<p>It's the end of junior year in college.</p>
<p>Well, grades are back, and none too good. B+ in theology, B in history, C in bio lab, and D+ in molecular bio.</p>
<p>Great - now this crappy GPA in this crappy major sits at 2.7.</p>
<p>I really don't know what else to say...</p>
<p>Soarer, you need to network like crazy. Who do you know who might be able to give you a job after college? Who do your parents and relatives know? How about your neighbors? You really just need to get that first job. As time goes by, the grades on your transcript will become less and less important.</p>
<p>Sorry that happened to you. See this:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-los-angeles/430971-class-retake.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-los-angeles/430971-class-retake.html</a></p>
<p>Unfortunately, the retake policy where I go is quite draconian and only applied to F’s. (This is Boston College, by the way.)</p>
<p>My GPA wasn’t much better than that when I graduated, and I was able to get a job. You’ll be okay, but you need to be proactive.</p>
<p>Soarer-- time to push the reset button. I recall on another thread, a bunch of us were encouraging you to brainstorm about things you like/love which are not tied to bio, pre med, med school.</p>
<p>I’d urge you think about that. Nothing you can do about your GPA right now except move forward, hopefully with classes that will stimulate you and challenge you but which will come easier for you than the bio.</p>
<p>Your life isn’t over with a bad grade or two. But don’t prolong the agony by continuing along a path which doesn’t seem to be getting you to a place you want to go. Hugs- you will feel better about all of this once you’ve identified a few other things you’d like to study.</p>
<p>My GPA was worse than that at the end of junior year. I seriously contemplated taking a year off, but didn’t. I went back for senior year and powered through. My final GPA was 2.7.</p>
<p>Take a semester or a year off. Figure out a different major if you can, or find the emotional wherewithal to do better in your current major. Change to a different college if necessary for your mental health. Don’t force yourself to go back this fall the way I did. Graduating with your class should not be the only thing that you are looking forward to.</p>
<p>Soarer, </p>
<p>You need to readjust your career goals. Med school isn’t likely going to happen (at least not in the short term). That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a role for you in the medical world, if that’s what you want. </p>
<p>The sciences don’t seem to be your strength. What are your talents? What upper division non-bio classes have you taken? Is it possible for you to change majors and still graduate in a reasonable time? I know that you’ve mentioned doing 9 semesters.</p>
<p>I don’t want to invalidate your feelings, because they ARE valid. </p>
<p>But I will say that one thing which I have learned as a result of being a nurse:</p>
<p>WITHOUT A DOUBT, things could definitely be worse! You can overcome a less than stellar GPA. I promise. You are young, healthy, intelligent. You’ve got the world on a string. Go out and get it.</p>
<p>Soarer, in the grand scheme of things, these grades are unimportant. I recently read that Yo Yo Ma got C’s in college. He had other priorities.</p>
<p>Clearly you are academically talented to be at BC in the first place, and concentrate on the B* and B, which are very good grades.</p>
<p>The bio grades are sending you a message that for some reason you just don’t want to receive. Change your major if you can, and also think about why you want to go into medicine. I think talking with a therapist might help with this. It would seem that you are trying to please some other people and need to start pleasing yourself.</p>
<p>Many, many people go to college thinking about being a doctor and most of them find something else to do. No offense, but this is part of growing up. Wanting to be a doctor can be a stage of development from which you can move ahead.</p>
<p>I know you have talked with folks at the Learning Center but I still have difficulty believing that you cannot get these grades wiped off your slate, due to the recent diagnosis of ADHD, just starting meds (as I remember) and depression. Who is advocating for you?</p>
<p>Do you have a psychiatrist, MD or therapist who can talk with a dean about helping you get a fresh start? Would you feel better having a clean slate for next fall?</p>
<p>I think you need a new way of thinking. You are seeing things through a negative lens, and also kind of rigidly. I do think this has something to do with family. I forget, have you tried antidepressants? Do you exercise? Is there any volunteering you can do this summer that could inspire you?</p>
<p>Please 1) change your major and career goals 2) talk with someone who can advocate for you and get your bio grades dropped, if possible 3) get some help with depression and fine tune ADHD treatment 4) separate from parental viewpoints and try to change thinking, with therapist’s help 5) do some things you like to do, whether movies or rollerblading or sports or…</p>
<p>You are not alone. Many kids your age are in this kind of situation, and it is part of growing up. Honestly, trite as it sounds. This seeming disaster (in your eyes) is an opportunity to grow and find a path that feels right to you.</p>
