intense science course load - bad idea?

[back2thefuture]

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is it a bad idea to take all of these courses together next semester?

ANP 300 - Human Anatomy
BIO 320 - General Genetics
BIO 310 - Cell Biology

 

[Served]

Never do it if you are not confident.

 

[Fivo]

What was the reason for your 3.4 GPA? If it had anything to do with time management or crap study habits, you might want to think about reducing that load. Instead of trying to impress adcoms, you should be more focused on actually raising your gpa.

 

[back2thefuture]

Never do it if you are not confident.

part of me is confident, but another part is worried because all those classes are known to be difficult at stony brook. also a lot of people have said don't take more than 2 advanced biology lectures per semester (but I've known people who broke this "rule" and still did very well)

 

[back2thefuture]

What was the reason for your 3.4 GPA? If it had anything to do with time management or crap study habits, you might want to think about reducing that load. Instead of trying to impress adcoms, you should be more focused on actually raising your gpa.

okay thanks! Do you think it would be better if I did this instead:

ANP 300 - Human Anatomy
BIO 320 - General Genetics
+ 2 easy (lower level) science classes

Genetics and anatomy are said to be really tough by everyone I've spoken to at Stony Brook, so would it really look that bad if I took 2 hard upper division classes and 2 easy lower level classes?

 

[Hemorrage]

Honestly it depends on YOU. I'm taking 4 science courses with 4 labs right now and it's absolutely brutal but I'm doing ok (B+ to A) in all so far. This requires me to study 24/7 there's not a single day I don't study 4-5 hours. If you can't handle doing that or don't have the discipline don't do it. Otherwise i think you'll be fine

 

[WorldChanger36]

is it a bad idea to take all of these courses together next semester?

ANP 300 - Human Anatomy
BIO 320 - General Genetics
BIO 310 - Cell Biology
BIO 337 - Neurotransmission and neuromodulation

note: I'm doing post-bacc at SUNY Stony Brook to bring up my GPA (which is about a 3.4)
this will be like 14 credits and I need A's

I considered taking a lower division course but decided it might be a bad idea (won't impress adcoms)

Geez doing what do did is what got me my 3.4 GPA and now I am trying to dig myself out and I will tell you what so far not so good....
Pick two and don't over do it.

 

[occams_razor]

What was the reason for your 3.4 GPA? If it had anything to do with time management or crap study habits, you might want to think about reducing that load. Instead of trying to impress adcoms, you should be more focused on actually raising your gpa.

this

 

[Skull Pell]

Honestly it depends on YOU. I'm taking 4 science courses with 4 labs right now and it's absolutely brutal but I'm doing ok (B+ to A) in all so far. This requires me to study 24/7 there's not a single day I don't study 4-5 hours. If you can't handle doing that or don't have the discipline don't do it. Otherwise i think you'll be fine

Props to you. And here I am contemplating on doing 3 science courses (12 cr) - phys, anatomy and orgo next year. But you're doing 4, damn..

 

[IslandStyle808]

Just get As! Don't worry about taking a lot of science courses unless your science GPA is in bad shape.

Here look into this form:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602289

Adcoms will be look at a lot of people and will not have much time to be picking out every course you have taken. If you can maintain a 4.0 with 2 hard and 2 easy classes, it looks a lot better than a 3.6 with 4 hard classes.

 

[Geebeejay]

is it a bad idea to take all of these courses together next semester?

ANP 300 - Human Anatomy
BIO 320 - General Genetics
BIO 310 - Cell Biology
BIO 337 - Neurotransmission and neuromodulation

note: I'm doing post-bacc at SUNY Stony Brook to bring up my GPA (which is about a 3.4)
this will be like 14 credits and I need A's

I considered taking a lower division course but decided it might be a bad idea (won't impress adcoms)

Do they all have labs? 1 and 2 probably 2, but maybe 3 and 4 don't? If they all do, that would probably be a semester of zero fun for you. Permanent damage possible....

 

[occams_razor]

Just get As! Don't worry about taking a lot of science courses unless your science GPA is in bad shape.

Here look into this form:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602289

Adcoms will be look at a lot of people and will not have much time to be picking out every course you have taken. If you can maintain a 4.0 with 2 hard and 2 easy classes, it looks a lot better than a 3.6 with 4 hard classes.

initially they will just look at your science GPA and probably won't have enough time to go through each course as they are going through so many applications. if you get an interview though and then they see that you've taken anatomy, genetics, physiology, cell bio, etc and gotten A's, that will be looked at favorably.

I think it would be looked at unfavorably if you take really easy science classes to pad your GPA. for example if you've taken tons of upper level bio courses and then take an intro bio course. they would know that you are padding your GPA. or if you take a course that's almost exactly the same as another course you took and got an A in (my friend took general microbio and got an A, then took clinical microbio and they are basically the same class but in different departments. he did this specifically to pad his BCPM)