I need a reality check

[emhoward]

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As the title says, I need a serious reality check, not a pep-talk, which is what everyone seems to be giving me.

Here's the scoop. I am a sophomore at Iowa State University, double majoring in Animal Science and Dairy Science with, of course, a pre-vet option. I do plan to go to ISU's vet school for large animal medicine.

My current GPA is 3.0, with a C+ in Econ, a C+ in Antrho, a C in math, a C- in chem and a C- in chem lab bringing it down. I need a C minimum in all of my classes, and a 3.5 minimum GPA to even be considered for vet school. The whole chemistry thing is really getting me down, because not only do I have to retake a general chemistry class which I hated, but I am currently struggling through the second half of general chemistry, and I'll probably die in organic chem.

Other than my grades, I do have a significant amount of experience (volunteering, clubs, animal experience, ect) behind my belt, including study abroad, which I know vet schools love to look for.

So where I currently stand, am I already too far in the hole to bring my grades up to where they need to be, and will chemistry actually kill me? 😕

 

[kaydubs]

I'll shoot this as straight as I can. (I believe many people may end up with the pep talk style cause they want you to succeed. Just a thought).

First of all, no one can really tell you you're too far down the rabbit hole to come back up or find another burrow. That's ultimately your decision. They can only give you opinions to take as you will. I believe most people on the forum will try and advise like I am attempting, but we can't say "Yes, go for it!" or "Wow, don't even give it a shot." Again, it's your future, not ours. In my opinion, your GPA isn't an immediate, "NO WAY" but it could use some help to make it seriously competitive. Also, there's the GRE/MCAT to consider (I'm thinking ISU requires it, but I could be wrong).

For chemistry, remember it's a pre-req for your major that you have to pass, but it wouldn't hurt to pass well if you get my drift. For me, my school made chem & physics weed-out cognates. I trudged through them like many undergrads (I had taken a significant amount of chem classes as of high school so college inorganic wasn't bad) but organic was not my strong point and I'm simply glad to have made it through.

Basically, my best suggestion would be motivate yourself. Evaluate this career choice seriously (if you aren't a huge fan of science classes, or ones you've taken so far, figure out why) and realize vet school is waaaaay more strenuous than undergrad. Also, since your at ISU, talk to an admissions counselor and ask them to be honest (I don't think any should try and fool you into believing you've got a shot at vet school unless you do).

Best of luck whether you stick with pre-vet or choose something you love more.👍 (Hope I didn't do too much pep talk).

As the title says, I need a serious reality check, not a pep-talk, which is what everyone seems to be giving me.

Here's the scoop. I am a sophomore at Iowa State University, double majoring in Animal Science and Dairy Science with, of course, a pre-vet option. I do plan to go to ISU's vet school for large animal medicine.

My current GPA is 3.0, with a C+ in Econ, a C+ in Antrho, a C in math, a C- in chem and a C- in chem lab bringing it down. I need a C minimum in all of my classes, and a 3.5 minimum GPA to even be considered for vet school. The whole chemistry thing is really getting me down, because not only do I have to retake a general chemistry class which I hated, but I am currently struggling through the second half of general chemistry, and I'll probably die in organic chem.

So where I currently stand, am I already too far in the hole to bring my grades up to where they need to be, and will chemistry actually kill me? 😕

 

[squirrelsrule]

You are only a sophomore, so you do have time to bring up your GPA, but you have to realize that whatever you are doing now is NOT working! Are you seriously giving the classes your all? Studying at least 4-6 hours per week per class (as a MINIMUM)? Have you gotten a tutor? YOU have to be the one to figure out what's holding you back and overcome it.

I did good in Chemistry and loved Organic one and so far O. Chem 2 isn't bad (although our professor has decided to get serious with us and we are blazing through the material- we have only been in class for 2 weeks and we've covered 3 chapters already and have a test tomorrow 😱). I definetely enjoy Organic much more than general chemistry. I think part of it is the teacher and the other part is that organic is more relevant to a biology major. It is much more interconnected with biology than gen. chem was.

