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Hello. First time poster long time viewer.
Please Help me. I don't know what to do or who to turn to. (Bad Grades)
- Thread starter ipalmleftb
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Whether or not you want to start adderal is between you and your doctor (preferably a psychiatrist). Not to mention a test isn't a clinical diagnosis..
Good news.. you're not completely screwed. You've still got a plethora of chances to get into an US medical school. However you probably shouldn't apply this year with a 3.0 to DO or MD schools.
Good news.. you're not completely screwed. You've still got a plethora of chances to get into an US medical school. However you probably shouldn't apply this year with a 3.0 to DO or MD schools.
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Okay forget the Adderrall then cause I probably won't end up taking it. (ego things).
I just don't know how to go about studying. I'm lost. Biology for example. I go to class. I can't focus. I don't understand what the lecturer says. So then I go home and try to review it and I understand the slides so I put it off to the side. Then about a week before the exam I start memorizing the material basically. Making flash cards and just reviewing for 7 days straight and taking practice exams. But no matter what I do I always get a C. I feel that I have to work SUPER hard just to get the average and many times I can't get the mean.
I just don't know how to go about it.
Your concerns about going to the Caribbean are valid. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind taking your money and watching you flunk out.
That said, I don't think you should apply to medical school this summer. Instead, you need to learn how to study. What did you do differently when you got an A- in biology, as opposed to the D? Can you apply that technique to all of your classes? A B in organic is pretty good--what were you doing to study in that class? etc.
I think your best option is to take advantage of the DO grade replacement policy, and start retaking prereqs for A's. Because AACOMAS will only count the second grade, this would bring up your sGPA much, much more quickly than would taking additional courses. I imagine if you retook all your C's and B-'s for A's you might be a in a place where you could possibly apply to DO schools next year.
(I may be wrong about this but...) ADHD is something you can mention on an application, but you'll only want to mention it if you can spin dealing with it in a positive light--which it doesn't seem you can quite yet. You should definitely speak to someone at your school (I'm sure there is a counseling center) about the possibility of treating your ADHD, or finding a tutor, or learning effective study habits.
Good luck.
That said, I don't think you should apply to medical school this summer. Instead, you need to learn how to study. What did you do differently when you got an A- in biology, as opposed to the D? Can you apply that technique to all of your classes? A B in organic is pretty good--what were you doing to study in that class? etc.
I think your best option is to take advantage of the DO grade replacement policy, and start retaking prereqs for A's. Because AACOMAS will only count the second grade, this would bring up your sGPA much, much more quickly than would taking additional courses. I imagine if you retook all your C's and B-'s for A's you might be a in a place where you could possibly apply to DO schools next year.
(I may be wrong about this but...) ADHD is something you can mention on an application, but you'll only want to mention it if you can spin dealing with it in a positive light--which it doesn't seem you can quite yet. You should definitely speak to someone at your school (I'm sure there is a counseling center) about the possibility of treating your ADHD, or finding a tutor, or learning effective study habits.
Good luck.
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This is borderline trolling!
Dude you messed up big time but it's definitely not the end of the world. But you are going to have a difficult time making up for all those poor grades cause let's face it, they won't make the cut.
First of all STOP MAKING EXCUSES. This will get you nowhere! I come from a disadvantaged background poor (EFC=0), single parent home. Went to a high school with about the same stats as you graduated with 3.3. I am an African American male at a large Caucasian institute (though there is a decent sum of minorities). I have a 4.0 right now, and I am still doing well in my classes, even though I have trouble focusing (thanks facebook, sdn, and hulu).
But at the end of the day every disadvantages are largely eclipsed by the fact that I have opportunity.
At any point, you could have changed your habits and improved your grades (you don't have to be 12 weeks into the semester or 2-3 years into college to realize your performance isn't up to snuff. There are plenty of scholarships, resources, facilities, programs that you could have accessed to help you. Pleading ignorance is not a good reason for not excelling.
That being said you still can get into a US med school but it will take you a bit longer than you probably want it to but at in the end, our goal is to have an a piece of paper with an MD (or DO) after our name.
Look at SMPs, graduate schools (and do very well academically)), start doing research, get some clinical experience, study for the MCAT beast it! Write a PS that talks about your poor grades early on and what you did to IMPROVE your performance. Grades are used to gauge how a student handles coursework, though early on you might not have been prepared you can show them that you came a long ways and have become prepared for the challenges of Med school.
Remember the only people who didn't become doctors are the one's who stopped gave up on trying. If this is your dream keep pursuing it. BUT stop making excuses
Dude you messed up big time but it's definitely not the end of the world. But you are going to have a difficult time making up for all those poor grades cause let's face it, they won't make the cut.
First of all STOP MAKING EXCUSES. This will get you nowhere! I come from a disadvantaged background poor (EFC=0), single parent home. Went to a high school with about the same stats as you graduated with 3.3. I am an African American male at a large Caucasian institute (though there is a decent sum of minorities). I have a 4.0 right now, and I am still doing well in my classes, even though I have trouble focusing (thanks facebook, sdn, and hulu).
But at the end of the day every disadvantages are largely eclipsed by the fact that I have opportunity.
At any point, you could have changed your habits and improved your grades (you don't have to be 12 weeks into the semester or 2-3 years into college to realize your performance isn't up to snuff. There are plenty of scholarships, resources, facilities, programs that you could have accessed to help you. Pleading ignorance is not a good reason for not excelling.
That being said you still can get into a US med school but it will take you a bit longer than you probably want it to but at in the end, our goal is to have an a piece of paper with an MD (or DO) after our name.
