IN NEED OF ADVICE, what do I with my situation?

[battleangel1999]

Hello all, this is my first time posting in SDN and I apologize if I posted in the wrong forum. I am a rising junior with a 1.8 cgpa and a 1.0 sgpa after completing 57.5 credits. I know this is very low and the mistakes happened due to various factors including untreated mental health problems and laziness or perhaps a combination of both. The Ds and Fs received first year were because I skipped the finals and the Ds and Fs sophomore year in my science classes was because I didn't study ahead. I know these are just excuses and I really want to own up to my mistakes for my next two years. Having said that, I now grasped a handle on my mental health but I fear the damage may be too great. I am well aware of @Goro reinvention thread(SMPs and Post Bacc's, all that so I know my options) but I want to be realistic as possible. I calculated my gpa till the end of graduation year, which is 2021. I can only rise my cgpa and my sgpa to the cutoff at exactly 3.0 for cgpa and a 3.2 for a sgpa. This is ONLY possible if I get 4.0s every semester hereafter. This is what I fear. I am well aware of underdog threads but I also fear that I maybe making a mistake continuing this path. Not to mention that I will be in undergrad debt of 70k, I don't know if this is a responsible course of action. Right now, my current plan is to try my best to get above at least a 3.7 the remaining semesters. Then, take the MCAT after graduation and hopefully do well in that, at least a 510(wishful thinking). Take a gap year to strengthen my application with ECs and apply to a SMP at my state university's one year program or a post bacc if my gpa is around 2.9 for both college and science gpa to get it to a 3.0. This is the only way I can see myself getting into a medical school(MD or DO, doesn't matter, I just want to be a doctor). I know I am just asking for affirmations but I need honest and critical advice from everyone. Is my current plan feasible, given that I will take on undergrad debt and even take on additional debt for SMP/post bacc programs? Below are all my classes taken in undergrad:

FRESHMEN YEAR
Fall 2017
Gen Bio 1 W
Expository Writing I B+
Calculus I D
General Psychology F
Intro Comm F
Spring 2018
Acad Succ Seminar NC
Italian Icons F
Calculus I D
Gen Psych F
Intro Comm W
Theatre App C+
Summer 2018
Gender Art & Society A
Gender & the Body A

SOPHOMORE YEAR
Fall 2018
Gen Bio I D
Intro to Human Eco B+
Intro Comm B
Soc Med Arts Online B+
Spring 2019
Gen Bio I C
Gen Chem 1 F
Gen Psych C+
Gender Race & Cont Art A

On the EC side(still working on them):

clinical volunteering
shadowing a neurosurgeon
becoming an EMT next summer
volunteering at an old age home

Please let me know if there's anything else I should change/add, thank you for your time!

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[Medic741]

If it was mental health baggage that lead to the failures you *must* get that taken care of. Take a leave of absence if you need one because you'll have to prove *excellence* from here on out.

Time to be brutally honest with yourself on what happened and what your motivations are.

 

[chemdoctor]

Get your mental health issues taken care of. Don't keep taking classes if you're gonna do poorly.

You can still get into DO and MD schools. Just keep working harder, do better and you will have a nice upwards trend. Put your ECs on hold for now. You need to focus on your grades and work on time management.

 

[battleangel1999]

Thank you at all who replied. Yes it’s taken care of now. It was something I struggled in hs and I finally managed to grab ahold of my problems. That being said, I have two options hereafter. Summers just started and I am fortunate enough to have parents that are willing to fianance me. First is that I can spend the next three months studying for next semesters material(have acquired all the material) and try to get a head start, while developing crucial study skills. The other is to register for summer classes and do my best in them, putting me ahead for next sem. The former is a better option because I am not in a position to take a risk and I don’t think it’s wise for me to take subjects without studying it beforehand, given the situation I’ve put myself. I know this is a sob story but I need practical steps to take so that I can atleast have a good chance at being considered for MD/DO. Please let me know how I should go about this.

 

[Dr.Gains]

Thank you at all who replied. Yes it’s taken care of now. It was something I struggled in hs and I finally managed to grab ahold of my problems. That being said, I have two options hereafter. Summers just started and I am fortunate enough to have parents that are willing to fianance me. First is that I can spend the next three months studying for next semesters material(have acquired all the material) and try to get a head start, while developing crucial study skills. The other is to register for summer classes and do my best in them, putting me ahead for next sem. The former is a better option because I am not in a position to take a risk and I don’t think it’s wise for me to take subjects without studying it beforehand, given the situation I’ve put myself. I know this is a sob story but I need practical steps to take so that I can atleast have a good chance at being considered for MD/DO. Please let me know how I should go about this.

The one advise I can give you is to tackle your journey one semester at a time. Don't spend your time calculating how many semesters of As you'll need to bring your GPA to a certain number. I think that is the wrong approach. If you are serious of wanting to be a physician you need to work on your study skills and understand that this will be a multi-year process. This next semester you need to work on your weaknesses and primarily focus on school, you can also volunteer a few hours a month but the primary focus should be the academia. After, you feel like you are able to prioritize your time well while maintaining excellent grades than you can invest more time in your ECs. Remember baby steps. A strong upward trend will very much work in your favor, paired with a competitive MCAT, solid ECs, great LoRs could turn into interviews. Again, as of now focus on working on the strong upward trend. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, check in from time to time and update us on your progress.

BTW, were you put on academic probation?

 

[Osminog]

Gen Bio I: W —> D —> C
Gen Psych: F —> F —> C+
Intro Communications: F —> W —> B
Calc I: D —> D
Gen Chem I: F

Honestly, this just looks really bad. In an applicant pool full of straight-A overachievers, adcoms might not be too sympathetic toward your situation, even if you have legitimate mental health-related reasons for your underperformance.

If you really want to go to medical school, you’ll have to get mostly A’s (with nothing lower than a B) for the rest of undergrad, and then you’ll need to perform well on the MCAT and do an SMP. It’s a steep uphill battle, for sure.

