Tough first semester, looking for words of wisdom

My first semester at Boston College didn’t yield the most satisfying grades. My GPA is shaping up to be either a 3.2 or 3.3, something in that range. For pre-med that is not ideal as far as I’ve heard. Gen Chem was originally easy until I got unexpectedly rocked on one exam, looking at a B in that class now. Just looking for some solid advice to wrap my head around, how exactly to get my head more in the game. Thanks.

Do you review your notes every night and make sure you understand the material before the class meets again? Do you attend all office hours and extra help sessions?

Hang in there! First semester is often a rude awakening, especially if you’re used to doing well without too much effort. A 3.2 or 3.3 at a place like BC is not a disaster at all. What does your spring semester look like? Make sure you don’t overload yourself with tough classes. It’s a bit of a balancing act between meeting requirements and keeping a manageable workload. Time management is key. Keep a calendar (weekly / semester) with key deadlines. Go to office hours & extra help sessions. Form study groups with classmates. Utilize online resources such as Khan Academy. Kudos for realizing the need to make a few changes now. Good luck with finals and next semester.

Agreed…^ !

A B in one semester of Chem and your current GPA aren’t killers, but you do have to pick up your game going forward.

Med schools calculate GPAs for each year, and cumulative totals. They also break down GPAs each year, in part, into a science GPA or sGPA (includes all bio, chem, physics, math courses taken), and a cumulative GPA or cGPA, with sGPA being considered more important. So for example if your gen chem B is your only science course taken in first semester, your sGPA will be 3.0 and your cGPA for first semester is 3.2 or 3.3 or “something in that range.” On the one hand neither your first semester’s sGPA or cGPA are not only not ideal, they’re simply not competitive. On the other hand, you have seven semesters ahead of you to overcome your first semester start. Take a big breathe, you can do this. In the big picture I’d say consider waiting until you graduate to apply as it would maximize time to complete enough units to offset your first semester. It would also provide time to participate in relevant ECs, prep/take MCAT, and have a college life. If it helps S finished first year with GPAs below 3.2, he’s an MD. Good luck.

I agree with all of the above commenters. I had a slightly lower than average GPA my first year of college, and since then it has dramatically improved. I know several people who have gotten A’s in Organic Chemistry, but B’s in General Chemistry and vice versa. You’ll learn once you take Orgo that it is nothing like General Chemistry, except for a few basic fundamental concepts. Maybe try visiting your school’s academic resource center to see if someone can help you with studying techniques? I struggled with my biology and chemistry classes as a freshman, and I think a lot of it had to do with the way I was studying. Hang in there and good luck!