Pre-Req Too Easy........Worried

[russellang]

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I got a bachelors in biology a few years ago, decided on vet med last year and am taking microbiology with lab since I didnt during undergrad. So the only four year university that had microbiology available that I could get into was a smaller private school that actually ranks very highly. I confirmed that this class was upper level and had an email confirming from my IS vet school that it met their microbiology requirement.

I thought not taking a class for two years would mean I was behind and would have to work on my study skills. This is the only class I am taking but I work 50-60 hours a week at the clinic.

The class is incredibly easy, in fact I was nervous that vet schools might not accept it as being upper level, thats why I emailed my IS school again this week to confirm. I really do not put in anywhere near the effort as I did in undergrad and my classes then were so much more difficult. His exam questions are so predictable: I was able to accurately predict about half of the questions on the exam when studying.

What also worries me is that we have a research paper coming up and he actually has us handing in our rough drafts so he can give us recommendations and what really concerns me is that after he grades the final drafts he will allow a rewrite. In undergrad even my first semester english comp up until graduating, I have never had a class where there was a rewrite. To make matters worse, when he handed back our first graded papers, we actually had a long discussion on what a run-on sentence was. This class just really makes me nervous.

Anyone been in this situation?

Thank you

 

[168135]

HA. I'd consider you lucky.

I took a 400 level Parasitology course last year from my honours supervisor and I'm currently taking his 200 level Invertebrate Zoology course. The 200 level course is just as intense as the 400 level course... it might even be harder, because our lab prof won't be scaling our lab final or letting us have a cheatsheet on our final like in Parasitology.

I wouldn't stress out about it... the vet school isn't going to sit into every Microbiology class in the country and assign them as upper or lower level based on material. I think you just lucked out and ended up getting an easy prof.

 

[Minnerbelle]

One thing to remember is that if you've graduated with a biology curriculum that was heavy on cell biology (e.g. cell phys, immunology, genetics, etc...) a lot of what you cover in microbio is going to be a repeat so that may be a part of the reason why it seems so easy. It could also be that the course you're in isn't very good and only covers very basic material. But even then though, I don't quite see why you should be worried. If anything, you'll get the stuff again in vet school (and a great grade in this course might help you get in)! As long as you understand the basic concepts you should be fine, esp since I doubt most people remember the nitty gritties anyway by the time the material's covered again in vet school. I mean, it kind of sucks if you feel like you're wasting money and time... but I don't think it's anything you need to be hyperventilating over. Maybe you're just venting (which is totally fine!) but I don't think you have anything to be worrying about. Most people with have at least one course throughout their curriculum that's taught by a bad professor, and I highly doubt it really hurts them in the long run (unless they get a really really bad grade in it or something).

As for drafting research papers, I took a seminar course my senior year where I was required to submit a draft half way through the semester. It wasn't so much a rewrite, as the final paper was supposed to be a review article quality paper and worth a huge percentage of our grade, so it gave us a chance to make sure that where we were heading with our papers was specific and deep enough.I don't think the fact that we had a draft due made it a bad class. In fact, I think there was waaay more expected out of us because of the drafting process. Though... the thing you say about a discussion on run-on sentences kind of makes me wonder what the point of the drafts in your case is.

 

[that redhead]

I'm not really sure what you're asking here. If the school you're applying to has OKed the course, why are you worried? I would just consider it good luck that you're in a simpler pre-requisite course that you can do well in. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?

 

[Maddiegirl]

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?

I second this!! 😀