Assuming your grades drastically improve going forward, you would have a much easier time getting into podiatric medical school. You should try shadowing a podiatrist to see if that specialty is a good fit for you.

 

[battleangel1999]

The one advise I can give you is to tackle your journey one semester at a time. Don't spend your time calculating how many semesters of As you'll need to bring your GPA to a certain number. I think that is the wrong approach. If you are serious of wanting to be a physician you need to work on your study skills and understand that this will be a multi-year process. This next semester you need to work on your weaknesses and primarily focus on school, you can also volunteer a few hours a month but the primary focus should be the academia. After, you feel like you are able to prioritize your time well while maintaining excellent grades than you can invest more time in your ECs. Remember baby steps. A strong upward trend will very much work in your favor, paired with a competitive MCAT, solid ECs, great LoRs could turn into interviews. Again, as of now focus on working on the strong upward trend. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, check in from time to time and update us on your progress.

BTW, were you put on academic probation?

You’re right. I must take it semester by semester rather than looking at the big picture. As of now, I would like to use this summer to study as much as I can for next sem and then use my professsor’s office hours and my schools learning centers for additional help. In the meanwhile, I must drop my ECs or lessen my ECs so that I can focus on the grades. This is the best course of action for me now. Please let me know I should do anything else.

 

[battleangel1999]

Gen Bio I: W —> D —> C
Gen Psych: F —> F —> C+
Intro Communications: F —> W —> B
Calc I: D —> D
Gen Chem I: F

Honestly, this just looks really bad. In an applicant pool full of straight-A overachievers, adcoms might not be too sympathetic toward your situation, even if you have legitimate mental health-related reasons for your underperformance.

If you really want to go to medical school, you’ll have to get mostly A’s (with nothing lower than a B) for the rest of undergrad, and then you’ll need to perform well on the MCAT and do an SMP. It’s a steep uphill battle, for sure.

Assuming your grades drastically improve going forward, you would have a much easier time getting into podiatric medical school. You should try shadowing a podiatrist to see if that specialty is a good fit for you.

Yeah Ik it’s a bit unrealistic to pursue this path still but this is what I want to do. I really want to be a doctor and I have to try again. Thank you for your advice.

 

[seeinghowitgoes]

Yeah Ik it’s a bit unrealistic to pursue this path still but this is what I want to do. I really want to be a doctor and I have to try again. Thank you for your advice.

First - yes take care of the mental health before all.

Second, can I just ask how you’re so sure you want to pursue this path (ie medical school)? I ask because your coursework doesn’t scream to me “I love medicine” (no physiology or anatomy courses to inform you what Med school may be like, etc), though I get early in college is a lot of general requirements. I’m just curious have you shadowed a lot? What informs your desire to go into medicine?

A lot of people realize they’re able to handle the academic rigors of medicine early on, but don’t realize until later they don’t actually want to be in medicine and end up bitter and burnt out. If you’re potentially borderline on being able to handle the academic rigors, I think upfront reflection becomes even more important.

So I don’t have advice other than 1) yep like others have said get the highest grades possible (and yes likely an SMP) to have that nice upward trajectory narrative, and 2) I would just reflect a lot about if medicine is the path you want to pursue - it is signing up for a lifetime of studying and tests much more challenging than gen ed requirements. There are a lot of careers in which you can help people, and even a lot of careers in healthcare that are less academic-centric. I would just reflect and make sure you’re balancing your competitive advantages, lifestyle desires, and overarching career goals with whatever profession you decide to pursue rather than picking medicine because it’s one of the more well-known paths to be in healthcare. Not saying you haven’t done that reflection, just putting it out there again because it’s rare to reflect too much.

 

[gyngyn]

Shadow primary care (after you get a grip on your academics). 40 hours should be about right.
NS is icing, not cake.

 

[battleangel1999]

First - yes take care of the mental health before all.

Second, can I just ask how you’re so sure you want to pursue this path (ie medical school)? I ask because your coursework doesn’t scream to me “I love medicine” (no physiology or anatomy courses, etc), though I get early in college is a lot of general requirements. I’m just curious have you shadowed a lot? What informs your desire to go into medicine?

A lot of people realize they’re able to handle the academic rigors of medicine early on, but don’t realize until later they don’t actually want to be in medicine and end up bitter and burnt out. If you’re potentially borderline on being able to handle the academic rigors, I think upfront reflection becomes even more important.

So I don’t have advice other than 1) yep like others have said get the highest grades possible (and you very well may need an SMP) to have that nice upward trajectory narrative, and 2) I would just reflect a lot about if medicine is the path you want to pursue - it is signing up for a lifetime of studying and tests much more challenging than gen ed requirements. There are a lot of careers in which you can help people, and even a lot of careers in healthcare that are less academic-centric. I would just reflect and make sure you’re balancing your competitive advantages, lifestyle desires, and overarching career goals with whatever profession you decide to pursue rather than picking medicine because it’s one of the more well-known paths to be in healthcare.

You’re right, I may be a bit naive for my age by just saying I want to be a doctor but that’s pretty much every pre med. The only thing I am basing this off of is my shadow experience with a neurosurgeon. Being in the OR, I loved the environment and loved seeing surgeries first hand. I know I am naive in this case but I believe the best course of action is raise my gpa first and keep shadowing different types of physicians. My coursework may show that I can’t handle acadmeic rigors but I am willing to give it my all next sem. Thank you for your input.

 

[battleangel1999]

The one advise I can give you is to tackle your journey one semester at a time. Don't spend your time calculating how many semesters of As you'll need to bring your GPA to a certain number. I think that is the wrong approach. If you are serious of wanting to be a physician you need to work on your study skills and understand that this will be a multi-year process. This next semester you need to work on your weaknesses and primarily focus on school, you can also volunteer a few hours a month but the primary focus should be the academia. After, you feel like you are able to prioritize your time well while maintaining excellent grades than you can invest more time in your ECs. Remember baby steps. A strong upward trend will very much work in your favor, paired with a competitive MCAT, solid ECs, great LoRs could turn into interviews. Again, as of now focus on working on the strong upward trend. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, check in from time to time and update us on your progress.

