<p>Last semester I received a C+ in Biology and B in Biology Lab. I may be faced with the same grades this semester. I don't know what to do. I got a test back today and I studied for it all the time for 2 weeks straight and received a 68/100 on it. My study habits are consistent and I study for all the rest of my classes and make pretty good grades (B's and up), but I don't know why I keep doing terrible in biology. I think I have test anxiety because once I was handed the test to begin it my mind went blank. I have gone to Academic Services at my school and they only give me test taking strategies and which don't help at all. I know the material but I feel like I over think the questions. I don't know what to do. Retake Biology all over again? Withdraw and save my GPA from another C? I don't know what to do. </p>
<p>bump?</p>
<p>just to clarify, you took bio and got a C+/B and retook it and are looking at the same grades?</p>
<p>First off, going forward, do not retake anything C or greater. Absolutely no benefit in doing so. You are about to encounter the worst case scenario which is a retake with no improvement. Getting another C in a different course is better than that. Getting an A in a course the 2nd time around impresses no one. Getting an A in a different course shows you’ve improved.</p>
<p>
Have you spoken with a tutor or academic services about your study habits? Not all courses are created equal (especially across disciplines) and do not assume that study tactics which work for one course will work for another.</p>
<p>I have had two tutors for Biology this school year and they both have said that I know the material. I even know I know the material. I have spoken with Academic services about my study habits and test taking and the only thing everyone can agree on is that I have Test Anxiety. I have a panic/anxiety disorder already and I panic about small things and am nervous constantly about grades. I even spoke with my therapist about it and she didn’t even write me a note to give to academic services. All she said was to “take deep breaths and think positively.” I have done that for every test and it doesn’t work at all. I always go over time in class for tests and quizzes and never seem to be able to finish some of the questions. It is like no one will help me. Either I need more time because I am freaking myself out by thinking about it too much or I just go too slow. I can’t seem to not do well on tests when I fully know the material. </p>
<p>Also I am in the second part of my full year of Biology. Last semester I took Bio 121 and received the C+/B and this semester I am in Bio 122. They go together and are a part of my full year of Biology prerequisites. </p>
<p>Getting extra time on exams because you have “test anxiety” will be a very uphill battle, even with a note from your therapist. Getting extra time on your MCAT for test anxiety is an entirely unrealistic expectation.</p>
<p>Everyone copes with test anxiety differently. You should ask your therapist to help you find other coping strategies. It may take numerous tries before you find an approach that works for you. Perhaps, if your panic attacks are severe and/or frequent, you should consider asking about medication to manage them. (This will usually require a appointment with a psychiatrist or other physician since a therapist or psychologist cannot write prescriptions.)</p>
<p>Do they offer oral tests that I can ask for without looking at the question? I don’t know if some teachers offer it. I don’t want to be an exception for a particular class but I can’t seem to flourish in class even though I do my homework and know the material very well. I can’t still remember material from the beginning of the semester very easily and do Hardy-Weinberg very well because I studied it so much. I also understand it very well. Is there some type of book I can maybe read that has strategies or something?</p>
<p>You will not be able to take your exams using a different modality than everyone else. (Oral vs time written tests.) This opens up the professor and the school to charges of favoritism and academic fraud. </p>
<p>I don’t of any books that deal specifically with coping strategies, off hand, but your therapist amy be able to recommend some.</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying the courses you are taking</p>
<p>If your anxiety/panic attacks are affecting your academics that much then you need to get that under control either pharmaceutically or through talk therapy (or probably both). If you can’t get a quick CBT style fix, then go for a deeper analysis and try to get to the root of the problem. Take a medical leave even if necessary. Med school is full of exams and thinking under pressure and there’s definitely no extra time given for anxiety. Most people find an oral exam way more stressful than a written one, so I’m not even sure why you think that would be better for you.</p>