I feel like a failure...

[Tennis Guy]

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Hello, I am currently a second year pre-med student, who is new to this forum. I recently got finished with my fall semester... everything went well except my organic chemistry lecture, my calculus class, and a ridiculously hard elective on microbes that I had to withdraw from. I was always almost passing organic chemistry, so I didn't want to withdraw from it because I also had the choice of dropping a test. When the midpoint came, I had the first test which I failed, and the second test, which I almost passed. So, I didn't want to give up and withdraw because I knew that I could improve my grade.
However, things that go as well as I wanted because my third test didn't go well and was my lowest score. However, I passed my fourth test which I was pretty close to a B. So, I studied really hard for the final which was so hard and managed to get an almost passing grade on it. My grade in the class was reported as a D, but I was so close to passing... I will send in my final for partial credit reconsideration, however I don't know if this will change my average significantly enough to get the C. They did manage to make some mistakes in grading though it seems.
For Calculus, I had a tutor that helped me somewhat because I had a test average of 72, before my final exam. I studied SO HARD for the final, and somehow I managed to get a score of 74/140. I find this so hard to believe because I checked over everything before turning the test in and I only had trouble with one of his questions. I e-mailed him about the grade, and he initially said that I did better than last time and that he checked over the test twice. He also said that he couldn't find anything after checking to bump up my grade.
I thought that he may have entered in my grade incorrectly because he said that I did better on my final in the e-mail, however we all know that 52.8% is not better than my previous tests. So, I e-mailed him to ask, if he possibly entered in my grade incorrectly. He said in the e-mail that he never said that my grade was better on the final, and that this grade on the final was correct. So, he basically contradicted himself, I can't see the test until next year when I get back from the holidays. The reason for this is because he is already out of town. However, this situation is really bothering me and is ruining my time off. I may have to get a grade appeal because it just seems impossible that I did worse on the final. I studied so hard for it...
As for the microbes class, it was so hard and it was a mistake to take it from the get go. I should have gotten out of it as soon as I saw the sentence that "this is not an easy A course" on the syllabus. However, I thought that I could still handle it and boy was I wrong! The class was full of biochemistry and things that required WAY too much effort to learn for a two hour elective. I was forced to withdraw from this class because it was taking too much time from my other classes and o chem.
This semester didn't turn out well at all... I am wondering how I will ever get into med school. I am so interested in becoming a doctor, and I can't see myself doing anything else. Sometimes, I blame my high school for not preparing me well enough. However, I know that a lot of my problems come from my own deficiencies from poor study habits and not understanding the concepts. I would have done much better in organic chemistry, if I had learned the concepts from the get go instead of just doing problems and not soaking in the material. I however thought that I was learning the concepts, even though I was not. The calculus situation is really bothering me the most. I really didn't expect that to happen. I have two D's that I will have to retake next semester, which is so depressing. I know that I have listed so many problems and I apologize for so much writing. However, I need some advice.... I really don't know where to go from here. 🙁

 

[ClickityClack]

Here's your problem:

Sometimes, I blame

Your blame distributor's all sooted up; points are corroded. People probably hear you misfiring from 3 blocks away.

Get that sorted out, you'll be a new man.

 

[ReptarBar]

tldr

 

[theWUbear]

If you want to become a doctor you will get there, whether it takes you 4 years of undergrad or more, whether it takes you 4 years of undergrad or 4 years and 1 or 2 years of a SMP, whether you have what it takes to get accepted to a US school or you go to the carribean. if you really want to become a doctor, you have one hundred strikes before you strike out. continue to identify the reasons why you are not successful and focus on your classes. personally, the semester i started emailing prof's early and asking for syllabus/name of textbook so i could study ahead over summer/winter break was the semester where i started improving. You can go for that before spring semester and spend your winter in the library. Hard work pays off. When it gets closer to the time most regular premeds apply, work closely with your premed advisors to make a gameplan for you, whether that involves doing a post-bacc year or an SMP if necessary. your journey has just began.

