Bad grades

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
1

<p>So, I have always been the guy who could sleep through class in high school and still get an A on the test . However now, in college, I am doing terrible on all my tests. I told myself that I would pay attention and actually study, but it's not working. I do all my homework and try to pay attention and take notes. But I still get grades like this:</p>

<p>Chemistry- 79 (class avg 69)
German- 82
Math 130- 58 (class avg 48)
Chem lab report- 58</p>

<p>I don't know what I can do to help my situation. Read the textbook? Go to office hours? (yes i've never been)</p>

<p>Thanks for any help.</p>

2

<p>Are you doing the questions at the end of each chapter in the text book? Are there concepts you don’t understand? Are you going through the questions in the assignments to see if there’s something you don’t understand?</p>

3

<p>So I was really surprised at reading the Biology syllabus that said the majority of the
people in the class would get a C…and that this isn’t bad…it just means you’re an average
student at Carolina.</p>

<p>However, to me, it seems wrong…it means that the teacher is satisfied that the majority of their students only learn 75% of the material. I would perhaps like the majority of my future doctors to understand more than that.</p>

4

<p>and yes…go to your professor’s office hours. It’s better to go sooner than later to get help and it shows you care about helping yourself. There is tutoring for available on campus as well. Take advantage of all the resources at your disposal.</p>

5

<p>Dang, I can completely feel you on the grades. However, I did study some in high school–but that was only because my goal was to make a 96-100 in every class I took. I was able to make that happen, but yeah, that’s beside the point.</p>

<p>Anyhow, I didn’t expect to come to Carolina and feel like an idiot. But I DO feel like an idiot. My grade on my first chemistry exam–after studying 40+ hours for the test–was a 79, just like you. I don’t get the dang material, apparently. And I’m trying so hard.</p>

<p>I’m also in an honors linguistics class that I took just for the heck of it to fulfill my “2 honors classes a year” requirement. It’s a lot more than I bargained for. That stuff is HARD. And linguistics has nothing to do with my intended bio major… Ugh.</p>

<p>So, honestly, I hate it at Chapel Hill. I didn’t come here expecting to be the smartest person, by any means–however, I also didn’t expect to feel stupid. I’ve tried going to office hours (especially for chem), but I really don’t feel like they help at all. I even tried working with a chem tutor, which was an epic failure–she couldn’t help figure out the answers to the problems I didn’t understand. Talk about throwing away 20 bucks…</p>

<p>I feel you pain. Let’s hope it gets better.</p>

6

<p>Hi guys.</p>

<p>I think you all have been hit by what I like to call a big slap of UNC reality. That sounds harsh, but let me explain.</p>

<p>I’ve written about this before, so not to sound like a broken record, but I went through this same exact thing freshman year. It was HELL. I always worked my ass off in high school, and it always paid off - I knew if I worked hard, I would get an A. End of story.</p>

<p>UNC is not like that.</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong - I know people who come here and are just wired a certain way and never have an issue. Some people are just born with a genius brain. But for the vast majority (and for most of my friends and me), I think it is a big slap in the face.</p>

<p>You can study 100 hours for a chem test and get a 60. No joke. Coming here was the first time I no longer had instant gratification. It was unbelievably frustrating (for me and for my parents since I made lots of upsetting phone calls home, thought about transferring somewhere easier, etc).</p>

<p>When looking at your grades, you mostly need to compare yourself to the class average because many professors curve based on that. If the class average is a 58 and you got a 68, you should feel pretty good. A 58 would be a C, and then if you are higher you would get an A or a B. Not everyone grades like that, but a lot of professors (especially science professors) have to. Otherwise everyone would fail. Other professors will grade you based on improvement, so if there is a steady upward trend in your test grades, you can get an A.</p>

<p>A 79 on a chem test here is not bad at all. I know you feel like you should get an A because you studied for a bajillion hours, but it usually doesn’t work that way. My roommate took a linguistics class freshman year, and it was SO much work (and it wasn’t even honors). Linguistics is tough.</p>

<p>I will say that you NEED to be seeing your chem TA about lab reports because the chem TAs are sooo picky about labs. Find out exactly what your TA wants and go from there. Email your TA and regularly go to office hours. It is their job to help you. If you’re really having a breakdown in other classes, go see your professors. Office hours can be hit or miss, but you need to try everything and you need to become familiar with the people who grade your stuff!</p>

<p>I know this sounds scary, but I promise that most things work out by the time you get your semester grades. It is just hard to go through the semester and feel like none of your hard work is paying off. It definitely made me feel bitter towards UNC. My best friend (who was not “UNC smart” in high school) has an A+ GPA at State - don’t even get me started.</p>

<p>Hang in there, guys. First semester of freshman year is a great time to re-evaluate your plans and major too. See what subjects agree or don’t agree with you. I know tons of people who came to UNC with the intention of being pre-med, only to find out just how hard chemistry and biology are. Now they are doing other things and are much happier. Keep an open mind.</p>

