Junior year is ruining my GPA

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I have no idea how many people are in my situation, but here it is.

I was doing great Quarter 1, only having a single B in AP Biology. My overall GPA for that quarter was about 4.19

Flash to Quarter 2 and now I only have 2 A+'s, an A-, a B+, 2 C’s, and a C-. My overall GPA for this quarter is around a 3.33, a ridiculously high difference.

The worst part? I am planning to become a Biomedical Engineer and I have a C in Honors Chemistry, a C in Honors Precalculus, and a C- in AP Biology. My grades in Honors Chemistry will hopefully go up to a B or higher and hopefully a B- or higher in Honors Precalculus, but there are not going to be much grades in AP Biology, with it possibly only going up to a C at best.

Colleges that I was originally going to consider, such as Boston University, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Northeastern University, are now going from low reaches to high reaches, where I highly doubt I will even apply to Northeastern at this point.

I am mostly scared because this is the probably the most important year for colleges to see how you are as a student, and having my GPA go down and a bunch of C’s are not helping much.

Any advice? By advice, I mean like advice from an expert. Not study more, see the teacher for help, find a tutor, etc. Nothing simple like that because I and every single AP and Honors student already does that. What recommendations would you give?

2

are you sure biomedical engineering is the right major for you if you are struggling so much in chemistry, precalculus, and biology?

if you do plan to go into biomedical engineering despite struggling in these classes, you will likely struggle later down the road, and this would mean that your job prospects would not be that good.

to improve your grades, it would be best to use websites like quizlet to quiz yourself on biology terms, use khan academy to go over topics you don’t know, and use youtube to watch others solve math problems that you are currently struggling with.

good luck. if it’s anything, i am also in chemistry honors this year and struggled too. i went into finals with a 93 and was worried that i would get a b. because of this, i studied really hard and watched probably around 40 youtube videos to understand topics like balancing chemical equations and intermolecular forces. youtube videos are really helpful.

all the best.

3

@needtosucceed27
This wasn’t a major I have thought about for a month or something. This is a major that was in my mind since seventh grade. Even with me struggling in AP Biology, I personally love the class and is the only class that I am okay with getting a C in, even if it is strongly disappointing for me. I am curious to know if it would be better to go to an easier school to get the degree and then go to a better school for med school/masters. I am not throwing it out the window because that is exactly what a failure would do. Instead of pushing through, they give up, even with hope and potential with them.
My goal is to go into biomedical engineering, go to med school, and become a surgeon. Though, if I love biomedical engineering enough, then I will probably find a job and get a master’s education.
The thing that mainly attracts me to biomedical engineering is not the starting salary (though that is something to look forward to), but the lack of them that we have and the potential gross. According to statistics, we have around 750,000 lawyers. However, we have less than 25,000 biomedical engineers. It is estimated that biomedical engineers will start making around 25% more within ten years.
Quizlet? I am the actual quizlet god. People at my school beg me to make quizlets for their subjects because I make them that good. I actually used khan academy two tests ago. I studied for ten hours using the program and I got a 44% :(. As for youtube, I have done that for multiple tests and it usually is better to get a tutor, which is what I have.

I hate to tell you, but you are giving the exact basics of what any AP, Honors, or even CP student already knows. Tell me your studying plan if you’re an A student. Tell me how much sleep you get. Tell me what you did to ace your tests. Tell me how you avoided being distracted. Don’t tell me to study more because I already know that. Don’t tell me T.H.I.E.V.E.S. because I already know that. Tell me something that will actually help me.

4

@BiologyMajorHere, I think your a little harsh to someone who was trying to make a few suggestions!

5
  1. Study your mistakes until you understand why you made them. You need to learn the material, not cram and forget in math and AP. The concepts are interrelated so you can't just learn for the test and then forget. Also there's that AP test in May. For math, never say, "I just made a silly mistake," but actually identify your mistake. Sometimes it's something stupid like handwriting and sloppy work, but until you add up how many points you're losing not making your 2's neatly, you may not be motivated to fix it.
  2. Stop looking for the easy way out. This stuff is hard. Studying, going for help with good questions not just "help me!", and working with a tutor are legit strategies.
  3. YouTube - look at Bozeman Science for bio and chemistry. For math, I like flippedmath.com, patrickjmt.com, mathispower4u.com. Quizlet can be great for memorizing, but memorizing is never a substitute for understanding the fundamental concepts.
  4. For AP, buy a test prep book to continually review and prepare for the test. Princeton Review or 5 Steps to a 5.
  5. Choose classes more carefully next year. You are doubled up in science and clearly can't handle that.
6

Drop down to honors bio. A final C grade in more than one subject will really hurt you

