First year done, need advice

[damitusbrown]

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I finished my first year at Boston College and it was really stressful. Coming from a really bad high school, General chemistry, Biology and Calculus were really difficult courses for me. Not only did I have difficult professors, but I also had to compete against my really prepared classmates who already took the classes in HS and scored 5's on them. (I ended up dropping Calculus and plan on retaking). With all the hard work I put in, I ended up with a 3.2 science gpa and a 3.1 cumulative gpa. I received a low cumulative gpa because my subjective drawing teacher gave me a B- on my final art project because it did not suite his taste. I took 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of biology and 1 semester of anatomy. Although being African America benefits your application, I do not want to rely on it to get me into Medical school.

My question is: Will classes become "fair" my second year of college. I noticed that a lot of my classmates did not study as much as I did because they were already exposed to the material in high school (some claiming that it was more challenging in high school)?

Also, will it look bad if my science gpa is higher than my cumulative gpa ie: 3.5 sgpa 3.3 cgpa?

And does the B- I received in Drawing matter? I emailed the Dean and im hoping to get it resolved but will this be worth it, especially because my art teacher is really stubborn?

 

[235788]

I finished my first year at Boston College and it was really stressful.(1) Coming from a really bad high school, General chemistry, Biology and Calculus were really difficult courses for me. Not only did I have difficult professors, but I also had to compete against my really prepared classmates who already took the classes in HS and scored 5's on them. (I ended up dropping Calculus and plan on retaking). With all the hard work I put in, I ended up with a (2) 3.2 science gpa and a 3.1 cumulative gpa. I received a low cumulative gpa because my subjective drawing teacher gave me a B- on my final art project because it did not suite his taste. I took 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of biology and 1 semester of anatomy. Although being African America benefits your application, I do not want to rely on it to get me into Medical school.

My question is: (3) Will classes become "fair" my second year of college. I noticed that a lot of my classmates did not study as much as I did because they were already exposed to the material in high school (some claiming that it was more challenging in high school)?

(4) Also, will it look bad if my science gpa is higher than my cumulative gpa ie: 3.5 sgpa 3.3 cgpa?

(5) And does the B- I received in Drawing matter? I emailed the Dean and im hoping to get it resolved but will this be worth it, especially because my art teacher is really stubborn?

1) This is a very poor excuse. I'm sure there were plenty who did not take AP and score a 5 who also got a/a- grades in the class. You're doing something wrong. Who cares if they were prepared better than you, or worked less. You're going to be around these people forever... so just get used to them now. If you require more time to understand concepts, spend the extra time.

2) Yeah, you'll definitely want to get this up.

3) Nope. Smarter kids will always wreck the curve and perform at very high levels. Its your responsibility to take matters in your own hands and figure out what they're doing that you are not. Try studying a little more and doing other stuff less.

4) Well it won't help/hurt you, but that 3.3 will. Start looking into the DO option - just so you're aware that its available and a viable option for someone with a less than stellar gpa.

5) Nope. However, It's a 2.7 factored into your cum gpa = it hurts you.


All in all, do not blame others for your performance (its silly when you think about it). The first step to correcting this is admitting that the problem lies in something YOU do, and not because of the background of others. Only after you figure out what the problem is that you will correct it. Keep doing exactly what you're doing and you'll probably similar results. Make the correct changes and you're still in it.

 

[illegallysmooth]

I did fairly well my first semester, and fairly worse my second semester. I think this is because I took AP calc, bio and chem during high school and that helped me coast a bit during the first semester. I didn't expect it to get harder and it kinda smacked me in the face when it did.

So, with that said, yes the playing field might level out. However, here's some life advice: stop looking at things as if they are "unfair." It's not unfair. When you hit an obstacle, figure out how to do better and then do better. That is the only option if you want to get into med school. Despite everything you read on SDN, you aren't in competition with other students. You are in competition with yourself.

 

[damitusbrown]

@Holy FranZ
I understand what your saying however one thing I realized is that I always get B+'s on my exams because I miss 2-4 multiple choice questions. When I ask my classmates who who got A's, they tell me that they knew how to do it only because they remember it from high school. Same thing for chemistry. The reason i'm asking this is because my academic advisor told me that the reason why a lot of people dont do well in organic chemistry and high leveled biology classes is because it "new" material. I know that classes are difficult in the first place but wouldn't "retaking" a course gives you a severe advantage over someone who has never taken the course?

