Okay, so this is my first year of college, although I'm technically a sophomore via AP credits. However, the thing is I am totally overwhelmed with school right now. About half of my classes should at least be in the A range, but the others not so much. I have no idea how to study for Biology apparently because I study for it constantly and have no results. I even have to meet with the professor at least once a week now because I failed the last quiz and didn't do so great on the one before. To top it off, in my Biology lab, I forgot to turn in a worksheet by 2:00 today because I honestly thought it was due later in the week and that means the highest grade I can possibly get in Bio Lab doing everything perfectly is 93%. In addition, I do cross country and have a 45 minute commute. Just this first month of college is making me think I'm not cut out to be a vet. So, does anyone have any ideas to help me? Thank you.
woah horsey! take a deep breath. you'll be just fine as long as you stay calm!
if you're having trouble with getting into the swing of college level sciences, then forget about being a sophomore status because of your AP credits. unless there's major financial constraints, i would personally spend the full 4 years exploring and figuring out how to rock academically. no need to rush through and be mediocre. if you need to retake those courses and forfeit some of your AP credits in order to do well, i would do it. i went into college with lots of AP credits, but instead of graduating early, i took several upper level courses beyond pre-reqs and took a semester off to do a wildlife internship, and i don't think i would have done it any other way. i don't think i would have had the strength and maturity to excel in vet school had i applied early. i even ended up taking 2 years off to do research after college, and am now applying this cycle (i graduated 2008). it's hard to believe, but there's a lot of growth that can happen in just a couple years.
if someone had told me that when i was freaking out as a freshman in college, i probably would have laughed arrogantly to my self thinking "but only failures don't go straight out of college," but that was just me.
plus... who says that 93% is bad? and don't these classes usually curve anyway? you want to aim for a solid GPA (ideally >3.5) but you can totally achieve that with B's here and there, and even one or two C's.
if you're "constantly studying" for bio and still not doing well, that's usually a sign that either 1.) you're not prepared for it, or 2.) you're not studying the right way. you can stare and stare and stare at a text book for 20 hrs and not really get much from it. especially if the information you need to know is not found in what you're reading! i learned that excelling in bio courses really came down to figuring out
which information was pertinent. professors can talk all they want about anything in lecture, but if their exams are heavy on evidence based things like figures, experimental approach etc... knowing every enzymatic reaction in glycolysis is not that important. or vice versa, if those enzyme reactions are important, there's no point in knowing every step involved in running an ELISA.
if becoming a vet is your dream and passion, DO NOT let a bad quiz or two make you feel like you're not cut out for it.
EVEN IF you were to do a mediocre job academically, it's not like you will never be eligible for vet school admissions. look under the successful applicants thread from last year. there are soooo many people who had lower GPA's and still managed to get in. rock your GRE's, and gain unique, varied, and in-depth experience!
