How realistic is it to get straight 4.0s (bad freshman year)?

[artsia]

I go to a top 10 school, and I started my freshman year as a biochem major. My current plan is to switch into chemical engineering (I've already been approved for the transfer).

My freshman courseload:

Fall
Physics I B+
Calc II B+
Hon Chem I B+
Biochem seminar A-
Anth A

Spring
Physics II C+
Calc III D+
Hon Chem II B-
Biochem seminar A-
Chemical engineering B-
Writing seminar A+

Cum GPA: 3.04
sGPA: 2.84

I fully deserve every bad grade I received. I routinely skipped class and sometimes attempted to teach myself a semester's worth of material in less than a week. I got away with this somewhat first semester and not at all second semester. I can't explain (even to myself) why I wasted my freshman year this way. It's especially frustrating because I'm someone who genuinely enjoys studying, listening to lectures, and interacting with professors. I don't know if my behavior was due to depression, bad priorities, or plain old laziness.

My ECs were average to good. I sang in an a cappella group, tutored/mentored inner-city high school students, was a tour guide, and worked in tech support during the school year. I also worked in a research lab in the summer (I'll be continuing in the same lab during the coming school year). I plan to continue my previous activities and also start clinical volunteering this school year.

If I had a time machine... but, well, I don't, so I just have to focus on what to do from this point forward. I know that my GPA is far from irredeemable, and that theoretically I can raise it to 3.7+ if I get straight 4.0s from here on out. I'm confident that I am now focused enough to put my best effort forward, but is "best effort" all that is needed for a stellar GPA? I have some natural aptitude for the sciences (which is why I didn't fail out despite skipping more than half my classes), but I'm not a genius like others in my classes either. Are the As generally reserved for those geniuses or is hard work sufficient?

To sum everything up:
(a) I messed up academically freshman year. How realistic is it for me to get straight 4.0s in challenging science/engineering courses if I put in the work?
(b) I think my ECs were decent? Are they really, or do I need to do more? Of course, keeping my GPA up will come first.

Thanks for the advice!

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[Jamie561]

I go to a top 10 school, and I started my freshman year as a biochem major. My current plan is to switch into chemical engineering (I've already been approved for the transfer).

My freshman courseload:

Fall
Physics I B+
Calc II B+
Hon Chem I B+
Biochem seminar A-
Anth A

Spring
Physics II C+
Calc III D+
Hon Chem II B-
Biochem seminar A-
Chemical engineering B-
Writing seminar A+

Cum GPA: 3.04
sGPA: 2.84

I fully deserve every bad grade I received. I routinely skipped class and sometimes attempted to teach myself a semester's worth of material in less than a week. I got away with this somewhat first semester and not at all second semester. I can't explain (even to myself) why I wasted my freshman year this way. It's especially frustrating because I'm someone who genuinely enjoys studying, listening to lectures, and interacting with professors. I don't know if my behavior was due to depression, bad priorities, or plain old laziness.

My ECs were average to good. I sang in an a cappella group, tutored/mentored inner-city high school students, was a tour guide, and worked in tech support during the school year. I also worked in a research lab in the summer (I'll be continuing in the same lab during the coming school year). I plan to continue my previous activities and also start clinical volunteering this school year.

If I had a time machine... but, well, I don't, so I just have to focus on what to do from this point forward. I know that my GPA is far from irredeemable, and that theoretically I can raise it to 3.7+ if I get straight 4.0s from here on out. I'm confident that I am now focused enough to put my best effort forward, but is "best effort" all that is needed for a stellar GPA? I have some natural aptitude for the sciences (which is why I didn't fail out despite skipping more than half my classes), but I'm not a genius like others in my classes either. Are the As generally reserved for those geniuses or is hard work sufficient?

To sum everything up:
(a) I messed up academically freshman year. How realistic is it for me to get straight 4.0s in challenging science/engineering courses if I put in the work?
(b) I think my ECs were decent? Are they really, or do I need to do more? Of course, keeping my GPA up will come first.

Thanks for the advice!