 

[kpcrew]

sounds like you need to study better
those other kids put in time earlier to learn the fundamentals so you need to spend your time catching up rather than comparing the relative difficulty of your classes with that of others classes. all of the prereqs are difficult to do well in and no one will give you any leeway for tough professors. studying for a longer period of time does not guarantee that you will retain information or understand the concepts. the curves tend to be easier in upper level courses but many people drop the pre-med track and many of those who stick with it end up not applying to medical school at all.

also, if you talk to upper classmen, you can find out which teachers you should avoid although the time slot you get for choosing classes probably won't be ideal.

 

[235788]

I understand what your saying however one thing I realized is that I always get B+'s on my exams because I miss 2-4 multiple choice questions. When I ask my classmates who who got A's, they tell me that they knew how to do it only because they remember it from high school. Same thing for chemistry. The reason i'm asking this is because my academic advisor told me that the reason why a lot of people dont do well in organic chemistry and high leveled biology classes is because it "new" material. I know that classes are difficult in the first place but wouldn't "retaking" a course gives you a severe advantage over someone who has never taken the course?

but i'm sure you're not the only person in the entire class who is "new" to the material. The kids who think the classes are a breeze are the minority.


as kpcrew said, they put in the time to get the material down. So mirror this, and put the time in.

 

[thesauce]

Honestly, I don't think you're in all that bad of shape. Just keep working hard on that GPA and don't skimp on the MCAT. You've got time to improve your situation.

 

[lobo.solo]

Yes, the fact that you went to a crappy high school matters-there is a bunch of studies on this. I understand your frustration, but don't focus your energy on what others did, work hard and give your best in anything that you do. Also, get help from the professor, I'd found that if you truly show interest in the subject matter they will perceive this and help you. Get tutoring if you need it. Don't worry about the drawing class, is not gonna kill you. Best of luck

 

[FattySlug]

All intro classes at university start from scratch anyway. All gen chem classes start by teaching you about atoms and mole as I recall. It doesn't matter if the other guy learned it in high school. If you are not good enough to get the material at the pace it being taught at college level then I doubt taking it before in high school makes a big difference.

For chem and physics what you need to do right now is to build a VERY solid understanding of the basic concepts. If you don't do this now you will suffer later because subsequent classes will require you to understand the material in previous semesters. Stop hoping for the classes to be "fair" later. It won't be "fair" if you have to compete with people who understand the basics while you don't.

Learn how to study better. The only AP class I took in high school was calculus and chem/ochem/physics never give me any problem.

 

[911 Turbo]

I finished my first year at Boston College and it was really stressful. Coming from a really bad high school, General chemistry, Biology and Calculus were really difficult courses for me. Not only did I have difficult professors, but I also had to compete against my really prepared classmates who already took the classes in HS and scored 5's on them. (I ended up dropping Calculus and plan on retaking). With all the hard work I put in, I ended up with a 3.2 science gpa and a 3.1 cumulative gpa. I received a low cumulative gpa because my subjective drawing teacher gave me a B- on my final art project because it did not suite his taste. I took 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of biology and 1 semester of anatomy. Although being African America benefits your application, I do not want to rely on it to get me into Medical school.

My question is: Will classes become "fair" my second year of college. I noticed that a lot of my classmates did not study as much as I did because they were already exposed to the material in high school (some claiming that it was more challenging in high school)?

Also, will it look bad if my science gpa is higher than my cumulative gpa ie: 3.5 sgpa 3.3 cgpa?

And does the B- I received in Drawing matter? I emailed the Dean and im hoping to get it resolved but will this be worth it, especially because my art teacher is really stubborn?

You didn't take biology and chemistry in high school?

I don't think you are in that bad shape considering your urm status. While you should always keep your options open is it definitely not time to start looking at DO schools (lol) as you have just finished your first year and you can raise your GPA significantly. Just get mostly As for the next few years, do some research, shadow some doctors, and volunteer somewhere and you will most likely be accepted MD.

