would this look bad...

[thaowey]

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i'm pretty much finishing up my pre-reqs this spring, and my grades are nottt looking too hot as i planned on it to be.

soooo, i'm taking Summer courses to boost up my science ** GPA one last time, and since the classes offered are a bit limiting, i was thinking about just taking some of the pre-reqs again that are offered at my uni, but under a different "college".

i.e. i'm taking "Intro to Biochem" at a 4000 level course, and will most likely get a B-, but was thinking of taking "Fundamentals of BioChem" at the 3000 level course and rock it with an A during summer, so that I can raise my GPA any bit.

i.e. #2. i took Genetics [in the Bio dept] and did uber well [A-], but there's another general Genetics offered [in the College of Ag] that i was thinking of taking too so that, like i said prev, i can raise my GPA one last time

is it looked down upon to have taken the "same" course twice, without exactly failing at the it the first time?

 

[Dsmoody23]

This seems like a lazy move to me.

Taking a second genetics course, when you've already passed in the exact same subject with an A, is probably a foolish thing to do.

Find something new, and harder than the class you did poorly in.

Take biochem II. Get an A.

Dropping down to a fundamentals class, when you've already passed a higher level class, again, seems foolish.

Equally, I'd be surprised if your advisor signs off on either of these choices.

 

[libster06]

Yea I don't think the alleged "better" grade in the lower class will do much on paper in front of the committee. The classes you described such as Fundamentals of Biochem are there for students who are not going to pursue a doctoral career. Someone with a science-based degree perhaps can take them, but for someone pursuing a high level degree like yourself, the admissions committee I'm certain would ask for explanation. Then I'm sure they would ask why you didn't choose to take the next class up. DS Moody has a point, taking a lower level class would most likely convey laziness, in my opinion.

If you want to boost your GPA, why not take other electives? Such as diseases, parasitology, a meat science class, a technical/proposal writing class?

 

[thaowey]

This seems like a lazy move to me.

Find something new, and harder than the class you did poorly in.

Take biochem II.

Equally, I'd be surprised if your advisor signs off on either of these choices.

-yeah that's what i kinda figured and was afraid of. but just wanted to get ppls opinion that's all

- i am. i've already signed up for 2 other classes.

- i really would if i could, but like i said, there isn't any classes that are like that being offered during summer at my uni. it's mostly all the "main" courses, not "new" interesting continuing sciencey classes

- i talked to my advisor, and she is useless.

 

[thaowey]

thanks for the feedback. i'm just in the process of registering for classes and am like wtfffff do i take?! ughhh

 

[oakave]

Are you at UF? I don't think you've really looked hard enough for science classes.
Department of Wildlife Ecology: Biodiversity and Global Conservation
Vet Med: Toxic Substances, Marine Wildlife
Zoology: Vertebrate Anatomy, Animal Physiology

...have you even looked through the course catalog?

 

[jmo1012]

As far as I know, the only time schools will look at a second course is if you took the same thing twice because you did not meet the pre-req grade the first time around. you're probably wasting your time retaking the classes because they aren't the grades that will get jotted down (because they don't appear first)

and, i totally agree with the above people, more on to bigger and better things! there is so much more to life than genetics and biochem, i REALLY enjoyed my upper level bio classes because they actually felt relevant and dealt with my interests

 

[that redhead]

I think it looks silly to retake a class you got a B and A- in, respectively. If you're fairly well along in your academic career, bumping a B to an A really isn't going to make that much of a difference. My suggestion would be to find a nearby college or university (or dig further at your own) to find a higher level science course to take, if you really want to take something. But I really doubt that retaking courses with a B and A- will do you any good - if anything, a waste of time and money. Plus, there really is no guarantee that you will get an A or A+, even if it seems easier.

Is there something else you can focus on like GRE studying or experience?

 

[SouthJerseyBell]

I had the same problem, had some not so nice grades in my chemistries and vet schools ragged on me hard for that. When I asked them about taking a course again if I got a C, they basically said that they expect you to ace a course the second time around, no surprise. So it would only hurt you if you took it again and did less than an A.

