It’s not looking like I can pull these grades up higher. I’ve done all I can. And yet Bio and Chem just aren’t happening for me. I know I’m not devoting enough time to studies, but with needing to work just to pay a babysitter to attend classes on top of children who have been sick non stop since september culminating in surgery for one…well, yeah.
I’m staying up way too late studying, getting up way to early for work/class and burning the candle at both ends trying to get things done. Homework is getting completed on time, it’s just my test scores pulling me down.
I’m starting to feel the dream slip. I was here padding a 2.9 GPA from my original undergrad. It’s not padding very well this way and I’m not sure what to do about it.
On the other hand I do feel somewhat better regarding last week’s tests in spite of them being "B"s. Biology had a paper due the same day and the quiz was massively intense (exam calibre intense yet worth only 15 pts). The chemistry I was genuinely confused on and our prof was out for a week at a conference leaving me with a horrid tutor who had me so confused I couldn’t make sense of anything and I went to my prof almost in tears about it being when he reviewed things in class I realized my tutor was telling me the wrong answers as we worked through problesm.
With all that in mind, my biology quiz ended up curved (she NEVER does this but over half the class would have failed). The highest grade was 13.5/15. My grade was a 13. Still not good enough for an A with the curve but only 0.5 away from an A. (I want to know who killed the curve for me lol). Chemistry I fought with, got together with a friend from comm college to study with (hadn’t seen her since I transferred), and was able to comprehend the material enough to get a low B. Not great, but o.k. considering everything that took place. I just don’t know what to do with the B’s though.
“sigh”.
Funny how a B in our situation feels just as crappy as a D did back when we were originally in undergrad. I don’t think that a B in one class is going to be a death sentence on your overall goal. Will you still be able to bring the overall over a 3.0 to escape any cut offs?
- HugzMonster Said:
If this is your first semester back ins school and you made B's, I personally think that's great perhaps because that how I started in my graduate Pharm program a few years back. But I imagine as you get used to juggling many balls in the air, your performance in school will improve too!
Good luck!
It’s my second semester and it’s two B’s. Well, let me rephrase. I took 2 semesters of other course work and had straight A’s barring being put on bed rest w/ a pregnancy at which point I got one B. Those were “you’ve been out of school too long” classes required before I could take inorganic chemistry and gen bio. The summer back with a new baby I just couldn’t do it and had to retake a math. I seriously could not understand the material now matter how hard I tried.
I made A’s in bio and chem last semester. (the math I retook ended w/ a B after hiring an expensive tutor lol). So I feel like I’m taking two steps forward and one step back as opposed to moving forward constantly. It’s got me angry with myself and nervous at the same time.
- BOOBS Said:
I know this probably won't help much but if you're taking 2 stpes forward and 1 step back, the end result is still one step FORWARD.
As a woman with a family, I don't personally find this path smooth at all and I've had to adjust and re adjust my "schedule" too many times to count, but I have seen tenacity pay off eventually. Hang in there!
Boobs,
Meet with your prof, or with a friendly grad student or classmate, and try to figure out what deficiencies you have in your approach to studying and testing. Nearly everyone has areas they can improve in. There are also courses and workshops on improving study skills.
If you think you might be able to raise your grades by taking only one course at a time, then take one course. If it takes you an extra year to be successful, so be it. Just remember, you’ll get there when you get there, and a year or two makes little difference.
For what it’s worth, I got all B’s in my premed science courses–not a single A! and I got 5 acceptances to osteopathic medical schools (I turned down two other interviews, too). If I can make it, so can you. Best of luck,
Thanks Traub. Were you padding a pathetic undergrad when you did this? All I really want is osteopath. It’s been the dream since I contemplated becoming a doctor. So that’s a plus. The only reason I contemplated allopathic was because there is an allopathic school 45 minutes away and my kids wouldn’t have to move if I got accepted, but it wasn’t my first choice.
ETA: I’d love to get together with someone who does better than me, but I’m not sure who that ONE person is for biology. lol. I am literally the second best student in her class. It’s annoying. Chem is just chem. I get the general concepts, just need help with the math sometimes and I get killed every exam for sig figs because my brain simply shuts off.
I’ll look into one of those study programs though. I’ll be more than happy to adjust my study habits if it will help since I seem to just be grinding my wheels with what I’m currently doing and it takes a long time to do it.
Susan, I feel your pain, I am getting a B in biology as well, the whole class is not doing well and I study all the time! I know the material and when he posts the grades mine is always among the highest in the class, generally top 3. I meet with the teacher continually and he assures me that I will be getting one of the top grades he is giving out for the Gen Bio for Majors course but that doesn’t make me feel better…the dreaded B for me trying to raise my GPA is making me feel horrible. On the other hand I am making an A thus far in Algebra which is MY WORST SUBJECT!!!