor/textbook.

 

[Lysinee]

Steve Smith: "Ice Up, Son"

 

[Herewego5]

Hate to derail my own thread, but what are some good online study resources for chemistry? I've tried khan academy videos, but they go nowhere near in-depth as my professor/textbook.

I feel like Khan Academy does a good job of explaining basic concepts in Chemistry that are necessary to wrap your head around before you dive into the more challenging/detailed stuff. When I took Chemistry my freshman year my professor gave us optional homework from our book. I'd do all of the problems and if I couldn't figure one out I would look through my book/google the question to see if I could get it and if I was still stuck I would go see my professor during their office hours to see if they could explain the questions I was struggling with. My professor always seemed happy to help me and she learned my name and would acknowledge me out and about. It's good to establish those relationships because you need two letters of recommendation from two hard science professors. Good luck bringing up those grades!!

 

[Chansey]

Do everything you can to turn that D into a C. Try to get at least B's in everything else.

Freshman year, I nearly failed General Chemistry. My sGPA that year was below 3.0.

I was recently accepted into a top-15 medical school.

You're lucky that your struggles happened freshman year. Medical schools are very forgiving of early mistakes as long as they see a strong upward trend.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

Hate to derail my own thread, but what are some good online study resources for chemistry? I've tried khan academy videos, but they go nowhere near in-depth as my professor/textbook.

Usually if you just throw a topic in youtube some legit tutorials should pop up.