As kaydubs said, consider why you hate your science classes. Is it because you aren't interested? Just because you are struggling? Figure that out and I think you'll figure out if you really even want to be a vet.

Vet school is going to be way tougher than undergrad so you have to get yourself straightened out now and on the right path or you are going to be miserable for the next 7 years, if you make it into vet school.

If you are only a sophmore and have TONS of vet experience in, my main question would be are you getting experience at the expense of studying? Joining clubs and volunteering is GREAT but you have to consider how much time you have for these things. Are you sacrificing time you should be studying to get the experience? If I were you, I would cut back on everything until you get your grades up.

 

[nuevaburra]

I second what everyone else says. If you want to see what your grades will have to be to get a target GPA, there is an online calculator here :
http://www.bus.wisc.edu/undergrad/advising/gpa_calc.asp

If you are only a sophomore, you probably still have a lot of credits left, so with some tutoring etc there is room to bring your grades up.

Also, research shows that people who study in small groups get better grades. Can you find some people to study with? That would have helped me a LOT in ochem, I know it helped in gen chem.

 

[birty88]

I figured I'd throw in my 2 cents as well.

I think that as a sophomore you have plenty of time to turn things around if you are serious. The chemistries are important in terms of prereqs for alot of schools so the better you can do in them, the better your application will look. When it comes to organic, prepare that it will be tough and create a study group asap - this worked particularly well for me. I passed my gen chems with Bs and recieved a B in calcs so you really dont have to have all As to get into vet school. You basically have to prove to them that you are serious and are working to improve areas of weakness. Plus, organic is NOTHING like gen chem! It's a completely different type of thinking so if you struggle with the equations etc in gen chem you may surprise yourself in ochem. As for the GPA, you can bring that up with time and hard work.

And as our fellow SDNers have pointed out you can always go online or email admissions at whatever vet

 

[Minnerbelle]

Here's the reality check. Yes, at the rate you're going, the chance of you getting into vet school ever (and if you miraculously get in, not flunking out with a lot of debt with nothing to show for it) is very slim. But that can always change. There are very successful people on here who had similar stats to yours upon graduating college, and with years of hard work thereafter became competitive.

The thing is, you have to be honest with yourself and figure out why you're doing so poorly and not make excuses. Is it that you weren't adequately prepared in high school? Is it that you're lazy? Are you battling a mental illness? Do you have a learning disability? Do you have organizational issues? Figure out what it is that's holding you back and tackle it from there. No matter what it is, it'll take a LOT of hard work and determination to conquer it but it can be done. Unless it's just a lazy factor, you'll have to put in the effort to seek help. Get a tutor, go in for regular office hours, get a counselor, go talk to your dean, the school learning center, etc... And then work on all of your bad habits in a way that lasts (kinda like dieting... it's easy to shed the first few pounds, but it's super difficult to keep it off). If you can pull it off though, that would make for an awesome personal statement 😉.

Unless you make dramatic changes FAST though, you may not get yourself competitive enough to apply right away. And if you don't adequately improve by graduation, you're looking at extra classes post-graduation or maybe a master's program. So if becoming a vet is your dream, you have to be realistic and be willing to put in that extra time if need be. Or it could be that you're just not at a place in life where you can handle it, and there's nothing wrong with that either. If that's the case, and you still REALLY want to become a vet later, you can come back and take classes again when you're ready, kick ass, and then apply.

So yeah, it's totally up to you (and how much you really want this).

 

[birty88]

I figured I'd throw in my 2 cents as well.

I think that as a sophomore you have plenty of time to turn things around if you are serious. The chemistries are important in terms of prereqs for alot of schools so the better you can do in them, the better your application will look. When it comes to organic, prepare that it will be tough and create a study group asap - this worked particularly well for me. I passed my gen chems with Bs and recieved a B in calcs so you really dont have to have all As to get into vet school. You basically have to prove to them that you are serious and are working to improve areas of weakness. Plus, organic is NOTHING like gen chem! It's a completely different type of thinking so if you struggle with the equations etc in gen chem you may surprise yourself in ochem. As for the GPA, you can bring that up with time and hard work.

