Help on Courseload for spring semester!

[TreeofRoses]

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Hey everyone!

I'm going to apply to Optometry school this summer, so the Spring 2015 semester is my last chance to bring up my GPA.

I wanted some advice and input on what courses to take. So far, I have about a 3.0 GPA (I know, not very high), and I'm going to take five courses next semester. Should I take three science classes (Microbiology, Physics, and Genetics) and two easier classes and risk not improving my GPA or should I take only two of those classes ( which would be micro and physics because they're prereqs) and the rest easier gen ed classes so that my GPA might increase? I have struggled in the past when I took a heavy load of science courses, and I'm in no rush to take a lot either since I'm done with my prereqs for opt. school after this semester. Will it matter to opt. schools admissions exactly what courses I take?

Also, will humanities, psychology, etc. be calculated in the science GPA generated by OptomCAS or does the science GPA only consist of just science courses taken by the applicant (but doesn't everyone take different science courses depending on their major)?

Thanks in advance! Any advice, input, or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[caitlinfollansbee]

Are you working, too? I am a non-traditional student, so I'm back in school after finishing my first degree, but I'm working about 25 hours a week, too. Since Fall 2013, I've been taking 2 lectures with their required labs, and I've found that the labs at my school require almost as much work as the lectures. I am taking Micro this spring, and I took Physics 1 and 2 over the summer of 2014, and I really struggled to keep up in Physics since it was so much material and it was fast-paced. That class requires you to do a lot of practice problems, so I had to study every single night.

If it were me, I wouldn't take Micro, Physics, and Genetics all at once because there's a lab with all of those classes, Physics requires a lot of practice problems to be done outside of class, and Genetics is a problem solving course--all very time-consuming. It's better for you to take 2 classes and do well, than to take 3 difficult courses and do poorly which could jeopardize your GPA.

I'm in a similar situation with my GPA. I've got a 3.2 science GPA, so I'm taking more than the required upper-level science courses in hopes that I'll raise my GPA with 4 more classes before I apply. I'm taking the OAT in April and then applying in July for 2016 entrance, so depending on how I do on the OAT and whether I get interviews, I may not take additional courses in Spring 2016. My plan right now is Sp 2015: Micro & lab, BioOrganic & lab. Su 2015: Cell Biology & lab, A&P 2 & lab. Fa 2015: Vertebrate Physiology & lab, Biochemistry & lab. And then if I hear back from schools and I'm still not confident about my GPA, I'll take Genetics & lab in Sp 2016.

I have several friends that are pre-med and they work about 10 hours a week on campus, and they regretted taking 3 science classes at one time. It may just depend on your school, but like I said, our labs are very intensive and are graded heavily, so taking 3 science classes is more like taking 6!

From the schools I've spoken with, the science GPA is all undergraduate-level science courses, so even though a course like genetics isn't required, it would still be included. OptomCAS takes 20 different combinations of your GPA. I think that info is listed somewhere on the OptomCAS site. I think the science GPA is just Bio, Chem, Phys courses, but I may be wrong. Maybe someone else can verify that? It may be a good idea to email the schools you're interested in to find out for sure how they calculate it, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck with everything! I hope some of what I shared was helpful. Where are you applying? And have you taken the OAT? We'll be applying for the same year! I can't believe we're at that point now. Very exciting!

 

[fifa518]

I think you would be over doing it since you have struggled in the past. I was the same. Take two hard classes together and the rest easy classes. Microbio lab in my university felt like a 4 credit class on it's own so I'm not sure how it is in your university. Be careful and do whatever it takes to get the best GPA since the upper level sciences are highly looked at!

Good luck !