BTW, were you put on academic probation?

And yes, I was put on academic probation.

 

[battleangel1999]

Shadow primary care (after you get a grip on your academics). 40 hours should be about right.
NS is icing, not cake.

Okay thank you!

 

[Goro]

You’re right. I must take it semester by semester rather than looking at the big picture. As of now, I would like to use this summer to study as much as I can for next sem and then use my professsor’s office hours and my schools learning centers for additional help. In the meanwhile, I must drop my ECs or lessen my ECs so that I can focus on the grades. This is the best course of action for me now. Please let me know I should do anything else.

Marathon now, not sprint.

 

[battleangel1999]

Hey guys, I talked with my parents and they said to take chemistry and biology classes at my community college. I told them that it looks bad taking at a community college because I am already enrolled at a 4 yr university and Adcoms don’t like that. However, they said that you don’t have to transfer or anything, that I can just take it as a refresher and expose myself to the material before attempting it for credit to my 4 yr university. Is this a wise choice? Do I still have to report my community colleges classes that I won’t transfer to AMCAS?

 

[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

Any course taken for credit must be reported. I suppose if you simply showed up and attended lectures it wouldn't need reported. But anything where you are a registered student will need to be.

Those grades will also be factored into your amcas GPA.

It sounds like you really need a knowledgeable advisor to help you on this path. I wouldn't sign up for another course until talking with someone who understands med school applications.

 

[Medic741]

Hey guys, I talked with my parents and they said to take chemistry and biology classes at my community college. I told them that it looks bad taking at a community college because I am already enrolled at a 4 yr university and Adcoms don’t like that. However, they said that you don’t have to transfer or anything, that I can just take it as a refresher and expose myself to the material before attempting it for credit to my 4 yr university. Is this a wise choice? Do I still have to report my community colleges classes that I won’t transfer to AMCAS?

Yes. This is a terrible idea. It would look like you'd need 3 tries to succeed at general biology which would be a really really bad look.

Any course taken for credit must be reported. I suppose if you simply showed up and attended lectures it wouldn't need reported. But anything where you are a registered student will need to be.

Those grades will also be factored into your amcas GPA.

It sounds like you really need a knowledgeable advisor to help you on this path. I wouldn't sign up for another course until talking with someone who understands med school applications.

Regrettably I'd say that SDN is one of the best places to get advice about med school/pre-med. I've talked to some 'get into med school' advisors who have been total shills (I'm sure there are good ones out there). My pre-med advisor's negligence was borderline criminal. Takeaway is that the quality of advice is really variable and that SDN is a great resource - I'm glad you've found it so early in your journey

 

[Moko]

Hey guys, I talked with my parents and they said to take chemistry and biology classes at my community college. I told them that it looks bad taking at a community college because I am already enrolled at a 4 yr university and Adcoms don’t like that.

I agree. Even if you get all A's at the community college, the perception that community college is easier (whether right or wrong) will negate those achievements. That may not be a problem for applicants who have had good grades in university, but when you already have a poor academic track record, the last thing you want is to feed into admission committees' biases. Med school and residency are often furnaces for mental health and general well-being, so you will also need to do extra work to reassure committees that you won't be among those who burn out each year.

As you know, turnarounds are possible but they are uncommon. What is it about being a physician that interests you? Are there any other career choices that would allow you to pursue those interests? For example, physician assistants, nurses, case managers, social workers, physical therapists, mental health therapists, chaplains etc all serve an invaluable role in a patient's care while being less academically intensive.

Not trying to discourage you, but there are many meaningful careers out there that should be explored by anyone interested in becoming a physician. Best of luck.

 

[Allosteopath]

I was in a similar scenario to you, though I felt a lot of my poor academic performance immediately after high school (1.7cGPA and no probation) could be attributed to me not figuring out what I wanted to do, it's a big decision after all. This was in 2011-2013.

Fast forward to 2019 and I have essentially had to complete an independent bachelors degree since I had very few classes which transferred, and I will tell you that I was working hard to ensure that every semester's average was between A and A+ (which my school did). It took a long time, and many courses but I can tell you right now I am sitting at a 3.4 cGPA and a 3.5sGPA, which still isn't a sure-fire thing for medical schools. I'm applying to DO schools this cycle, and I'm hoping that applying early will give me some success.

With previous advice here, I recommend that you take a step back, evaluate your goals and what you need to accomplish them and ask yourself if it's realistically possible for you. Nobody can answer this question except for you. It's going to be an arduous journey, but academically you'll be walking a tightrope, and certainly don't jump into it without fully committing to it.

 

[battleangel1999]

Hey guys, thanks for all those who replied. It’s been a little over a month and though I’d give you an update. I am retaking gen chem 1 over the summer and I am looking at a B unfortunately. That’s my fault I know. Hopefully depending on how I do on the final, it may go higher. I have come here asking for advice on what I should major in. Is it a viable plan to major in an ITI major while taking the pre med courses? I have 5 semesters left, including summer. I don’t know if I can realistically fit all my science classes with labs in 5 semesters. It’s not smart either to take 2 or 3 labs with a gpa as a low as mine. Too much risk. My plan is to currently to major in a less credit intensive major like IT, a viable back up plan if I fail, fit my pre med courses and take a few upper level science division classes. The alternative is to take 4 to 5 science classes every sem with labs, which is not smart in my opinion.

 

[battleangel1999]

One more question, do Special Masters Program calculate every course I took into their gpa or do they accept the grade replacement gpa my university does? There’s hasn’t been much information about this but I was wondering on how they calculate a student’s gpa

 

[Moko]

One more question, do Special Masters Program calculate every course I took into their gpa or do they accept the grade replacement gpa my university does? There’s hasn’t been much information about this but I was wondering on how they calculate a student’s gpa

Best way to find the answer to this is to contact the schools directly and ask. I suspect that SMPs will calculate your GPA much like AMCAS does, i.e, no grade replacement.

