Horrible First Semester Grades.

[premed20092013]

I am a freshman at Vanderbilt and I am doing horrible here my first semester. I study and keep up with all my readings and homework. It takes me roughly 5 hours of studying a day outside of class just to keep up with my work and I am still doing terrible.

I am taking Biology/Chemistry/English 101/Business Accounting.

For Biology my Grades were: (NO CURVE)---Final Grade in class will be anywhere from: B/B+/A-
1st Test-93.5 Class Average:81
2nd Test - 79 Class Average:72
Final - I probably did really bad on my final for this test; Expecting a 75.

For Chemistry my grades were even worse: (NO CURVE)....Final grade in class will probably be a:C+/B-/B
1st Test-88 Class Average-80
2nd Test-69 Class Average-68
3rd Test-68 Class Average - 74

For English 101 my grades were all As, and I will make an A(above a 93) in the class.

For Business Economics my grades were: (CURVE ONLY IF GRADES ARE BAD).----Final Grade in Class will probably will be: B+/A-
1st Test-93 Average-82
2nd Test-88 Average-81
Final-Probably did really bad on the final, everyone else did really bad as well, so the curve should be high.

I am nervous that with these grades I probably can't make it into medical schools. I talked to my pre-med advisor and he said that its okay my first semester, however he said I need As in my classes next semester. I don't think I can get As or do much better, because even after studying so much and working hard, I am still doing terrible.

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[DirtyJustice]

I am a freshman at Vanderbilt and I am doing horrible here my first semester. I study and keep up with all my readings and homework. It takes me roughly 5 hours of studying a day outside of class just to keep up with my work and I am still doing terrible.

I am taking Biology/Chemistry/English 101/Business Accounting.

For Biology my Grades were: (NO CURVE)---Final Grade in class will be anywhere from: B/B+/A-
1st Test-93.5 Class Average:81
2nd Test - 79 Class Average:72
Final - I probably did really bad on my final for this test; Expecting a 75.

For Chemistry my grades were even worse: (NO CURVE)....Final grade in class will probably be a:C+/B-/B
1st Test-88 Class Average-80
2nd Test-69 Class Average-68
3rd Test-68 Class Average - 74

For English 101 my grades were all As, and I will make an A(above a 93) in the class.

For Business Economics my grades were: (CURVE ONLY IF GRADES ARE BAD).----Final Grade in Class will probably will be: B+/A-
1st Test-93 Average-82
2nd Test-88 Average-81
Final-Probably did really bad on the final, everyone else did really bad as well, so the curve should be high.

I am nervous that with these grades I probably can't make it into medical schools. I talked to my pre-med advisor and he said that its okay my first semester, however he said I need As in my classes next semester. I don't think I can get As or do much better, because even after studying so much and working hard, I am still doing terrible.

Those are horrible! Seriously? take it easy. College is supposed to be the best time of your life. You are doing fine.

 

[xBODOMx]

Dang those are bad. Might want to do early research on Carib Schools.

 

[bigal40]

I know you posted to have people say it will be ok, but you will probably need to improve your grades some. You look like you're going to have about a 3.6 GPA and a 3.0sGPA. The 3.6 isn't too bad, but a 3.0sGPA is well below average. If you stay at this GPA when you apply it would be difficult but not impossible for you to get into med school.

The good news is that these are your averages after only one semester so if you do better next semester they will change significantly.

 

[premed20092013]

^ I did not post to have people tell me I am okay, I need advise. I am extremely worried about my science gpa because it might be a 3.0. I have been working really hard, but haven't been seeing the grades that reflect my hard work. I don't even know if I can do much better next semester because I really tried this semester and my grades aren't great.


I don't know if the person telling me about Carribean schools was being serious but I have been researching them and medical schools in eastern Europe.

 

[joshinjosh]

bad news for ya. you will not make it to medical school

 

[TheMightySmiter]

The Caribbean-suggesting people are joking. And if they're serious, don't listen, they're just jerks. Your grades are not spectacular but this isn't going to keep you from getting into med school, and they're not even all that bad. What worries me more is the amount of studying you're doing. I don't think I've ever studied 5 hours a day for any semester, no matter how hard the classes were. If I did, I would fully expect A's. I think you need to experiment with some different study habits, because I'm not sure that your current ones are working.