(a) Given what I know about you (very little, except for your past performance), I would say that getting straight 4.0s - literally straight 4.0s - is close to impossible. Individual results may vary, but getting a straight 4.0 is tough for anyone, not to mention in an engineering discipline, not to mention for someone who lacks the study skills/foresight/discipline/intelligence to even pull a 3.5. "Best effort" is not all that is necessary. If you look around on this forum, there are people who study all day for class, claim to work hard and diligently, and still do not get A's. There are people who study for months on end for the MCAT, retake several times, and do not score >30. Much of this is due to an individual's study style and intelligence, which is hard to compare between people.

ETA: Very few engineering majors graduate with a 4.0. Again, depends on your school, but yeah.

(b) You need to work on clinical volunteering, research, and shadowing. You're on the right path.

 

[MicroSteph]

As I've gotten older and more adept at school, I've found that getting the grades you want is purely mental. If you want an A in every class, attend every class, do all the homework, visit with your professor and TAs, go to office hours and discussion sections, and make it your top priority. If you don't make school your top priority, you won't made the grades you want.

When I face a tough semester, I just tell myself that Bs aren't an option. No matter what it takes, I'm going to get that A.

Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Have no idea...you tell me, because you know yourself better than anyone on this forum.

I
To sum everything up:
(a) I messed up academically freshman year. How realistic is it for me to get straight 4.0s in challenging science/engineering courses if I put in the work?
!

 

[artsia]

I really appreciate everyone's input!

Jamie561 - If I were you, I certainly wouldn't have any confidence in my ability to pull good grades at this point either. Thanks for the honest feedback.

MicroSteph - Thanks for the encouragement. That's the mindset I'm going to employ this semester, and my greatest challenge will be to sustain that energy instead of reverting to old habits. If I really do everything I can and still perform below expectations, I guess that's a sign that I'm taking the wrong classes!

Goro - I was just wondering if people have any real-life examples of attempts (successful or otherwise) to repair the damage done by a bad freshman GPA. The reason I don't know if pulling my GPA up is realistic is because I haven't put in my "best effort" yet. This semester will have to be a trial run for me to see if I can hack it. If I can't, I guess I'll have to resort to changing to a more GPA-friendly major. 🙁

Also to clarify, I don't literally mean "straight 4.0s" but rather grades that would be enough to pull my GPA up to 3.6 (still a tall order). Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't be trying for straight 4.0s!

 

[Irish Football]

I am fairly confident in my ability to do well when I put my mind to something, and after my reshaping of my study habits and motivation after my first two years, I was determined to get "straight As" from then on out like you. I ended up pretty close but only one of my final four semesters was a perfect 4.0. If you are taking a lot of classes there are just too many variables outside of your control, an idiot professor grading subjectively, etc.. Just try and do the best you can and don't let a few A-'s get you down.

 

[295821]

I had a not very impressive first year too. It happens a lot to first year students and the improvement over the next few years will matter most. Continue to motivate yourself to work harder and get help when you need it. It has done before, so I'm sure you can do it too if you reallllllllllly want to. By that I mean maybe not 4.0, but something 3.9 ish the rest of your 3 years is doable. Also, if you have the room, I'd recommend retaking the science classes you got below a B in. Do well in then and show the adcoms that you CAN succeed in the science courses. Good luck!!!

 

[theWhat]

I think it's really important to sit down and address all the reasons why your performance went poorly that year, then you can start to look at what kind of study habits you need to develop in order to achieve your goal. Rather than looking at it from a 4.0 or bust mindset (this sets up false expectations) I would recommend developing a more balanced approach, in which you break your goals into smaller more achievable steps. This means not overloading your schedule right off the bat, not being afraid to use tutoring services if needed, and forming productive study groups. Find out what kind of learner you are, do you learn by "doing" (try to develop real life analogies to the material) or by auditory methods (record the lectures)? Again, I think the important thing to emphasize is that you need to approach it this in small achievable steps, and then you can start looking at the big picture.

 

[artsia]

Again, thanks for all the advice!

Irish Football - Thanks for sharing your success. I certainly don't expect literal straight 4.0s (especially with the caliber of students at my school), and I'm relatively immune to the psychological impact of bad grades at this point. Good luck on your application cycle!

