Going through a crisis

[bananibau5]

So I had a rough first semester of college took 14.5 credits

A in a Freshman survey which doesn't count to GPA
C in Math
C+ in Psychology
C+ in Chemistry
C in a honors college seminar class (the teacher forgot to put in my final but they haven't changed it on my transcript yet)

2.18 GPA

This semester looks to be a lot better if things progress as they are

A in Sociology
A in Computer Science and Engineering
B+ in Chemistry
B+ in Math
A in honors college seminar class

Closer to like a 3.6 GPA

My question is do those C's at the top there kill my chances of going to med school, should I quit and start considering other options idk what to do with my life right now ive been focused on just getting this semester up but I don't wanna stay premed if I don't have a shot at it

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[Terror Billy]

While it will make your march towards a higher GPA harder, it certainly will not limit you. One bad semester will not define you to medical schools, if you maintain a 3.7+ from here on out, and make sure you get As in the science classes you will be fine.

Really try hard to earn As in your bio, chem, math, phys classes. Those core requirements are important and compose a huge part of your sGPA.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Just fix your academic issues, find better study habits, consult your schools learning center for test-taking tips/time management advice. Freshman year sucks for everyone, and things only get easier as you go.

Don't get lazy, and you'll be fine. I was sitting at ~ a 3.5 freshman year because Calc kicked my butt. Once I got into taking mostly bio courses 3rd and 4th year however I nailed a ton of 4.0 quarters with some hard work and ended on ~ a 3.9.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Bad freshman years are really common. Dont worry about it. I ended freshman year with a 2.8 or something like that. I got a B- in calc 1, C in Gen Chem, and straight up failed Bio 2 (among other lackluster grades). Just do better in the future, be sure to have strong showings in future science classes, and do well on the MCAT to show youve mastered the material.

 

[bananibau5]

Thanks so much for your guys's responses, I know I need to do better and thankfully I am I was just worried that the abysmal semester I had was going to kill any chances at med school for me. Thanks for the support again

 

[DRsmartypants]

It will be hard, but not impossible, I had a 1.93 my first semester, and ended my freshman year with a 2.89, and I ended junior year with a 3.6 after literally getting 3.9-4.0s both sophmore year and junior year, and taking 18-20 credits every semester. It can be done, a low freshman GPA does not exclude you, if anything it should motivate you. I had to learn more, learn better, be better in every aspect of my life to get into medical school after that happened and I am happy it happened, it definitely made me a better doctors down the road because I learned how to take a huge hit and not give up. I learned to take criticism and I learned to adapt. I also learn't the benefit of bouncing back after working hard, seeing the fruits of my work. Do your best, don't get down, keep moving forward. There is always a chance in situations like this that you won't get in during cylce I, don't think about it, even if you have to do a Post-bacc or SMP, you can make it, and if you put in any similar work ethic that I did, you can definitely have a 3.6 at least. A 3.6, high MCAT, good ECs with such a strong upward trend will get you into most top 50 schools, can definitely get you an interview at some top 20 schools if you ECs are really good.

 

[superbaz]

So I know this is a different account but I forgot my password and what not so I had to make a new one quick update:


So I managed to screw it up again, bombed my midterm in Gen Chem II, I held study groups, went to office hours, put in countless hours of studying and everything and got a horrible grade (less than 50) at this point my best hopes are for a C- and a very generous curve in the class to even pull a "B" (class is supposedly curved to the average and I was about 12 points below it). Not sure what to do at this point, all my grades are gonna be A's except for chem which I assume is going to look bad on my Med school application. Even Calc II after I took the latest midterm is looking up all but this one class, its too late to drop and take a W and given the trend there is a chance I finish with an E (same as F depending on school). Any suggestions?

 

[P0ke]

So I know this is a different account but I forgot my password and what not so I had to make a new one quick update:


So I managed to screw it up again, bombed my midterm in Gen Chem II, I held study groups, went to office hours, put in countless hours of studying and everything and got a horrible grade (less than 50) at this point my best hopes are for a C- and a very generous curve in the class to even pull a "B" (class is supposedly curved to the average and I was about 12 points below it). Not sure what to do at this point, all my grades are gonna be A's except for chem which I assume is going to look bad on my Med school application. Even Calc II after I took the latest midterm is looking up all but this one class, its too late to drop and take a W and given the trend there is a chance I finish with an E (same as F depending on school). Any suggestions?

Since its past the drop date, all you can do is try your best and hope there's a good curve.

 

[CHoge25]

So I know this is a different account but I forgot my password and what not so I had to make a new one quick update:


So I managed to screw it up again, bombed my midterm in Gen Chem II, I held study groups, went to office hours, put in countless hours of studying and everything and got a horrible grade (less than 50) at this point my best hopes are for a C- and a very generous curve in the class to even pull a "B" (class is supposedly curved to the average and I was about 12 points below it). Not sure what to do at this point, all my grades are gonna be A's except for chem which I assume is going to look bad on my Med school application. Even Calc II after I took the latest midterm is looking up all but this one class, its too late to drop and take a W and given the trend there is a chance I finish with an E (same as F depending on school). Any suggestions?

Do as well as you can, and doing some grade replacement and D.O route may be a good option for you. Too early to tell though, keep working hard

 

[Cookiess]

Bad grades during your freshman year can be overcome if you do well during the rest of your college career. Medical schools can see your year-to-year GPA trend. You'll reduce their doubts about your academic background if you finish the rest of your college career with a strong upward trend.

However, the important thing is to ensure your bad grades do not continue into your sophomore and junior years. Re-evaluate your study methods. Sometimes it's not a matter of how many hours you're putting in but rather whether you're comprehending the material on a conceptual level. Students could re-read lecture slides and do well on practice problems, but end up struggling with exams because they haven't been grasped the concepts well enough to apply to new situations and sometimes more challenging scenarios on exams. Try forming study groups with other students. TA's are another great resource and you can try asking your professor/TA to go over complex practice questions during office hours.

If it's a mental block where you feel like your not so great performance during freshman year will hinder you, remind yourself that you can overcome this. As many of the other posters have reiterated, doing well the rest of your undergraduate career can help you overcome your not so great start.

 

[superbaz]

So I know you guys are probably tired of me posting stuff on here but apparently they gave me the wrong grade for the midterm and I actually got a B+ on it, which I'm pretty proud of, thanks again for all the support you guys have shown

 

[Mad Jack]

Relax, continue doing well, and you're in good shape. One semester does not an application ruin.

 

[theimplication]

Adjusting to college is difficult for many. It certainly was for me. Just keep working hard and show a strong upward trend, and you'll be fine!