Their suggestion: take heavier science courses (400s or above) and prove that you can handle a harder curriculum. My suggestions: Endocrinology, advanced physiology, neuroendocrinology, histology, embriology, etc. Since I had already graduated I ended up taking some graduate fundamental courses at the local graduate/medical school and it did a world of good.

Good Luck! 🙂

 

[thaowey]

thanks for the feedback y'all! i figured it all out now! :]

and yes, i am at UF. i've already taken Func. Vert anatomy and signed up for Animal Phys & Intro to Marine Wildlife [via the vet college course]. i decided to continue on with more chem classes and some humanities courses! yay for taking 18 credits this summer!...

 

[twelvetigers]

What about parasitology, immunology, virology, or some upper micro courses? Not everything is bio bio bio! Is there nothing neat offered at UF over the summer?

 

[thaowey]

What about parasitology, immunology, virology, or some upper micro courses? Not everything is bio bio bio! Is there nothing neat offered at UF over the summer?

yeahhhh NO. lol. only basic microbio is offered. i'm taking human parasitology & Euk Cell Struc during Fall.

 

[twelvetigers]

That troubles me. There should be more cool courses, though I guess summer session is traditionally more sparse.

Well, good luck!

 

[libster06]

That troubles me. There should be more cool courses, though I guess summer session is traditionally more sparse.

Summer is just usually reserved for courses that people have to retake, or basics... chem 1, organic, physics, biology... there might be animal physiology or something like that but at my undergrad, as well, they didn't have elective-type classes offered in the summer. To make matters worse, most of the more specific, higher-level classes were only offered one semester... like genetics was only in the fall, production classes were only in the spring, parasitology in the spring, etc. No one told me that up front unfortunately..

 

[pooter]

To make matters worse, most of the more specific, higher-level classes were only offered one semester... like genetics was only in the fall, production classes were only in the spring, parasitology in the spring, etc. No one told me that up front unfortunately..

Same thing at my undergrad. Except we're so small that a few courses are offered only once *every two years.* I've been screwed over by that one more than once.

 

[LetItSnow]

To make matters worse, most of the more specific, higher-level classes were only offered one semester...

... or even every other year, yeah.

Very minor (perhaps obvious) tip to pre-vets: If you're having trouble figuring out when a course will be offered, look backwards in the school schedule.

When I decided to do this, I sat down and made a spreadsheet including each class, when it was offered (or when it had been offered in the past as a means of predicting when it'd be offered in the future), and what that class's pre-reqs were. It was a pretty simple matter to come up with the most efficient path to chug through them from there.

It was a tiny moment of self-reward at the end of each semester when I'd turn that semester's classes from a red box to a green box. Silly, I know, but it kept me going. 🙂

 

[libster06]

... or even every other year, yeah.

Yeap.... taken directly from classes listed in my undergrad course catalog: "odd years- spring.... even years- fall"

..... what is that about?! How much more complicated and difficult can they make things??

 

[NStarz]

My course catalog didn't list when classes were offered. So it was all a big guessing game 😉

 

[thaowey]

oh man....that sucks! pretty awesome that y'all all figured out what to take anyway still and made it work!

 

[kanariya]

Do you have the option to take a business course? I have to take some extra electives to boost my last 45 and I was advised by the dean of admissions to take a business course (which I am taking this summer) since most vets own their own businesses, showing that you have the initiative to make sure that you have some idea of how to operate a business with look great on your app.

 

[libster06]

Do you have the option to take a business course? I have to take some extra electives to boost my last 45 and I was advised by the dean of admissions to take a business course (which I am taking this summer) since most vets own their own businesses, showing that you have the initiative to make sure that you have some idea of how to operate a business with look great on your app.

SUPER good idea... for others who may be reading this and in a similar predicament. They are usually not super intense and will definitely help you in the long run.

 

[thaowey]

Do you have the option to take a business course? I have to take some extra electives to boost my last 45 and I was advised by the dean of admissions to take a business course (which I am taking this summer) since most vets own their own businesses, showing that you have the initiative to make sure that you have some idea of how to operate a business with look great on your app.

i've taken microeco before, and i hate it. lol. yeah, it's not HARD, but i just don't get it...

and also, don't plan on owning my own business/working in SA, so i'm ok with not learning it lol