So I'm about to fail physics. What next.

[Gmw1386]

I'm taking calc-based physics this summer but it looks like i'm going to fail it, or at the very least not get credit. Unless he has some weird grading policy where a 35/60 test average is passing. 🙁 Right... Good idea taking the physics class that's taught like an upper level math methods engineering course (according to the TA)

So I'm going into my junior year and I'm already scheduled to take Micro and Orgo and two or three other classes. Am I going to die if take Physics on top of this? If I do add physics then my scheulde will probably be something along the lines of Physics, Orgo, Micro and Ethics. Before I got into this problem I was planning on adding another science course to help boast my sci gpa, but it looks like I'm going to be doing the complete opposite by adding physics to the year. (forget about the fact that I'm going to have a failing grade on my transcipt)

Anyone else been in this situation? I'm in a dark place, give me some hope.

PS - i just had a med school administrator tell me that my gpa is already a little on the low side (3.0 sci, 3.2 cum) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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[CheerfulEnergy]

Your stats are just about the same as mine......I'm just under 3.0 sci, just over 3.2 cum...and a lot of the reason behind both is that I got two D's in orgo (I'm going to be a senior). Is there any way you could take a non-calc-based physics next summer? That's what I should have done....hindsight's 20/20, I should have taken that o-chem in the summer and focused on that exclusively. That sounds like a pretty heavy schedule, but you know yourself best....whether you'd be able to manage Physics, Orgo, & Micro all at the same time (each of which is prob. pretty time-intensive). If you think you can do it, though, go for it! The one thing you don't want to happen is for that one hard class (or two, etc.) to drag down your grades in other classes that you could otherwise do well in.
I'm debating whether to apply this application cycle or to wait a year....I've had an advisor tell me that my transcript might stand a better shot with admissions if I get that full senior year on there.............what to do, what to do.................

 

[Dancing Doctor]

I'm taking calc-based physics this summer but it looks like i'm going to fail it, or at the very least not get credit. Unless he has some weird grading policy where a 35/60 test average is passing. 🙁 Right... Good idea taking the physics class that's taught like an upper level math methods engineering course (according to the TA)

So I'm going into my junior year and I'm already scheduled to take Micro and Orgo and two or three other classes. Am I going to die if take Physics on top of this? If I do add physics then my scheulde will probably be something along the lines of Physics, Orgo, Micro and Ethics. Before I got into this problem I was planning on adding another science course to help boast my sci gpa, but it looks like I'm going to be doing the complete opposite by adding physics to the year. (forget about the fact that I'm going to have a failing grade on my transcipt)

Anyone else been in this situation? I'm in a dark place, give me some hope.

PS - i just had a med school administrator tell me that my gpa is already a little on the low side (3.0 sci, 3.2 cum) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It really depends on you committment. I took Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Physics all in the same semester. Physics may make more sense the second time around, but you need to really think about how much time you need to study for each class, how much time you have and how much time you are willing to spend on each one.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I'm taking calc-based physics this summer but it looks like i'm going to fail it, or at the very least not get credit. Unless he has some weird grading policy where a 35/60 test average is passing. 🙁 Right... Good idea taking the physics class that's taught like an upper level math methods engineering course (according to the TA)

So I'm going into my junior year and I'm already scheduled to take Micro and Orgo and two or three other classes. Am I going to die if take Physics on top of this? If I do add physics then my scheulde will probably be something along the lines of Physics, Orgo, Micro and Ethics. Before I got into this problem I was planning on adding another science course to help boast my sci gpa, but it looks like I'm going to be doing the complete opposite by adding physics to the year. (forget about the fact that I'm going to have a failing grade on my transcipt)

Anyone else been in this situation? I'm in a dark place, give me some hope.

PS - i just had a med school administrator tell me that my gpa is already a little on the low side (3.0 sci, 3.2 cum) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Retake the course and get the grade replaced. Why would you take such a difficult class in the first place?

Either way take have no choice but to retake it.

If you feel like you have too big of a class load, defer courses to next spring or summer. It shouldn't be too late to take classes this summer as well.

 

[mastamark]

I am in the exact same situation you are in. I am taking physics over the summer now. The course is only 4.5 weeks per semester. I don't know what I was thinking. I am just going to take genetics second semester this summer and replace it in the fall with physics. I can handle genetics over the summer, but not physics. What was I thinking? I wasn't even taking calc based physics, so I can't even imagine what you are dealing with. I am going into my junior year as well. I was hoping to finish with physics over the summer so I could take the MCAT as soon as possible next year. Well haste makes waste. I am learning that the hard way. So I will just put it off till august of next year.

