Orgo Lab advice please..

[skierbum]

So I had a rough time of things with orgo 2 this semester. I was thinking about withdrawing from orgo 2, but I stayed and improved my grade to a C+. However, in the midst of that, I had less time to focus on orgo lab. I got a C-?!? My overall gpa now is a 3.1. Now you might think that this is going to be another general freaking out over grades thread, but calm down.

My question is: will my orgo lab grade be counted toward the prereq? Since I am a freshman, I think I have time to overcome the gpa hit and show an unpward trend. I just strictly want to know if that is too low. If it helps, I am a biochem major and will have many more labs/chem classes to show improvement.

Also I was wondering if I should ask for a regrade (there is a process for this). My main point would be that my gsi took 2-3 pts off for grammar on every report.
Thanks!

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[glasshalfMD]

So I had a rough time of things with orgo 2 this semester. I was thinking about withdrawing from orgo 2, but I stayed and improved my grade to a C+. However, in the midst of that, I had less time to focus on orgo lab. I got a C-?!? My overall gpa now is a 3.1. Now you might think that this is going to be another general freaking out over grades thread, but calm down.

My question is: will my orgo lab grade be counted toward the prereq? Since I am a freshman, I think I have time to overcome the gpa hit and show an unpward trend. I just strictly want to know if that is too low. If it helps, I am a biochem major and will have many more labs/chem classes to show improvement.

Also I was wondering if I should ask for a regrade (there is a process for this). My main point would be that my gsi took 2-3 pts off for grammar on every report.
Thanks!

Erm, why'd you take o-chem as a freshman? What happened to gen chem and biology?

 

[aSagacious]

Totally agree with the premeds not advising premeds. Could you please take a look at the "Orgo lab advice..." thread and give me your honest opinion. Thanks!

I'd answer your question, but I'm a lowly pre-med

Yes, Orgo lab counts toward your BPCM GPA (there's no such thing as a pre-req GPA as far as AMCAS goes).

You could try to appeal your grades, but don't expect much. From experience, professors rarely second guess the grading of TAs, especially when the professors are the ones who set the grading criteria.

 

[glasshalfMD]

I'd answer your question, but I'm a lowly pre-med

Yes, Orgo lab counts toward your BPCM GPA (there's no such thing as a pre-req GPA as far as AMCAS goes).

You could try to appeal your grades, but don't expect much. From experience, professors rarely second guess the grading of TAs, especially when the professors are the ones who set the grading criteria.

Was thinking this, too, after reading in the other thread.

OP, aSagacious has it right: your lab grades WILL count toward your BCMP. On some secondaries, you are required to list all your pre-reqs and the grades you received in them. So, in a way, this grade will be one of the few highlighted for you. Could be troublesome, but if it's just one grade, I think you'll be fine. Bring up that cGPA and sGPA with your upper-level courses though. And I'm still curious about your not taking chem/bio freshman year.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Gen Chem barely prepares you for ochem.

 

[AnotherBioMajor]

Erm, why'd you take o-chem as a freshman? What happened to gen chem and biology?

I was thinking the same thing. I couldn't imagine taking Ochem as a freshiee.

 

[Astarael]

Gen Chem barely prepares you for ochem.

Gen chem lecture might not prepare you for O Chem lecture, but the labs definitely include a lot of the same basic stuff. Since most schools require gen chem first, there's going to be a lot of lab technique stuff that it is just assumed people know by the time they get to O Chem. I can see this causing a problem for someone who hasn't taken gen chem.

 

[KKat]

So I had a rough time of things with orgo 2 this semester. I was thinking about withdrawing from orgo 2, but I stayed and improved my grade to a C+. However, in the midst of that, I had less time to focus on orgo lab. I got a C-?!? My overall gpa now is a 3.1. Now you might think that this is going to be another general freaking out over grades thread, but calm down.

My question is: will my orgo lab grade be counted toward the prereq? Since I am a freshman, I think I have time to overcome the gpa hit and show an unpward trend. I just strictly want to know if that is too low. If it helps, I am a biochem major and will have many more labs/chem classes to show improvement.

Also I was wondering if I should ask for a regrade (there is a process for this). My main point would be that my gsi took 2-3 pts off for grammar on every report.
Thanks!

Since you are a freshman you have time to bring up your grades...just make sure you do. I think no only do they look at your grades in total but also as a progression.

Perhaps you should think about why you had difficulty in OChem? If you were regular chem major that would be one thing since you wouldn't have to see much more of Ochem, but as a biochem I would do a little reflection.

I second the "why are you taking Ochem as a freshman" sentiment.

 

[hiyaman]

Gen Chem barely prepares you for ochem.

Idk, learning lewis diagrams and things like molecular orbitals and those other basic topics is pretty useful for ochem. That's why you review that stuff at the beginning of ochem anyway.

 

[skierbum]

lol...after getting a 4 in ap chem and a 5 in ap bio I thought that I was hot stuff. That was ok for 1st semester, but orgo 2 proved me wrong. Perhaps in retrospect, I would have taken gen chem even though I recieved ap credit. As for my major, I really wasn't interested by the beginning of orgo 2. When the lectures started talking about azt and dna/rna, they were my favorite lectures all year. It hit home to me and my exam scores reflected that. I also am planning on taking less credits (15 instead of 17), so that should help.

 

[GreenRabbit]

I also am planning on taking less credits (15 instead of 17), so that should help.

This is your GSI speaking. fewer credits, not less credits. -3pts.

 

[skierbum]

This is your GSI speaking. fewer credits, not less credits. -3pts.

haha...thanks-too few people are willing to correct grammar