I'm in a horrible mood. (a rant)

[asuhdds]

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Anyhooo, after posting a gpa of roughly 2.8 my first year at UCLA I made a vow to focus on school, improve my gpa, and never get a C ever again.

2nd year Fall I get a 3.57, Winter - 3.67, and in Spring I get a 3.4. In the Spring I started researching, shadowing, and working as a TA for a pre-dental technique course.

Then I fully load my Summer schedule. I sign up to repeat a math course, and also sign up for 2 psych stats classes, and a biology course. So Session A I'm taking calculus (an 8 week course) and a psych class (a 6 week course).

I neglect the psycho-stat course and focus on my math course. My psych stat final and math 2nd midterm were on the same day. The final grades for the psych class don't come out for another 2 weeks after the test. In the 8th week I decided to talk to a counselor... who then tells me I might have to drop the math class since I may be illegaly repeating it since I had progressed in my math courses. The thing is that we have 2 calculus series and I switched series when I "progressed". And a counselor the year before said the 2 series were different enough that I could repeat the previous course. So I check with the math department and they tell me that indeed, I must drop the class. So here I am in the 8th week, having spent mucho time and energy garnering an A+ in the class, 2 days before the final having to drop the class.

Then I get the final grade in my Psych-stat course... a C friggin +. I was freaking devestated. I'm used to curves set to a B- but this class was curved at C-/C. Only 12% of the class can get an A- and above... What kind of crap is that! And because its summer, people can drop even in the final week w/o a notation.... 20% dropped by week 6, changing my B+ to a freaking C. If I had not been taking that other math class I'm pretty sure I could have sweept this class no problem.. but I freaking had to memorize more than 50 formulas and identities for both classes on that final and midterm combo day (no notecards, 10 min break in between).

So now, on paper, I have only a C+ to show for my Summer Session A. And its going to appear that my courseload was a single course for that session. I dropped the other psych-stat course for Session B because I learned that, since its a weeder course (too many people going for psych/psychobio, more than 2/3 of the class will get Cs or below in our lab class (we weasled this out of our TA). I just can't afford anymore hits to my GPA.

On top of that, I can't get into my psychobio major since I'll have too many units before I can complete the prereqs. So its like I took that psychstat class for nothing (it was for the major alone). I wish I knew that these 2 courses were the weeder courses... because then I would have switched immediately because I HAVE to post stellar grades due to my abysmal first year.

I can't even describe how demoralized I am right now. My GPA is now at a 3.2 (I had a 3.26 in the Spring!), and my goal was to raise it to a 3.3 at this point. So much time and energy wasted.... and all for nought.

Am I making too big a deal of this? Because I really feel like I set myself back big time. I know I'm just eating a waaaa-mburger with some french-cries but I can't help myself right now.

 

[johntara04]

That sucks. The only good thing is that your psych class doesn't count as a BCP grade.

 

[Shunwei]

That sucks. The only good thing is that your psych class doesn't count as a BCP grade.

Some places do count Psychology as a prerequisite class, though.

 

[johntara04]

Some places do count Psychology as a prerequisite class, though.

That sucks too. Just make sure you research the schools you apply to and apply to the ones that make you look good.

 

[ucla2134]

Anyhooo, after posting a gpa of roughly 2.8 my first year at UCLA I made a vow to focus on school, improve my gpa, and never get a C ever again.

2nd year Fall I get a 3.57, Winter - 3.67, and in Spring I get a 3.4. In the Spring I started researching, shadowing, and working as a TA for a pre-dental technique course.

Then I fully load my Summer schedule. I sign up to repeat a math course, and also sign up for 2 psych stats classes, and a biology course. So Session A I'm taking calculus (an 8 week course) and a psych class (a 6 week course).

I neglect the psycho-stat course and focus on my math course. My psych stat final and math 2nd midterm were on the same day. The final grades for the psych class don't come out for another 2 weeks after the test. In the 8th week I decided to talk to a counselor... who then tells me I might have to drop the math class since I may be illegaly repeating it since I had progressed in my math courses. The thing is that we have 2 calculus series and I switched series when I "progressed". And a counselor the year before said the 2 series were different enough that I could repeat the previous course. So I check with the math department and they tell me that indeed, I must drop the class. So here I am in the 8th week, having spent mucho time and energy garnering an A+ in the class, 2 days before the final having to drop the class.