7

I take AP Bio and Im doing ok. Im taking 5 ap classes and I dont get much sleep. I study afterschool and wake up early to study more. In a few years you will look back and these failures wont matter. Continue pushing even if you are not doing so well if you enjoy it because a grade does not reflect your hopes. How I avoid being distracted is basically me not using my phone. Im double up in science too and also struggle, but remember that when you struggle its not because you just arent capable its just that you need different techniques. Any college you attend… if you have set in mind what you will become you will achieve it, no mater the lack of prestigious schooling, no matter how much debt,
Study smart…

8

@AroundHere Doubling up is not close to being the problem. If I am correct, Honors Chemistry is just hard at our school past the first quarter. However, that is some decent advice. However, it is not specific enough and still is something any Honors or AP student would know.
@suzyQ7 I took Honors Biology last year and got an A-… Also, it is so late to drop the class and if I am correct, I would still end with a C+ or B- for the semester.
@jojoisthebest Some useful tips, but still not enough information to make a change,

9

well what exaclty do you want to hear…

10

@jojoisthebest
Well, just a couple questions.

  • What is your grade in the class?
  • What is your average grade on tests?
  • What is the class average for the AP Exam at the end of the year?
  • What AP Bio prep book are you using?
  • How much sleep do you get?
  • What other APs are you taking?
  • What strategy do you use to study?
11

-95
-our tests are difficult because the notes we receive are just the basics for analysis questions, I would say my average for the tests is about a 90
-im going into second semester so i still dont know
-i dont use a prep book, i use the actual biology campbell book ninth edition
-i usually sleep like 6 hours but it depends sometimes more things are due
-ap phsyics, ap us history, ap english, ap spanish lit, and dual pre cal which sucks

  • i study the reviews my teacher makes online in hand with the book
12

@BiologyMajorHere It’s fine! I am an A student; I did poorly my freshman year but got straight As last semester.

My studying plan for a chemistry test is

  1. gather all my notes together
  2. compile a Google document with my summarized notes
  3. organize my notes by overall topic and subtopic
  4. if there are gaps in my knowledge in certain topics, I watch Youtube videos or read websites
  5. takes notes off of those videos or websites
  6. review my notes multiple times
  7. do practice problems if applicable
  8. quiz myself (because reading notes over and over again does not actually make you understand something)
  9. pretend to explain all the topics and subtopics to someone else (the most efficient way to study, proven by Columbia University)
  10. go over everything once again
  11. create a copy of the document
  12. on the copy of the document, delete the stuff that I already know and am very good with
  13. continue deleting as a review, chipping away at the topics that I am not that good at
  14. when I feel like I am mostly confident for the test or if it is getting too late, I highlight what I absolutely need to review right before I take the test during the morning
  15. next morning, I review highlighted things (as much as time as possible) and skim over what I already know for (3 minutes)

Average amount of sleep I get: 6.5-7.5 hours

What I to do ace my tests:

  • study plan above
  • pay attention during class and labs
  • if I need help, I ask my teacher or my classmates and friends questions
  • during test, do all the problems I know first
  • double-check and triple-check answers, sometimes I completely redo problems just to make sure I have the right answer

How I avoid being distracted:
at school:

  • no phone during class
  • no switching to different tabs during class

at home:

  • only go on my phone for maybe 0-15 minutes from when I get home to when I sleep
  • listen to classical music during studies, listen to my favorite songs (with lyrics in them) when I do math as lyrics do not interfere with my performance in math
  • only go on social media for a little bit every once in a while for a break
  • block websites that distract me

How I save time:

  • everything else I mentioned
  • no Youtube unless I have time, then I will watch a few short videos (like 4-5 min long each)
  • no long showers
  • quick nighttime routine
  • I fall asleep quickly naturally, takes me around 5 minutes
  • quick morning routine (I don’t know if you’re a girl but I do not wear makeup, quick 4 minute skin care routine, 30 second hair routine)

I do not know what THIEVES is.

I hope this helped. This is literally everything that I do.

13

Hello Current BU freshman here! I’ve taken all the courses you’ve listed above in highschool and try to offer my best advice on the questions you posted (#9)

  1. I also took AP Bio my Junior year and I received an A both semesters (as it was 2 years ago I’m not sure of my exact percentage). However my AP Bio teacher also had a policy where if we passed the exam with a certain score she would change one of our grades, therefore after I passed she changed my grade from a B+ to an A for the first semester.
  2. Again I took AP Bio two years ago so I don’t recall my test averages but I would say anywhere from an 85-90s
  3. My teachers pass rate for the AP Exam was in the high 70s (I believed in was a 76%)
  4. I only used a AP Prepbook to study for the AP Exam in May, and the book I used was Barrons. For in class exams I would review my notes taken from lecture, and look back at the powerpoints
  5. As for sleep on a good day I would get around 6 hours of sleep, and on a not so good day around four. Looking back at highschool my sleep schedule was very unhealthy, but I guess that comes with the territory of taking multiple APs, extra curriculars, as well as having a job. This is going to sound very bad but not getting a lot of sleep (at least from my personal experience as well as my friends personal experience) comes with the territory of taking very rigorous courses as well as doing things outside of school.
  6. Other APs I took during Junior year were AP Calc, APUSH, and AP Language and Composition. In my four years of highschool I took 13 APs in total (my school offered a lot a was highly competitive, but many schools vary so don’t stress yourself out). If you would like me to specify on which APs, and give advice/answer questions on those classes please let me know!
  7. Strategies to study can be complicated because I had found it really varies for the person/ class. In most cases what I do is look back in my notes and create questions out of them. Then I write the questions and answers on flash cards and just go through them until I’ve covered everything. If there is topic I find myself struggling with I’ll go back to the power point or text book and try to take my time to understand it. In addition to flashcards I also agree with the method of teaching it to someone else. Even if you can’t find someone to sit down with, try talking to yourself out loud as if you are teaching it to someone ( I realize this may sound crazy but I have found it very effective!)

