Hi everyone. I have a question for you guys. I'm currently a undergraduate who is recovering from a bad GPA. I'm starting to do much better in my upper division classes now, but I'm scared to take on more responsibility such as finding a lab position, volunteering at a hospital, etc because I fear that doing those extracurriculars will take up a lot of my study time and having deja vu happening all again with my GPA. Can anyone sympathize with my situation or is this only me? And how do you guys manage? Thank you!!!
Scared of being overloaded..
- Thread starter qwe7791
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- Nov 16, 2011
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I went through something similar. I took a heavy course load with my EC's and it took a jab at my GPA. Just take it easy, do NOT under any circumstances think you have to do every EC available to just to please an admission committee. Volunteer maybe once or twice a week for a few hours and join a research lab only if you have time. It is better to find things your are passionate about and stick with them than try and stretch yourself too thin by getting too involved. Biggest thing is being organized and doing things because you enjoy them, not because you think it will look good on an application. If you think its too much, back off, because for the most part, your grades and understanding of your classes should always be your first priority.
You're definitely not the only one! I started on my path to GPA recovery about two years ago with the same exact worries. During my undergrad years, my workaholism made me especially prone to overloading my schedule, which caused my grades to suffer.
For me, I started off simple, just focusing on doing well in classes. I gave it two semesters before I tried to pick up any extracurriculars or research. Once I knew I had my academics down, I carefully selected activities that will allow for some flexibility if I really had to take off some time to study for upcoming exams. While it's important to have those clinical experiences and lab work, for someone recovering from a low GPA, just remember that grades are still going to take priority when it comes to proving yourself to adcoms.
Don't let your past come back to haunt you. But be perceptive of your boundaries when juggling activities with academics. It sounds like you're in a good place now and you might just be surprised with how much can accomplish once you get out there 🙂