Then I get the final grade in my Psych-stat course... a C friggin +. I was freaking devestated. I'm used to curves set to a B- but this class was curved at C-/C. Only 12% of the class can get an A- and above... What kind of crap is that! And because its summer, people can drop even in the final week w/o a notation.... 20% dropped by week 6, changing my B+ to a freaking C. If I had not been taking that other math class I'm pretty sure I could have sweept this class no problem.. but I freaking had to memorize more than 50 formulas and identities for both classes on that final and midterm combo day (no notecards, 10 min break in between).

So now, on paper, I have only a C+ to show for my Summer Session A. And its going to appear that my courseload was a single course for that session. I dropped the other psych-stat course for Session B because I learned that, since its a weeder course (too many people going for psych/psychobio, more than 2/3 of the class will get Cs or below in our lab class (we weasled this out of our TA). I just can't afford anymore hits to my GPA.

On top of that, I can't get into my psychobio major since I'll have too many units before I can complete the prereqs. So its like I took that psychstat class for nothing (it was for the major alone). I wish I knew that these 2 courses were the weeder courses... because then I would have switched immediately because I HAVE to post stellar grades due to my abysmal first year.

I can't even describe how demoralized I am right now. My GPA is now at a 3.2 (I had a 3.26 in the Spring!), and my goal was to raise it to a 3.3 at this point. So much time and energy wasted.... and all for nought.

Am I making too big a deal of this? Because I really feel like I set myself back big time. I know I'm just eating a waaaa-mburger with some french-cries but I can't help myself right now.

Don't worry too much hahaha. I don't know what your major is but i guess either psychobio or neuroscience. You will need to take more tons of other class. Some upper division science classes are hard but some, especially super division psychology elective course is supper easy. Try to get most A'S in those easy class

 

[z3u2]

Then I get the final grade in my Psych-stat course... a C friggin +. I was freaking devestated. I'm used to curves set to a B- but this class was curved at C-/C. Only 12% of the class can get an A- and above... What kind of crap is that! And because its summer, people can drop even in the final week w/o a notation.... 20% dropped by week 6, changing my B+ to a freaking C. If I had not been taking that other math class I'm pretty sure I could have sweept this class no problem.. but I freaking had to memorize more than 50 formulas and identities for both classes on that final and midterm combo day (no notecards, 10 min break in between).

i find it setting a fixed percentage of people "will" get A- or above is ridiculous.
But 12% getting A- or above...
I think that's a reasonable amount of people!?

 

[jza70]

Then I get the final grade in my Psych-stat course... a C friggin +. I was freaking devestated. I'm used to curves set to a B- but this class was curved at C-/C. Only 12% of the class can get an A- and above... What kind of crap is that! And because its summer, people can drop even in the final week w/o a notation.... 20% dropped by week 6, changing my B+ to a freaking C.

It's not that bad at least you don't get a W. It's sucks that you wasted your time in a class though. At our school the curves are set to a C not a B- and we get Ws in summer classes if we don't drop it after the first week. BTW 12% is plenty to get an A- or better. The C grades should be the most abundant.

 

[Regmata]

Some classes only give A-'s and up to the top 7-10%...

 

[asuhdds]

The reason why the curve exists is because the other option is either grade inflation or mass failures.

But I agree that the curve makes how you do in the class fairly arbitrary. It's how you do compared to everyone else.

They just make the tests so hard that if you graded strictly on percentages, everyone would fail. But they do it this way so they see a nice comfortable distribution to assign the grades.

The average on a midterm for a class I took, for example, was 12 out of 50.

And the highest score was a 23 I believe.

Oh, btw I'm over it now. It felt good just airing it out to you guys. Anyways, I usually have a "suck it up/optimist" attitude but there are those moments, lulz.

 

[phremius]

ahhh but see at least you're at UCLA still, what I wouldn't give to go back to my blissful undergrad years cavorting about Westwood.... some seriously hard pressed to beat years of my life were spent there...

 

[jza70]

The average on a midterm for a class I took, for example, was 12 out of 50.

