<p>I'm really depressed now so I'd like advice of any kind. I didn't do well in high school at all based on my own expectations of myself so instead of taking the traditional high school route I worked with my counselor and we set up a program so that with a lot of work - I left high school two years early. But the goal was about speed! So I didn't do spectacularly well and I thought this was fine because...I was planning on going to community college like I am now for a second chance since the pressures of a competitive high school got to me. But then when I got to college the world opened up to me (I know this sounds stupid) and I saw all these great colleges and potential careers, I began to feel like the achievement thing in life wasn't important anymore and forgot what my true goals were. I can never focus on myself and always compare with what others are doing like crazy. Anyways the achievement thing kind of left me. </p>
<p>So current problem: - I screwed up BAD. I got 2 C's a B and an A this Fall. Last semester (summer) I got a P and an A. I have now learned that top colleges look at your old high school records and I didn't know this! I didn't even take the SAT! I know that the career I want to take required high grades and achievements and I know I have it in me but what am I going to do??? !!!!!!!! I don't know who to talk to about all this. And I feel embarrassed now. I think I want to go to Cal, not 100% sure though. Someone talk to me....</p>
<p>Are you at a California community college? Cal doesn’t look at your high school grades or the SAT as a junior transfer. No one is going to hold your hand. You just need to get straight A’s from here on out.</p>
<p>Yeah but I want to go to their Biology program, is that one of their top programs? Because that matters and I think I can only get 3.7 maximum now. Also the graduate program I want to enter might see everything and… ;( Sorry. But anyways yeah your right. I am in California.</p>
<p>If you take a few extra GE classes, you can bring it higher than 3.7. The good news is that Cal uses a holistic approach and they DO take grade trends into consideration. You’re overreacting, something like 90% of transfer GPAs that were admitted were from 3.64-4.0. If you can ace your classes from here on out, they won’t mind that you got off to a rough start. The best advice a counselor gave me was, it’s not about how you start, but how you finish.</p>
<p>First do not cry like a baby ! You need to deal with it and YOU MUST push YOURSELF for hardcore study schedule ! Freeze your FB and TW account. Be ANGRY and just FOCUS to study…</p>
<p>NOOOOOOOOOO! If I take 80 units (EIGHTY= the max for transfer) than I can get 3.75 max. MAX. And there average is 3.8 for the school and Biology is top so they are taking all 4.0s! And even worse I can only get a 3.8 average gpa for my Bachelors degree total which means I’m not going to get into the medical school I want to go to because their average is 3.8 and who says I’m going to be smart enough to not even get one more B all the way through for the next four year I’m so screwed!!! ;(((((( Way to burn my a** and skip 2 grades and then mess it all up once I got there!!!</p>
<p>Yeah that’s the spirit. What’s the point in having all that doubt? You already “screwed up” in your own sense, more negativity won’t get you far. Ace the rest of your classes, buckle down, and do the best you can in your current situation.</p>
<p>I will but I’m so sad… Oh well. Erm, yeah that’s right it’s not the most competitive but for Biology Cal ranks among the top for undergrad. So I used that to make my judgement Do you think they’ll forgive me since those were just GE’s? I think the major classes may be more important you know. This time it was Marine Biology (C), Geology (C), and Sociology (B). And I’m gonna take over 20 units from now on cuz I wanna go faster and if I do well while doing many classes maybe it’s more impressive and shows dedication following a failure…I don’t know, I hope. Those things are all not a certainty, but a lower GPA definitely has an effect. :(((((</p>
<p>I think I just wanna kill myself because those classes were so easy, it would have been a joke for me to get an A in all of them. I literally didn’t even do my homework or pay attention or sleep the night before. I think I really got the jitters cuz I entered college.</p>
<p>Would you want a doctor who had blown off his/her classes and not done the homework? (“Let’s see…what did a high number on this lab test mean?”)</p>
<p>And if you think your high school was too competitive, medical school will have a full class of students just like (or better than) the top ones in your high school, because those are the only ones who make it that far.</p>
<p>Medical school is a long way off for you. But you’ll need a very dufferent work ethic if you actually want to get there. And you can get there from almost any college and major. You just need mostly A grades and enough knowledge/skill to get a high score on the MCAT. You also need research, shadowing, and volunteering experience. The students who get into medical school will have done all of these things. How are you using your time now?</p>
<p>Here is the honest truth. If your grades are as bad as you claim, both high school and college, then you’e not getting into Cal. </p>
<p>But there is good news, and this might be a shocker, there are lots of schools in California. California has the foremost public school system in the US, right there with Texas and Michigan. So my advice, start looking at other UC schools like Santa Barbara, Davis etc. Or, take advantage of the CSU system which is also particularly good imo, and has significantly lower standards than Berkeley.</p>
<p>In regards to bio/med school, you might need to reevaluate your life goals. Look, maybe you really really really want to get into a good bio program and go to med school. If you can put in the work and get all As from here on out, than go for it.</p>
<p>But realistically that wont probably happen. So my advice is to look for alternative outcomes. I get med school is prestigious and lucrative, but if you are actually serious about helping others through medical assistance (rather than just for the money) than you still have options. Public health major and nursing are very important majors and careers that are GROWING in the coming years.</p>
<p>But if you just want to make bank, than just choose another major like engineering, accounting/finance or a science that has large earning potentials.</p>