 

[riverjib]

Hello, I am currently a second year pre-med student, who is new to this forum. I recently got finished with my fall semester... everything went well except my organic chemistry lecture, my calculus class, and a ridiculously hard elective on microbes that I had to withdraw from. I was always almost passing organic chemistry, so I didn't want to withdraw from it because I also had the choice of dropping a test. When the midpoint came, I had the first test which I failed, and the second test, which I almost passed. So, I didn't want to give up and withdraw because I knew that I could improve my grade.
However, things that go as well as I wanted because my third test didn't go well and was my lowest score. However, I passed my fourth test which I was pretty close to a B. So, I studied really hard for the final which was so hard and managed to get an almost passing grade on it. My grade in the class was reported as a D, but I was so close to passing... I will send in my final for partial credit reconsideration, however I don't know if this will change my average significantly enough to get the C. They did manage to make some mistakes in grading though it seems.
For Calculus, I had a tutor that helped me somewhat because I had a test average of 72, before my final exam. I studied SO HARD for the final, and somehow I managed to get a score of 74/140. I find this so hard to believe because I checked over everything before turning the test in and I only had trouble with one of his questions. I e-mailed him about the grade, and he initially said that I did better than last time and that he checked over the test twice. He also said that he couldn't find anything after checking to bump up my grade.
I thought that he may have entered in my grade incorrectly because he said that I did better on my final in the e-mail, however we all know that 52.8% is not better than my previous tests. So, I e-mailed him to ask, if he possibly entered in my grade incorrectly. He said in the e-mail that he never said that my grade was better on the final, and that this grade on the final was correct. So, he basically contradicted himself, I can't see the test until next year when I get back from the holidays. The reason for this is because he is already out of town. However, this situation is really bothering me and is ruining my time off. I may have to get a grade appeal because it just seems impossible that I did worse on the final. I studied so hard for it...
As for the microbes class, it was so hard and it was a mistake to take it from the get go. I should have gotten out of it as soon as I saw the sentence that "this is not an easy A course" on the syllabus. However, I thought that I could still handle it and boy was I wrong! The class was full of biochemistry and things that required WAY too much effort to learn for a two hour elective. I was forced to withdraw from this class because it was taking too much time from my other classes and o chem.
This semester didn't turn out well at all... I am wondering how I will ever get into med school. I am so interested in becoming a doctor, and I can't see myself doing anything else. Sometimes, I blame my high school for not preparing me well enough. However, I know that a lot of my problems come from my own deficiencies from poor study habits and not understanding the concepts. I would have done much better in organic chemistry, if I had learned the concepts from the get go instead of just doing problems and not soaking in the material. I however thought that I was learning the concepts, even though I was not. The calculus situation is really bothering me the most. I really didn't expect that to happen. I have two D's that I will have to retake next semester, which is so depressing. I know that I have listed so many problems and I apologize for so much writing. However, I need some advice.... I really don't know where to go from here. 🙁

This post is bound to invite a TON of criticism, so be prepared for it. You won't get much sympathy. Three professors are probably not wrong. I'm glad you're admitting to poor study habits, because the "blame" thing will not go your way.

You had a bad semester, which doesn't have to destroy your pre-med career. But give it up now, and admit that whatever unfairness there might have been (and ALWAYS will be in the scheme of things), you screwed up, and you have to face it now.

So here's where your new life begins: analyze everything you've done up to this point. Think about how you might improve your standing. You probably need to think HARD about your study habits, your social life, and your EC's. From this day forward, you need to be committed to excellence if you want to apply to medical school. Unless you had (and will maintain) a 4.0 aside from this semester, you'll probably need to take a gap year so that you can bolster your GPA.

I had a 4.0 for the first four semesters of college. Junior year, I had a 3.87 because I got two A-'s in Pchem and linear algebra. Last spring, I had a traumatic (very sudden) death in the family, and my father ended up in the hospital during finals. My grades were as follows: A, A-, A-, B+, B, and (ugh) D. I was completely thrown off, and decided to wait to apply to medical school another year, because regardless of your overall GPA, you should be at the top of your game when you apply.