Good Luck

 

[Scorcher31]

Many times teachers curve, but don't tell the students. What you really need to ask yourself is where you fall in with the other students taking the class. Do you get some type of feedback from your professors on the course average per test? If you’re getting around average or above there is a good chance you will end up getting a C or a low B no matter what your teacher says. Calc based physics isn’t horrible, but it does take time. Unless it’s a school requirement you can always take a non calc based physics as well. Other things you should look into is getting help for the class from tutors, getting copies of old tests to practice on, and getting a good graphing calculator which will do all algebraic equations such as a Ti-89 on up (if allowed during tests). Honestly if I used a Ti-82 instead of a Ti-89 i probably would have gone down at least a whole letter grade in each physics class I took, and we had to take 4 calc based physics classes as school requirement. Don't ever overload yourself with courses talk to students and find easy courses that you can mix in with your more difficult ones to lighten your schedule load. Good course and teacher selection can honestly make a huge difference in gpa.

-Chris

 

[Gmw1386]

Why did I make myself take such a difficult class? The better question is why is calc-based required for a biomedical science degree????? I know there are plenty of you out there that have gotten through calc-physics fine so I'll stop complaining about that. I guess my school just wants the premeds to have a competitive cirriculum.

As for going for tutoring and such, this guy is probably the worst professor i've ever had and have no faith that his old test would be representative of the current ones. the department just redesigned there class so that it concentrates more on the derivations of the solutions rather than the applications of equations, or well anything we learn in class for that matter. the upper level physics classes were complaining that the student didn't know enough of the math. greeeeattttt....

as for comparing myself to the other 9 students... 1 is from duke, 1 cornell, 1 math major and a physics major. oh yeah, and the professor treats us like we've all taken calc3, even though calc isn't even a prereq. (i know. that makes no sense, but it's tech not at this school) there are three or four others that may be in the same situation as me.

Taking micro and genetics over the summer and such, well that is an option that i'm ready to accept, but is probably going to leave me with a less than acceptable sci gpa once application time rolls around. applying after senior year, i guess that could happen. don't really want to though. As of now senior year I'm planning on taking Vert. Phys., Comp Anatomy, Developmental Biology, Science Ethics and I really wanted to fit in Clinal Microscopy and Human Nutrition in somewhere. Oh yeah and I completely forgot that I have 3 credits worth of internship to do junior year. What the hell have I gotten myself into.

As for the dedication, I've got that. If I didn't then I would have quit a while go. If I don't end up getting credit then I'm probably going to end up sucking it up and taking Micro, Physics and Orgo w/ a bull**** class, or maybe nothing else at all. I'll talk to my advisor about that first. Ugh I feel like such a failure of a premed student. Whatever, I stopped going out last semester anyway.

::complainingg transmition end::

 

[Dancing Doctor]

Why did I make myself take such a difficult class? The better question is why is calc-based required for a biomedical science degree????? I know there are plenty of you out there that have gotten through calc-physics fine so I'll stop complaining about that. I guess my school just wants the premeds to have a competitive cirriculum.

As for going for tutoring and such, this guy is probably the worst professor i've ever had and have no faith that his old test would be representative of the current ones. the department just redesigned there class so that it concentrates more on the derivations of the solutions rather than the applications of equations, or well anything we learn in class for that matter. the upper level physics classes were complaining that the student didn't know enough of the math. greeeeattttt....

as for comparing myself to the other 9 students... 1 is from duke, 1 cornell, 1 math major and a physics major. oh yeah, and the professor treats us like we've all taken calc3, even though calc isn't even a prereq. (i know. that makes no sense, but it's tech not at this school) there are three or four others that may be in the same situation as me.

Taking micro and genetics over the summer and such, well that is an option that i'm ready to accept, but is probably going to leave me with a less than acceptable sci gpa once application time rolls around. applying after senior year, i guess that could happen. don't really want to though. As of now senior year I'm planning on taking Vert. Phys., Comp Anatomy, Developmental Biology, Science Ethics and I really wanted to fit in Clinal Microscopy and Human Nutrition in somewhere. Oh yeah and I completely forgot that I have 3 credits worth of internship to do junior year. What the hell have I gotten myself into.

As for the dedication, I've got that. If I didn't then I would have quit a while go. If I don't end up getting credit then I'm probably going to end up sucking it up and taking Micro, Physics and Orgo w/ a bull**** class, or maybe nothing else at all. I'll talk to my advisor about that first. Ugh I feel like such a failure of a premed student. Whatever, I stopped going out last semester anyway.

::complainingg transmition end::

Don't get so down. Believe you can do it and you will. It's just a difficult time-management issue. I know how hard it is. If you can take no other classes or take a very easy class with them you'd probably be fine. We didn't have an option of which physics to take either...or even when I could take it. Just be careful, if you take the Kaplan course I have heard that with the homework and classes it's like another science class.