 

[battleangel1999]

Best way to find the answer to this is to contact the schools directly and ask. I suspect that SMPs will calculate your GPA much like AMCAS does, i.e, no grade replacement.

Thanks for replying. It seems that SMPs have 3.0 cut offs as well and given the difficulty of the undergrad courses, it’s not reasonable to get 4.0s every sem as that’s the only way I can hit a 3.0. So I would be doing a post bac, with upper level science classes for 1 year and then applying to a med school and if I don’t get in, applying to an SMP and then applying to med school. Either way this will take 2+ year of work so I was wondering if I should just focus on a the IT major which is only 39 creds and take pre med courses only with it. And save the upper level science div for the post bacc/SMP work. This way I can ensure that I can atleast reach the 3.0. Is this a viable plan?

 

[battleangel1999]

Hey guys, I really could use some insight from those of you who are much more mature and older than me. I am going to start my junior year and I plan to take an extra year based on my performance this year. I need advice on how I should approach this upcoming semester. While this may sound a bit immature and crazy, I plan to use this semester to really focus on my studies and only that. I don’t want to socialize at all. So this means I will spend a semester in isolation. Is this even a good idea? Personally I feel that once I can prove to myself that I can achieve a semester of 4.0s, I can use that confidence boost to slowly do better in the upcoming semesters. Has there been anyone who’ve tried this method or this just too crazy and complicated?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Hey guys, I really could use some insight from those of you who are much more mature and older than me. I am going to start my junior year and I plan to take an extra year based on my performance this year. I need advice on how I should approach this upcoming semester. While this may sound a bit immature and crazy, I plan to use this semester to really focus on my studies and only that. I don’t want to socialize at all. So this means I will spend a semester in isolation. Is this even a good idea? Personally I feel that once I can prove to myself that I can achieve a semester of 4.0s, I can use that confidence boost to slowly do better in the upcoming semesters. Has there been anyone who’ve tried this method or this just too crazy and complicated?

First, how did your summer classes go? That's going to demonstrate whether your study skills are where they need to be to achieve straight 4.0s. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be a total hermit to achieve 4.0 semesters, but it requires strong discipline and really solid study strategies/habits.

 

[battleangel1999]

First, how did your summer classes go? That's going to demonstrate whether your study skills are where they need to be to achieve straight 4.0s. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be a total hermit to achieve 4.0 semesters, but it requires strong discipline and really solid study strategies/habits.

I ended up with a B. I could have done better but my focus was rather consumed by social media, movies, etc etc. I eliminated those distractions for this upcoming semester and hope to do better.

 

[keolu hills]

You might want to go to your school's learning center to get help with study skills. It is best not to take anymore classes until you get a good handle on your study skills.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I ended up with a B. I could have done better but my focus was rather consumed by social media, movies, etc etc. I eliminated those distractions for this upcoming semester and hope to do better.

Well, a B is an improvement, so be proud of the progress you’ve made. What are you taking this fall?

 

[battleangel1999]

Well, a B is an improvement, so be proud of the progress you’ve made. What are you taking this fall?

Nothing too difficult this sem, retaking calc 1, two online classes, a class for my psych minor and a core class. I was hoping to use this sem to study for bio 2 and chem 2 in advance.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Nothing too difficult this sem, retaking calc 1, two online classes, a class for my psych minor and a core class. I was hoping to use this sem to study for bio 2 and chem 2 in advance.

So here are my initial thoughts.

- You can do well with the courseload you have, but you need to get the distractions under control (as you already acknowledged). If this is still difficult for you, you may contact your university’s counseling center to see if they can shed some light on your attention/focusing problems.
- No matter what, a trip to your university’s learning skills/tutoring center is in order the second you start struggling in a class. Did you get a B on a test? Take it to a tutor and figure out where you went wrong and how you can improve. Learn from your mistakes. Every time.
- Forget about pre-studying for chem and bio. You’re not getting graded on how well you pre-study for future classes so that’s a waste of your time. Focus on what’s right in front of you right now.
- You can still have time for friends, social media, entertainment, but you have to schedule time for fun around your studies. Google/YouTube study schedules and see if you can find examples that you can adapt for your situation. You have to be really disciplined about sticking to your schedule. Nobody is going to force you to abide by it.
- Remember that progress is progress. Aim for a 4.0, but celebrate improvement. Don’t beat yourself if you don’t get a perfect 4.0 semester on your first attempt; the goal right now is stemming the tide of Ds, Fs, and Ws. You can worry about perfection once you get a handle on your academic challenges.
- Your mental health must always, always be your #1 priority at all times. I hope you’re still doing well in that respect, stay vigilant about remaining mentally healthy or else everything else will start to fall apart. Seek any and all support you need.

Let me know if you have other questions. I am rooting for you to turn it around.

 

[battleangel1999]

So here are my initial thoughts.

- You can do well with the courseload you have, but you need to get the distractions under control (as you already acknowledged). If this is still difficult for you, you may contact your university’s counseling center to see if they can shed some light on your attention/focusing problems.
- No matter what, a trip to your university’s learning skills/tutoring center is in order the second you start struggling in a class. Did you get a B on a test? Take it to a tutor and figure out where you went wrong and how you can improve. Learn from your mistakes. Every time.
- Forget about pre-studying for chem and bio. You’re not getting graded on how well you pre-study for future classes so that’s a waste of your time. Focus on what’s right in front of you right now.
- You can still have time for friends, social media, entertainment, but you have to schedule time for fun around your studies. Google/YouTube study schedules and see if you can find examples that you can adapt for your situation. You have to be really disciplined about sticking to your schedule. Nobody is going to force you to abide by it.
- Remember that progress is progress. Aim for a 4.0, but celebrate improvement. Don’t beat yourself if you don’t get a perfect 4.0 semester on your first attempt; the goal right now is stemming the tide of Ds, Fs, and Ws. You can worry about perfection once you get a handle on your academic challenges.
- Your mental health must always, always be your #1 priority at all times. I hope you’re still doing well in that respect, stay vigilant about remaining mentally healthy or else everything else will start to fall apart. Seek any and all support you need.