As for Honors Chem and Precalc I took both of these classes Sophomore year. Additionally I took AP Chem Senior year and went on to take AP Calc AB and BC.

For Precalc (and for all math classes) I would say the most effective way to study is to just practice and do as many problem sets as possible. I would do over the problems in your notes, as well as problems of any review your teacher has given you. Also my teacher would give us a mini quiz each class with 3-4 questions and I would always do them several times to study before an exam. Make sure you understand how to do the problem, instead of just memorizing the steps, this was a problem I initially had. Once I delved into understanding why the answer was the answer I was able to solve more complicated problems that were on my tests.

As for Honors as well as AP Chem my advice is a combination of both what to do for AP Bio and what to do for Precalc.
For Chem I would make a google document of all the important rules I needed to remember. I looked over my notes and focused on typing the main ideas, and making questions and notecards out of them. Additionally I would also go over the problems we did in class, and the problems provided to us in our homework packet.

For getting distracted I personally didn’t have this issue but I think it was partially because I spread myself too thin with academics, EC, and work that I had no other options. I would allot myself I certain amount of time to get my stuff done and I would just stick to that time frame/ goal. My work HAD to get done on my schedule or it wouldn’t get done (and I wouldn’t allow the work to not get done…so it would end up getting done). As I’m typing this I realize how crazy this sounds so I’ll try to be more helpful.My advice for not getting distracted would be to create a set schedule with small goals and work towards achieving those goals. And so you don’t push yourself too hard,after finishing say 3 out of 5 goals, give yourself a 10-20 minute break, and then once that break is over continue working. I think the key thing is too 1) set goals 2) get in a groove and 3) take small breaks SPARINGLY 4) get back in the groove of working as soon as your break ends. Setting your phone aside and even letting your friends know how busy you are is also some thing you might have to consider.

I would say most of all having a set routine/ plan is KEY. My weekly schedule was always planned out the weekend before to ensure that I had set aside enough time to study, do HW, etc etc. Personally once I found my right pattern I found taking multiple APs to not be as strenuous.

Also if possibly I would reach out to your teachers before/ after school or even during lunch with any questions. I know sometimes it may seem like the last person you want to talk to is the person whose class you are not doing so well in, but you’d be surprised how some of them appreciate when their students come ask them questions. At first I was very reserved about asking my teachers for help, but I found it very beneficial. Seeing them outside of class can allow them the chance to explain something differently which can help the material click.

Additionally I understand the stress of applying to college, but you still have a whole three semesters to raise your GPA. Make sure you are not taking classes just because your friends are taking classes. A lot of my friends took certain courses senior year to “compete” with other seniors and let’s just say it didn’t end well. Also GPA is one portion of your application. You also have to submit ACT/SAT scores, essays, teacher recommendations, list of EC, etc. etc. Colleges will look at the WHOLE picture of who you are and then make the judgement call.

Sorry for any typos or errors in the post I am typing this all on my phone!

If you have any additional questions ( or if I was unclear) please let me know and I’ll try to help as best I can!

14

Here’s how I see it.

Junior year is not ruining your GPA.

Your work during Junior year, and the resulting grades, are what’s doing it.

You seem to be looking for some magic bullet, and there simply isn’t one.
What will work is exactly what people have suggested… what you’ve told us you don’t want to hear.

If you want a higher GPA, you’ll have to do better on tests and quizzes and whatever other components make up your report card grades.

And the only way to do all that is to get a better grasp on the info. The traditional methods are the ones that tend to work, the ones you’ve already shot down.

Take a deep breath, and speak to each of your teachers about what you can do to pull up your grades.

15

@BiologyMajorHere The answer to improving your grade will vary depending on the specific class and your specific problems in that class. “Junior year” is not killing your grade. Your current course load is not a good match for your background preparation, study skills, and your ability and willingness to put in the effort required to get good grades.

Your teacher or a tutor can dive deep into your returned tests and assignments and diagnose problems. All you can get from a short post on a board like this is general advice.