 

[Revolver1045]

You didn't take biology and chemistry in high school?

I don't think you are in that bad shape considering your urm status. While you should always keep your options open is it definitely not time to start looking at DO schools (lol) as you have just finished your first year and you can raise your GPA significantly. Just get mostly As for the next few years, do some research, shadow some doctors, and volunteer somewhere and you will most likely be accepted MD.

This guy is right.

Personally, when I look back and think about it the only classes that were "hard" as an undergrad were class types that I previously has no experience in. O chem sticks out in my mind because thats unlike anything I learned before.

I took most of the sciences in high school, but once you're past bio 1 and chem 1 most bio and chem classes are like that just with newer material and in more detail (exceptions are below). From my experience bio is just lots of memorization. Material changes but preparing for the class stays the same. Chem is kind of sporadic. Biochem was pretty much a bio class so nothing new there and analytical/quantitative chem is like g chem but in more detail so not much new again. However, p Chem and o chem for me were a lot different than g Chem and thus harder since they're so different from other science courses you'll take.

From my experience the other outlier courses are physics and calc 2. Physics wasn't bad for me since I took it in high school, but for most it seemed like a trip. calc 2s on that list, but it's not required for med school so you might not take it.

All in all the classes you may need to focus on more are o chem, p chem, physics and calc 2. Everything else is similar in structure to bio 1 and chem 1. Now that you've taken them you know what the expectation is. I think you'll be ok if you take these past experiences and learn from them.

Keep in mind this is just my opinion based off of my experiences. Everyone's different. Just work hard man. Good luck.

 

[von Matterhorn]

You need to stop assigning blame elsewhere other than yourself. I did crappily in college, relatively to SDN, but it was MY fault. I never did AP classes in HS, but it didn't hinder me. Only my crappy study habits did. You'll realize a significant amount of A students in college aren't that smart, they just study a lot. You need to do the same.

 

[Chir0nex]

Classes become "fairer" in that the material in high level courses was not covered in HS, but by the same token all of it builds from the basic courses, so a lack of understanding of basic concepts will come back to hurt you.

I can appreciate that transitioning from HS to college can be very difficult. However, that excuse will not get you very far, especially past your first year. You need to develop a study system, keeping in mind that amount of time spent studying does not relate directly to results. In other words, study smart, not hard. Figure out what environments, techniques, and styles help you learn best and use them.

Alternately, consider spreading out your sciences courses a little more. Avoid taking bio+chem at the same time (or Orgo+physics since that is upcoming). Learning to manage your class schedule is a huge help as far as having enough time to learn material.

Finally, don't panic too much. While you didn't have the best year, you have 3 more to fix it. Tons of people have problems as freshmen and then show great improvement as upperclassmen. The key is to learn from the mistakes you already made.

 

[damitusbrown]

Im not blaming anyone, i'm just disappointed that even with a lot of studying, I never got A's on my science exams. When I went to office hours to speak to my bio teacher on why I always received B's and B+'s and she pointed out that I was always got the "analysis" multiple choice questions wrong. She claims that she sets her exams up so that knowing the material well will get you at least a C+, and that there isn't a way to study for the analysis questions and it "came with experience"... Same with chemistry, after studying me butt off and understanding the material conceptually, there would always be a few questions I couldn't answer because they were really tricky and most people who see that sort of problem for the first time make the same error I made. Our chemistry professor was notorious for using those kinds of questions and the people who got those questions right refer back to their high school AP teachers where they were asked a similar question. I remember on the first day of class when my professor asked for a show of hands on all the people who have taken the AP course in high school, I was shocked that I was the only one of the few students who never took it. The courses were soo ridiculous and fast paced that we begun with 300 students and ended up with 170 by the 3rd exam... I know that working hard and having good studying habits help, but with the way I did it, I feel that I did the best I could.

 

[Neurosis]

just keep telling yourself "it could always be worse" and move on. That's how I dealt with my crappy 3.4 freshman gpa.

read the bold words especially. And really, it was one art class. unless you're going to be taking more humanities and art courses, subjectivity in actual work/answers is going to be lacking (unless you get a prof who hates you).