Let me know if you have other questions. I am rooting for you to turn it around.

Thank you for your advice. I honestly want to do really well this semester and hope to use every resource available to me to accomplish that goal. I don’t believe isolation is a good thing either but I do believe that I should prioritize school over everything. It’s just that this whole process is very daunting and seeing other kids who are much smarter than I am struggle to do well. As for the extra curricular side, I haven’t really done much either but I guess that’s something I shouldn’t focus on at the moment. I’ll just take it semester by semester and keep you guys updated.

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

Hello OP! I am a recent college graduate, and while our college situations are different, I'll share some lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully some will benefit you.

For me, the "I need to get A's in all classes for the next two years" mindset was overwhelming and paralyzing. In my early college days I had a vague idea that I wanted to be a doctor, but I had no shadowing or hospital volunteering experience. I struggled through heavy course loads of general science classes because I thought I needed them for some vague career aspirations. Starting my junior year I went abroad, grew up, and realized that starting med or grad school right after undergrad would not be my path. While I am now a premed, my undergraduate days were a journey towards learning to love and effectively learn science for its own sake, not a journey of slogging through intro classes for med school. My grades soared as a result.

OP, I recommend forgetting med school, and even finals for your classes. Grab your syllabus and take note of the next quiz/test/paper you have due. Put all of your energy and focus into that. Figure out how you are going to ace that quiz/test/paper. Once it is past, find the next quiz/test/paper you have, and put all of your energy and focus into that one thing. Repeat for the rest of college. This mindset helped me. Thinking "I need an A in this class" was too overwhelming. But if I focused on acing smaller assignments, one at a time, I ended up with an A in the class.

You can become a doctor, but you need to excel in the short term in order to excel in the long term.

 

[battleangel1999]

Hello OP! I am a recent college graduate, and while our college situations are different, I'll share some lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully some will benefit you.

For me, the "I need to get A's in all classes for the next two years" mindset was overwhelming and paralyzing. In my early college days I had a vague idea that I wanted to be a doctor, but I had no shadowing or hospital volunteering experience. I struggled through heavy course loads of general science classes because I thought I needed them for some vague career aspirations. Starting my junior year I went abroad, grew up, and realized that starting med or grad school right after undergrad would not be my path. While I am now a premed, my undergraduate days were a journey towards learning to love and effectively learn science for its own sake, not a journey of slogging through intro classes for med school. My grades soared as a result.

OP, I recommend forgetting med school, and even finals for your classes. Grab your syllabus and take note of the next quiz/test/paper you have due. Put all of your energy and focus into that. Figure out how you are going to ace that quiz/test/paper. Once it is past, find the next quiz/test/paper you have, and put all of your energy and focus into that one thing. Repeat for the rest of college. This mindset helped me. Thinking "I need an A in this class" was too overwhelming. But if I focused on acing smaller assignments, one at a time, I ended up with an A in the class.

You can become a doctor, but you need to excel in the short term in order to excel in the long term.

Hey that was very helpful, thank you! Your journey is really inspirational in that you focused on the small goals rather than the larger goals. For me personally, it is very daunting to set unrealistic expectations for myself. I know I have it in me but I fear that I may regret it sometimes. I have isolated myself for over 5 years, dating back to high school and it was only last year that I was able to really socialize with people and start connecting with others. This is where my depression comes from and I know that this path I am taking might mean that I would have to spend more time studying than I would have time to make meaningful relationships. That for me is just as important as getting the grades. My only fear is on how I can tackle both issues. I’d probably have to spend more time in my schools learning centers because as other posters have mentioned, I need to develop good study kills which I honestly do not have considering most of the work I did in hs was just last minute. At the end of the day, I really want to find a balance with socializing and with grades and I fear that I may not have both, which is what really stresses me out sometimes. I guess the best thing I can do now is just focus on the smaller goals and hope for the best.

 

[battleangel1999]

Hey that was very helpful, thank you! Your journey is really inspirational in that you focused on the small goals rather than the larger goals. For me personally, it is very daunting to set unrealistic expectations for myself. I know I have it in me but I fear that I may regret it sometimes. I have isolated myself for over 5 years, dating back to high school and it was only last year that I was able to really socialize with people and start connecting with others. This is where my depression comes from and I know that this path I am taking might mean that I would have to spend more time studying than I would have time to make meaningful relationships. That for me is just as important as getting the grades. My only fear is on how I can tackle both issues. I’d probably have to spend more time in my schools learning centers because as other posters have mentioned, I need to develop good study kills which I honestly do not have considering most of the work I did in hs was just last minute. At the end of the day, I really want to find a balance with socializing and with grades and I fear that I may not have both, which is what really stresses me out sometimes. I guess the best thing I can do now is just focus on the smaller goals and hope for the best.

I know it sounds like I am telling a sob story and other people definitely have it worse than me, no doubt. Honestly, at the end of the day, finding friends and having good grades is all I really want and I don’t know where and how to start.

 

[JAK2-STAT3]

Hey that was very helpful, thank you! Your journey is really inspirational in that you focused on the small goals rather than the larger goals. For me personally, it is very daunting to set unrealistic expectations for myself. I know I have it in me but I fear that I may regret it sometimes. I have isolated myself for over 5 years, dating back to high school and it was only last year that I was able to really socialize with people and start connecting with others. This is where my depression comes from and I know that this path I am taking might mean that I would have to spend more time studying than I would have time to make meaningful relationships. That for me is just as important as getting the grades. My only fear is on how I can tackle both issues. I’d probably have to spend more time in my schools learning centers because as other posters have mentioned, I need to develop good study kills which I honestly do not have considering most of the work I did in hs was just last minute. At the end of the day, I really want to find a balance with socializing and with grades and I fear that I may not have both, which is what really stresses me out sometimes. I guess the best thing I can do now is just focus on the smaller goals and hope for the best.

