I am also frustrated with my grades, I literally can just fall over thinking about it or not want to get out of bed but I won’t. My first semester I didn’t study like I should have, second semester I studied more but I didn’t put time in to at least try and study everyday (however I always found myself doing big projects, and flipping through homework… even weekends). I now do not see how anyone can make it through college with a GPA 3+ without studying. Try and study the daily suggested hours for your course load, I know it may sound a little ridiculous ( I once thought so) but it will be worth it upon graduation and you will have a presentable GPA.</p>
<p>Oh yeah I wouldn’t worry so much about your current grades, I think they are decent; plus you only have one B-.</p>
<p>Unless you’re on one of those schools’ econ phd adcom, don’t talk like you know for certain what’s going to happen. If that’s what he wants to do, he has an awesome shot at it since 1) he goes to UC and 2) his grades are very respectable.</p>
<p>You do realize that Chicago is like one of the toughest schools in the nation, right? Plus, you’re still taking a bunch of intro classes, which are generally curved the most harshly.</p>
<p>Also, your grades shouldn’t be a mystery to you. You should get things like tests and problem sets back, and they should tell you why you’re not doing as well as you want to. Maybe you understand the material perfectly, but you make a lot of stupid mistakes. But it’s really hard to give advice when all we have are your grades.</p>
<p>I’m not an expert, but there’s more to gaining admission besides grades. He/she could be really good at research and get recommendations from guys like Levitt (although don’t know if he teaches ug classes). Besides, he hasn’t even taken real analysis yet or econ classes other than intro (I think?). </p>
<p>Also, since you are giving “probably the only accurate advice thus far” how about you share why you’re so knowledgeable on the matter, I’d really like to know.</p>
<p>I really don’t care what RavensFan has to say anymore.</p>
<p>OP, if you want to know the truth, look at any grad school forum in the econ section. I know this seems like an easy and incredibly obvious thing to do, but sometimes it’s the simple things that we wind up not doing.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I don’t know anyone who succeeded in real analysis who was not able to pull A’s in calculus and statistics with the minimum of effort.</p>
<p>@crisss
I appreciate your input. I don’t think it will be impossible to get into top Ph.D programs, but I am in agreement with you that it will be an extremely arduous uphill struggle. </p>
<p>@RavensFan
Thanks for the support. Hopefully the quality of the UofC name will help to overcome a less than pristine academic record.</p>
<p>I think you are misunderstanding the definition of a “less than pristine academic record.” I am only familiar with the applied econ doctorate program here at wharton, but I do know that the acceptance rate is under 5%. What you should realize is that even a 3.8 is a less than pristine record.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I’m not insulting you. If you graduate Chicago with a 3.5 in econ, then that is a great accomplishment(and a difficult one) and you will have many different opportunities. But the very top phd programs are looking for academic stars who stood head-and-shoulders above the rest of the crowd.</p>
<p>I had the same issue at MIT and eventually figured it out. You have to learn how to study effectively and time efficiently. Try to learn material well enough so that you can teach it. For math type classes (including econ), you need to do as many problems as you can. Try to make a list of concepts. There really aren’t that many. Then look for problems that test your mastery of each one. </p>
<p>Are you in study groups? That helps a lot too, because if the group works effectively, not everyone has trouble with the same problem. By explaining problems to each other, you learn the material well enough to teach it. It’s important that everyone try each problem before you get together. It does no good if the first time you think about a problem is when you meet. The other thing is to get enough sleep. You should also go to office hours and do work well enough in advance to go to TAs with specific questions. </p>
<p>I disagree that you cannot get into a top PhD program. You’ve only completed 2 out of 12 quarters. Good luck.</p>
<p>I find knowing how the grading works for each class is essential. I always work by best, and if it is falling short I change things around. I am always aware of how many points I need to get an A, and I break down all the assignments as I go through them so I know what I need to get every single time. If I am doing well in a class and I know it’s going to be an A, I continue doing what I am doing but I stop agonizing over that “easy” class and focus on my slipping ones. Prioritizing classes is key. They may have the same weight on your GPA, but they do not have the same weight of work load for the individual, so don’t treat it that way.</p>
<p>More than anything you are going to get better at studying, test-taking, you name it, as time goes on. Sometimes you will have to do something radically different than the norm to adjust for the term, and that’s okay. You need to learn what you do well and follow that.</p>
<p>“If I wanted an A, I would have gone to Harvard.”</p>
<p>UChicago is a very difficult school. Your grades represent a fairly decent performance. If you are unsatisfied with them, then of course you can work harder and study smarter, but do not expect to get the grades you got in HS.</p>