<p>I could not agree with Schneizal more. Why do you want to go to Berkeley? There are plenty of other UC’s you can go to. Irvine has a great bio program. And if your end goal is to go tomed school, why would you do your undergrad at Berkeley where it will be more difficult to maintain all A’s. I would go to another UC so it’s easier to get a 4.0. After all, med schools don’t care where you went for undergrad. They only care about GPA and MCAT scores.</p>
<p>Of course I would not want to be a student who blows everything off. I am making this thread specifically because that is not me and I hope that when I choose to be committed this time and forever on that not too much damage will be done. I can handle competitiveness, I did that because I made a mistake in High school but when talking about raw ability I can make it. I’m seeing a different type of competitiveness at high school, it was social pressure as well. People were dishonest there, I’m so easily stepped on, hyper sensitive. The environment makes the difference. And that feels so long ago somehow. Adults of any kind generally don’t make me feel insecure, it’s so much more mature. I think I sound silly now…pretty sure it’s as true as I can speak it though. I do not think it’s only the top one’s in my school that will make it that far. Aren’t there many bumps along the road and yes it’s far. People change. I’m almost unrecognizable now after High school. I am using my time researching like crazy. Hm, I just decided that I want to be a doctor so I haven’t started my extracurriculars yet. I’m in break now and transferring to a new community college where’s there’s probably more opportunities. Bottom line, will be getting to work soon.</p>
<p>What do you mean as bad as I claim. I was not a straight A student in Highschool but was not that bad either. I got the bad grades that I listed in my first post but I thought it’s the overall that matters and that if I do well from now on I still have a good enough chance, or that’s what I’m determining. </p>
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<p>Sure will (reevaluate life goals), I’m willing to put in all the work too. Why am I going for it if it won’t happen though?</p>
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<p>Because of current work ethic or because it’s really hard or because I’m stupid? :P</p>
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<p>It is prestige and image that gets me, I’ve always naturally gave and gave to others until I had nothing left and regretted it so the job suits me. But I don’t think I would go into public service, I think I like helping others when they come to me. Not the other way around not that I know much about careers just yet. I get wrapped up in what I’m doing. I like the idea of a rewarding job where I will feel adequate and sure about myself. I think medicine can do this. It tests you. That’s as revealing as I’ll get, this is obviously personal. And that pay does not hurt. I like science too, my family will be happy. By the way can you teach college with an MD?</p>
<p>Well, I mean just the usual things. There are always lots of inspiring things to see in top schools. It’s a rich atmosphere to be in. It’s always been a lifetime goal to study in one, better yet for undergrad.</p>
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<p>If I cannot do well as Berkeley than too bad, at that point I may switch careers but I think I can do well if I work hard. I read on the internet that if you want to get into good medical schools than it matters. For med school on the whole, not too much. I’m interested in Cal, UCLA, and potentially UCSD but that’s all for UC I’m pretty sure. They aren’t appealing to me.</p>
<p>You are being unrealistic. You have a 2.75 GPA; you aren’t going to Berkeley. You don’t even seem to know why you want to go there, and it doesn’t matter anyway.</p>
<p>I don’t know what Cal is (Cal Tech?), but UCLA and UCSD likely won’t happen either. Become one with “no”.</p>
<ol>
<li>Stop overreacting.
What’s is your GPA? 3.12? You have two Cs and two As right? Cal doesn’t factor Ps as Cs.</li>
<li>Get a game plan.
Have a set of goals and have contingency plans. Don’t get too carried away ‘with doing this for that, in order to get here, which will help this’ because you’ll obfuscate your original goals. </li>
<li>Research
Stop making rash assumptions about what undergrad and grad schools want, what they recommend, and what is required. Treat everything you read on this forum with some skepticism. Your CC’ counselor or the transfer officer at the schools you’re applying to will have the most accurate information.
For example: why do you think you can only take 80 units? My understanding is that If you’ve only gone to a California Community College, there is no limit of how many classes you can take prior to transfer. Most have a unit cap of what can transfer, but those extra classes will help your gpa if you do well in them.</li>
<li>No Excuses
Take advantage of the fact that you are at a CC. You have fewer pressures and distractions than you will have at university so there isn’t a sufficient reason as to why you are incapable of achieving a 4.00. Yes, no one expects you to be perfect. If they did, they would restrict admissions to students with 4.0.</li>
<li>Get Real
Even at a 3.8, I have a small chance of getting into Cal (for the other poster, the University of California, Berkeley is referred to as Cal or Berkeley, never UCB) and UCLA. There are plenty of other schools that have bio programs that will get you into grad school. Going to UC Riverside doesn’t mean you won’t have a shot at great med schools. It may be a better fit because the caliber at Cal may prove to be high for you to succeed there. Don’t buy into the college ranking bull that everyone over-inflates on this site. I can walk into a Starbucks and find a Columbia grad taking a Fresno State grad’s coffee order.</li>
<li>Have Hope
Don’t give up because you’ve made mistakes. Don’t obsess over the small things or things in the past because they’ll cloud your future. Instead of spending time coming up with a lengthy reply, spend sometime straightening out your life.
Best of luck.</li>
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And that pay does not hurt. I like science too, my family will be happy. By the way can you teach college with an MD?</p>
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