Retaking Science Courses?

[snickersxsnk]

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Hey guys,

I know there is probably already a thread on this, but I haven't done so well my first year of undergrad. I got a B in gen chem one(after I dropped it, that was my retake grade) but only a C+ in gen chem II( I took it in the summer, and I commuted, big mistake), and two C's in Pre-Calc, and Calc 1 for Science majors. Looking at my schedule, I think that I can retake all of them before I apply to vet school, but I was wondering if it would be worth it at all? My gpa isn't that great, the rests of my grades are B's with the exception of one or two A's, so I am definitely going to try and bring my GPA up this semester.
(My school does show both grades on the transcript, however, credit hours are forfeited, so instead of me taking a whole other class and adding more hours to my GPA, it just increases my GPA points/total hours, so I assume it would bring my GPA up.)

And I know there are lots of threads that say to take upper level courses instead of retaking courses, but I really don't have any math courses left to take for my major so I do want to take those at least. Please help?

Thanks 🙂

 

[Papillons4me]

The grades are only part of the story. Do you feel that you have a good understanding of the material in general Chem l and ll? If you plan to take and do well in upper level science courses, you will need a good general chem foundation. It CAN be done without, but your journey will be much more difficult. Ask me how I know this 😳

I might consider retaking Chem ll not only for a better grade, but more for the understanding of the material. I am not sure I would bother with the calc classes. They don't seem as critical to understanding upper level science courses, but I could be wrong. Be prepared to take some time to figure out what is keeping you from doing well in these classes. Once you address that, put the hours in and get that GPA up. It can be done. I have done it. But it wasn't easy!

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[snickersxsnk]

Hey, I just wanted to thank you for that information! It was certainly helpful. I feel as if I can bring up my grades, and I have some bad study habits, I know, I never actually tried to learn the information, just memorize it and move on, but I am going to try and bring my grades up, not only for vet school, but for myself.
And yes, I will retake chem II and calculus, mainly for a better knowledge of these courses.

 

[Fly Racing]

I feel as if I can bring my grades up, and I have some bad study habits, I know, I never actually tried to learn the information, just memorize it and move on, but I am going to try and bring my grades up, not only for vet school, but for myself.

This recieves the award for run-on sentence of the day 😛

But, putting the joking aside, please reread what you wrote. While you can receive a bachelors degree with your study method, you will NOT survive vet school or pass the nation boards which requires understanding 3+ years of education. The information we learn in vet school builds on information from all the way back in biology 1. The pace and academic level of vet school does not allow a person to continually relearn foundational topics while still succeeding in the program.

The prerequisite courses are there for a very specific reasons. To show success at learning sciences, while importsnt, is low on the list of reasons. It is what stufents often view as important because it effects admissions and is easily measurable, but it is not the primary reason we are asked to complete them. The information is vital to success as students AND veterinarians.

Changing your study habits is definitely possible, but it's not as easy as just changing your mind set. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and preservarence.

Good luck on your journey!