My post-bacc has been really good to me until this semester. I ended up with a C in Physics II. The rest of my grades are As & Bs with more As than Bs. I have been dealing with severe idiopathic chronic hives since last September and they have been getting progressively worse. Unfortunately on many of the days I had Physics class, I spent time in the ER or at my allergist undergoing treatment or lots of tests. Still don’t know why I’m getting hives, but if you’ve been to my blog you’ve seen the pics and how bad they are.
I already e-mailed my prof asking if there’s any extra work I could do over the summer, but no word yet.
So right now I have 2 options:
Take the C - my only C since freshman year many moons ago (um 12-13 years ago!). Not really affecting my GPA, but it’s still a C.
Take an incomplete and re-take Physics II next Spring.
My practice MCATs are ranging 33-35 at the moment and I’m doing well in the PS sections.
I’m half tempted to just take the C and be done with it, but I really need advice.
Well, this is a pickle. You will not gain that much by taking the class again. You are expected to get an A (because you have been exposed to the material before). But if you get less than an A, then it just looks terrible. Also, at most institutions, courses which are repeated are marked that way on your transcripts (to avoid giving you credits for the same class twice), making them even more noticeable on perusal. On the other hand, if you had a decent gpa and mostly A’s, then the C may be overlooked.
If the rest of your record can speak for itself, I would let sleeping dogs lie. However, I would try to get nothing else but straight A’s from here on out.
So you’re saying you didn’t actually a C yet? You can still take an I? If I were you I would definitely get the incomplete and do my damnedest to bring it up over the summer. The rest of your scores are excellent, and you have sound reasons for getting this I in phys 2. If you can avoid a C, you should. If it’s really a W and not an “I” that you would get by dropping, it still might be worth it because your medical condition is more than adequate explanation. Good luck,
I think it’s going to end up being a done deal. I haven’t heard back from the professor and grades are due Monday for records.
This was my last semester and I’m applying this year. I guess I’m going to end up taking the C and hope for the best. My practice MCATs are decent and hopefully that will show that I’m more competent in that area than a C provides.
I ended up nailing the A in organic chemistry - with honors to boot. Gradewise it neutralizes my dumb C in Physics. Now to get the MCAT over with! sigh
An “A” in orgo…way to go! I have to re-take the class myself since I received a C the first time. Do you have any hints/suggestions on how to study and remember all of those mechanisms?
I didn’t do this, but a lot of my classmates did - put the mechanisms on index cards as you learn them and memorize.
For me, Orgo followed logical rules of chemistry, so once I knew the rules, I could see where an Sn1, Sn2, E1, E2 reaction would happen. Also, carbonyl groups were pretty straightforward to me.
Plus we had an awesome professor. Wish I could say the same for physics.
live, sleep, breathe, and dream orgo. Put mechanisms on your walls and on your bathroom mirror. Sing them. Get in a study group and pimp (quiz) each other constantly. Make recordings and play them back over and over as you walk down the street, drive, etc. Think about how things work, go to all the prof’s office hours and ask lots of questions. Show up at help sessions and try to answer questions. Do practice exams and exercises over and over until you can’t stand it any more–then do them again.
I started doing the flash card thing for organic, which I had never done before. The repetition helps with the rote memorization, which is undeniably a big part of the material.
I think what helped me the most, though, was understanding the concepts. If you understand energy levels, stability, and resonance, most of the rest falls into place - or at least makes sense.
