Retaking Chem..quick question

[Muscles00GT]

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I'm currently retaking gen. chem II at a local community college because the first time around, when I was a freshman, I got a D 😱..yeah, I was nieve and immature and didn't have my priorities straight at the time. I'm a little more than halfway through the course and if things continue at the pace they are now, I will end up recieving a B+ or a B. When I start applying to DO schools, will they look down upon the fact that even after retaking a course that I was only able to manage a B+ or a B? Are they expecting me to ace it the second time around? Thanks

 

[mj1878]

I'm currently retaking gen. chem II at a local community college because the first time around, when I was a freshman, I got a D 😱..yeah, I was nieve and immature and didn't have my priorities straight at the time. I'm a little more than halfway through the course and if things continue at the pace they are now, I will end up recieving a B+ or a B. When I start applying to DO schools, will they look down upon the fact that even after retaking a course that I was only able to manage a B+ or a B? Are they expecting me to ace it the second time around? Thanks

I'll be honest with you; getting a D in what amounts to an intro gen chem class never looks good, but there's a silver lining.

The best revenge for getting a bad grade in a topic is to ACE that topic on the MCAT. The bad news is that, if you should somehow get a 6 or something similar on the Physical Sciences section, red flags will go up in the minds of the admissions committees, and the admissions process will go badly for you.

Do well in your class, but MOST IMPORTANTLY make for darn sure you ace the Physical Sciences portion of the MCAT and show them that, although you were young and naive the first go-around, you actually do know how to think with a science mind. Oh, and yes, DO ace all the other portions of the MCAT as well. It won't do to get a 13 in one section and 5's in the others.

Good luck

 

[spicedmanna]

I'm currently retaking gen. chem II at a local community college because the first time around, when I was a freshman, I got a D 😱..yeah, I was nieve and immature and didn't have my priorities straight at the time. I'm a little more than halfway through the course and if things continue at the pace they are now, I will end up recieving a B+ or a B. When I start applying to DO schools, will they look down upon the fact that even after retaking a course that I was only able to manage a B+ or a B? Are they expecting me to ace it the second time around? Thanks

I don't know how adcomms think, since I am not one of them. I can, however, tell you that I think if you retake a class you should receive an A. If you do not, then your repeat isn't sending the right message. Besides raising your GPA, a repeat of a given class also attempts to demonstrate your mastery of a subject. If you repeat a class, you've obviously seen the material at least once before. Thus, it would behoove you to ace it the second time around. If you do not, then it would make sense to take another, more advanced, class of the same, or similar, subject and ace it. Also, as mentioned above, you will want to do well on the MCAT.

Do your best to get the A in that class. Good luck.

 

[Jpc984]

I don't know how adcomms think, since I am not one of them. I can, however, tell you that I think if you retake a class you should receive an A. If you do not, then your repeat isn't sending the right message. Besides raising your GPA, a repeat of a given class also attempts to demonstrate your mastery of a subject. If you repeat a class, you've obviously seen the material at least once before. Thus, it would behoove you to ace it the second time around. If you do not, then it would make sense to take another, more advanced, class of the same, or similar, subject and ace it. Also, as mentioned above, you will want to do well on the MCAT.

Do your best to get the A in that class. Good luck.

In addition, did you take the course a first time at a university vs. the cc? Schools might frown on the fact that you are retaking the course at a cc instead of the college you first took it.

 

[MossPoh]

How long of a gap was it between retakes? My first time was a drop as a freshman, but I retook gen chem 1 as a second semester senior and it was so frickin hard for me at first. The curriculum had changed in only a few years, not to mention I had simply forgot how to do the basic dimensional analysis, stoicometry and what not. If you retook the course 3 or 4 years apart it may be a bit more forgiveable than a year or so. These people aren't COMPLETELY unreasonable...they do know that people forget topics if not exposed to them for certain lengths of time.

I'm not going to do the "Oh its just gen chem" kind of thing, because I know at certain schools the general chemistry is considered more difficult to get an A in than organic. And yes, if you took it the first time at a regular uni, and then retook at a cc that can look kind of bad.

 

[Muscles00GT]

I took gen. chem II as a freshman and I will now be entering my 3rd year of undergrad. I got my first test back yesterday and got an 88% on it which is better than I had thought. So, if i can maintain that average on the next exam, and maintain getting A's on the labs and quizzes, I should be able to pull an A in the class. (knock on wood)

 

[JaggerPlate]

I took gen. chem II as a freshman and I will now be entering my 3rd year of undergrad. I got my first test back yesterday and got an 88% on it which is better than I had thought. So, if i can maintain that average on the next exam, and maintain getting A's on the labs and quizzes, I should be able to pull an A in the class. (knock on wood)

Good, that's what you need to be pulling. Also a few things to remember (disclaimer these are my opinions): Adcoms put the most emphasis on o chem, so try to show the most character there, and improvement is improvement. An A is ideal, but I've heard the biggest No no, red flag is to get a D in something then like a C when you retake. Also, make sure you show a solid MCAT score in that area.

 

[Muscles00GT]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I can't change the past and that's unfortunate, so I can only control the future. If things go the way they have been going, I should be able to pull an A. I'm also going to try to kill the physical science part of the MCAT. I also have organic I and organic II this upcoming year, so I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it's nothing a lot of studying and determination can't take care of.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I can't change the past and that's unfortunate, so I can only control the future. If things go the way they have been going, I should be able to pull an A. I'm also going to try to kill the physical science part of the MCAT. I also have organic I and organic II this upcoming year, so I have a lot of work ahead of me, but it's nothing a lot of studying and determination can't take care of.

You have the right attitude, and that can make all the difference as far as pushing yourself to success. Keep working as hard as you can, and everything will work out in the end. I also personally pulled better grades in o chem than g chem, so it might just not be your cup of tea as far as classes are concerned. You'll be fine though.

 

[Muscles00GT]

Well, my class ended last week and I got my final grade today. I got an A this time around 🙂 WOOO HOOO!!

 

[Meatwad]

Well, my class ended last week and I got my final grade today. I got an A this time around 🙂 WOOO HOOO!!

Congrats. I'd pity you if you didn't get that A, fool.

 

[Dr. Josh]

Well, my class ended last week and I got my final grade today. I got an A this time around 🙂 WOOO HOOO!!

Congrats!! Good work. The same thing happened to me in orgo. I got a D+ in orgo 1, retook it, got an A, took orgo 2, got an A and got my first LOR to go with it.

See if you can get a LOR from this professor to show you really did master the course. Good luck!

 

[Muscles00GT]

Congrats. I'd pity you if you didn't get that A, fool.

HAHAHA thanks!!!

Dr. Josh. GOod point. Glad to see other people in similar situations! 👍