should i bother explaining a semester with 3 courses?

[coralfangs]

i have take full course load for all my semesters (even the winter sem when i took the mcat)

however, in 2005fall semester, i took a 1yr course (taught in FALL, so it was worth 2 courses in that sem)
it was an anthropology course
anyhoo, for 1st test, i had to name the genus/species of the specimen placed on the tables, i named most correctly
but i didn't capitalize the first letter of the genus names
the prof took off 50% for each ans where i didn't capitalize the first letter (yes, ouch, it was stupid too, we only had less than 10 species, so he took off 50% for each "pan" "gorilla" "pon")
my research supervisor told me to talk to him and tell him that the capitalization is only a convention, blah blah
well, i accidentally said something that offended the TA and the prof and they asked me to drop the course without being penalized and with full refund,
well......
it left me with 3 courses that semester............

how should i tell the adcom?

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[doktadoom]

don't tell them anything! it adds even more unnecesary hassle to a process that's already hassle filled. no one would care that you took a semester with 3 classes. 3 classes is still FT right?

 

[deuist]

Don't say anything. If an adcom thinks that you should explain, s/he'll ask you during the interview. Did you get a "W" on your transcript from dropping the class?

 

[top]

unless the OP is on a quarter system, it doesn't sound like 3 courses would be full time...at most, it's a minimum of four, right? So if you drop to part-time, I would think that that needs some explaining, or you might look like a giant slacker. I mean, you've gotta have a reason for dropping from FT to PT for one random semester in the middle of undergrad, right?

 

[coralfangs]

actually, its it's less than 6 courses in the whole yr to become considered PT here
since i had 3 in that sem and the regular 5 in winter, i had 8

nope, no W, the prof managed to take it off the record
well, it wasn't my interest to drop the stupid course

i was like, "why can't u take marks off for each type of mistake, even so, i was writing causally and didn't think i had to follow conventions"
he was like, "well i cant, it is convention"
"so u failed me even though i got most of the ans correct"
"that's right"
"do you have to be so anal"

man was he pissed, "i think you should drop the course"
"why?"
"i'm not sure my course will do u any benefit"

man u won't know how i felt
i counted, he took off 12% off the test for not putting big P for Pon, 17% for Pan, 13% for Gorilla and 6% for Homo

 

[top]

lol..."do you have to be so anal" is perhaps the worst method i have ever heard, short of using profanity, to convince a professor to give you back points. i feel you though. it sucks to fail a test on something like that. you should definitely be docked a few points for not following the arbitrary but rocklike rules, but taking off points every single time seems excessive. the prof prolly could have used a little discretion there.

 

[coralfangs]

lol..."do you have to be so anal" is perhaps the worst method i have ever heard, short of using profanity, to convince a professor to give you back points. i feel you though. it sucks to fail a test on something like that. you should definitely be docked a few points for not following the arbitrary but rocklike rules, but taking off points every single time seems excessive. the prof prolly could have used a little discretion there.

see that's why i wont feel comfortable tellin adcom
what if they asked me to tell them the conversation
haha

 

[ParvatiP]

i have take full course load for all my semesters (even the winter sem when i took the mcat)

however, in 2005fall semester, i took a 1yr course (taught in FALL, so it was worth 2 courses in that sem)
it was an anthropology course
anyhoo, for 1st test, i had to name the genus/species of the specimen placed on the tables, i named most correctly
but i didn't capitalize the first letter of the genus names
the prof took off 50% for each ans where i didn't capitalize the first letter (yes, ouch, it was stupid too, we only had less than 10 species, so he took off 50% for each "pan" "gorilla" "pon")
my research supervisor told me to talk to him and tell him that the capitalization is only a convention, blah blah
well, i accidentally said something that offended the TA and the prof and they asked me to drop the course without being penalized and with full refund,
well......
it left me with 3 courses that semester............

how should i tell the adcom?

I would only mention it to the adcom if they directly ask you why you took less courses that semester and in that situation, I wouldn't really go into too much detail about the situation, try to come up with an accurate explanation that sounds good. I don't know if "I didn't get along with the prof" is a good excuse...so you shouldn't mention this if you can help it! I would guess that it most likely WON'T come up, but then again, you never know...

 

[top]

Yeah, you basically made it up second semester, so if your school doesn't care (my undergrad has severe repercussions for your student standing if you go PT, even for a semester), then they adcoms won't notice. i think you're straight

 

[DoctorPardi]

I would not explain it. It isn't a good story, if you had a good reason for dropping, like an ill family member, or had to work full time to pay bills etc, then sure go for it. In this situation, you are going to end up trying to explain how you were forced to drop the course because you pissed off the professor, or you will say something else, which will be a lie. Neither of those options are things I would like to pursue.

 

[coralfangs]

man, me and my big mouthful......

i pissed off a custom officer a couple weeks ago too
he almost reached for his gun...

 

[Ema]

this is so funny! It sucks man, I know how you feel....to use that kind of language. I think I would not be able to sleep because of it for years!

 

[burntfries]

man, me and my big mouthful......

i pissed off a custom officer a couple weeks ago too
he almost reached for his gun...

lol! let's hope you learn to use more discretion as a physician...

 

[MirrorTodd]

lol! let's hope you learn to use more discretion as a physician...

Screw that, go House style all the way.

 

[mvenus929]

it doesn't sound like 3 courses would be full time...at most, it's a minimum of four, right?

You can be full time at my school with 3 courses. I did it Fall 2005. Had Chemistry, Geography, and a stupid seminar class... 12 credits, which is full time. If they ask me about that semester... oh well. I had 17 credits the next semester *shrugs*