With my academic record, would this be a wise decision or a dumb one?

[missrv]

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I am currently taking 3 summer courses and a lab this session that are 5 weeks long. I'm taking Bio101, statistics and modern us history. There's 3 weeks left until finals and im panicking because i know i'm going to fail biology. Should i drop it? I dropped two classes my first semester of college and I also had a horrible GPA that semester (1.667, I will be retaking the courses i failed to increase my gpa for that term). Im afraid its going to look bad when I apply for medical school.

So far for bio, I've done two exams that are worth 10% of my grade
Exam #1 60%
Exam #1 46%
Lab Practical #1 70%
There's still another lab practical, 3 more exams, and I also need to write a 8 page paper on evolution within the next 3 weeks.
We also get lab quizzes everyday. I've been getting no lower than 70 and 80's. I need some advice. .

 

[gyngyn]

A "W" is better than an "F."

 

[Dr. Jan Itor]

Is there a curve and what makes up the other 80% of your grade?

 

[MrLogan13]

A W is better than an F, as already stated. Also, you need to figure out what's going on and why you're not getting the results you want so that you can work on it.


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[missrv]

Is there a curve and what makes up the other 80% of your grade?

My grade comes from 75% Lecture and 25% Lab.

 

[missrv]

Avoid summer classes. general rule for premeds.

Why on earth did you take 3 (3!) summer courses

Generally because Im still attending a community college and I want to get out of here as quickly as possible. I just needed those credits and then I would have gotten instant admission to a local university. Now that i think of it, It doesn't sound very smart...

 

[LuluLovesMe]

You have a C- average GPA and you're averaging something around a D in your summer class. You've really got to slow down and figure out why you aren't doing well. You can't afford any more semesters under 3.5 GPA.

 

[tskbdmnd]

You can probably still pass if you really want the credit. Maybe with a low B or high C. Not sure if it's a good idea or not.

 

[missrv]

You have a C- average GPA and you're averaging something around a D in your summer class. You've really got to slow down and figure out why you aren't doing well. You can't afford any more semesters under 3.5 GPA.

My first semester was horrible, second semester was better (3.46). I'm doing so bad in school that I'm actually going to be evaluated next week to be placed on medication. I have ptsd and other issues so I often zone out in class and cant focus. I thought this semester was going to better than the last :/

 

[missrv]

I talked to professor and she said I shouldn't drop this course since there is only week until its finished (and she doesn't want me to be a quitter) she thinks I can pass it, im in the 70 range. She also told me she will drop the lowest exam grade and two lowest quiz grade. But I just did exam #3 and i got a 48% Her class is kind of easy, I just have no time to study. I don't know what to do. I would hate to start fresh again but then again I dont want to risk a bad grade on my transcript. She has extra credit opportunities that add 10 points onto exam grades so maybe I should do a few of those...

 

[gyngyn]

I talked to professor and she said I shouldn't drop this course since its there is only week until its finished and she thinks I can pass it. She also told me she will drop the lowest exam grade and two lowest quiz grade. But I just did exam #3 and i got a 48% Her class is kind of easy, I just have no time to study. I don't know what to do. I would hate to start fresh again but then again I dont want to risk a bad grade on my transcript. She has extra credit opportunities that add 10 points onto exam grades so maybe I should do a few of those...

Bad grades are hard to overcome.

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

Kind of silly to bomb bio. I mean..I get having no time. But...if you're able to get a W, get the W. At least then it won't impact your GPA. It won't have a long standing impact, as long as you're early on. Take the lesson, and don't do that crap again, though. You need your head in the game for school and the classes only get harder. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of school. The classrooms aren't going anywhere, neither are the patients.

 

[missrv]

Kind of silly to bomb bio. I mean..I get having no time. But...if you're able to get a W, get the W. At least then it won't impact your GPA. It won't have a long standing impact, as long as you're early on. Take the lesson, and don't do that crap again, though. You need your head in the game for school and the classes only get harder. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of school. The classrooms aren't going anywhere, neither are the patients.