 

[premed20092013]

I can't believe I failed two chemistry tests. I never made anything lower than a 87 in highschool. I scored in the top 99 percentile on my SATs. I don't know if I just got dumber when college started. My professors aren't much help either. I told them I am struggling, and they asked me about my study habits. I told them how I study(read the chapters, go to class, take notes, work the problems in the textbooks, use supplemental websites, I even got a tutor after I failed my 2nd chem test) and they just told me to keep doing what I was doing, because they said I was higher than the class average. WTF.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Wait 'til your grades are actually released before estimating all of this. It will make you crazy.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I can't believe I failed two chemistry tests. I never made anything lower than a 87 in highschool. I scored in the top 99 percentile on my SATs. I don't know if I just got dumber when college started. My professors aren't much help either. I told them I am struggling, and they asked me about my study habits. I told them how I study(read the chapters, go to class, take notes, work the problems in the textbooks, use supplemental websites, I even got a tutor after I failed my 2nd chem test) and they just told me to keep doing what I was doing, because they said I was higher than the class average. WTF.

Hmm, I would say you should still try a couple of different methods. Make notecards, write up study sheets, type up your class notes after each class. Do even more practice problems, and make sure you understand the underlying concepts. Don't just assume that if you can do the math (in chem) you get what's going on. Sometimes it's hard to adjust to the pace of college classes, since they tend to go much faster than high school classes and with less handholding. And you could be getting pretty bad test anxiety too, even if it's subconscious. You might find that next semester you do a lot better just because you already have one semester under your belt.

 

[chman]

Wait 'til your grades are actually released before estimating all of this. It will make you crazy.

Exactly. I think a lot of us pre-meds assume the worst as far as grades go. In fact, the past few days I was worried that I had bombed my math and Spanish tests, but ended up doing really well on both.

The bottom line is that even if you do get those grades (which could be worse by the way), all you can do is move forward and examine where you may have gone wrong and try to improve.

 

[searun]

OP, I interviewed at Vanderbilt med school three years ago. Very hot girls there in the undergrad. Get a girlfriend. It will give you some perspective.

 

[chman]

OP, I interviewed at Vanderbilt med school three years ago. Very hot girls there in the undergrad. Get a girlfriend. It will give you some perspective.

Do you have your tickets yet?

 

[roseglass6370]

First off: CHILL OUT.

It's going to be okay. This is your first semester. My first quarter was worse than yours and I'm doing fine now. I understand your stress though; I panicked too.

Secondly, you really can't start predicting your grades before they're posted. I was CONVINCED that I was going to fail my first chemistry class and ended up with a "C". Granted, that's not good by any means, but I literally thought I was going to fail.

So, lean back, take a deep breath, and chill. Getting yourself all worked up is only going to hinder you more.

 

[roseglass6370]

Also, talk to your pre-med advisor and your profs about study tips. You may be studying hard on your own, but that often doesn't scratch the surface of your potential if you aren't utilizing all of your resources. You could also join a study group or see a tutor. I used to be against tutors because I thought it was a "sign of weakness" or something. Now I'm willing to do just about anything possible to make sure I get A's (outside of cheating, obviously.)

 

[searun]

Do you have your tickets yet?

No, alas, I will be watching the game on television on Jan 1. But I will be at a ski resort in Utah with my girlfriend, having a great time, and very excited to see this game. It should be a good one.

 

[premed20092013]

^ The girls here are hot lol, but I have a girlfriend back home who goes to Michigan State.

 

[premed20092013]

bump this ****;10 char

 

[Beatlesfan]

calm down man. It's only the first semester. You got A lot more ahead of you. you are doing fine.

No one wants a doctor that freaks about things that are fine.

 

[apoptosis123]

I wouldn't worry too much because it's just your first semester. Med schools look at upward trends in GPA so try and do better from here on out. You didn't kill your chances at getting in.

I would consider taking 3 classes instead of 4 next time. Tutors help a lot too.

 

[bravofleet4]

maybe you're just letting stress get to you. you sound like you're pretty smart. the fact that you did so well on your first bio test shows that you're capable of doing better. you probably did well on your finals. I will tell you that as many A's as I got I could easily imagine myself in your scenario. There were many times where I got average or just above average on midterms but then end up acing the final.

Some tips:
Figure out what's important to study for a final. If the test is cumulative don't go over the first half of the semester's material first if it's only worth 25% of the test. The last 3-4 weeks of material can usually make up to 50% of the test on the other hand and where you should be spending the majority of your time.

It's also really a test of endurance. Don't procrastinate last minute to studying. It's tempting to take a break near the end of the semester after turning in papers and labs. However, I wouldn't waste a weekend partying. You'll find that as semesters go there are peaks and valleys in terms of work. The first couple of works usually nothing is due as you're just starting the class and that's the best time to build a solid base of knowledge.

college is pretty chill i think. studying 5 hours everyday doesn't seem to be overdoing it unless that's not including reading. I mean I got out at 1-2 PM everyday my first year (they make the schedule so easy for freshmen) and read usually to 5-6 PM. had dinner and played a couple hours worth of video games. worked on homework and then finished the day with Leno. eventually you'll get really good at pacing yourself.

