horrible, horrible, freshman year

[sifodyas357]

I always wanted to be a doctor, and its the only thing I could see myself doing. Its not about money or anything, (I'd work as a doctor even if they got paid only a third of what they get paid today), but more so a passion that I have.

So, entering college, I thought I'd do really well, and 1st semester I did alright, got an A in Bio 1, B in math 1, an A in a major required class, and two other B's.

Then I thought I could keep this up, but 2nd semester really hit me. I got an A in Bio 2, A in sociolgy, B in Chem I, and then a D in calc II and a C in physics I. After seeing my math and physics grades I got seriously depressed and thought about dropping school and joining the drug dealing business, it was just that bad. Because I got a D in calc II I retook it and got a B.

School wasnt the only thing I did however. I also worked as a nursing assistant for the past 3 years, continued volunteer work at 2 hospitals (one in chicago and one back home), and started doing research at the beginning of freshman year. I've also got other clubs/activities/leadership positions that I did freshman year.

What should I do about my grades? Should I just give up right now since my grades already pulled down my GPA quite a bit (3.1), and thats only freshman year. Any advice would be helpful!

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[Greonis]

A rough first year is not uncommon. If you can pull your grades up for your remaining undergraduate years (aim for a 4.0 each period if you can), you'll graduate with a great cumulative GPA and be competitive at most schools (provided that the rest of your application is in good shape). An "upward trend" is highly regarded by the adcoms, and they understand that not everyone can immediately jump into college and excel without some adaptation time.

My advice is to examine what factors caused you to do poorly during your first year. Did you take too many classes at a time? Too many extracurricular activities? Too much partying? Only you can determine that. From what you've written here, however, my first piece of advice would be to eliminate any "superfluous" EC's that you're in. Medical schools like quality over quantity, so don't fret about leaving a club/activity that you've taken up just to impress medical school admissions committees and really don't get anything out of. Keep up with the research and clinical work, however, as those are very important parts of a competitive application.

 

[Mobius1985]

What should I do about my grades? Should I just give up right now since my grades already pulled down my GPA quite a bit (3.1), and thats only freshman year.

Don't be stressed out about your current GPA and give up. Your have four more semesters of grades (more with summers) to pull your GPA out of the basket and make it great. Assuming straight As from this point forward, and the same semester hours each year, you'd have a 3.7 after your junior year. If you need a bit more grade resuscitation, add in the two additional semesters of your senior year and apply a year later (or more) than "traditional" folks do. Just don't let the same thing keep happening. Figure out quick what you need to do differently to get good grades. It looks like you'll have a great application if you can improve your academic performance. You are in a much better position than someone with 2-3 party years who suddenly decides to go premed, and has a lot more damage control to accomplish.