295821 - Unfortunately, I don't think that retaking classes will be an option with my major (unless I spend money I don't have to take them over the summer). Hopefully, the fact that I'll be taking lots of upper-level BCPM classes will compensate. Thanks for the encouragement!

theWhat - After thinking about why my performance was so poor last year, these are the changes I need to make:

1) Attend every lecture. Skipping class became so routine for me last semester that I almost felt like I was putting in extra effort when I attended class. I literally skipped more than half my physics quizzes just because I couldn't make myself roll out of bed and make it to class on time. The problem was that once I let myself do it once, there didn't seem to be much harm in doing it a second time (and so on and so forth) until it got to the point where I continuously felt depressed and guilty. I never want to experience that feeling again. The only classes I got As in were ones that required attendance (that should tell me something).

2) Attend every recitation. I don't think I attended a single discussion section last semester (neither did half the other students, but that's besides the point). More reinforcement of material has got to be helpful in greater comprehension, and it's always useful to hear questions that other students have.

3) Regularly attend office hours. I sporadically attended office hours for some of my classes, but not enough to develop a relationship with the professor or gain insight on the material. I need to schedule office hours into my calendar and treat them like classes.

4) Do problem sets every day. I attempted to work on problem sets during the week last year, but was easily distracted and ended up spending 12-hour blocks of time working on problem sets during the weekend. Attending lectures and recitations should also help with cutting down the time working on problem sets. I need to prioritize homework over social interaction.

5) Read the textbook. I did read most of my textbooks last year, but that's because I was attempting to teach myself the material. I need to use my textbooks as a supplement to class instead of a replacement.

The depressing aspect of this list is that all of it should be common sense. Of course skipping lectures, recitations, and office hours isn't going to end well! I know that starting fresh and leaving my bad habits behind is going to be challenging, but I'll do my level best.

 

[DrCaliBoy]

Hey, its been done and my scenario is pretty similar to yours...i go to a UC and my first quarter i had a 2.586 gpa and ended freshman year with a 3.2. I told myself that I was going to raise my gpa as much as I can because I truly had the desire to get into medical school so now im done with my second yr and have a 3.6...it can be done with ALOT of effort

 

[295821]

Since retaking is not an option at the moment, I'd still keep it in the back of your mind. You never know, you could come across some financial aid/scholarship money one summer! Another advise is to know your priorities. During my sophomore year I passed on going out for a weekend if I had a test, say in ochem, the following Tuesday. Some of my friends teased me for staying in to study on a Friday/Saturday night, but the results payed off and I got all A/A-'s sophomore year. That's not to say I didn't have a social life at all, I just managed my time better and accepted that I didn't have to go out EVERY weekend. Also, find time to relax after a tough week, it'll keep you sane 🙂

 

[theWhat]

Again, thanks for all the advice!

Irish Football - Thanks for sharing your success. I certainly don't expect literal straight 4.0s (especially with the caliber of students at my school), and I'm relatively immune to the psychological impact of bad grades at this point. Good luck on your application cycle!

295821 - Unfortunately, I don't think that retaking classes will be an option with my major (unless I spend money I don't have to take them over the summer). Hopefully, the fact that I'll be taking lots of upper-level BCPM classes will compensate. Thanks for the encouragement!

theWhat - After thinking about why my performance was so poor last year, these are the changes I need to make:

1) Attend every lecture. Skipping class became so routine for me last semester that I almost felt like I was putting in extra effort when I attended class. I literally skipped more than half my physics quizzes just because I couldn't make myself roll out of bed and make it to class on time. The problem was that once I let myself do it once, there didn't seem to be much harm in doing it a second time (and so on and so forth) until it got to the point where I continuously felt depressed and guilty. I never want to experience that feeling again. The only classes I got As in were ones that required attendance (that should tell me something).

2) Attend every recitation. I don't think I attended a single discussion section last semester (neither did half the other students, but that's besides the point). More reinforcement of material has got to be helpful in greater comprehension, and it's always useful to hear questions that other students have.