I know it sounds like I am telling a sob story and other people definitely have it worse than me, no doubt

Drowning is drowning regardless of whether you drowned in 6 inches or 10 feet.

As others have mentioned, please use whatever resources you have to seek professional help, both for your mental health and for your study skills. Isolating yourself is a terrible idea. There is a happy medium between fostering relationships and taking time to study. Hopefully some qualified professionals can help you find that.

Another mindset trick that worked for me was to frame my behaviors in terms of what a student who accomplishes what I want to accomplish would do on any given day. If thinking "I need an A on this test" is too daunting, try "what would a student who gets an A on this test do TODAY?" Maybe the answer is that TODAY they would find 45 minutes after dinner to refresh themselves on the previous lecture. So do that and give yourself a big pat on the back. Sometimes starting is the hardest part, so cracking open the syllabus and wrapping your head around the fact that there's a test in 2 weeks also counts as an accomplishment. Maybe another day you take notes on the powerpoint for the next day's lecture and go out to dinner with a friend (balance between friends and school). Awesome! No victory is too small. Try to give yourself due credit for whatever small steps you make in a given day or even hour. Small tweaks to your daily thoughts and actions will add up to a successful long term picture WITHOUT you stressing daily about that long term picture.

I don't know what kind of college you attend and how accessible professors are, but you should make a big effort to build relationships with at least some of them. You can start by emailing them and asking them what specific study strategies they recommend for their course. During the semester you can ask to meet with them about specific questions you have about the material. This will force you (or at least it forced me) to actually review the material so I knew what questions to ask as I prepared for the meetings. You'll need letters of recommendation for med school, and professors will be impressed if you can take initiative and responsibility for your success in the course. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[battleangel1999]

Drowning is drowning regardless of whether you drowned in 6 inches or 10 feet.

As others have mentioned, please use whatever resources you have to seek professional help, both for your mental health and for your study skills. Isolating yourself is a terrible idea. There is a happy medium between fostering relationships and taking time to study. Hopefully some qualified professionals can help you find that.

Another mindset trick that worked for me was to frame my behaviors in terms of what a student who accomplishes what I want to accomplish would do on any given day. If thinking "I need an A on this test" is too daunting, try "what would a student who gets an A on this test do TODAY?" Maybe the answer is that TODAY they would find 45 minutes after dinner to refresh themselves on the previous lecture. So do that and give yourself a big pat on the back. Sometimes starting is the hardest part, so cracking open the syllabus and wrapping your head around the fact that there's a test in 2 weeks also counts as an accomplishment. Maybe another day you take notes on the powerpoint for the next day's lecture and go out to dinner with a friend (balance between friends and school). Awesome! No victory is too small. Try to give yourself due credit for whatever small steps you make in a given day or even hour. Small tweaks to your daily thoughts and actions will add up to a successful long term picture WITHOUT you stressing daily about that long term picture.

I don't know what kind of college you attend and how accessible professors are, but you should make a big effort to build relationships with at least some of them. You can start by emailing them and asking them what specific study strategies they recommend for their course. During the semester you can ask to meet with them about specific questions you have about the material. This will force you (or at least it forced me) to actually review the material so I knew what questions to ask as I prepared for the meetings. You'll need letters of recommendation for med school, and professors will be impressed if you can take initiative and responsibility for your success in the course. I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you for replying. Yeah I really need to see professional help and use the learning centers at my school. I definitely can’t do it on my own. I also think giving myself credit for any accomplishment would set me up better for more goals. I do believe that once I have a successful semester where I can do things consistently, the rest of my college journey should be easier. I really would like to thank everyone for their support because SDN has provided me numerous ways to solve my situation and I hope to keep you guys updated my journey because I will definitely need everyone’s help here. Thank you.

 

[princesspeach2]

Does your school offer an intro to college/ college and career success course? Typically it is a course recommended for freshmen. Sometimes it is listed under "counseling" for the course category.

I know you are now a junior, but I highly recommend it if they offer it. You learn study skills, how to be a student basically, and the one I took had journaling assignments which was helpful in figuring out life and college as it required you to be reflective.

If they don't, the textbook we used was On Course.

One of the assignments we had was to track our time for a day/week and put it into 4 boxes (I think it was not important not urgent, important urgent, not important urgent, and important not urgent? Or something similar). It really opened my eyes to how many hours was actually spent on dedicated studying, and how many was binge watching Netflix or procrastinating. It made it seem a lot more doable time wise to realize that I actually had a lot of free time, I just wasn't using it well.

Congrats on the B in chem this summer! You are on your way to an upward trend

You definitely don't want to isolate yourself this semester though. I find making a plan for socialization (ie go to the discounted movie night at your local theater, choose a weekend day to go hang out with someone a few hours etc) and scheduling that time is more effective then doing things spur of the moment all the time.

But overall, just be honest with yourself. Are you attending every office hour/ tutoring group etc. available? Are you making/ joining study groups?Are you going to the student resource center for study skills? Are you spending the recommended 2-3 hrs per week per credit per class studying? Not just doing assignments but actually reviewing material, making flashcards, doing the practice tests and quizzes in the book?

If you are lucky enough to just be able to attend class and not have to work at all during the school year, take advantage of the resources at school and of all that time!

I also would recommend just focusing on academics this semester versus ecs, and shadowing over winter break or through out the fall semester to help make sure you actually want to pursue this path.

I say this all as a former pre-med who struggled with study skills, procrastination, and discipline.