7

<p>I’d check out calnewport (dot) com / Google “study hacks.” His blog has great tips for getting through advanced math/chemistry classes and managing your college life. I can’t really speak to the science courses because I’m an English major and I’m trying to avoid them like the plague, but hang in there!</p>

8

<p>So I think UNC’s harsh grading approach is wrong. UNC takes the top 10% of students. The top 10% or less of those students then are invited into the honors program. So Glimmer is in the top 1% of students and is studying her butt off and the professors can only teach her 79% of the material. I think that means the professor is bad or that they have a deliberate “we’ll show you you’re not so smart” grading system. The truth is that in the real world, the number on that GPA does matter and most companies want a 3.5 or higher…whether you went to Carolina or not…so it would probably benefit students to go to another school that is good that has a reasonable grading system. </p>

<p>To jambaby’s comment about a lot of folks switching majors to something not as hard, I think that is sad. This is the top 10% of our students…if they want to be doctors…we should want them to. Instead what ends up happening is that students switch to something like Psychology (to be happier during college) and those who don’t go on to graduate school (the majority), end up working as receptionists or in sandwich shops after they graduate. Folks much lower in their high school classes end up going to NC State and ECU and studying Biology and going on to med school just fine.</p>

9

<p>I don’t think that’s necessarily true, awayfromitall. If you had two job applicants, one with a 3.2 from MIT and one with a 3.8 from NC State, whom would you hire?</p>

<p>Admissions reps know how hard Carolina is. I also don’t think you can apply the grading curve that the sciences use to the rest of the departments/classes. For whatever reason, they are weed out classes. People who can’t/don’t stick with it aren’t going to medical school. It’s like that at pretty much every school. I’ve never heard someone say how easy their organic chem class was.</p>

10

<p>Im just gonna raise my hand as another person who is currently bummed about my grades.</p>

<p>I think for the first time I was jealous of someone else’s C, hehe.</p>

<p>I have taken the attitude that as long as I am doing my best I am not going to stress over my grades. I go to all of my classes, pay attention, and go to office hours and put forth a solid amount of studying. If I am not smart enough to get the A then fine, I have yet to have a test where the information that was tested was not relevant. I feel like I am still learning how to study for these tests but I am hoping the next ones I can up the quality of my studying and improve my grades. </p>

<p>Right now I have 3 C’s 1 B, and 2 A’s in my classes and I am comfortable with them. I think I have a good chance of brining the C’s up to B’s and if not then I did all that I could to succeed and I can’t judge myself for that.</p>

11

<p>I am a parent and someone who in fact does hire professional people and without a doubt, my company would hire the 3.8 from NC State. Prestige of a school buys you something but not .6 GPA points.</p>

12

<p>^ Interesting. If you feel that strongly about it then why didn’t you go to an easier school? I’d personally hire the MIT graduate, not necessarily because of the “prestige,” but just because I know that they have demonstrably higher caliber students.</p>

13

<p>If you are working hard and doing the best you can do, that’s all anyone can ask of you. Don’t stress. Things do work out, but the grading system is definitely something you have to get used to.</p>

<p>Also, the great thing about UNC is that you can major in anything you want and go to med school, etc, as long as you fulfill the requirements. Science classes are hard to stomach after awhile because even though you learn a lot, your grades don’t always reflect that. That’s one of the reasons why people choose to major in “easier” things - you and your GPA will be happier. These days, what you major in doesn’t have any bearing on your future plans.</p>

<p>It absolutely infuriates me that people from “dumb” schools with a higher GPA might get a job or get into med school over someone from a “smart” school with a lower GPA. I have been told conflicting things about whether professional schools actually understand this - some people say they see all schools equally and some people say they know UNC is harder than State, etc. Who knows. My friend was completely average in high school, yet she apparently has the world handed to her on a silver platter because she has a good GPA at State. It makes me nuts. It does make you think about whether or not you should have gone to a lower caliber school and gotten a better GPA over attending a harder, more prestigious school. I guess I’ll never know! Ha!</p>

<p>But if it were me, I would hire the MIT grad. ; -)</p>

14

<p>I am considering transferring. However, I don’t know if many scholarships exist for transfer students–and I don’t want to lose the money that I have here. More than that, I’m not even sure where I’d transfer. It sickens me to hear about others I know with only SLIGHTLY above-average intelligence (sorry for the bluntness) making As and Bs in their chemistry/biology classes at less prestigious schools. Seriously, is my C in a chem class here equal to an A at a class at, say, the University of South Carolina? I’d like to think so, but I have no idea how med school admissions would view this. </p>