 

[schrizto]

I can't believe I failed two chemistry tests. I never made anything lower than a 87 in highschool. I scored in the top 99 percentile on my SATs. I don't know if I just got dumber when college started. My professors aren't much help either. I told them I am struggling, and they asked me about my study habits. I told them how I study(read the chapters, go to class, take notes, work the problems in the textbooks, use supplemental websites, I even got a tutor after I failed my 2nd chem test) and they just told me to keep doing what I was doing, because they said I was higher than the class average. WTF

This is college, dude. I scored well in the top 99 percentile on SATs in hs too and no one cares anymore.

 

[Grif]

Wait 'til your grades are actually released before estimating all of this. It will make you crazy.

I second that. Grades change in the last week, trust me. Don't even bother checking your grades but once every 2 weeks, the added stress will probably bring them down more 😉

If you can afford it at all (or can trade services), find a good chem tutor. That seems to be your achilles. English is great and seems to be the easiest for you.

I guarantee, there will be one class per semester that will be super tough and monopolize all your time. The key is to get tutoring for that one class to maximize your grades while minimizing the time involved as much as possible. Obviously it will still be hard work, but you will get more out of it.

 

[EmpathMan]

Yeah OP definitely listen to the guys giving ya serious comments. It'll all be okay. Mainly, don't shoot yourself in the foot lol. Your grades aren't even released yet, worrying gets you nowhere. For now though, you should think about some strategies to get better at sciences. What makes Chem and Bio so dificult for you?

 

[rockyDoctora]

I wouldn't worry too much because it's just your first semester. Med schools look at upward trends in GPA so try and do better from here on out. You didn't kill your chances at getting in.

I would consider taking 3 classes instead of 4 next time. Tutors help a lot too.

3 classes??? Does that even make you a full time student?

Anyway, OP, your grades are fine. You're freaking out. I know it must be frustration to see that your genuine efforts don't seem to be reflected in your grades, but you must not be doing something right. Do you have friends in your classes? If you do, I highly recommend studying with them. About 75% of the time I study for exams, I'm usually with a friend (a friend capable of contributing to the studies, you know). It really helps. Also, study groups help a lot too. Instead of trying to organize all of the material yourself, those groups pretty much do it for you. Ask when you need an answer. I feel that a lot of people just don't know when to ask when they're stuck. Anyway, these are just ways that may possibly help you out in your academic performance.

Good luck and don't sweat it.. your life isn't even close to being over.

 

[Grif]

3 classes??? Does that even make you a full time student?

Ehh, depends on the credit hours per class, semester vs. quarter system and whether the OP goes year-round. I haven't heard of it in pre-med but some people go part-time all year to reduce stress.

 

[premed20092013]

1 course is 4 hours, so most people only take 4 classes a semester = 16 hours.

 

[jj6vcb]

Something is fishy here... yes basic sciences are 4 hours (3 lecture, 1 lab) at Vanderbilt, but 99% of the other classes are 3 hours or 1. There are no 4 hour econ classes, and none called "business economics" (I'm an econ major). But yes, the girls are pretty hot - that's pretty much the only accurate thing OP has said. Also, when I took intro bio both sections had 3 tests, not 2.

Now, OP, if you actually are fortunate enough to be at Vandy now... stop worrying. Seriously. I've heard your grade is a giant spaz convention, you're confirming this. If it makes you feel better, I got a D in Calc 1, and a C+ in gen chem 2... and I'm sitting here now not studying for sports econ because I have 2 acceptances to MD schools I couldn't be more excited about. So please don't give yourself a heart attack, and be sure to eat something besides vending machine food from the lib during exams weeks

 

[premed20092013]

"Something is fishy here... yes basic sciences are 4 hours (3 lecture, 1 lab) at Vanderbilt, but 99% of the other classes are 3 hours or 1. There are no 4 hour econ classes, and none called "business economics" (I'm an econ major). But yes, the girls are pretty hot - that's pretty much the only accurate thing OP has said. Also, when I took intro bio both sections had 3 tests, not 2."
^^^ Sorry I forgot to distinguish between science and non-science classes. I was referring to Microeconomics-----In high school, Micro/Macro were considered "Business Economics"--old habits I guess. My Bio Class does have 3 tests, the final had 2 parts. 1 part was culumative and the second part was the 3rd test. Professor who normally teaches Neuroscience classes decided to teach intro to Bio, so his formatting is a bit different.