And as our fellow SDNers have pointed out you can always go online or email admissions at what ever vet schools you choose to apply to. They each weight things a little seperatly. I had a terribleterrible GRE score but still got 3 interview invites off my other attributes. Several other schools didn't even give me a chance. You cant really ever tell for sure how much a part of your application will help or harm your chances. I think the best advice I can give you is to work hard and talk to the people in charge. They'll know WAY more than we will.

 

[birty88]

sorry about the double post. I posted from my phone and it got all glitchy

 

[that redhead]

So where I currently stand, am I already too far in the hole to bring my grades up to where they need to be, and will chemistry actually kill me? 😕

I started working to bring myself out of the hole second semester of what should have been my senior year. I had a 2.8 GPA. Find yourself a GPA calculator and find out what kind of grades you need to bring your GPA up. Frankly, you're just a sophomore and you have (what seems to me) plenty of time to rectify the situation. The real question isn't whether you can get the grades or if chemistry will kill you (it won't) but what it is that's bringing your grades down right now. If you don't like the subject material, you aren't necessarily alone but you need to understand that all vet school is is science-based courses that will be a lot harder, or at least a lot more intense, than your average organic chemistry class, for example.

I've said it to others and I'll say it again: you need to make a lifestyle change. Forget about going out or playing video games or reading or whatever it is that takes up most of your time and throw yourself into studying and getting help. It isn't fun and it isn't easy but it can be done. As for the whole "need a 3.5 to even be considered", not necessarily; check out the successful applicants threads of previous years to find those who got in with below a 3.5. Not to say that you should aim the lowest but it isn't impossible.

 

[projekt]

As for the whole "need a 3.5 to even be considered", not necessarily; check out the successful applicants threads of previous years to find those who got in with below a 3.5. Not to say that you should aim the lowest but it isn't impossible.

True. Another thing that may brighten your spirits is that some specific schools look at your science GPA and your last 45 hours GPA with similar or greater weight to your overall GPA, so there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

You may need to scale back to 12 credits for now and take a little longer getting through school. If I were back in undergrad the first time, I'd tell myself to take 12 credits, focus, do your homework, read the book, and don't cut corners. When you make Dean's list, add 3 more credits, and stay there till you graduate with straight A's in your last 3-4 years.

If you are constantly distracting yourself from school, like by taking on jobs or some other thing, because you really don't like school, take time off. It's okay. Work as a vet assistant or lab animal tech or something and at some point you may decide to get serious again and burn through school.

 

[LetItSnow]

The real question isn't whether you can get the grades or if chemistry will kill you (it won't) but what it is that's bringing your grades down right now. If you don't like the subject material, you aren't necessarily alone but you need to understand that all vet school is is science-based courses that will be a lot harder, or at least a lot more intense, than your average organic chemistry class, for example.

I've said it to others and I'll say it again: you need to make a lifestyle change.

For my money you won't get better advice than redhead gave you.

I was stunned doing my pre-reqs at how many students got mediocre grades and complained about how hard the classes were. Then, when I'd ask them how they studied for the last exam, they'd say "Oh, I skimmed the chapter.... but we had a big party so I didn't have much time."

It's all about priorities, I guess.

I'm not saying you're in that boat - how would I know, eh? - but you might want to take an honest look at how you're investing your time. Are you really working as hard as you think? Or are you expecting that for an hour of lecture you can put in an hour of skimming notes while Facebooking, listening to music, and laughing at your roommate playing wii... and come out on top? Do you have a study group that you can teach to and be taught by? Are you in the library or some other isolated, quiet location putting in focused study time, or is your studying in front of the tv? Have you asked for help from teachers/advisors with regard to improving study skills? Are your lecture notes thorough and useful? Do you review them?

Here's an example.