I don't mention my situation when explaining the dip in my grades to most people. I will explain it on interviews, because it's the sole reason for my untimely failure to perform. I don't regret it, because it was more important that I spent time with my family and dealt with my heartache than it was to try to maintain perfect grades when I was falling apart. This semester, I came back with a strong 3.96 GPA.

I don't know what you're dealing with in your life, but you need to evaluate what is holding you back. It's not your professors, because other people did get A's, B's, and even C's this semester. My concern is not with your grades, but your reaction to them. Med school will be much harder and less forgiving than your calculus and basic organic chem class. Take your lumps and learn from them, instead of blaming someone else when you don't succeed.

 

[riverjib]

Here's your problem:



Your blame distributor's all sooted up; points are corroded. People probably hear you misfiring from 3 blocks away.

Get that sorted out, you'll be a new man.

LOL!!! He summed it up in less than 25 words, and so much more precisely than I did!

 

[Tennis Guy]

I know that I should never blame others for my own problems. However, I always feel it is easier... even though I really feel like my high school didn't prepare me well at all. However, I know this is easy to do, and I should quit doing it forever. I will have to rebuild and forget about this forever... however, this really sets me back. I have to regain my scholarship, and I will probably not be able to take one class I need to next semester. What do you guys think about the whole calculus situation though? I am really troubled by it so much...

 

[Bernoull]

I know that I should never blame others for my own problems. However, I always feel it is easier... even though I really feel like my high school didn't prepare me well at all. However, I know this is easy to do, and I should quit doing it forever. I will have to rebuild and forget about this forever... however, this really sets me back. I have to regain my scholarship, and I will probably not be able to take one class I need to next semester. What do you guys think about the whole calculus situation though? I am really troubled by it so much...

Solving any problem(s) requires correct diagnosis. Think clearly and objectively about why u got subpar grades. Calculus grading issues will be easily verifiable. Math is very objective, a solution to a problem is rarely ambiguous. Review your exam paper next semester and they'll surely correct any grading errors, if they exist. If on the other hand, if you did poorly, blaming others will not enhance your grasp of calculus. Take a long hard look at what really happened. It's ok to get ur a** whooped by a class or two. I can relate to this bcos I had a D in Calc II the first time around. Although my Prof was notoriously tough with an thick accent, I knew that the core problem was that I had severe weakness with the material (bcos I took Cac I 5yrs prior and didn't review). I retook the class and had a B and I had As for Calc 3 and diff Eq.
The point is, to improve my math, I looked inwards and took responsibility over my grade. I practiced a lot and got tutoring help. Furhtermore this will not break ur med school chances. ADCOMs like to see academic redemption. Retake and do well in the classes, get tutoring if u need to, get a solutions manual and practice a lot.

Goodluck

 

[Techmed07]

I know that I should never blame others for my own problems. However, I always feel it is easier... even though I really feel like my high school didn't prepare me well at all. However, I know this is easy to do, and I should quit doing it forever. I will have to rebuild and forget about this forever... however, this really sets me back. I have to regain my scholarship, and I will probably not be able to take one class I need to next semester. What do you guys think about the whole calculus situation though? I am really troubled by it so much...

High school is a joke. I graduated from highschool with around a 3.0 G.P.A/5.0 scale. I currently have a 3.95 at a University. Oh, and my SAT scores were just slightly above average. There is nothing special about somebody who makes A's. People he get A's are pretty broken down into two categories. Those who work hard ( me) and those who have a sufficient background and do not have to work as hard (these people usually got to top schools, and thus have to compete with individuals who also have a good background). To make A's takes self-discipline and good study skills. Neither should be too hard for you to garner. Pick up this book "How to be a Striaght A's Student" By Cal Newport. If you read this book cover to cover and adhere to all his suggestions you should have a 4.0 next semester. I will bet my SDN account on it (o.k maybe not my SDN account..I'll bet my facebook account). It does not take an extreme amount of intelligence to succeed in college nor does it take above average intelligence to get A's. Just takes the right attitude and the right tools. Good luck.