 

[battleangel1999]

Does your school offer an intro to college/ college and career success course? Typically it is a course recommended for freshmen. Sometimes it is listed under "counseling" for the course category.

I know you are now a junior, but I highly recommend it if they offer it. You learn study skills, how to be a student basically, and the one I took had journaling assignments which was helpful in figuring out life and college as it required you to be reflective.

If they don't, the textbook we used was On Course.

One of the assignments we had was to track our time for a day/week and put it into 4 boxes (I think it was not important not urgent, important urgent, not important urgent, and important not urgent? Or something similar). It really opened my eyes to how many hours was actually spent on dedicated studying, and how many was binge watching Netflix or procrastinating. It made it seem a lot more doable time wise to realize that I actually had a lot of free time, I just wasn't using it well.

Congrats on the B in chem this summer! You are on your way to an upward trend

You definitely don't want to isolate yourself this semester though. I find making a plan for socialization (ie go to the discounted movie night at your local theater, choose a weekend day to go hang out with someone a few hours etc) and scheduling that time is more effective then doing things spur of the moment all the time.

But overall, just be honest with yourself. Are you attending every office hour/ tutoring group etc. available? Are you making/ joining study groups?Are you going to the student resource center for study skills? Are you spending the recommended 2-3 hrs per week per credit per class studying? Not just doing assignments but actually reviewing material, making flashcards, doing the practice tests and quizzes in the book?

If you are lucky enough to just be able to attend class and not have to work at all during the school year, take advantage of the resources at school and of all that time!

I also would recommend just focusing on academics this semester versus ecs, and shadowing over winter break or through out the fall semester to help make sure you actually want to pursue this path.

I say this all as a former pre-med who struggled with study skills, procrastination, and discipline.

Hey! Yes my college has a study prep course at the learning centers. There, they will show us how to study and such. I hope to really make use of that.Truthfully, I have not take advantage of my schools office hours, learning center or even put in the 2-3 hr study per credit. I’ve only studied 2-3 days in advance for an exam and I definitely learned the hard way that that’s not something I should do. Tbh, my biggest dilemma that I am facing rn is if I should join some clubs. You’re right that isolation is not the answer. And joining clubs would be a great way to help my mental health. However, at the same time, like you said, I should focus on just academics rather than all these ecs but I am not sure what approach to take.

 

[princesspeach2]

Hey! Yes my college has a study prep course at the learning centers. There, they will show us how to study and such. I hope to really make use of that.Truthfully, I have not take advantage of my schools office hours, learning center or even put in the 2-3 hr study per credit. I’ve only studied 2-3 days in advance for an exam and I definitely learned the hard way that that’s not something I should do. Tbh, my biggest dilemma that I am facing rn is if I should join some clubs. You’re right that isolation is not the answer. And joining clubs would be a great way to help my mental health. However, at the same time, like you said, I should focus on just academics rather than all these ecs but I am not sure what approach to take.

I think joining a club (or two) that you are interested in (especially if it'll help you make friends, and help with your mental health) is a great idea! You can always sign up for what seems fun and enjoyable, attend a couple meetings to get a feel for time reqiirements and if you like it, then drop the ones you don't. You don't have to view it as an all or nothing scenario. If there is a test coming up and you have a meet the night before that you'd rather study, you can just skip the meeting (as long as you don't have a vice president or some sort of role, it makes it harder to skip the more responsibilities you have)

When I was mentioning ecs, I more was referring to clinical and non clinical volunteering.

I would take the study prep course offered though for sure!

 

[battleangel1999]

I think joining a club (or two) that you are interested in (especially if it'll help you make friends, and help with your mental health) is a great idea! You can always sign up for what seems fun and enjoyable, attend a couple meetings to get a feel for time reqiirements and if you like it, then drop the ones you don't. You don't have to view it as an all or nothing scenario. If there is a test coming up and you have a meet the night before that you'd rather study, you can just skip the meeting (as long as you don't have a vice president or some sort of role, it makes it harder to skip the more responsibilities you have)

When I was mentioning ecs, I more was referring to clinical and non clinical volunteering.

I would take the study prep course offered though for sure!

Yeah that makes sense. I definitely would like to be involved in one or two this upcoming my semester but my priority will obviously be school. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, you’ve def helped me gain a different perspective.

 

[princesspeach2]

Yeah that makes sense. I definitely would like to be involved in one or two this upcoming my semester but my priority will obviously be school. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, you’ve def helped me gain a different perspective.

Certainly! I flunked out of a 4 yr my first semester and took 5 years off, then went back at a community college and working on getting my bachelors, so I can relate.

One thing to keep in mind is college is supposed to be fun! If you feel like you are on a constant verge of a breakdown and constantly stressed, that is not the way to live and experience college. Try to focus on enjoyment and not just trying to be the perfect pre-med. So join clubs if it'll make your experience better, and lay off the social media and work on procrastination to help your academics.

 

[battleangel1999]

Certainly! I flunked out of a 4 yr my first semester and took 5 years off, then went back at a community college and working on getting my bachelors, so I can relate.

One thing to keep in mind is college is supposed to be fun! If you feel like you are on a constant verge of a breakdown and constantly stressed, that is not the way to live and experience college. Try to focus on enjoyment and not just trying to be the perfect pre-med. So join clubs if it'll make your experience better, and lay off the social media and work on procrastination to help your academics.

Wow, your story is really inspirational. Yeah laying off social media but being involved in clubs and in my studies is the best way to approach this semester. I couldn’t thank you enough honestly, you definitely gave me a different perspective.

 

[princesspeach2]

Wow, your story is really inspirational. Yeah laying off social media but being involved in clubs and in my studies is the best way to approach this semester. I couldn’t thank you enough honestly, you definitely gave me a different perspective.

Oh certainly! I'm glad I can be of help! It is too easy to be sucked into the dark hole and time suck that is social media (or YouTube..) Just realize that you may have had a rocky start, but you aren't out yet!