I used to study with one girl who absolutely refused to hammer through a tough problem. If we hit a problem in chem or physics that she didn't immediately know how to manage, she'd insist we move on. She argued that banging her head against a problem was just a waste of time. She struggled semester after semester because she never recognized that tearing apart the tough problems is what increases your competency. Repeatedly doing easy problems is great for rote process memorization, but it gives you little to no problem-solving skills and doesn't do much for helping you understand the overall material. It just gives you formulas that you can apply to very specific questions.

You need to find out what sort of study approach you're taking that, like my study partner, is actually hampering your ability to learn instead of enhancing it.

Best of luck!

 

[cuitlamiztli]

I need ... a 3.5 minimum GPA to even be considered for vet school

This isn't necessarily true. A 2.50 is the minimum to apply to Iowa State, and you need a 3.00 to be a competitive IS applicant (or a 3.20 for OOS).

In any case, as others have pointed out you still have time to improve your GPA. Here's my advice on that:

1. Work on getting better grades from now on. You CAN get into vet school with some C's, but definitely shoot for an upward trend.
2. If you re-take a course, do your best to rock it. When calculating your GPAs ISU will average the grades for repeated courses.
3. Go to the an sci department office to see what resources they have to offer (trust me*, they have stuff).
4. Get a tutor, or tutors. Start now.
5. Talk to your professors if you're having trouble.
6. Use SI (supplemental instruction) when it's available -- a list of courses can be found here: http://www.dso.iastate.edu/asc/si/.
7. Maybe cut back on your extracurricular involvement? Being involved is a good thing, but spreading yourself too thin won't help your grades.
8. Same goes for course load. How many classes/credit hours are you taking a semester? Cut back, and see if your grades improve. If it takes you longer to get through the two curricula, it takes you longer to get through the two curricula.

*ISU Alum ('08 zoology) who knows several an sci alum

 

[thedogisgreen]

I agree with what everyone else said.
I didn't do as well as I would have opened in my intro and organic chem classes and they definitely damaged my GPA, but once I got into my upper div bios, I did a ton better. When I was interested in the material, I was so much more motivated to work really hard. I also remembered what I was learning much better because it made sense and it was more applicable to what I wanted to be doing in the future. I'm not saying in any way that it is any easier/requires less hard work as you get further along in your classes, but that it was much easier to work hard. Take classes that interest you, or find things about the classes you are taking that do interest you and use that as a motivator - if you look at the class as something fun rather than a drag, it's a lot easier to do well.

 

[CatVet2B]

You may want to consider doing some of your chem at a local community college. Usually, the emphasis is more on teaching than researching, and the instructors are WAY more accessible. Scholls don't care where you do your chem, but only that it gets done.

 

[sumstorm]

Just wanted to add that if there is a reason you can't devote more time to your studies, you need to speak to your professors, deans, etc to find solutions that allow you to maximize efficiency. It's easy for some folks to say 'quit work' or study more, but I graduated college while working 40-60 hours every week. If I didn't work, I didn't get to attend school (my parents wouldn't even provide info for FAFSA, so I had to have a lot of scholarships, and then had to work to cover the rest.) Having said that, when I shared the problem with a couple of deans, they helped me find some jobs with some flexibility; I ended up working as a security guard for a local company on the weekends (16 hours in a room monitoring traffic in or out....studying was encouraged, because it meant I was likely to stay put and not wander the grounds, and being off campus meant I made $9/hour instead of the min wage of $5.15/hr at the school) and as a CNA in the evenings. CNA meant if I hustled and tidied up and fixed the meals I could study as I watched my patients (I was on terminal hospice rotations....my patients were sleeping 15-20 hours a day.) That was another path that a professor helped me with so that I could still manage to study. I wasn't the best student and graduated with a 3.39 and several C's, but I did talk about how much I understand balancing life, work, and education in my personal statement.

So if you have reasons that create havoc on your schedule, meet with your professors and hash it out. In one class I would meet with the prof for 15 minutes after class and I would tell him what I thought was important from his lectures, and he refocused me on what was actually important. Some folks will be jerks about this kind of thing, but no one can help if you don't ask.