<p>I'm an intended Public Health Major, and I am currently finishing up my second year. In order to get into the major, you must get a B- or better in Bio 1B. I took Bio 1B over the summer before my sophomore year and got a C+ in the class due to a lack of discipline and time management. I'm retaking it this semester, and I'm worried I won't meet the grade threshold. If I don't make the B-, does this mean that my chances of being in the major are all over? I don't have time to switch majors while also being able to graduate at the same time, and I really want to major in Public Health. Any advice? I still have a midterm and the final, and I need to get an 84 average on the two in order to get a B-. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think the Bio 1B requirement is mandatory as the major is capped. So, they kind of expect that grade. But,don’t worry! More worrying causes more stress which = a bad grade. Try, to study a lot, go to office hours, and get some tutoring help. Definitely strive for your dream of pursuing the Public Health major and work really hard :)</p>
<p>What year are you? </p>
<p>I know a lot of fellow public health majors who had to take Bio 1B twice, so I think Tony (the public health advisor) is pretty strict about that requirement.</p>
<p>However, I honestly and sincerely believe that you can get that B-! Bio 1B is not too difficult, it’s just easy to get psyched out about it. You can definitely pull off the 84 for midterm 3 and the final. I’d recommend
- Explain your situation to your GSI and ask them for the best way to study the material.
- Find high-achieving students to study with.
- Memorize everything. Put the different plant life cycles on your bathroom mirror. Things like that.</p>
<p>If after this semester, you do find that you got below a B-, I think you’ll have to start looking into alternate majors. I don’t know what sort of prereqs you’ve taken, but if you’re more sciencey, Molecular Environmental Biology in CNR might work well (<a href=“http://nature.berkeley.edu/site/forms/oisa/meb_major_snapshot.pdf”>http://nature.berkeley.edu/site/forms/oisa/meb_major_snapshot.pdf</a>). If you’re more into the social side of Public Health, try Social Welfare. (<a href=“http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/declaring-social-welfare-major”>http://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/declaring-social-welfare-major</a>)</p>
<p>Good luck, and feel free to PM me with any more questions. </p>
<p>Thank you guys for the encouragement and advice. To answer your question, I am a sophomore. I have another question though…is there an advisor that I could talk to about my situation just to get other backup options? I’ve tried talking to the Public Health major advisor, and honestly, not to bash him or anything, but he is not helpful at all. I get the impression he doesn’t really care about prospective PH students since they’re not officially in the major, so he feels like he’s not technically responsible for being their advisor. Is there an advisor for undeclared students who I can talk to about what I should do if I don’t end up being able to declare PH while not having requirements to declare other majors? I feel lost in all this and just need some guidance from someone who has more experience with college planning.</p>
<p>I really appreciate everyone’s input though. I am just going to study really hard for the last two exams and hopefully get that required grade. Time to buckle down! I’m not going to let one class deter me from majoring in what I’m passionate about.</p>