Discouraged premed student in need of some advice . Please help!

[tqtraq]

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[yCaGeL]

I don't think that you are screwed for medical school. Your gpa is low but it isn't game over. I think the best thing that you can do to raise your gpa is to continue being proactive, you are seeking help which is excellent, but you need to determine why your studying methods aren't working the way you want (i.e. Are you reading chapters and doing problems, are you just highlighting and speed reading etc...).

Try not to prioritize your classes as much would be the next step, it's obvious from your post that it is hurting your cumulative gpa by staying up the night before, so rather than doing that study for both types of classes. Take a couple of hours and sit in the library and focus on the topics that are really troubling you and then read and think about those you find easier (Doing practice problems and homework as needed). Lastly, try not to become so frustrated you are skipping class, it will come back to bite you.

Everyone studies in different ways, it may take a while for you to figure things out but the game isn't over for you just yet, keep seeking help and working hard and you will see dividends. You should aim to raise your gpa to above a 3.5 if you want to be competitive, your not far off so don't give up.

EDIT: Another deciding factor will be how you do on the MCAT. Think about that as you are planning out your future and good luck!

 

[phaloz]

I used to get all wrapped up in studying for one subject and almost completely ignore the other stuff I had going on. I consider myself, an all or nothing type of guy. I used to have a habit of starting something new and going at it 150% to eventually burn myself out and afterwards moving on to something else and just repeat what happened before. Balancing priorities, most people would agree, can be difficult to master, it was especially for me. So finally getting organized and efficiently spreading out my studying time for my subjects was a big a challenge, and the benefits even greater.

Some things that have helped me get better grades:
- Watching khan academy videos/youtube videos on a subject after reading the material. Doing so has significantly benefited my overall understanding of subject matter. Understanding the subject and not just getting by is essential effectively for preparing yourself for the MCAT.
- Reading the material before going to class
- Going pretty much paperless. I still use notebook sprials for taking notes/doing homework, but I don't worrying about keeping track of papers that are returned to me (graded papers, etc). Instead of keeping those papers in a binder, I'll scan them into my computer and onto my external hard drive. That way I'll have access to them whenever I need without the hassle of keeping track of the physical paper - All the hundred(s) of papers (damn lap reports) I may get back in a semester are simply digitized into a laptop and external.
- Touching every subject, every day - keeps the material fresh. I used to go 1-2 weeks without looking at a subject after a test. As the next test would roll around I always would find myself overwhelmed trying to cram all the information in. It goes without saying, my grades suffered.