And the highest score was a 23 I believe.

Damn that happened over here last quarter with a new teacher. Test was out of 110 and the highest was 65 and the average was 35.

In some of my upper division bio classes the teachers will fail anyone with less than 50% of the total points in the class. Those classes have 40% failure rate.


Sorry again for having to take a class all the way to the end and having to drop it. I'd be pissed too.

 

[starfishbear]

That really sucks to hear but you should really focus on psychology classes but not so much because they do not coun t into your BCP.

I suggest you take a bunch of easy BCP classes like MCDB bio 30, 40 physci 3, physci 5, etc. etc. maybe atmosphere upper div classes or some of those easy EEB classes.

Good luck... and based on that "illegal" retake, you really should have just stayed in the class because it wont count at UCLA for credit but dental schools will still count it.. I'm sorry you didn't know that before.

 

[z3u2]

In some of my upper division bio classes the teachers will fail anyone with less than 50% of the total points in the class. Those classes have 40% failure rate.

Isn't 50% a typical passing rate?

 

[jza70]

Isn't 50% a typical passing rate?

If you go by the numbers 60% should be the passing rate since D's are not passing. Considering the material a lot of people not pass these classes since the curve always seems to land just above 50% above the total points for the test. I know some classes teachers will curve the entire class so if the average for the class was 30% of the total points for that 30 will be a C.

 

[Fonz]

Then I get the final grade in my Psych-stat course... a C friggin +. I was freaking devestated. I'm used to curves set to a B- but this class was curved at C-/C. Only 12% of the class can get an A- and above... What kind of crap is that! And because its summer, people can drop even in the final week w/o a notation.... 20% dropped by week 6, changing my B+ to a freaking C. If I had not been taking that other math class I'm pretty sure I could have sweept this class no problem.. but I freaking had to memorize more than 50 formulas and identities for both classes on that final and midterm combo day (no notecards, 10 min break in between).

Hmm. Nah i don't think so about the 12% being a load of crap. I mean isn't trying to get into any graduate program one big competition? Hell I treat life as one big competition: getting the job, getting the girl, etc. You have to make yourself the best competitor possible. A lot of times you don't have to do 'great' you just have to do better than everyone else. That could make things harder or sometimes easier. Your courseload seemed way to intense for summer. You're supposed to relax and take 2 classes at most 🙂

 

[z3u2]

If you go by the numbers 60% should be the passing rate since D's are not passing. Considering the material a lot of people not pass these classes since the curve always seems to land just above 50% above the total points for the test. I know some classes teachers will curve the entire class so if the average for the class was 30% of the total points for that 30 will be a C.

i made a typo in my last post.
i meant, in response to your post, isn't "fail anyone with less than 50% of the total points in the class" normal? I mean, in probably every school that gives a numerical grade out of 100, a score < 50% is considered as fail,

i'm not too familiar with curved system, as that was never implemented at my university.

 

[z3u2]

Hmm. Nah i don't think so. I mean isn't trying to get into any graduate program one big competition? Hell I treat life as one big competition: getting the job, getting the girl, etc. You have to make yourself the best competitor possible. A lot of times you don't have to do 'great' you just have to do better than everyone else. That could make things harder or sometimes easier. Your courseload seemed way to intense for summer. You're supposed to relax and take 2 classes at most 🙂

were you responding to my post?
I'm not really sure what you were trying to say...?

 

[Fonz]

were you responding to my post?
I'm not really sure what you were trying to say...?

oops sorry. I quoted the wrong one. I fixed it.

 

[jza70]

i made a typo in my last post.
i meant, in response to your post, isn't "fail anyone with less than 50% of the total points in the class" normal? I mean, in probably every school that gives a numerical grade out of 100, a score < 50% is considered as fail,

i'm not too familiar with curved system, as that was never implemented at my university.

The curve system at least at my school works like this... If a test is given and average for the test is somehow 30% out of the 100% a 30% will be a C. So a score of 40%+ will be a B and so on. In the case of one class the average was 54% yet at the same time the teacher would fail anyone will less than 50% of the total points by the end of the quarter (not all teachers do this). So there was very little leeway between getting a C and an failing grade. lol.