"Now, OP, if you actually are fortunate enough to be at Vandy now... stop worrying. Seriously. I've heard your grade is a giant spaz convention, you're confirming this. If it makes you feel better, I got a D in Calc 1, and a C+ in gen chem 2... and I'm sitting here now not studying for sports econ because I have 2 acceptances to MD schools I couldn't be more excited about. So please don't give yourself a heart attack, and be sure to eat something besides vending machine food from the lib during exams weeks"
^^ You mean the class of 2013 is a gaint spaz convention? HAHAHA I have only been eating vending machine food for the past 1.5 weeks rofl..hahaah


I am sure other parts of your application must have stood out for you to have gotten 2 MD acceptances.....What were the strengths of your application?

 

[schrizto]

Oh wow jj6vcb, my dinners have been two bags of Baked Lays and a Mountain Dew the past two weeks! How did you know??

 

[orthomyxo]

^ I did not post to have people tell me I am okay, I need advise. I am extremely worried about my science gpa because it might be a 3.0. I have been working really hard, but haven't been seeing the grades that reflect my hard work. I don't even know if I can do much better next semester because I really tried this semester and my grades aren't great.


I don't know if the person telling me about Carribean schools was being serious but I have been researching them and medical schools in eastern Europe.

Dude...relax. It's your first semester of your freshman year. You should've expected a few difficulties. You should not be "extremely worried" about your sGPA being a 3.0 now, if it's still at that point come junior year, that's when to start freaking out. Why would you be looking into any medical schools now? You just started and you're just wasting your time. For now, you can start by not being so uptight, you are fine. If you don't believe anyone that tells you that, just take a look around the pre-med forums, these people know what they're talking about.

 

[Dannyw]

"Something is fishy here... yes basic sciences are 4 hours (3 lecture, 1 lab) at Vanderbilt, but 99% of the other classes are 3 hours or 1. There are no 4 hour econ classes, and none called "business economics" (I'm an econ major). But yes, the girls are pretty hot - that's pretty much the only accurate thing OP has said. Also, when I took intro bio both sections had 3 tests, not 2."
^^^ Sorry I forgot to distinguish between science and non-science classes. I was referring to Microeconomics-----In high school, Micro/Macro were considered "Business Economics"--old habits I guess. My Bio Class does have 3 tests, the final had 2 parts. 1 part was culumative and the second part was the 3rd test. Professor who normally teaches Neuroscience classes decided to teach intro to Bio, so his formatting is a bit different.


"Now, OP, if you actually are fortunate enough to be at Vandy now... stop worrying. Seriously. I've heard your grade is a giant spaz convention, you're confirming this. If it makes you feel better, I got a D in Calc 1, and a C+ in gen chem 2... and I'm sitting here now not studying for sports econ because I have 2 acceptances to MD schools I couldn't be more excited about. So please don't give yourself a heart attack, and be sure to eat something besides vending machine food from the lib during exams weeks"
^^ You mean the class of 2013 is a gaint spaz convention? HAHAHA I have only been eating vending machine food for the past 1.5 weeks rofl..hahaah


I am sure other parts of your application must have stood out for you to have gotten 2 MD acceptances.....What were the strengths of your application?

What the hell did I just read? You write like a child.

 

[orrghead16]

I am sure other parts of your application must have stood out for you to have gotten 2 MD acceptances.....What were the strengths of your application?

Almost all applicants will develop something that will make them "stand out" compared to others in the eyes of some adcoms. Could be a great interview. Could be research. Could be a great MCAT. Could be flippin anything. Most people haven't "stood out" by their freshman year, let alone their first semester. But you are freaking out right now over spilled beans. Go get hammered or layed or something.

And you might consider exing the ladyfriend in Michigan; some tail while you are at school might tone your nerves down.

College is different. It is the most open and unstructured time of your life. It takes some getting used to for some; others flourish immediately. You are doing perfectly fine in all your classes besides Chem. For those, your study habits, exam intuition, ability to read the professors, etc. will develop fine. For Chem try something different. Odds are you are practicing without understanding. Try getting away from the book, getting together with buddies in the class and studying, not going to class and spend the time studying or going to class, thinking hard about it in class, and not studying as much. There are a million different ways to succeed, but it is far different for everybody. Mix it up until you figure it out; we can't tell you how to do it.

And yes, there are people that just suck at Gen Chem or suck at Organic, or Math or whatever. It happens. Not every doctor rocked the crap out of Chem I. There have been classes I worked my azz off for a C+, while everything else seems to go by with flying colors with ease. Do your best, keep it all in perspective, down a few, and chill out a bit.