Look at SMPs, graduate schools (and do very well academically)), start doing research, get some clinical experience, study for the MCAT beast it! Write a PS that talks about your poor grades early on and what you did to IMPROVE your performance. Grades are used to gauge how a student handles coursework, though early on you might not have been prepared you can show them that you came a long ways and have become prepared for the challenges of Med school.
Remember the only people who didn't become doctors are the one's who stopped gave up on trying. If this is your dream keep pursuing it. BUT stop making excuses
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You need to develop better study habits. Time management is key, and more so if you really do have ADHD.
How do you learn best? Are you more of a self-learner? How are your note-taking skills? All of this comes into play.
I myself have ADHD and chose not to go on meds, but instead live a healthier life style taking vitamins, exercising frequently, eating healthier and cutting way back on sugars.
I spent three years at a JC averaging C's in every class even if I studied 10 hours a day. I was on academic probation at one point. Learning more about myself, I managed to become an A student from there and currently at a 3.3 GPA with 2 years left at a 4-year. You could do the same.
How do you learn best? Are you more of a self-learner? How are your note-taking skills? All of this comes into play.
I myself have ADHD and chose not to go on meds, but instead live a healthier life style taking vitamins, exercising frequently, eating healthier and cutting way back on sugars.
I spent three years at a JC averaging C's in every class even if I studied 10 hours a day. I was on academic probation at one point. Learning more about myself, I managed to become an A student from there and currently at a 3.3 GPA with 2 years left at a 4-year. You could do the same.
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Well overall that's how I study for biology. But study methods differ for a lot of people. Consider attending a study workshop to pick up some tips.. Maybe try more active study methods such as discussing the material with friends at a review session or summarizing the notes onto blank printer paper. Also the part about not being able to focus can be due to a lot of things.. so yah I would go talk to someone about that to see what's the best way to deal with it.
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I'm not making excuses. I have bad grades I accept it, i'm trying to figure what I can do NOW to make it better. I just mentioned the other factors because I am eligible to apply to programs for disadvantaged students, but i'm comparing myself to every other student.
I don't mean to make excuses. Just what can I do now. How is it that you get a 4.0? do you have a specific routine? I mean there's no way you just get it out of the blue. You put a lot of hard work. But its not hard work its also smart. I don't need to work harder I need to work smarter, but I don't know how to go about doing that.
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I took the retake Bio and both the Orgo's over the summer semester. They are 7 weeks long. For some reason I did better in the summer semester then when I do the normal 14 week long semester.
Clearly it's easier for you to focus on fewer things at a time (I'm the exact same way, I'd do better in one class 24/7 for 3 weeks than in 3 classes for 15 weeks). What is your major? Because perhaps the best strategy would be to take major classes during your remaining years (as long as these aren't upper division science classes that will kill your GPA) and retake prereqs over the next two summers.
I know this is a few pages back but I go to the University of Michigan as well. I can sympathize with the fact that all the science classes are very hard here, but I'm sure thats the case of many schools. I know the biology program here is pretty harsh as well. However, it is possible to get good grades in the courses. You probably need to have a better way of studying that more suits you. I personally print out all of the lecture notes before class and follow along slide by slide. Science classes also start to get a lot easier later on. Upper level bio, like neurobiology, is much easier after taking biochemistry and general biology. Also, biochemistry is one of the hardest classes here. I'm not sure if you have taken that yet, but the one offered through the medical school is easier than the others. However, at the moment the class requires an insane amount of memorization, but it does give you a lot of what you will be learning in medical school. Also, to up your GPA, I suggest taking CDB450. Right now it is a very doable class. It's a Histology course and they let you use your notes and the book on the exams so it is not a heavy workload. The only hard thing is identifying the different cells.
As much as you say that Michigan shouldn't be so hard, it isn't going to change and you just need to make the best out of it. Try your hardest and get your GPA up. I had the same grades for organic and I took it when the horrible professor was teaching orgo 2 (40% average on one of the exams, I know its pretty notorious here). In the end just try to find a better study strategy. Good luck.
As much as you say that Michigan shouldn't be so hard, it isn't going to change and you just need to make the best out of it. Try your hardest and get your GPA up. I had the same grades for organic and I took it when the horrible professor was teaching orgo 2 (40% average on one of the exams, I know its pretty notorious here). In the end just try to find a better study strategy. Good luck.
if you can't come to terms with how to study, I can't imagine how you would survive med school even if you do get in. If you want it bad enough, you should probably find someone who is willing to sit down with you and really talk about your studying approach.
If you realize that you study everything else fine but fail at sciences, then maybe its a good indication that a science career is probably not suitable for you. I still believe though, that if you want it bad enough, there is a way to beat it =)
If you realize that you study everything else fine but fail at sciences, then maybe its a good indication that a science career is probably not suitable for you. I still believe though, that if you want it bad enough, there is a way to beat it =)
A bit of optimism: people will tell you that you won't ever get in to a medical school here, but you are the only obstacle blocking this path. Really it is up to you to prove yourself worthy of being a qualified candidate. Sure, it isn't going to be easy, and you will most likely not get in if you apply right now. What I would suggest is taking a few years off and bringing up that science gpa. An SMP is one expensive route, but it is really hit or miss. A smarter option is just to take classes at your local university for a year or so. You will need a solid MCAT so make studying for this a priority. All in all, just have a good back-up plan, study like hell for the MCAT, and apply broadly to MD and DO schools. And don't be too hard on yourself; s*&^ happens.
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