<p>I'm currently a second-semester freshman at Bard College. I got a 3.75 (2 A's, 1 A-, 1 B+) last semester; my A- was in Chem and my B+ was in a filler class that I had to take to fill out my schedule. This semester however, I'm not doing so hot in Chemistry. My other grades are still decent but not firm A's. </p>
<p>However, in General Chem II I've gotten high 70%'s/low 80%'s on my quizzes and exams. I have two more exams coming up (one in three days, and one at the end of the semester). My outlook for the upcoming exam isn't that great either, but I think I may be able to scrape a low 80% if I cram like a madman. I feel like I started the semester on the wrong foot, and now I'm staggering through my classes trying to cram for papers and exams without actually understanding or learning much of anything. </p>
<p>By far, Chemistry is my most troubling class. I find it difficult to follow the professor's lectures, I can't seem to find any reliable help, and it seems that the rest of my class has taken AP/Honors Chemistry before in high school (I took AP Bio and Physics, but my odd high school schedule only allowed me to take basic chem).</p>
<p>So, my question is: should I keep all these classes on my plate and risk wrecking my GPA, or should I drop Chemistry (because this is the class that I feel the most confused in) and refocus my efforts on securing A's in my other classes, and then retake second-semester Chem sometime else (probably during the summer)?</p>
<p>I've heard that schools often don't look at your freshman year grades. Is that the case with Medical Schools?</p>
<p>I’ve heard that a few med schools will re-weight freshman grades to slightly lessen their impact, but none ignore them completely.</p>
<p>Will dropping your class leave you at part-time status for the semester? Will dropping the course affect your financial aid since you will be less than full time? Dropping to part-time status may well raise a red flag for med schools.</p>
<p>Do you think you’ll be able to manage a at least B- in the chem class? (Remember that science courses often have really large curves.) I think if you can manage at least a B-, you should keep the class. One B- in a science class will not keep you out of med school. (Heck, even a C won’t. Or even a F.)</p>
<p>What you need to do is seek tutoring. You say you can’t find “reliable help” with the class. Where have you looked? Have you gone to your prof’s office hours? Do you go regularly? Do your record the lectures so you can review them later? Do you go to lecture regularly? Have you tried borrowing lecture notes from other students (or at least looking over other people’s notes) to see if your note-taking is adequate? Are you keeping up with the assigned class readings? Homework sets? Are you reading and re-reading and outlining the material BEFORE the lecture? Do you attend recitations regularly? Have you asked your TA about getting tutoring? Most schools have an academic support center. Have you sought tutoring there?</p>
<p>What it actually sounds like is that you are having time management problems. Cramming is almost always a sign of poor time management/study skills.</p>
<p>If you do decide to drop the class and take Chem over the summer, where will you take it? Med schools tend to frown on summer classes for pre-reqs esp if you take at somewhere other than your home school. (It looks like you’re trying to duck the harder competition at your college.)</p>
<p>No one can tell you if dropping is the right course for you. You need to weigh all the potential positives and negatives and decide.</p>