Should I Stay in Gen Chem II or Withdraw Again? Need Advice from Fellow Post-Baccs

[superpike]

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Hi everyone — I’m a career-changer post-bacc student currently working through my med school prereqs, and I could really use some honest advice from others who’ve been in the trenches.


This semester, I’m taking General Chemistry II, Physics II (lab only), and Biology II with labs. I was originally enrolled in the full Physics II course but withdrew early in the semester, leaving me with a W. That would be my second W on my transcript — I also withdrew from General Chemistry I during a past summer attempt because I underestimated how intense summer science courses can be.


Now I’m struggling in Gen Chem II. I scored a 46.6 and 60 on the first two midterms, but I have a 100% quiz average, and there’s still one more midterm and the final left. The final is weighted heavily (up to 60% depending on which grading scheme benefits me the most). I recently discovered that many of my professor’s exam questions come directly from worksheets posted to our course page — I hadn’t been doing them, but now that I know, I’m hoping that can make a difference going forward.


I also just lined up a tutor — he’s a high school chemistry teacher who got an A in this course and is willing to brush up on the material to help me prep.


Here’s my dilemma:

• If I withdraw, I’ll have 3 Ws total on my transcript. Not ideal.
• I could retake Chem II this summer, but I’ve struggled with summer science classes before, so I’m hesitant to go that route again. If I don’t take it this summer, withdrawing now would delay my med school application by an entire year. I’m already planning to retake Physics II this summer — I had the professor before and got an A+ in her class in the fall, so I know her teaching style and feel confident I can do well again. That feels like a much safer and more manageable summer course than Chem II.
• If I stay in and earn a B- or better, I’ll only have 2 Ws total, keep my application timeline intact, and avoid retaking the class.
• Grade calculations show that if I can get an 85+ on the third midterm and the final, I can pull out a B-. That’s tough, but maybe doable now that I know about the worksheets and have tutoring support.

I feel like I’ve made some strategic missteps early on — trying to rush as a post-bacc, overloading my schedule — but I’ve learned from that. Now I’m just trying to figure out if it’s smarter to fight through this and finish strong, or step back, reset, and come back stronger later.


Would you stay in and push hard for a B- (or better, but a B- or B seems the most likely grade at this point), or withdraw, risk the third W, and plan for a retake + a later application?
Would love to hear from anyone who's navigated something similar.


Thanks so much — really appreciate any advice.

 

[AJS59]

What's your current average? A C is not the end of the world but you'll need to make at least that mark for med school to accept the credit.

 

[superpike]

My current average is somewhere in the low 60s, mostly due to two rough midterm scores (46.6 and 60). I do have a 100% quiz average, but like I said my final grade will largely depend on my grade on the final. For example, if I were to get a 95 on the final (unlikely, but could happen), my final grade would be a B+. It is worth noting that even my professor was surprised by my performance on the second midterm (I actively participate in class and it is clear that I show understanding of the material). It is the last day of Spring Break (we took the second midterm right before break) so I can look at my exam once classes start next week and can see where I went wrong.

 

[AJS59]

Perhaps a better question: When's your withdrawal deadline? If it's after the 3rd midterm, I'd wait for that 1 more data point

 

[superpike]

Unfortunately the withdrawal deadline is this Friday so I won't get another data point.
I'll also add that an initial problem with this class (and part of the reason why I dropped Physics this semester as well) was simply the fact that I was taking too many classes, trying to do all 3 sciences at once with labs. I was able to successfully do it last semester, but last semester I didn't have to take Chem I lab (because I attempted the sequence during the summer) and my Physics I professor was very nice and let me take exams later than the scheduled date if I felt overloaded (the same professor who I will take Physics II with this summer). This semester, I don't have any professors who will gave me a workaround like that and my grades showed for it!

 

[AJS59]

I'd say if you feel confident you can get your overall average >75, then stay. If not, withdraw