 

[pam61371]

.

 

[Tennis Guy]

Ok, I will definitely look over the blog and order the book as well! I will also maybe hold you to your word Techmed07 lol! I am willing to change for the better and set myself up for success next semester! However, what should I do if I have to take calculus and o chem again next semester? The reason I ask is because I need to take biology as well... I don't know how I will be able to take it if I have to take those other two classes again as well. I have to regain my scholarship, and I don't know if I will be able to have the GPA by next semester. So, I would have to limit my number of hours taken next semester in order for my total hours accumulated to not equal 60.

 

[umean2tellme]

First, you have to realize that no one can be blamed for your bad grades but yourself. If you fail a class, it's not b/c the teacher didn't teach you properly or b/c your high school didn't prepare you for college, or even because the stars and the moon were misaligned during the test.

Second, you're not a failure. Not everyone gets a 4.0 throughout college. You fell off this semester. Now you have to decide whether you are still dedicated to becoming a physician and if you'll do what it takes to get there, whether that means taking extra undergrad classes or doing an SMP or whatever. Figure out what mistakes you made this semester and fix them. Feeling sorry for yourself won't make your gpa go any higher. Good luck.

 

[pam61371]

.

 

[apumic]

I know that I should never blame others for my own problems. However, I always feel it is easier... even though I really feel like my high school didn't prepare me well at all. However, I know this is easy to do, and I should quit doing it forever. I will have to rebuild and forget about this forever... however, this really sets me back. I have to regain my scholarship, and I will probably not be able to take one class I need to next semester. What do you guys think about the whole calculus situation though? I am really troubled by it so much...

Seriously, man, stop blaming others. You screwed up. Take ownership of it. Trust me, some of us have had worse in terms of HS prep. I, for one, had 2 HS chem teachers -- the first was so bad he never taught us what valence electrons were (so instead of teaching why 2 Hs + 1 O bond to form H2O, he simply expected us to know the formulas, polarities, etc. by heart w/ no understanding as to why these things occurred -- I ended up learning about electron shells while shadowing a friend in her bio class at another school!); in the first class I got a C+ and it was the highest grade in the class; second semester, I was placed in an honors chem course by a new HS where they were an entire quarter ahead of where we'd left off the previous semester; then to make things worse the instructor died a week into class and we just had random subs the rest of the semester. Despite this, I still ended up top student in all of my college chem classes (despite being far less prepared in my chemistry foundation than my classmates). Same with my HS Bio class (not quite as bad a situation but the instructor was awful) and I ended up top in class in all bio courses as well. HS is what you make of it. Even if the prep was terrible, that's no excuse. You should have identified your weaknesses by your sophomore year of college. The mistakes you made were freshmen mistakes so fix them and move on.

How have you done overall? I saw you are on a scholarship? How high a GPA do you need to keep that and where is your GPA now? Obviously, if you might lose the scholarship, that has to take priority so get the GPA up and over that threshold. Good luck. Own your education, dude!

 

[ClickityClack]

I have to regain my scholarship, and I don't know if I will be able to have the GPA by next semester. So, I would have to limit my number of hours taken next semester in order for my total hours accumulated to not equal 60.

Blame-shifting and laziness tends to put you in a world of hurt, hunh?

That weird, confused feeling is called disappointment. You're learning that you have to apply yourself, and that a higher intelligence alone doesn't guarantee success.

Apply some tough love. Heed reality, and you can use this to show improvement.
Sounds good on a personal statement (or so I've been told), but only if you can actually show serious improvement.




You are your worst enemy. Realize it, and start blaming your troubles on that.








(Sounds smug, I know. I have the same trouble, from time to time. Just be brutally honest with yourself; it's the only thing that's gonna get you out of this. Competition is brutal... you must be more-so.)