 

[235788]

Im not blaming anyone, i'm just disappointed that even with a lot of studying, I never got A's on my science exams. When I went to office hours to speak to my bio teacher on why I always received B's and B+'s and she pointed out that I was always got the "analysis" multiple choice questions wrong. She claims that she sets her exams up so that knowing the material well will get you at least a C+, and that there isn't a way to study for the analysis questions and it "came with experience"... Same with chemistry, after studying me butt off and understanding the material conceptually, there would always be a few questions I couldn't answer because they were really tricky and most people who see that sort of problem for the first time make the same error I made. Our chemistry professor was notorious for using those kinds of questions and the people who got those questions right refer back to their high school AP teachers where they were asked a similar question. I remember on the first day of class when my professor asked for a show of hands on all the people who have taken the AP course in high school, I was shocked that I was the only one of the few students who never took it. The courses were soo ridiculous and fast paced that we begun with 300 students and ended up with 170 by the 3rd exam... I know that working hard and having good studying habits help, but with the way I did it, I feel that I did the best I could.

thats a load of bs. A question has a right or wrong answer that relates to the material, not experience.

I'd imagine you mean questions that require application of material -- which are the ones that kill the students who just memorize facts without getting the bigger picture.

Welcome to reality. College prep schooled kids are going to wreck you -- so do what you have to do the level the playing field (study 2x more if thats what it means).

Well it looks like you beat out a lot of hte AP students. So that can't be the reason then....

 

[ScholarStud]

but i'm sure you're not the only person in the entire class who is "new" to the material. The kids who think the classes are a breeze are the minority.


as kpcrew said, they put in the time to get the material down. So mirror this, and put the time in.

ALSO keep in mind almost all of them are lying. A lot of the students who talk about how little they study and how easy the classes are identify their sense of self-worth 100% with how smart they are. If it means lying and compromising their integrity to make you feel like **** and to make themselves feel good, they will do it.

 

[Neurosis]

ALSO keep in mind almost all of them are lying. A lot of the students who talk about how little they study and how easy the classes are identify their sense of self-worth 100% with how smart they are. If it means lying and compromising their integrity to make you feel like **** and to make themselves feel good, they will do it.

I'm not so sure this is entirely accurate. it seems like some people are just naturally inclined in the subject and at the level they're being tested they aren't being challenged.

 

[NightGod]

When I went back to school two years ago, it had been 19 years since I had graduated high school, so the AP classes I had taken then hardly mattered (I honestly barely remember the names of the teachers I had then, let alone what subject matter we covered-most of it is outdated at this time, anyway). I've gotten straight As since I returned. Don't use your lack of previous classes as a crutch for explaining the grades you do or don't get-own every one of them and, if you aren't getting As, find what your weaknesses are and fix them. When your packet is sitting in front of an Adcom, they're not going to be asking themselves what the kids who took AP classes in high school got in comparison to you, they're going to be looking at what your grades are.

 

[TriagePreMed]

4) Well it won't help/hurt you, but that 3.3 will. Start looking into the DO option - just so you're aware that its available and a viable option for someone with a less than stellar gpa.

Too soon, brah. Too soon.

 

[Neurosis]

Too soon, brah. Too soon.

don't you know? anything less than a 4.0 freshman GPA warrants the consideration of DO/Carib

 

[kpcrew]

chances are, most people are working just as hard as you. an A should indicate complete mastery of the material and it is earned by the top students. a b- or so means that you're in the middle of the pack. you keep trying to justify your results by saying that other people had a hand up and that the tests were difficult but remember that a b+ is a decent grade and that not every genius goes to an ivy league school. if you think it's unfair that they've seen similar questions before, then go google "high school biology exams" and solve the questions to eliminate that perceived advantage or do the practice problems in the book. it will probably level out somewhat at the upper level courses but there is no such thing as "fair". since you've taken the same class, you should know the material now, but if you think that your intro classes are ridiculous and fast paced...

 

[235788]

Too soon, brah. Too soon.

its never too soon to know that option exists

 

[235788]

don't you know? anything less than a 4.0 freshman GPA warrants the consideration of DO/Carib

well if DO = MD, shouldn't he know about both? And make an informed choice between both. 🙄