Knocked while I'm already down (RANT/ pre-vet help?)

[desprt2beavet]

I started off freshman year great. I'm a biology major. I had a 3.7 gpa first semester. Second semester rolls around, i'm in 100% science classes and a psych class, and I end up with straight C's and a cumulative gpa of 2.7. I'm SO disappointed in myself even though I did work really hard; but I had some personal problems going on at the time that we're definitely deflecting my attention.

I'm now in first semester of my sophomore year. I'm in Cellular and Molecular bio, Organic Chem 1, Physics 1, and Ecology. I'm on the track to get a B or higher in both cellular bio and physics, currently sitting at a C in Organic Chemistry after 2 68% exams, and Ecology is screwing me over completely (D course grade at the moment, only had 1 failed test and my jerk of a teacher put our course grade atm as our midterm grade, so double that D for me.) I have a feeling I will end up with highest a C in Ecology because my prof is a hard grader. I think I can get up to at least a B- in Orgo. How the hell can I come back from my 2.7 last semester?! Do I still have time to come back from it? Will I be one of those people who have to go for my masters (I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS) because of my crappy undergraduate GPA? I am making use of office hours and tutoring services as much as I can.

Is it possible for me to make it back to at least a 3.5 or 3.6 by time I apply to vet schools? Please help!

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[katashark]

You can bring it up, but it'll be hard. You can also retake some classes that you don't do well in. No one will force you to get a Master's.

 

[DVMoftheFuture]

I started off freshman year great. I'm a biology major. I had a 3.7 gpa first semester. Second semester rolls around, i'm in 100% science classes and a psych class, and I end up with straight C's and a cumulative gpa of 2.7. I'm SO disappointed in myself even though I did work really hard; but I had some personal problems going on at the time that we're definitely deflecting my attention.

I'm now in first semester of my sophomore year. I'm in Cellular and Molecular bio, Organic Chem 1, Physics 1, and Ecology. I'm on the track to get a B or higher in both cellular bio and physics, currently sitting at a C in Organic Chemistry after 2 68% exams, and Ecology is screwing me over completely (D course grade at the moment, only had 1 failed test and my jerk of a teacher put our course grade atm as our midterm grade, so double that D for me.) I have a feeling I will end up with highest a C in Ecology because my prof is a hard grader. I think I can get up to at least a B- in Orgo. How the hell can I come back from my 2.7 last semester?! Do I still have time to come back from it? Will I be one of those people who have to go for my masters (I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS) because of my crappy undergraduate GPA? I am making use of office hours and tutoring services as much as I can.

Is it possible for me to make it back to at least a 3.5 or 3.6 by time I apply to vet schools? Please help!

Raise Your GPA A predictive GPA calculator can help you to see what GPA you'd need to get from here on out to earn a 3.5 or 3.6. It is probably possible, but it will be difficult. My advice would be to slow down. Withdraw from Ecology and maybe also Organic because you cannot continue to earn grades that will lower your GPA. I would advise not continuing to take so many difficult courses at once in future semesters. MAKE CHANGES and make them now. Stop making excuses - unless everyone is doing just as poorly in a course, your professor is not to blame for your performance. Figure out why you are doing so poorly. Adjust your study habits. Find a tutor. Go to office hours and talk to your professors. With hard work, you can raise your GPA significantly because you still have many credit hours left, but you need to make significant changes to what you are currently doing.

 

[supershorty]

Raise Your GPA A predictive GPA calculator can help you to see what GPA you'd need to get from here on out to earn a 3.5 or 3.6. It is probably possible, but it will be difficult. My advice would be to slow down. Withdraw from Ecology and maybe also Organic because you cannot continue to earn grades that will lower your GPA. I would advise not continuing to take so many difficult courses at once in future semesters. MAKE CHANGES and make them now. Stop making excuses - unless everyone is doing just as poorly in a course, your professor is not to blame for your performance. Figure out why you are doing so poorly. Adjust your study habits. Find a tutor. Go to office hours and talk to your professors. With hard work, you can raise your GPA significantly because you still have many credit hours left, but you need to make significant changes to what you are currently doing.

To continue off this - be smarter about your course scheduling. You're slamming a lot of difficult courses into one semester. Spread them out so you can give each one the time it needs.

 

[desprt2beavet]

You can bring it up, but it'll be hard. You can also retake some classes that you don't do well in. No one will force you to get a Master's.

I've read all over that vet schools don't like to see people retake classes? I was thinking about retaking some of the base classes at community college over the summer but I wasn't sure if that would just make my transcript even more a mess

 

[desprt2beavet]

A predictive GPA calculator can help you to see what GPA you'd need to get from here on out to earn a 3.5 or 3.6. It is probably possible, but it will be difficult. My advice would be to slow down. Withdraw from Ecology and maybe also Organic because you cannot continue to earn grades that will lower your GPA. I would advise not continuing to take so many difficult courses at once in future semesters. MAKE CHANGES and make them now. Stop making excuses - unless everyone is doing just as poorly in a course, your professor is not to blame for your performance. Figure out why you are doing so poorly. Adjust your study habits. Find a tutor. Go to office hours and talk to your professors. With hard work, you can raise your GPA significantly because you still have many credit hours left, but you need to make significant changes to what you are currently doing.

