Help :( Sophomore Slump

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>Well...I was a biochemistry major, then changed to a biology major. Now I have no idea :s. I like science, but it doesn't seem like I have a knack for it... I'm not sure what I would have done with my degree. I can't see myself doing research or med school, but I was considering possibly PA school...or law school. I'm really nervous because I don't even know where to begin with solving my disaster of a transcript. I do fine in all my other classes...though those probably aren't as difficult as my science ones. </p>

<p>I just finished up my first semester as a sophomore =s
bio cell - B lab - A-
bio pop - B- lab - B
chem 1 - B lab - A
chem 2 - C+ lab - B+
genentics - C+ lab - B-
org chem 1 - dropped it =s</p>

<p>Overall gpa = about 3.3
Science gpa = probably around a 2.7-2.8...somewhere between a C+ and a B. </p>

<p>I don't know what to do, and reality is catching up...If I should retake chem or genetics...I could try organic chem again next year but I'm afraid the same issues will happen all over again. When matched up with the other courses I took I had trouble handling everything =/. Not to mention we never got anything back in the lab (25% of grade) and the only professor that teaches it is extremely difficult. I could also take organic over the summer...though I have heard that it's frowned upon. Overall, just really really ashamed at how I did this semester. </p>

<p>I could just get a BA or minor in bio since I already have so many credits...and major in something else...</p>

<p>I know I should talk to a counselor instead of the internet but I'm on break right now and won't be back for another few weeks. I could use this time to figure out a plan...We have a winter term so I go back early in January.</p>

<p>Any feedback would be greatly appreciated...feeling really depressed =/. The damage could be repaired but I'm just scared about having the ability to push through it in the future. It's easy to <em>say</em> get A's in the science classes....doing it is something else, especially in small classes that aim for C averages. Plus, I'd love to say I'm going to get A's in the rest of my classes, but I'm trying to be realistic.</p>

<p>On top of that, I'm in a special godforsaken scholarship deal...it's fairly good money but it means I'm in an honors program that requires special seminar classes and a thesis in my junior/senior year. I'm already struggling as it is...then add a two year thesis on top of that =-/ great. I dropped organic because it looked like I was headed for a C...and that would've terminated my scholarship or put me on probation. Looking back, it might have been a stupid decision but =s. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. I'd rather not go an extra year because the scholarship won't cover that. </p>

<p>I'd like to be proactive, and I don't mind if the next two and a half years of my life are absolute hell while making up for mistakes, etc.. I can deal with that...but I don't know what to do =s. My science gpa is in the toilet right now =s. I have no idea what else to major in. I liked science because 1) it's interesting 2) easier to get a job compared with majors in the humanities (seems that way...) 3) applicable to many professional schools. The problem is I can't seem to handle it >_<. As much as I do care about being educated and studying what I love, etc. etc. etc. I would very much like a job with an okay salary...(note: not planning on going into research or going to graduate school for phD lol, not at all)</p>

<p>Sorry if I'm rambling/going in circles/making a major grammatical mess....just soooo upset right now lol. Feeling extremely trapped and overwhelmed. </p>

<p>Next semester I'm in three science classes in addition to anatomy w/ lab which doesn't count for bio major. I can't even remember what my other class was...</p>

<p>I'm in a bad position where I have too many bio credits already to just back out without looking back =s. </p>

<p>Ok, I'm done now - for real lol. Many thanks in advance!!</p>

2

<p>Don’t feel bad. Bio is hard for everyone because it’s basically memorizing tons of otherwise useless trivia. Your chemistry grades don’t seem too hot so I won’t recommend that, have you tried computers, physics or math? Some people really can’t take the memorization of bio but are really good at math and physics.</p>

3

<p>I’d bail on science and find something else. A science major is already dubious for getting any sort of decent job other than going to professional school (which doesn’t seem likely for you) and doing more science. It is just not worth it. Go for accounting, HR, anything that teaches an employable function and get an internship. It may seem like a waste but it will be better than graduating with a low GPA in something you aren’t that good at and doing something you hate for lousy pay.</p>

4

<p>You say that you do not seem to have a “knack” for science. If that is truly the case then pursuing a degree and then presumably a career in something that you recognize you do not have the aptitude for does not sound like a recipe for future success and happiness. Rather than focusing on employment prospects you need to discover what it is that you can really succeed in and pursue it. Even if you major in English or Communications or some other field where competition for jobs is fierce, if you are really good at it you will eventually find a way of making a living at it and be a lot happier than if you try to stick with something that you have no confidence you can ever succeed at.</p>

<p>I have a feeling that your scholarship is conditional on your pursuing a degree in the Biosciences and that has you feeling trapped. You should check with your office of financial aid and see what alternatives there may be to funding your education once you have identified something you enjoy and can succeed at.</p>

5

<p>It’s funny because I am almost in the EXACT same boat as you.</p>

<p>I am halfway through my sophomore year, and I was Bio since the beginning of my sophomore year when I discovered it was what I wanted to do.</p>

<p>This semester I got a B- in Bio II and a C+ in Chem. I felt really disheartened by the difficulty of those 2 classes, because they didn’t inherently come to me at all.</p>

<p>So I actually changed my major again about halfway through the semester, to Poli Sci, something I’m good at.</p>

<p>Ever since I changed, I have been waging a constant war in my head, trying and trying to make excuses for myself and convince myself that Poli Sci was what I really wanted to do. And I always ended up going back to how much biology interests me, and how it is my true passion, and how much I would like to become a PA, or if that fails, a biology teacher.</p>

<p>By the time the semester ended, I had decided I couldn’t take the mental strain anymore, and I e-mailed my ex-biology advisor, and told her I am coming back. Because an eternity of chemistry still wouldn’t be nearly as bad as a lifetime of wondering what life might have been like if I followed my true passion.</p>

<p>Now, I’m not saying bio is YOUR true passion, it seems to me like you haven’t really found it yet. I would think long and hard about this, because it’s your entire future.</p>

6

<p>I’m actually in almost the exact position right now also! I know I do love biology but at my school I would take a total of like 5 actual bio courses and 6-8 chem/phys/mathy courses and I know that every major has its hard classes but I don’t know id it’s worth it to take those 4 or 5 classes after HATING all my classes before that. And I mean all of my classes. I do want to make good money eventually. Does anybody have any thoughts on a nutrition major with a minor in business of entertainment media and technology?</p>

7

<p>^My sister got her BS degree in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, became a Registered Dietitian and went to work for a chain of nursing homes back in the 1980s. Today she is a senior executive at one of the largest nursing home chains in the country and earns a very good living and still has time for her husband, children and grandchildren. She did not take any business classes in college so I think you would have very good prospects combining nutrition and business.</p>