Hello! I am a freshman at a t30 university and majoring in neuroscience/pre-med. I just received my first semester’s gpa and it was a 3.1. I didn’t do as well as I hoped to because to be honest I wasn’t ready for how much work I would need to put in so I slacked off a lot. I know if I do better next semester it won’t be the end of the world for me for med school but I was wondering if I can get some advice for how I can improve for the future and if a 3.1 first semester is not going to destroy me. Thank you!
Sounds like you know what you need to do to improve your grades–buckle down and get to work. Being successful as pre-med means learning how to defer gratification, how to work toward long-term goals. It means developing a strong work ethic and good self-discipline. It means when your friends want you to come out to party Thursday night and you still have an entire problem set to complete–you say no and stay home to finish your homework. This is something you have to learn to do for yourself. No one can do it for you.
Now, a word of encouragement. Many, many students have a rocky introduction to college. Your GPA while not ideal for a pre-med isn’t fatal either. You have 7 more semesters to \raise your GPA. My older D had rocky landing in college and it took her almost 3 semesters before she figure out study effectively. But she did and she’s now an attending physician in a specialty she loves.
Hi! It’s easy to get discouraged after a rough semester. Take it easy on yourself. You probably learned a lot about what’s expected in a college level course. What medical schools want to see is that you are determined and have what it takes. Your GPA will hopefully get better throughout your four years. If you got less than b- in any classes, I would consider retaking, but only if you think you can do better a second time. As for study habits: I would recommend studying as early as you can. Don’t procrastinate. Try to review the information you learn in class later that day. Start prepping for exams about a week in advance. I try to learn all I can starting about a week before the exam, and then study with classmates in the few days leading up. This gives me a chance to really see what I know by teaching my peers, ad they can help fill in holes in my knowledge. And don’t be afraid to talk to the professor. If you do poorly on an exam or don’t do well on an assignment, go in and ask questions ASAP.
Hope that helps.