<p>So, sure. Say I stay here, work my butt off, and pull a B- in Chemistry. Or, on the other hand, I could go to USC, do less than half the amount of work I’m doing currently, have a much less stressful life, have a more enjoyable college experience, make As in my classes, and eventually get into medical school. What option is more desirable? I think the answer is clear.</p>

<p>Maybe, though, I’m just not in the swing of things. I doubt it. A lot of people talk to me about some sort of “college transition period” where I have to get used to college work. I really don’t think this issue applies. Like I said, I’ve always studied. I’m the type of person who is willing to put in 5 extra hours of studying just to get 3 more points on a test. That’s just how I operate.</p>

<p>I wish I wouldn’t have been so convinced on Carolina when I began my college search. I only applied to Carolina and Duke. Though I was accepted to both, I chose UNC because I felt like my college experience would be more enjoyable here–more leisurely, but still challenging. Boy, was I ever wrong. I have hardly ANY free time; when I do take some time off, I’m constantly on edge because I think about how I SHOULD be studying for chemistry or I SHOULD be reading over linguistics. I easily put in 4 hours a day for chemistry, which I think is somewhat absurd–maybe I’m wrong, though. I honestly don’t think the science classes at Duke could possibly be any harder than what I’m doing now. I am literally having to teach myself the material and can’t seem to get good help from anyone.</p>

<p>So, just as a warning to future applicants: If you aren’t wanting sciences classes on par with an Ivy league, DON’T GO TO UNC. And, if you are wanting science classes on par with an Ivy league, GO TO AN IVY LEAGUE. For all the work you put in, you may as well have the prestige of “Harvard” or “Princeton” stamped on your diploma.</p>

15

<p>Glimmer: Duke science classes are definitely tougher. Duke is an engineering school, UNC is liberal arts. How many credit hours are you taking?</p>

16

<p>Guys-- I’m sorry. It sucks that you’re all going through this and I hope that it all turns around, I really do. </p>

<p>On the one hand, I understand exactly where you’re coming from, Glimmer and Jambaby, but on the other, you’re getting an incredible education at UNC. Yes, it might be easier to make better grades at USC or NC State, but that’s because they’re easier classes. (I’m making the assumption that they’re easier classes and not that they’re on the same level as UNC classes, because then that would mean UNC was just doing this out of spite, which would be inexcusable). You’re getting a great education, you’re working hard, and at the end of it, when you’re sitting in med school next to some kid who went to Podunk U and got a 4.0, you’re going to do better than them. You’ll get the better residency, you’ll make more advancements because you know more. </p>

<p>I went to a super, super hard high school. Grade deflation was strictly enforced. I got into UNC with a 3.3 GPA, remember? Of course, I spent the entire time I was in high school b!tching about it and feeling like crap because people who worked less, did less, and weren’t as academically motivated as me getting 4.0+s at public school. It sucked. It sucked hard. </p>

<p>But at the same time, after going through that school system, I realized I learned a lot more than those kids with 4.0s. I’m more prepared. I think you have to pay your dues sometime. Either you pay them at a difficult high school and then have to figure them out in college, or you have an easier high school and then have to adapt and bounce back.</p>

17

<p>Does anyone know if UNC shows the average gpa of each class? (ex. last year’s freshman class)</p>

18

<p>^ There are reports on grade inflation at UNC posted by the news and observer which show the graduating class (so seniors) average GPA from like 1997 to 200?</p>

19

<p>I’m fine with you guys dissing on NC State, but only if you are speaking about their non engineering classes because a good many of the engineers over there are a lot smarter than the average liberal arts major UNC student. I’ve heard chemical engineering is just as tough if not tougher than pre-med even if its at a “crap” school like NC State which it clearly isn’t seeing many of its engineering departments are top 15 just like UNCs chemistry #13.</p>

20

<p>I’d advise you to not compare your high school grades with your college grades. College is without a doubt much more difficult. You cannot fly through classes by cramming last second like you did in high school. </p>

<p>However, that does not mean that it is impossible to get A’s in college classes. You just need to “figure it out.” For me, my freshman year was rough, but by sophomore year I figured it out. Mainly, I learned how to study properly (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!). Studying 40+ hours for a test will not guarantee you an A, but studying the right way usually will. By “studying right,” I mean you study the things that are more likely to be on the test, and not waste time on the useless information. After a few years in college, most people will develop a feel for what may be “important” and what is “useless.” For me, attending lectures were the best way to find out what the professor considers interesting and “important.” You can always tell when a professor likes a certain topic when he rambles on about it for half a lecture. As far as “not getting something,” there is only one good solution: office hours. For me, office hours are one of the best things about college. You have to remember that your professor is a professional in his field. One-on-one talks with a professional is often more effective than textbooks, in my opinion. Do not be afraid to attend office hours.</p>

<p>But in general, I’d advice you to not fret to much with your freshman year and even your sophomore year. For now, just focus on learning and developing your interests, and the grades will follow.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>