 

[s1lver]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=687036

 

[Tennis Guy]

My GPA for the scholarship is around a 2.4. My overall GPA is a 2.67. I have to regain my scholarship, once I have attempted 60 hours. Right now, I have attempted 47, and if it turns out that calculus grade is what it is then I can't regain my scholarship this semester like I want to. I'll have to only take 12 hours next semester and allow it to get to 59, and then regain it possibly in the Summer or in the Fall. Any advice?

 

[Tennis Guy]

bump

 

[anonymousername]

Hello, I am currently a second year pre-med student, who is new to this forum. I recently got finished with my fall semester... everything went well except my organic chemistry lecture, my calculus class, and a ridiculously hard elective on microbes that I had to withdraw from. I was always almost passing organic chemistry, so I didn't want to withdraw from it because I also had the choice of dropping a test. When the midpoint came, I had the first test which I failed, and the second test, which I almost passed. So, I didn't want to give up and withdraw because I knew that I could improve my grade.
However, things that go as well as I wanted because my third test didn't go well and was my lowest score. However, I passed my fourth test which I was pretty close to a B. So, I studied really hard for the final which was so hard and managed to get an almost passing grade on it. My grade in the class was reported as a D, but I was so close to passing... I will send in my final for partial credit reconsideration, however I don't know if this will change my average significantly enough to get the C. They did manage to make some mistakes in grading though it seems.
For Calculus, I had a tutor that helped me somewhat because I had a test average of 72, before my final exam. I studied SO HARD for the final, and somehow I managed to get a score of 74/140. I find this so hard to believe because I checked over everything before turning the test in and I only had trouble with one of his questions. I e-mailed him about the grade, and he initially said that I did better than last time and that he checked over the test twice. He also said that he couldn't find anything after checking to bump up my grade.
I thought that he may have entered in my grade incorrectly because he said that I did better on my final in the e-mail, however we all know that 52.8% is not better than my previous tests. So, I e-mailed him to ask, if he possibly entered in my grade incorrectly. He said in the e-mail that he never said that my grade was better on the final, and that this grade on the final was correct. So, he basically contradicted himself, I can't see the test until next year when I get back from the holidays. The reason for this is because he is already out of town. However, this situation is really bothering me and is ruining my time off. I may have to get a grade appeal because it just seems impossible that I did worse on the final. I studied so hard for it...
As for the microbes class, it was so hard and it was a mistake to take it from the get go. I should have gotten out of it as soon as I saw the sentence that "this is not an easy A course" on the syllabus. However, I thought that I could still handle it and boy was I wrong! The class was full of biochemistry and things that required WAY too much effort to learn for a two hour elective. I was forced to withdraw from this class because it was taking too much time from my other classes and o chem.
This semester didn't turn out well at all... I am wondering how I will ever get into med school. I am so interested in becoming a doctor, and I can't see myself doing anything else. Sometimes, I blame my high school for not preparing me well enough. However, I know that a lot of my problems come from my own deficiencies from poor study habits and not understanding the concepts. I would have done much better in organic chemistry, if I had learned the concepts from the get go instead of just doing problems and not soaking in the material. I however thought that I was learning the concepts, even though I was not. The calculus situation is really bothering me the most. I really didn't expect that to happen. I have two D's that I will have to retake next semester, which is so depressing. I know that I have listed so many problems and I apologize for so much writing. However, I need some advice.... I really don't know where to go from here. 🙁

 

[werd]

sorry to sound a little negative, but this is my take. this is a fairly bad situation for your med school aspirations... a sub-3 gpa is a big red flag for med schools, and poor bio and chem grades are a separate red flag. being only 3 semesters in, it's not too late to reverse this and make a case for yourself, but you'll have to turn things around markedly. i would talk to your adviser, make sure you have tutors for the classes you think they'd help, and most importantly, focus more on studying next year. maybe also talk with your classmates about what they're doing to study and what they expect to be on the test.

 

[AlexMay]

Work harder and you'll be ok.

I agree with Wubear when he said ask your prof's for next semesters textbook or syllabus so you can study early and get ahead. This is a really good idea.

There's more info about eat stop eat on here.

 

[Hoody]

best. post. ever.