The results are back! First Freshman semester was horrid. Any advice appreciated!

[Jay_Tito]

Hello!

I finished out my first semester as follows:

A- English
A- Statistics
A- Bio Lab
B- Bio 1
C- Chemistry 1

My GPA is looking like a 3.3

I'd like to improve my grades come next semester, and I'd like you guy's advice on your own personal study habits, time management skills, etc.

What did you do to become more efficient during undergrad?

Thanks! 🙂

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[efle]

No study tricks to propose, but thought you should know you'll want to retake that Chemistry course. Most schools with prerequisite classes require a C or better in said classes

 

[TheBiologist]

quickly change what ever you are doing in chemistry or you won't make it

did you try your hardest in the class? did you go to every lecture? if you didn't understand something did you ask the professor for help? if they give practice problems did you do them until you understood it?

I agree with above - retake chem 1 for a solid foundation and a better grade. TRY to get an A or A-. if you are trying your absolute hardest and making C's I'm not quite sure what to say

 

[Jay_Tito]

quickly change what ever you are doing in chemistry or you won't make it

did you try your hardest in the class? did you go to every lecture? if you didn't understand something did you ask the professor for help? if they give practice problems did you do them until you understood it?

I agree with above - retake chem 1 for a solid foundation and a better grade. TRY to get an A or A-. if you are trying your absolute hardest and making C's I'm not quite sure what to say

While I like to think that I tried hard in Chem, I think I went about doing it all wrong. I don't think that I studied as hard from Chem as I should have considering I did so poorly in it.

As for retaking it, should I retake it over the summer? I'm starting Chem 2 next semester.

 

[efle]

You can retake it in Sophomore Fall no need to pay extra for summer class. Don't proceed to Chem 2, and/or don't hesitate to withdraw, if you are finding it to be too difficult without a good Chem 1 background. You're a lot better off starting the series over next year than getting a C or even B- in Chem 2.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

For bio try Anki
For chem practice problems. All of them.

 

[Jay_Tito]

For bio try Anki
For chem practice problems. All of them.

I've never used Anki, is it anything like Quizlet?

 

[TheBiologist]

Chem 1 is easier than chem 2 which is easier than ochem which is easier than biochem which is easier than med school

I would take this piece of advice with some skepticism......

 

[benjamin94559]

I would also advise against taking chem ii because at some schools when you take the 2nd class in a series it locks your grade in for the first part of the series even if you got below a C. Its irrelevent for med schools since they get to see all and make their own calculations but it will certainly help your non AMCAS gpa for things like getting jobs and what have you

 

[escanoke]

Chemistry didn't come naturally to me, but that was probably from my studying style but what helped was using khan academy after reading chapters for a quick recap, it really helped solidify things. Chem 1 should mostly be definitions, reading the periodic table, and the beginning of acid/bases. For me it seemed all "intuitive" and over looked a bunch of things because it sounded so simple until tests and I'd be forgetting if delta S > 0 meant more or less entropy or if the atom size increased from the bottom --> up or up --> bottom


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[787593]

Chem 1 is easier than chem 2 which is easier than ochem which is easier than biochem which is easier than med school

OChem II was harder than biochemistry I IMO

 

[lancecorpsman]

You are finished. You got a C in a freshman chem class. RIP your dreams of med school.

 

[Jay_Tito]

You are finished. You got a C in a freshman chem class. RIP your dreams of med school.