GPA- Feeling discouraged

[Stressncoffee]

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Hey everyone!
Sorry in advance for the long post… I could just really use some advice. I'm kind of new I guess- I looked around on the forum a lot last year… Looking for encouragement and advice but haven't posted anything until now I'm a first semester sophomore who is currently premed considering either med school or PA school… Haven't decided yet. I had a very rough first semester, didn't adjust well at all, and received an incredibly disappointing 2 .67 gpa. I was able to pull it up to 2.9 by receiving a 3.08 the next semester. This semester I estimate receiving between a 3.3 and 3.5 GPA… Depending on Finals. That should get me to about a 3.05+ or - a little bit. I received Cs and calculus and chemistry and it appears that I may receive t I received sees and calculus and chemistry and it appears that I may receive a C in chem II The semester… It's possible I could get a B- but I'm just feeling very anxious about how I did on the final – we had to take the ACS and it was very difficult. Chemistry is a subject I really struggle with. and it was very difficult. It's possible I could get a B- but I'm just feeling very anxious about how I did on the final – I'm just really concerned it could bring down my grade. This will undoubtedly be my best semester so far and that is exciting to a certain extent but I also feel very discouraged that my GPA is still so low over all. I guess I'm just looking for a little bit of encouragement and or advice on how to deal with the stress. Do you think there's a chance I can still recover from this and go to him it's for PA school depending on what I decide is best for me? Am I really screwed? I know the grades are great but I really trying hard and medicine is something I want badly. I'd really appreciate any insight you could give – I was a great student in high school in these rooms have just been a huge blow to my ego, and they make me question my abilities of her all. it's very disheartening. Thanks so much!!

 

[AlteredScale]

Hey everyone!
Sorry in advance for the long post… I could just really use some advice. I'm kind of new I guess- I looked around on the forum a lot last year… Looking for encouragement and advice but haven't posted anything until now I'm a first semester sophomore who is currently premed considering either med school or PA school… Haven't decided yet. I had a very rough first semester, didn't adjust well at all, and received an incredibly disappointing 2 .67 gpa. I was able to pull it up to 2.9 by receiving a 3.08 the next semester. This semester I estimate receiving between a 3.3 and 3.5 GPA… Depending on Finals. That should get me to about a 3.05+ or - a little bit. I received Cs and calculus and chemistry and it appears that I may receive t I received sees and calculus and chemistry and it appears that I may receive a C in chem II The semester… It's possible I could get a B- but I'm just feeling very anxious about how I did on the final – we had to take the ACS and it was very difficult. Chemistry is a subject I really struggle with. and it was very difficult. It's possible I could get a B- but I'm just feeling very anxious about how I did on the final – I'm just really concerned it could bring down my grade. This will undoubtedly be my best semester so far and that is exciting to a certain extent but I also feel very discouraged that my GPA is still so low over all. I guess I'm just looking for a little bit of encouragement and or advice on how to deal with the stress. Do you think there's a chance I can still recover from this and go to him it's for PA school depending on what I decide is best for me? Am I really screwed? I know the grades are great but I really trying hard and medicine is something I want badly. I'd really appreciate any insight you could give – I was a great student in high school in these rooms have just been a huge blow to my ego, and they make me question my abilities of her all. it's very disheartening. Thanks so much!!

Have you considered seeing a learning specialist at all? If you have had medicore grades across different subjects then it may be a testing anxiety issue and with how you've describes it so far it seems like the blow to your ego has trickled into your ability to perform well on tests.

High school is far different from college and I think having confidence in your learning abilities is essential not only in your success as a student but in your ability to get admitted into PA or Med school. Admissions need to be confident in your testing and learning abilities.

I do think there's a chance for you to go to PA school. But to put it bluntly, not with your current GPA. You have to turn it around quick and if you can't, you will need to do a post-bac or SMP if you plan to get accepted.

Best of luck!

 

[adrian710]

Ur fine kid. You have plenty of time to get that GPA 3.2+ and be competitive for DO schools. Crush the MCAT when you take it and work on EC's especially during times like Christmas break and summer, but you should be volunteering weekly around your school and getting involved in clubs and sports, etc.

 

[SOOyC52H1Sof]

Only your first semester? You'll be fine as long as you make some serious changes with your study habits.

 

[lolnotacop]

Study hard.

Again, study hard. Actually make lifestyle changes that will allow you to do so. If you are serious about becoming a physician, those grades need to come up.

But you have time to make it happen, so don't stress. Just figure out where you need to improve and set goals for yourself. You can definitely do this, you just have to figure out if you're willing to commit yourself to ensure it happens.

 

[Stressncoffee]

Thanks everyone for your input; it really does make me feel better… I know it's maybe silly to feel hopeless this early on in the game but it's hard when this is something you really want and you're not getting the grades that you know you need to get. I do study hard but Gen chem and calculus have just been very difficult for me… I understand that that's two classes and it's not the same as just being bad at one class but physics actually went very well for me this semester and I will most likely end up with a B+… Maybe even better and biology was good as well. I'm very much willing to work hard and organic chemistry in all the classes following the semester. In reference to what @adrian710 saud, that's actually probably really important for me to note. I do volunteer weekly tutoring African refugee children and I'm involved in the organization "best buddies "if any of you have heard of it. I've also recently completed a scribing course and I hope to do that this next semester and summer. I am involved in a few other things as well but this is just the main stuff. Any suggestions on study tips that have been particularly useful....especially regarding organic chemistry… would be greatly appreciated! Any further thoughts as well !!

 

[Philotic]

Don't lose hope! Plenty of underdogs end up in medical school. If it's something you're willing to work for, you'll get there, even if it takes a little bit longer.

I also struggled in undergrad a lot, but the most important advice I can give you is to not let it drag you down. When you do poorly, don't dwell on it because that will only make you feel worse about yourself, and that will in turn, negatively affect your next exam. Part of adjusting to college is learning how to learn--you must learn how to do many more things independently than ever before (and this will only get truer each subsequent step into higher education)! Talk to someone at your school, a counselor, pre-med advisor, etc if you feel that you need someone to give you more structure in your learning/time management. They are there for you to help you figure it out. Don't let it get out of control and make steps to structure yourself and your studying habits.

It seems like you're doing great things in terms of extracurricular, but make sure that you get your academic confidence back before you commit too much time to these things. Of course, they are a good way to unwind as well as to give back to the community, but always focus on your priorities. Numbers are a big part of your application so make sure you're focusing on those things the most! 🙂 Good luck!