3) Regularly attend office hours. I sporadically attended office hours for some of my classes, but not enough to develop a relationship with the professor or gain insight on the material. I need to schedule office hours into my calendar and treat them like classes.

4) Do problem sets every day. I attempted to work on problem sets during the week last year, but was easily distracted and ended up spending 12-hour blocks of time working on problem sets during the weekend. Attending lectures and recitations should also help with cutting down the time working on problem sets. I need to prioritize homework over social interaction.

5) Read the textbook. I did read most of my textbooks last year, but that's because I was attempting to teach myself the material. I need to use my textbooks as a supplement to class instead of a replacement.

The depressing aspect of this list is that all of it should be common sense. Of course skipping lectures, recitations, and office hours isn't going to end well! I know that starting fresh and leaving my bad habits behind is going to be challenging, but I'll do my level best.

Good luck, sounds like you're in the right track!

 

[mangoshakes]

My first 3 semesters in school I was a marine biology major who failed chemistry and had multiple Bs in biology courses. I switched to English and was strictly a B student with peppers of As and Cs. I graduated and worked overseas then came back to pursue medicine.

I came back with over 100 hours and a 2.99 cGPA and probably a 2.4 sGPA. 38 hours later I'm still a work in progress with a 3.2 cGPA and a 3.45 sGPA, but I did that with straight a straight 4.0 gpa.

If a failed marine bio student with an English degree can do it, then certainly you can too.

 

[Goro]

Yes, I've seen it happen many times with my students.

Goro - I was just wondering if people have any real-life examples of attempts (successful or otherwise) to repair the damage done by a bad freshman GPA. The reason I don't know if pulling my GPA up is realistic is because I haven't put in my "best effort" yet. This semester will have to be a trial run for me to see if I can hack it. If I can't, I guess I'll have to resort to changing to a more GPA-friendly major. 🙁

Also to clarify, I don't literally mean "straight 4.0s" but rather grades that would be enough to pull my GPA up to 3.6 (still a tall order). Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't be trying for straight 4.0s!

 

[Lucky Louie]

Many have had a terrible start in college. That's why some classes are known as "weeders". But is it possible to change that? Absolutely. Most important will be to actually put in the time and effort. You might need to cut some of your ECs and definitely drop FB and gaming until the summer.

 

[peperobox]

(a) I messed up academically freshman year. How realistic is it for me to get straight 4.0s in challenging science/engineering courses if I put in the work?

Try not to dwell too much on your previous grades. Yes, it will be challenging to get straight 4.0s and only you would know yourself enough to measure the likelihood of it happening. Just know that it is not impossible, move on, and work hard.... can't help you any more than that....

 

[Ashley1989]

All is not lost, it's doable but you need to figure out exactly what went wrong freshmen year (did you hang out with your friends too much, go to ineffective study groups, not go to office hours, slept too much or too little, did you keep your papers organized, lose track of test and quiz dates, tried to study in an ineffective area, studied the wrong way, etc) and have an active plan to fix it (saying "I won't procrastinate" or "I will work harder next time" doesn't count) and most importantly know how to recognize and address when you're messing up and slipping into your old habits again. Then, tell a friend about your goals and have them help you hold yourself accountable. If you're active in your determination then it's absolutely possible, but if you're passive and try to just wish for it you're going to have a hard time.

 

[vokuf]

You can do it. I was able to graduate with a 4.0 GPA from undergrad. You want to know the secret? It's about work ethic. During the semester, I did not spend one minute with my friends during the semester. While everyone was sleeping, I was doing practice problems. While people were eating, I was reading the textbook. I worked my ass off, especially during my Freshman year. I knew, before entering college, that premed courses are the most important out of all courses you've taken in college. I took Physics, Chemistry, Calculus, and History my first semester.

But then in the summer, I let loose 🙂 work hard, party hard.

 

[Shouraisei]

You can definitely get 3.8+ every semester if you put your mind to it! I had a rough start in freshman year as well with two super low grades (C and D). I retook the courses and worked much harder throughout the rest of undergrad and even though I didn't end up with a stellar gpa, I worked my way up to a 3.67. You seem to be on the right track and I'm sure you'll do great. Good luck! 🙂