Third W Grade....Is It Over?

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blackdog999

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Hey guys

So I'm kind of extremely worried right now. I just failed my calculus midterm and if I manage to get 100% on 2 more quizzes and my final, I'll only be able to pull off a C. Honestly I just don't think I can do it.

Right now I have 2 W's on my transcript (Linear algebra and Statistics, however I've retaken them and received an A and A-), but I believe I will have to drop and retake calculus.

How bad do these W's look on my transcript? I mean my GPA is roughly a 3.6, but I've heard that a W is worse than an F. I'm really panicking right now and just don't know what to do. I REALLY struggle with math courses, I don't know why. I know a lot of people say that "well as long as you can explain it, then you're fine", but I really have no explanation as to why I'm bad at math. I've studied my butt off but I struggle to no end.

So what do you guys think? Is this W going to kill me?

Thanks guys.

BTW I've posted this in the pre-optometry forums too, just because I don't know if I'm applying for med school or optometry school just yet. Sorry if that's not allowed, I can remove one the posts.

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One W is usually fine. Three...I'm not so sure
Just remember that a W is not worse than an F

F IS WAY WORSE!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Hey guys

So I'm kind of extremely worried right now. I just failed my calculus midterm and if I manage to get 100% on 2 more quizzes and my final, I'll only be able to pull off a C. Honestly I just don't think I can do it.

Right now I have 2 W's on my transcript (Linear algebra and Statistics, however I've retaken them and received an A and A-), but I believe I will have to drop and retake calculus.

How bad do these W's look on my transcript? I mean my GPA is roughly a 3.6, but I've heard that a W is worse than an F. I'm really panicking right now and just don't know what to do. I REALLY struggle with math courses, I don't know why. I know a lot of people say that "well as long as you can explain it, then you're fine", but I really have no explanation as to why I'm bad at math. I've studied my butt off but I struggle to no end.

So what do you guys think? Is this W going to kill me?

Thanks guys.

BTW I've posted this in the pre-optometry forums too, just because I don't know if I'm applying for med school or optometry school just yet. Sorry if that's not allowed, I can remove one the posts.

1, even 2 W's is not necessarily alarming, if you can explain what happened and how you learned from those two courses to change your study habits for the better. Which you did, with the A and A- that you received when repeating the course.

3 W's will without a doubt be a red-flag, especially if this is still early on in your college career. Is it insurmountable? Not necessarily, but you will need to rock grades for the rest of your time in college, rock the MCAT and keep taking upper level science courses to prove you have what it takes to cut it. Find out what's wrong with your study habits (clearly it's something you are really doing wrong the first time around, since you are acing the classes upon retake) and really evaluate that, as that's the most important thing you can do. For sure, it's an uphill battle, but people have overcame far worse academic setbacks to still get into med school.

BTW, you seem to struggle with math. Why did you take linear algebra in the first place when only one semester of calc and one semester of statistics is required for med school..
 
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You'll be fine. You're not getting into Harvard but you'll get in somewhere. I have plenty of w's and I've had no trouble getting interviews. Just keep your GPA up, nail the MCAT, and do as much volunteering as you can.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

Yeah I'm just worried about the fact I might come across as someone who can't handle the workload or dodges classes once they start to get tough. I hope I can at least explain to my interviewer that I just didn't have the appropriate studying techniques required for math courses, and that I had to find out the hard way. I mean I've taken full load semesters while volunteering and working, so it's not the workload that bothers me.

But thanks again guys. I just really want to learn form my mistakes and move on, but I've heard so many horror stories about getting into med school. I don't even need to get into Harvard, just ANY medical school is fine with me.
 
I don't think its a major problem, although expect a question during the interview.
 
I have 5 W's on my transcript. I don't really give a second thought to them, and if it comes up on an interview (which sometimes happens, sometimes doesn't), I'll just tell them exactly why each of them is there. I think people blow it up out of proportion on here about how bad a W is.
 
At all costs, take the W over an F, retake the course if u want. People here definitely over-exaggerated the impact of Ws, it won't make ur application get tossed. IF asked about it in an interview (big IF), answer honestly and move on. Just avoid a pattern of poor grades, Is or Ws then question start to be raised about academic ability. ~3Ws is fine, I had an F, D, C, 2Ws and never got asked about anything (i had a semester from hell and explained it briefly on my PS,and it was never brought up again). Ws u really don't need to even explain unless asked.

Goodluck
 
As has been said, it's starting to look like a pattern at 3. 1-2 is generally minor w/ a good GPA overall, 3-4 is probably a bit of a red flag that will require some explaining. Expect some interview questions about this. Withdrawing never looks good but it won't ruin you if you have good reasons for the withdrawals. If your reasons are "I would have gotten a C," though, you're probably not going to come off well. In other words, will it ruin your possibility of getting into med school? No, but it could lessen them. Consider the fact that you are competing against many, many applicants who have NO Ws and GREAT GPAs (3.7+) along with outstanding MCAT scores (30+) and great ECs as well. So I think you really need to figure out what's going on and correct it before it's too late and you really ARE in trouble.
 
I have 5 W's on my transcript. I don't really give a second thought to them, and if it comes up on an interview (which sometimes happens, sometimes doesn't), I'll just tell them exactly why each of them is there. I think people blow it up out of proportion on here about how bad a W is.

I am thinking that your amazing stats (I'm an mdapps creeper) probably totally wiped away any doubts that they may have had about your academic potential due to the 5 Ws. Congrats on the amazing stats, by the way.
 
Thanks everyone. I honestly feel a lot better about it now. I'm going to be getting a tutor for my calculus now (my girlfriends old tutor who apparently is amazing) so now I'm REALLY going to buckle down and just eat breathe and crap calc.
 
Hey guys

So I'm kind of extremely worried right now. I just failed my calculus midterm and if I manage to get 100% on 2 more quizzes and my final, I'll only be able to pull off a C. Honestly I just don't think I can do it.
I'd also be worried about your ability to get a perfect on the final exam when you failed the midterm...
I am thinking that your amazing stats (I'm an mdapps creeper) probably totally wiped away any doubts that they may have had about your academic potential due to the 5 Ws. Congrats on the insurmountably ridiculous stats, by the way.
Fixed.
 
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