<p>I'm a freshman at UVA and I'm about to finish up my 1st year.</p>
<p>1st Semester (3.407)
B Chem I
B+ Chem I Lab
A Calculus 1
A English Writing
B- Econ</p>
<p>2nd Semester (Projected)
B Chem II
B Chem II Lab
B+ Calculus II
B Art History
B- Econ</p>
<p>I'm essentially looking at a 3.0 for this semester. I thought I was a good student but I'm realizing that I'm doing terrible! My cumulative GPA is going to be a 3.2 now! </p>
<p>Has anyone done poorly in their first year and brought their GPA up and gotten into med school? Or since courses will be harder next year, should I start thinking of a different career?</p>
<p>Answer the following question: Why am I earning these grades?</p>
<p>If you’re getting those grades because you’re not working very hard - well, there’s your answer.</p>
<p>If you’re getting those grades because you’re working inefficiently, then you need to change your approach. Your study habits should change from course to course. What works for Art History may not necessary work for Chem II Lab.</p>
<p>If you’re getting those grades because you’re struggling to adjust to college expectations, then you need to kick it up. This takes experience and maturity to overcome.</p>
<p>If you’re getting those grades because you hate your classes, then you should be taking other courses and maybe considering another career path.</p>
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</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
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</p>
<p>Courses may not necessarily be harder next year. You may do better if you’re having high-school-to-college adjustment trouble. You might like next year’s classes and professors better. </p>
<p>Without some reflection on your part about why you got the grades you did, it’s hard to know whether or not you should reconsider pre-med.</p>
<p>Just an off-topic question. Does your school do the UC grading scale like:</p>
<p>B=3.00
B-=2.70
B+=3.15 </p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>the high school system:</p>
<p>A/-/+=4.00
B/-/+=3.00</p>