Research or summer school???

[Randomwerks]

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😕 Ok I have a crappy GPA. 3.1 overall and 2.8 in the
major. I would like to replace a C+ in ochem by retaking the course over summer and also volunteer more in a pharmacy. In order to do this though, I would have to quit my current research tech job, which my P.I. is very unhappy about,
though he said I would still get a good rec letter from him. I don't want
to quit yet but I dont know which would be more beneficial for me to do,
take the class and do well in it or stay the course with the research. I'd
like to do whatever makes me a better candidate. Perhaps stay with the job
until summer and then take the class during the regular semester, along
with any other class I want to retake? I plan to apply very early
everywhere because of rolling admissions.

 

[Farmercyst]

😕 Ok I have a crappy GPA. 3.1 overall and 2.8 in the
major. I would like to replace a C+ in ochem by retaking the course over summer and also volunteer more in a pharmacy. In order to do this though, I would have to quit my current research tech job, which my P.I. is very unhappy about,
though he said I would still get a good rec letter from him. I don't want
to quit yet but I dont know which would be more beneficial for me to do,
take the class and do well in it or stay the course with the research. I'd
like to do whatever makes me a better candidate. Perhaps stay with the job
until summer and then take the class during the regular semester, along
with any other class I want to retake? I plan to apply very early
everywhere because of rolling admissions.

With a 3.1, is there a class with a lower grade that would be better to replace? While a C+ isn't necessarily good, it seems there are either a lot of C's, very few A's or a few grades lower than C's than may deserve more attention. Or it could be that you just don't have that many classes so that a C+ really lowered the GPA. I'm not sure which, if any, of the assumptions are correct, but it does seem regardless that focusing more on school and less on work may be one solution. Not knowing what else is going on in the background, there may be other equally appropriate solutions.

 

[Randomwerks]

Well I dont have any grades lower than a "C." Ochem is super important for pharm so I just focused on my C+ in that to replace. Ive already graduated so I can only take a few courses at a time. Is research more important in admissions than grades? Its not like replacing ONE C+ will enhance my overall GPA by much at all, but it will replace Ochem which is really important. It will also show that im better now and still dedicated. But Im not sure about any of this. advice please?!?!?!?

 

[ADN1226]

Can you do both? I did both research and took a class during the summer, granted that it was an easy class that didnt require too much work. I also volunteered at the hospital in the morning too. My schedule was like 7-9am on certain days at the hospital; 10-5 everyday at lab and 5-8 class several days a week. It went well - it was fairly easy to balance everything since I didn't have a lot of work to do for the class. And since I was there 10-5 everyday my PI was fine with it.

 

[Randomwerks]

I think if it was any other class, I could do it. But its ochem during summer which means 2 hour lecture and three hour lab EVERYDAY. Thats pretty intense. I would need to study and work and volunteer and do applications. I cant imagine doing all that and remaining sane. Which one would you pick, considering my GPA. My rec letters, reserahc history, pharm experience are all solid.

Can you do both? I did both research and took a class during the summer, granted that it was an easy class that didnt require too much work. I also volunteered at the hospital in the morning too. My schedule was like 7-9am on certain days at the hospital; 10-5 everyday at lab and 5-8 class several days a week. It went well - it was fairly easy to balance everything since I didn't have a lot of work to do for the class. And since I was there 10-5 everyday my PI was fine with it.

 

[ADN1226]

With that in mind I would focus on the GPA since your research is solid. Also like farmercyst says rethink taking ochem since you did get a C+. Maybe replace other courses where you got a C in? Just consider that very few schools replaces the grade - instead they mainly average the two. So it'll be more valuable to average an A and C than A and C+ although Ochem is important. I didn't do well for ochem I but did much better in ochem II so that trend helped --- just reconsider these things.

 

[Randomwerks]

I got a C+ in OchemII and a C+ in calculus. I got a C in biochemistry I but got an A+ in the follow-up biochemistry lab so im not worried about that. So the classes Im thinking of retaking are calc and ochem. I will send an update letter about re-taking bio (which I got a C in) during the regular semester. Thank you for replying you guys. I really appreciate the feedback. This is a huge decision for me.

With that in mind I would focus on the GPA since your research is solid. Also like farmercyst says rethink taking ochem since you did get a C+. Maybe replace other courses where you got a C in? Just consider that very few schools replaces the grade - instead they mainly average the two. So it'll be more valuable to average an A and C than A and C+ although Ochem is important. I didn't do well for ochem I but did much better in ochem II so that trend helped --- just reconsider these things.