 

[Scorcher31]

I'll second what dancing doctor said about the kaplan course. I really appreciated the extra practice and the practice tests, but I felt the actual course and books were a waste of time. I would have done better putting that time into just more practice tests and finding out where I went wrong. With that said Kaplan isn’t bad its just very time consuming so take a light course load or just make yourself a lot of time somehow. I’m really sorry to hear about your calc based physics course it sounds like there starting to push to much into deviations and such. There also definitely needs to be a calc 1 or calc 2 prereq on the course. Sorry about saying to compare yourself to the average. It’s so odd that there are only 9 or so kids taking that class. I said that assuming it would be like my calc based physics at psu which still had a couple 100 students in each one. I know things get much more complicated in smaller classes and it’s much harder to figure out if you’re doing average. I wish you the best of luck!!

 

[frederico2]

OP, bear in mind the end goal of med school. With that said, remember it's better to take an extra year or so to finish your degree if thats what it takes to have competitive numbers. Even an F in physics wont keep you out if you retake it and do well, as well as keep a high GPA in your other classes over your last two years.
~James

 

[FrkyBgStok]

got me a couple c's in physics. oh well. non trad with work and kids. we'll see.

 

[suds945]

In my humble opinion, which you may choose to ignore, calculus-based physics is better to take than algebra-based...I took the latter in high school and the former as a first-year engineering student. Looking simply at, say, the three basic kinematics equations that you learn in every introductory physics course, even a terrible calculus background should convince you that you can get some of the equations from some of the others simply by taking time derivatives and substituting (and actually, you can mathematically reach them all from the definition of acceleration, a = dv/dt). Not to mention, integral and differential calculus are even more helpful when you're trying to understand electricity and magnetism, i.e. Maxwell's equations (take it from the electrical engineer, trust me, it's true).

Now, I'm not sure how much you non-physics-or-engineering premeds care about really understanding physics, but it's important for upper-level biology classes (namely physiology, which uses more E&M than I could have ever expected prior to taking it) and for the MCAT. I did quite well on the MCAT, thanks in large part to the multiple calculus-based physics courses required as part of the engineering curriculum. Not only did these classes teach me actual physics, but they also taught me (*far* more than my life science classes) how to think critically, a skill without which you will *never* break 30 on the MCAT.

I don't know if this post will convince anyone to take calc-based physics, but it was worth a shot. Good luck to all.

Oh, and as a former Kaplan MCAT teacher, I'll tell you now not to take the Kaplan course without the necessary prerequisites, especially when it comes to physics. There's just not enough classroom time allotted for us to teach you all of that stuff...you need the foundation first.

 

[chopstick1]

OP, bear in mind the end goal of med school. With that said, remember it's better to take an extra year or so to finish your degree if thats what it takes to have competitive numbers. Even an F in physics wont keep you out if you retake it and do well, as well as keep a high GPA in your other classes over your last two years.
~James

frederico2 is right, slow down, get the good grades. take your time. your long term goal is med school. graduating on time but having low gpa will give you a huge headache in the end. whatever degree you get, as long as the pre req grades are good. that's what matters. good luck!

 

[njbmd]

I'm taking calc-based physics this summer but it looks like i'm going to fail it, or at the very least not get credit. Unless he has some weird grading policy where a 35/60 test average is passing. 🙁 Right... Good idea taking the physics class that's taught like an upper level math methods engineering course (according to the TA)

So I'm going into my junior year and I'm already scheduled to take Micro and Orgo and two or three other classes. Am I going to die if take Physics on top of this? If I do add physics then my scheulde will probably be something along the lines of Physics, Orgo, Micro and Ethics. Before I got into this problem I was planning on adding another science course to help boast my sci gpa, but it looks like I'm going to be doing the complete opposite by adding physics to the year. (forget about the fact that I'm going to have a failing grade on my transcipt)

Anyone else been in this situation? I'm in a dark place, give me some hope.

PS - i just had a med school administrator tell me that my gpa is already a little on the low side (3.0 sci, 3.2 cum) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Hi there,
Depending on where you are in the semester, go for a drop. I know that you will lose money for this course but drop before taking a failure. You need to have the highest GPA possible so trying to gut this out is not going to work. Also, you cannot afford to rely on a curve to get you through so drop the course and re-enroll in the Fall Semester.

Taking any pre-med pre-req course during the summer is very, very difficult. Not only do you have the compressed class schedule to contend with but you HAVE to learn the material in depth to do well on the MCAT. For the kind of knowledge base and application that you need, regular semesters are much better.

In general: Unless you have a GPA that is greater than 3.7, drop any course that you are heading for a grade of less than a B+. The competition out there for seats in allopathic and osteopathic medical school is pretty fierce and more numerous. This year was brutal and next year is likely to be worse.

The hope is that you have plenty of time to get that GPA up if you do not fail or get a D in this course. Again, do the drop and be prepared to do this course in the fall. You will have a leg up since you have had this exposure but get moving fast. Do some math review for the rest of the summer and be prepared to ace this one in the fall.

Good luck!
njbmd 🙂