<p>If you think you need time to redirect, take time off. Go into the wilderness with National Outdoor Leadership School (they have a medic program), volunteer somewhere, of if money needs demand it, a job. And read craigslist to get an idea of the kinds of jobs that are out there. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just as a thought experiment: Which courses did you enjoy the most last semester, and which the least? Were they History/Theology, and Bio Lab/Molecular Bio? How about in previous semesters? Any patterns? </p>
<p>Being a History/Theology major (for example) at Boston College would be a very fine thing. Remember, you’re at a university to find your own path. It might not be the same as what you thought going in, or what you think that you’re supposed to do, or what others expect you to do. </p>
<p>Could your subconscious mind be insistently sending a message to your conscious self? Sometimes the hardest part about a decision is accepting one that you’ve already made. Most of us have been there.</p>
<p>You’re still young - so keep your mind open!</p>
<p>perhaps, if you can, take a year off to do some kind of volunteer work in an area that would interst you or really take you away from the current environment; allow yourself to think and gain experience in the real world. If you still like the idea of medicine or social sciences, go to some area of the world that really NEEDS you…that experience and your growth will help you a lot. My sister did that and it changed her life!</p>
<p>If you were my kiddo I would also tell you to reconsider your undergrad major ASAP. Clearly you are pushing a rock up a hill with the sciences. If you seriously want to go to med school it does not matter one bit what your undergrad degree is. Every year there’s some thread where we all go and dig up the data on what kids in med school have for undergrad majors. Math and Philosophy are seriously high on the list so there is essentially no need to continue taking a pounding in classes thinking they are the only ones that will get you to a med school goal. Many, many parents would say to you: Take a major in something you enjoy. Chances are your grades will be reflected as higher than in classes you don’t enjoy. This is not high school where you HAVE to take certain classes year after year. At this point you should be settling into a major and having a B average or better in that major …some colleges require that to remain in a major. As a junior you should have any required core classes completed and you should be enjoying your classes because they will be ones you pick. You are running out of time, so quit pounding your head against the wall and switch something up.</p>
<p>Now, I’m taking a business communications course to count towards graduation (though the course itself is at a different university). The professor is great, and honestly, I find my “non-traditional” classmates more interesting people than day students. Knock on wood, this class is going well so far.</p>
<p>I keep hearing, “change your major” - but that’s not really possible at this point in time. I just want to graduate by the end of 2013 and get rid of this (eagle-shaped) albatross. I want to further my education, but what I’m going through feels like a long, painful process for nothing. I HATE BIO!!! (my major) At the same time, I’m still confused as to what to do.</p>
<p>I would do ANYTHING to get the albatross bio grades dropped, but HOW??? WHO? WHEN? WHERE?</p>
<p>HOW exactly do you “network”?</p>
<p>Soarer - Glad to hear you are enjoying your summer class. </p>
<p>On the idea to keep the same major, look carefully at your required courses for senior year. They are likely to be even harder bio classes, and a bunch of low grades would not look so good on the transcript. Consider emailing your advisor to ask for advise.</p>
<p>What should I ask?</p>
<p>^Can I change my major?
What other courses are needed to graduate?
Which teacher would suit me best?
What else can I do with a bio major besides med school?
What do you suggest I do now, with these grades, with a look to the future?</p>
<p>Unless you plan to go on for more schooling - specifically med school or law school - your GPA won’t mean much after your first two jobs. In fact, I venture to guess 99% of people won’t even ask about it once you have 3-5 years of real-world experience. It’s all about your track record once you get out in the “real world,” and news alert - college grades do not necessarily translate to career success. The real key to life - do something you love, and find out how to get paid for it.</p>
<p>^Yes, but with a low GPA in a major you “hate”–what sort of job can you get? </p>
<p>If Soarer loves the medical field–maybe be an EMT? </p>
<p>Or the success in business communications means his talents lie there? </p>
<p>Maybe take a year off, as someone suggested, to work and figure this all out.</p>
<p>Does your school have a general studies major, or something like it? At some schools, such a major exists for people in your situation (among other situations)–people who don’t want to/can’t complete the requirements for their selected majors but who still ought to graduate.</p>