<p>It’s all about your track record once you get out in the “real world,” - True. But it’s a tough job market out there. If interviewers look at transcript (not sure if they all would) it seems like they would look for a reasonably strong senior year.</p>
<p>I graduated from a small, non prestigious college with a 2.66. Kicked around for a couple of years, went back to grad school & have enjoyed 27 years of what I consider more success than I ever imagined. Grades aren’t everything.</p>
<p>Soarer, if you enjoy your summer class, you could finish at one of the schools that serve non-traditional learners, many of which take up to 90 credits, leaving 10 classes in senior year in a new major.</p>
<p>Or, talk to your advisor and see if you can finish with a different major. It might be possible. Have you finished all your distribution requirements? If you have a full year left, and started a new major, would you be able to fit it all in, or at least, mostly in with a couple of summer classes added in?</p>
<p>I think that if you continue with bio, next year could be more misery than it is worth.</p>
<p>If you finish school and still want to do something medical, the new field of physician’s assistant is well paid and respected. There are grad programs and you can come from any major. But first, see if you can avoid suffering so much next year at BC.</p>
<p>There is likely a General Sciences degree at BC. Talk tot he Dean about realistic options.</p>
<p>OP…what about considering an option as a medical/science writer?</p>
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<p>I would probably have to make special arrangements for such a thing - it’s not listed.</p>
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<p>There is - but you have to be in the Lynch School of Education - so again, without special permission/arrangements, I’m not sure this would be an option for me.</p>
<p>I will try to contact the appropriate people, and I will let everyone know if there has been any progress. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. ;)</p>
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<p>I’d be interested - but how would I go about this?</p>
<p>Soarer, go in to the career counseling office at your school…they could help you research the field of health communications/medical writing and also advise you on how you could strengthen your resume to position yourself for a career in this field. A job like this might play both to your strengths and your interests.</p>
<p>So, since it is technically too late to change my major, how do I petition for an exemption? How do I make a case for myself?</p>
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<p>It’s in the School of Education, which itself has plenty of its own requirements.</p>
<p>Soarer:</p>
<p>Dean Martin handles the '13s. Make an appointment and go speak with him. But prior, take a look at your degree “Audit” online. It will tell you how many courses that you have yet to complete for the Core and for a Bio major. </p>
<p>Also, ask your parents if they are willing to pay for an additional semester or two, or summer school. A major at BC typically requires 10 courses, plus a prereq or two. If you changed to Comm, for example, look at the courses and estimate how many semesters you might need+summer school to graduate. (All of that info will be helpful for your discussion with the Dean.)</p>
<p>And if you haven’t already, make an appointment for a complete health checkup on campus. The Dean might be able take a learning disability into account when he gives advice about graduation requirements. My D’s roomie, for example, was exempted from the Foreign Language requirement bcos of an LD.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Michael Martin
Associate Dean
Gasson Hall 109
Phone 617-552-2800
Fax 617-552-2145
Email <a href=“mailto:michael.martin.2@bc.edu”>michael.martin.2@bc.edu</a></p>
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<p>I have difficulty believing that such is even remotely possible. (Of course, it never hurts to ask, but college is college.)</p>
<p>btw: a D at BC is considered “passing but unsatisfactory”. What that means is that such a course will receive graduation credit.</p>
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<p>ADHD (possibly also NLD), not officially diagnosed until this past March; however, I have struggled with it since childhood. Why wasn’t I diagnosed earlier? Budget cuts where I went to elementary school, and my parents often tried their darnedest to believe “nothing” was wrong with me (despite constant letters from teachers). See, I was able to do “well enough” academically through high school - though if you looked at me socially, it was obvious I had trouble paying attention to a conversation. I can’t blame anyone, but it was what it was.</p>
<p>Your diagnosis is so recent, it sounds like more needs to be done to update your situation with BC. You may need an adult advocate. Is there someone who can help you negotiate this, or an obvious person to go to? A dean, an advisor, someone in the disabilities office/learning center? People on cc can care, but don’t have their feet on the ground, so to speak. I think you will keep going in circles until you have a person on campus to help advocate for you.</p>
<p>I do have someone that can advocate for me - but so far, only in the sense of extended time, alternate test sites, etc., not dealing with the university’s bureaucracy on my behalf (though I assume this person could - how do I approach them?).</p>
<p>You say that you just want to graduate in 2013, but to do that means slogging through a whole year or so of even harder bio classes. You can always change your major. You already have the basics done, there are other courses of study that might not take as long as you think. It is always possible to switch schools as well if the one that you are at does not offer what you really want.</p>
<p>You mentioned that you like the class and the students at the class that you are taking at another school, why not switch to that school? Take a little time and talk to your adviser, they really can work miracles. There is nothing wrong with staying in school a little longer, especially if you really like what you are studying. School is a whole different experience when what you are learning excites and interests you.</p>
<p>The grades won’t matter much later in life, it’s true!