So if I were able to get between a C or maybe a B- i should still go with the W? I'm just afraid of how a lot of withdraws are going to look when I apply.

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

You can make up for a C in intro biology (speaking from experience). F's are harder to recover from. The deal here is you need to make a judgment on how you're going to perform in the future. If your academic work will be consistent and improved, great. If you're going to continue to make mediocre grades, then you need to conserve your gpa as much as possible. That means, minimizing W's and minimizing low grades. YOU are the only one that can truly evaluate this. If you ARE going to improve, and stay consistent, then a C or a B (preferably a B) won't matter at all.

If you're going to fail/C, and you don't think you're going to have better luck next semester, take the W, and take the time off to get your head straight before you come back at this. The more you jack around academically, the harder it gets to recover.

 

[Goro]

The likelihood that you're going to get a B is low; but high for a C or worse.

This lowers the chances of your getting into med school.

We value candidates who not only are good academically, but who make good choices.

Drop the class.

Why are you taking classes if you have no time to study? Mastering time mgt is a crucial skill for medical students. You're harming your academic career here. Start making good choices.

I talked to professor and she said I shouldn't drop this course since there is only week until its finished (and she doesn't want me to be a quitter) she thinks I can pass it, im in the 70 range. She also told me she will drop the lowest exam grade and two lowest quiz grade. But I just did exam #3 and i got a 48% Her class is kind of easy, I just have no time to study. I don't know what to do. I would hate to start fresh again but then again I dont want to risk a bad grade on my transcript. She has extra credit opportunities that add 10 points onto exam grades so maybe I should do a few of those...

 

[CAK2012]

Avoid summer classes. general rule for premeds.

Why on earth did you take 3 (3!) summer courses

Just wondering, why avoid summer classes ? I'm taking math, a&p and an upper level psychology? I have the time and means to do it. I thought it might look well and was not doing anything else.
Cody K.

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

Why are you bothering with A&P? It's pretty useless at the undergraduate level, and certainly not worth wasting time during the summer. If you're going to take summer classes take something that enriches your application, or your understanding of the human condition. Sociology of Health and Illness was a cool one I took during a summer. Or take something that will advance your degree forward, so that you have time for more challenging electives during your senior year.

I took several math classes in one summer and was never given any flak for it, I just took them so I could knock out pre-reqs for fall courses.

 

[drcrispmd]

Avoid summer classes. general rule for premeds.

Why on earth did you take 3 (3!) summer courses

This is a new general rule now? Why? When I was in undergrad summer was the best time to get those required fluff classes out of the way (history, foreign language, etc) so you would not take away from major classes during the regular semester.


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[candbgirl]

OP are you learning anything in class? Obviously not much with your test scores. You've gotten great advice here including advice from ADCOM members. Either follow it or stop asking for advice. And do you honestly think that you can get a B in this class? The teacher doesn't want you to drop because he may need you to stay in the class. It probably has nothing to do with you personally. Drop the class if you still can. A D or F in Bio isn't a good thing.
I wouldn't register for Fall classes until you find out why you are doing so poorly in school. Have you gone to the Learning Resource Center for help? You need to fix the underlying problem before you are in a deeper hole that will be much harder to get out of.


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[The Knife & Gun Club]

So if I were able to get between a C or maybe a B- i should still go with the W? I'm just afraid of how a lot of withdraws are going to look when I apply.

Op you need to drop. It's way easier to explain a drop grade on AMCAS than it is to explain a c/d/f.

Take some time and focus on getting your life in order. Academics can wait, your health can't

This is a new general rule now? Why? When I was in undergrad summer was the best time to get those required fluff classes out of the way (history, foreign language, etc) so you would not take away from major classes during the regular semester.


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Many med school explicitly say they don't recommend taking Pre reqs in the summer. Fluff classes are probably neutral IMO

 

[missrv]

OK i think i may have screwed things up.... how bad may it look withdrawing from two classes; Statistics also?

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

OK i think i may have screwed things up.... how bad may it look withdrawing from two classes; Statistics also?

If you're going to bomb it, drop it.

Fix your problems.

Take it again and get an A when you're ready.