 

[jj6vcb]

Oh wow jj6vcb, my dinners have been two bags of Baked Lays and a Mountain Dew the past two weeks! How did you know??

Done that too many nights myself, except I'm more of a pretzels/full throttle kind of guy

 

[schrizto]

What the hell did I just read? You write like a child.

It's because he doesn't know how to use the quote/multi-quote feature.

 

[tulipa]

I think you are overreacting. It's just freshman year. Plus, GPA is not everything when applying to med schools. Many people with great GPAs fail at their MCAT, or at their interview. Interviews are very important. Also, clinical experiences...and research. If you don't have a strong GPA then make sure you do something else that will make you stand out from the average students.

 

[premed20092013]

FML I ended up with a 89 in Bio Labs, which is worth 25 percent of my Bio grade. My overall grade right now in Bio without the final(which I screwed up badly on) is only a 88.1 🙁 🙁 🙁. I got a 5 on Ap Bio, decided to retake it for MCAT preparation, and now I can't even make an A- in Intro to Bio at Vandy. WTF, I am stupid.

 

[Gospe1]

I'm at a top 15 med school. My first semester GPA was 3.1. I'm not URM nor do I have any special circumstances. I came straight to med school from undergrad.

How did I do it?
More A's. Less B's.

 

[premed20092013]

^ Did you work extremely hard your freshman year? I am discouraged because my effort doesn't mean ****. What was your overall gpa, what undergrad school did you go to? More info would definatly help calm me down.

 

[Gospe1]

In all honesty, you need to calm the hell down. It's 1 semester. Use your motivation as a weapon not a crutch.

"Blah blah blah I worked so hard... I still got a B. There was no curve."

Trust me when I say, you could have done more. If you want to get into med school, do more.

 

[rockyDoctora]

Trust me when I say, you could have done more. If you want to get into med school, do more.

This is pretty true. Looking back last year, where I told myself that "I studied my ass off," was a real exaggeration. It just seemed like it because I was so uptight about everything. It's not even that I was truly studying 24/7. I gotta work on working my ass off myself 😀 I still feel like I do a lot when I really am not.. I wonder why..

 

[orthomyxo]

FML I ended up with a 89 in Bio Labs, which is worth 25 percent of my Bio grade. My overall grade right now in Bio without the final(which I screwed up badly on) is only a 88.1 🙁 🙁 🙁. I got a 5 on Ap Bio, decided to retake it for MCAT preparation, and now I can't even make an A- in Intro to Bio at Vandy. WTF, I am stupid.

FYI, this makes you sound like a huge troll. Seriously, you need to calm way down. If you freak out this much over such a small thing, you're gonna have a hell of a time if you make it to med school.

 

[premed20092013]

Okay I did horrible on my finals and my worst possible senerios is coming true. I made a 85 in Bio Final, which makes my grade a ****en 88(I don't know if there will be a deviation curve that might push me to an A-). I made a 80 in chem final, the class average was a 75. This makes my grade in the class only a 82. How screwed am I. The highest I can get this semester is a 3.5, if I get a As in my other 2 classes. If I make an A- in one of them (and an A in the other one), it will only be a 3.425......FML

 

[chman]

Okay I did horrible on my finals and my worst possible senerios is coming true. I made a 85 in Bio Final, which makes my grade a ****en 88(I don't know if there will be a deviation curve that might push me to an A-). I made a 80 in chem final, the class average was a 75. This makes my grade in the class only a 82. How screwed am I. The highest I can get this semester is a 3.5, if I get a As in my other 2 classes. If I make an A- in one of them (and an A in the other one), it will only be a 3.425......FML

Dude, have you read any of the advice we have given you? Calm down. I know it kinda sucks, but it could be a lot worse. B's are not great, but they by no means ruin your chances. All you can do is evaluate what you might have done wrong and change. Now enjoy your break and get your mind of school for a while, otherwise I don't know if you will make it through the next three years without having a nervous breakdown.

 

[findlife]

Honey it's okay. I had a 3.4 my first quarter freshman year too. I've had 3.8's, 3.9's and 4.0's for the last 5 quarters. College is a learning curve. If you're smart, (I'm sure you are), you can figure it out. Learn how you study. Learn what you did wrong. Learn to figure out the nuances of each class, professor, and adapt your strategies. Study tactically. don't stop believing, keep trying, and keep kicking your own butt.

 

[premed20092013]

Grade update:

Bio - (A-)
Chem-(B-)
English (A-)----So mad about this I made a 92.7 in the class, and I needed a 93 to make an A in the class. FML
Business Econ- Still don't know yet..Scared about this grade.