retake bio and ochem?

[youngjock]

I got like Cs on those two classes, so I am just wondering if I should retake them? Have you ever retaken those two classes?

thanks.

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[Mystique]

youngjock,

I've never retaken classes, but I've heard through the grapevine that it's not worth it to retake a class UNLESS you make an A the second time around. If you're retaking it to have a better grasp of the material, then go ahead and take it. On the other hand, if you're retaking a class to get a better grade, I'd think you would need to get an A in it to for the retake to get you anywhere.

Ahem, I must say that I find the notion you want to retake a class over just b/c you got a C. There are many people in med school who had a C or 2 on their transcripts. So, if you want to retake them b/c "oh my gosh...it's a C" then don't waste your time. If it was a D or lower, then that'd make sense b/c many med schools don't "accept" grades lower than 2.0.

Anyways, hope my rambling helped. Good luck.

 

[Jamier2]

I agree with pendulum in that you should do very well if you retake a course. I retook a few, and always got A's the second time. None of the classes I retook were because of C's (yep, they were for lower grades than that). I got into two med schools this year, and I don't want to divulge exactly how many C's I had, but I will say it was easily more than 2.

Don't get me wrong, C's aren't good, but they won't kill you.

 

[grettlin]

I think the better way to increase your competition is to do your best on MCAT. Since the committe will wonder why you take same courses for twice, you might not want they to ask you this question in interview. Though, if you do really good in MCAT, I believe they have no doult about your performance and they might find good execuse for you on the two courses which you got C.

Good Luck!

 

[Tweetie_bird]

I probably have 10 C's on my transcript since i messed up big time in myfirst 1.5 years. I did'nt retake a single class.
I just decided that by the time I got to O.Chem and Biochem, (with upper level Bio classes) I'll kick butt and that's what I did. If you have C's, your school may actually average the two classes out, so even if you got A's the second time around, you'll end up with a B as the final grade. That's what my school does. Instead, buckle down and show em what you're made of by acing uppper level classes starting NOW!!!

Good luck to ya!

Tweetie

 

[youngjock]

tweetie bird, thanks for the advice.

After reading a few posts on this and the other boards, I think that i won't retake my classes. That is a good news for me. because i don't know how I will feel to sit in a class with most freshmen when I already graduated.

HOw did you study for biochem?

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird:
•I probably have 10 C's on my transcript since i messed up big time in myfirst 1.5 years. I did'nt retake a single class.
I just decided that by the time I got to O.Chem and Biochem, (with upper level Bio classes) I'll kick butt and that's what I did. If you have C's, your school may actually average the two classes out, so even if you got A's the second time around, you'll end up with a B as the final grade. That's what my school does. Instead, buckle down and show em what you're made of by acing uppper level classes starting NOW!!!

Good luck to ya!

Tweetie•••

 

[Tweetie_bird]

Well, it depends on your personality I guess. By the time I got to Biochem, I was already doing well in my upper level classes, so I had the "confident feeling" that I WOULD ace this Biochem series. Believe it or not, ATTITUDE IS KEY...in achieving anything you want. Don't think of it as a hard subject, think of it as a high horse you have to mount and ride it through!

As for Biochem, I come from a hardcore school that had high standards, and i knew that going in. From the getgo, I started forming study groups (first week of class!) that would meet atleast once a week just to go over our notes in that week....made notecards till late at night...and taped my lectures using a recorder, so I could go over things that i may have missed. Then I looked in my book to read anything the prof had stressed in class, so I knew it extra-well. I NEVER PROCRASTINATED. There was a point where we were learning all the intricate details of glycolysis, krebs, ETC etc etc, I literally had stuff posted on the walls in my bedroom, almost like posters, showing relationships between each system. I learned that from a friend of mine who is now sitting at Harvard. It sounds very anal, but it worked. i aced the first class, and an A in the second. I can't stress enough how you really have to live, eat, breathe this stuff. At the end, when you see the 2.0's on your transcript in elementary classes, next to 4.0's in Biochem etc, it's all worth it.

I wish you the best of luck.
Tweetie

 

[Amy B]

I may be wrong but even if you retake a course both grades are figured into the AMCAS breakdown of your GPA. If you have a reason as to why you got the C's then note it very briefly in your essay.