Networking just means talking to people. Having your parents talk to people. You tell people what type of job you are looking for and you might be happily surprised about the connections that they have that can help you.</p>
<p>Soarer, I do not know how things work at BC, though I know the Learning Center is one place that you have gone. At all the schools my kids have attended, there is a dean (in one case, a house dean, in another a dean of student life, in another student services) to talk to who can coordinate things for you.</p>
<p>Have you dealt only with a disabilities office so far, since your diagnosis? Do you have an advisor?</p>
<p>Start higher up (with a general dean, such as the ones listed above) and make an appointment. Explain that you have a recent diagnosis that is registered with the college. Explain that you are not happy with your grades, that you have not really yet been able to implement accommodations since your diagnosis was mid-semester. Explain that you are now rethinking your major and career path, and would like help figuring out whether it is possible to switch majors, and what you should be doing. </p>
<p>You will get support here, but not concrete help. BC is a good school. I am sure that there is a point person you can meet with who can help you chart a course. Start anywhere, frankly, and keep going until you get a meeting with the right person.</p>
<p>I don’t want to reveal any names, but I have spoken to at least one “higher-up” in a certain department who CAN advocate for me - but the question is HOW.</p>
<p>I’m not going to comment on who/how my tuition is paid, but the people/person in charge have already assured me that summer classes will not be a problem.</p>
<p>soarer, you have a lot of people on your side…just take one small step at a time and you will come out of this situation much happier than you can see right now.</p>
<p>Thanks! It’s just that time doesn’t seem to be on my side, despite the fact that I constantly remind myself I’m still young.</p>
<p>Update: Haven’t spoken to anyone at BC about this yet, but I was thinking, since I’m deficient in terms of courses anyway and will have to take an extra semester, I may as well switch to Environmental Geoscience. Some of the bio courses that I’ve taken can count towards the requirements in this major. I did Envirothon in high school and took classes in environmental topics in both high school and college. In fact, my senior project involved GIS.</p>
<p>Haven’t presented this plan to my parents yet, but I don’t know if I should - or even need to. They love me, but remain critical of me doing anything outside biology.</p>
<p>Somewhat funny side note of interest: After high school, I almost applied for a paid internship with USGS, but my parents convinced me that I would just be wasting time getting coffee for the workers; they wanted me to focus on “useful skills for the future” instead…like…um…biology.</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re thinking productively, that’s great! Have you looked into the career options for people with environmental geoscience degrees to see if it’s something you’d like/can do?</p>
<p>When I was in school, I typically worked solely through the disabilities office, but at one point I had an emergency that was beyond the disabilities office’s reach (beaurocracy issues), and the dean for my “school” within the university got involved and took care of it for me. My academic advisor contacted him on my behalf, I’d gone to him first. Sometimes when you need help you need to run to anybody who will listen to see who can get things done.</p>