Also realize you may change your mind about your career aspirations (several times), and that is perfectly okay! Don't make yourself think your option is only doctor (or feel bad about yourself if you realize at some point that the sacrifices to get there is not worth it to you), until you have explored other paths you are interested in.

The older you get, the more your values and priorities change. Once you have that bachelors, you might decide that you just want a 9-5 Mon-Fri job that doesn't require an addition 7+yrs of schooling, and that is perfectly okay! You are not a failure if you choose a different path. At the same time though, don't discount medicine if you are interested. Work hard in school, and enjoy life Be proud that you are on an upward trend and of the progress you are making!

 

[battleangel1999]

Oh certainly! I'm glad I can be of help! It is too easy to be sucked into the dark hole and time suck that is social media (or YouTube..) Just realize that you may have had a rocky start, but you aren't out yet!

Also realize you may change your mind about your career aspirations (several times), and that is perfectly okay! Don't make yourself think your option is only doctor (or feel bad about yourself if you realize at some point that the sacrifices to get there is not worth it to you), until you have explored other paths you are interested in.

The older you get, the more your values and priorities change. Once you have that bachelors, you might decide that you just want a 9-5 Mon-Fri job that doesn't require an addition 7+yrs of schooling, and that is perfectly okay! You are not a failure if you choose a different path. At the same time though, don't discount medicine if you are interested. Work hard in school, and enjoy life Be proud that you are on an upward trend and of the progress you are making!

I really do want to pursue medicine but I have lot prove to myself before I can even think ahead. However, I will stay flexible and if I do find something else that I am passionate, then I’ll pursue that. Thank you.

 

[battleangel1999]

Hey guys I need some advice. I have been giving it some thought. Should I take a leave from school, take a year at home and work on self studying and taking classes at my local county college, then comeback at my university next year? I am confident this semester with my classes but I think it’s foolish to attempt any more classes without establishing any study habits and discipline beforehand.

 

[Medic741]

Hey guys I need some advice. I have been giving it some thought. Should I take a leave from school, take a year at home and work on self studying and taking classes at my local county college, then comeback at my university next year? I am confident this semester with my classes but I think it’s foolish to attempt any more classes without establishing any study habits and discipline beforehand.

During UG had a rough patch when a number of friends died over a short period, took a LOA and made the mistake of taking any classes during that period. It would’ve been much more healing and productive to have focused on something non-academic in that time away from uni.

If your family can swing it check out some of the longer (3-4mo) NOLS or other outdoor ed courses, or pursue a passion or get some part time job outside of medicine that you enjoy.

Time to hit pause and get your feet under you, this may require a lot more energy and focus than you could give it doing part time classes at cc

 

[battleangel1999]

During UG had a rough patch when a number of friends died over a short period, took a LOA and made the mistake of taking any classes during that period. It would’ve been much more healing and productive to have focused on something non-academic in that time away from uni.

If your family can swing it check out some of the longer (3-4mo) NOLS or other outdoor ed courses, or pursue a passion or get some part time job outside of medicine that you enjoy.

Time to hit pause and get your feet under you, this may require a lot more energy and focus than you could give it doing part time classes at cc

I am truly sorry for what happened. I hope you’re doing better now. I am hoping to give this semester one last shot and try to go from there. It’s just the burden of having a bad gpa as that gets to my head and it’s something that’s bothersome. There are some days where I would feel severely saddened by what happened in the past and other days where I would be really productive with my work. Currently my problems are an inability to socialize with other people, having trouble making friends but I am going try harder and also just staying consistent with my schoolwork. I know it’s not as bad as it seems but doing all this alone gets to my head and I am still trying to figure out how to tackle this issue.

 

[battleangel1999]

During UG had a rough patch when a number of friends died over a short period, took a LOA and made the mistake of taking any classes during that period. It would’ve been much more healing and productive to have focused on something non-academic in that time away from uni.

If your family can swing it check out some of the longer (3-4mo) NOLS or other outdoor ed courses, or pursue a passion or get some part time job outside of medicine that you enjoy.

Time to hit pause and get your feet under you, this may require a lot more energy and focus than you could give it doing part time classes at cc

Just tonight I have been really really negative thoughts and it’s something that I have come to realization to. Personally for me, the only way I can get out of this if I see professional help, figure out how to socialize with others and figure out how to healthily cope with any negativity.

 

[MedDoc305]

I would also look into finding a cheaper undergrad in the near future, hopefully, one near your parents home so they can at least subsidize your living costs if it's possible. I honestly do not think it is a bad idea to take the basics bio 1/2, chem 1/2 and obtain an associates degree at a community college so long as you kill your upper-level courses in a university setting. This will save a lot of money but it may come with the downside that you will have a higher concentration of harder sciences each semester towards the end of your degree.

If you somehow don't manage to get straight 4.0s and are under the 3.0 you can always do a masters with a guaranteed admission as a backup.
However, as everyone else has mentioned above, do not even attempt at starting school again until you are 100% ready. Another screw up will set you back even further.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Just tonight I have been really really negative thoughts and it’s something that I have come to realization to. Personally for me, the only way I can get out of this if I see professional help, figure out how to socialize with others and figure out how to healthily cope with any negativity.

First off, thank you for updating us. I was wondering about you.

Secondly, I am so so impressed with your courage and insight. Your acknowledgment that you need help serves as an example to the rest of us - as a person with her own anxiety/depression history, I know how hard it is to admit that. I also know it isn’t easy to go through what you’re experiencing right now. You owe it to yourself to be as happy and healthy as you can be. Your health (mental and otherwise) should be your #1 priority forever and ever.

Here’s the thing about medical school: it’s a great goal to have because it will always be there. Medical school will be waiting for you when you come out on the other side of this. Youth is not necessarily an advantage in this game, so take all the time you need to recuperate and improve your GPA.

For whatever it’s worth, this random internet stranger is proud of you and believes in you. You can get to medical school, but it just might take some time. Please take care in the interim.