I can't withdraw from ecology because I already withdrew from a chemistry class first semester because it just wasn't working for me.. I'm panicking because I feel like I don't have enough time to take all of these classes for my major and they only run certain semesters so it's practically impossible to take them spaced out or I would have. I'm in the process of adjusting my study skills, I've been with tutors every single day and I'm working hard. Thank you for your thoughtful response!

 

[desprt2beavet]

To continue off this - be smarter about your course scheduling. You're slamming a lot of difficult courses into one semester. Spread them out so you can give each one the time it needs.

I don't mean to slam myself with hard courses, it's just the way they run (only certain semesters). It's pretty much the only things I can take or else I wouldn't

 

[supershorty]

I don't mean to slam myself with hard courses, it's just the way they run (only certain semesters). It's pretty much the only things I can take or else I wouldn't

So don't take some of them there. Take them at a community college, or over the summer, or something.

You need to look at how you study, what form of studying works best for you, and then tailor what you're taking & when based on what you can realistically handle. From what you've posted here, you're in over your head right now, so ask yourself what you can actually change to make it better in future semesters.

Right now you're really emotionally invested and panicking, and I get that. But take a deep breath and then assess your options realistically. You're still very early in your college career. You have more than enough time to pull things together, get your pre-reqs done, and have some fun during that time.

 

[desprt2beavet]

So don't take some of them there. Take them at a community college, or over the summer, or something.

You need to look at how you study, what form of studying works best for you, and then tailor what you're taking & when based on what you can realistically handle. From what you've posted here, you're in over your head right now, so ask yourself what you can actually change to make it better in future semesters.

Right now you're really emotionally invested and panicking, and I get that. But take a deep breath and then assess your options realistically. You're still very early in your college career. You have more than enough time to pull things together, get your pre-reqs done, and have some fun during that time.

Thank you so much. I am definitely emotionally invested and panicking.

 

[DVMoftheFuture]

I can't withdraw from ecology because I already withdrew from a chemistry class first semester because it just wasn't working for me.. I'm panicking because I feel like I don't have enough time to take all of these classes for my major and they only run certain semesters so it's practically impossible to take them spaced out or I would have. I'm in the process of adjusting my study skills, I've been with tutors every single day and I'm working hard. Thank you for your thoughtful response!

Can you not withdraw because it is the policy of your college or can you not withdraw because you think it would look bad? If it is the latter, I would still recommend withdrawing because tbh I think a D would look worse than a withdraw (but others may have a different opinion).

I know it may not be ideal for you, but do you have to be a biology major? It seems like you could eliminate some of the courses that are giving you trouble and it might help you to not be so overloaded with science pre-reqs + science courses for your major. I was a German major in undergrad and it padded my GPA a bit and I actually found it relieving to have some enjoyable humanities courses to balance out the tough science courses that I just had to slog through.

 

[desprt2beavet]

Can you not withdraw because it is the policy of your college or can you not withdraw because you think it would look bad? If it is the latter, I would still recommend withdrawing because tbh I think a D would look worse than a withdraw (but others may have a different opinion).

I know it may not be ideal for you, but do you have to be a biology major? It seems like you could eliminate some of the courses that are giving you trouble and it might help you to not be so overloaded with science pre-reqs + science courses for your major. I was a German major in undergrad and it padded my GPA a bit and I actually found it relieving to have some enjoyable humanities courses to balance out the tough science courses that I just had to slog through.

It’s not the policy of my college but it would kill me to have two “W”’s on my transcript. In my heart I know a D would look worse but I’m hoping I can get up to at least a C+ or a B-. I think that’s just wishful thinking though.

I considered switching my major and just taking vet school pre reqs but I don’t know if I have enough time to catch up on another major. I’m already halfway through my first senester sophomore year.

I feel like the more I read these forums of people getting rejected from vet schools for 3.5’s the more vet school feels out of reach for me. I’m literally losing hope in both academics and myself

 

[Madison2017]

My 2 cents: I wouldn’t rule out the option of a masters. It will give you a chance to make sure you handle upper level science classes & help with your gpa if you do well.

 

[Caiter92]

It’s not the policy of my college but it would kill me to have two “W”’s on my transcript. In my heart I know a D would look worse but I’m hoping I can get up to at least a C+ or a B-. I think that’s just wishful thinking though.

I considered switching my major and just taking vet school pre reqs but I don’t know if I have enough time to catch up on another major. I’m already halfway through my first senester sophomore year.

I feel like the more I read these forums of people getting rejected from vet schools for 3.5’s the more vet school feels out of reach for me. I’m literally losing hope in both academics and myself

Two withdrawals really won’t kill your chances, especially in semesters where you’ve really overloaded yourself with courses.

I’m assuming your undergrad has some sort of gen ed requirements? I would recommend spreading those out and intermixing them with harder classes, so you’re not taking a full course load of just science classes every semester.

I know you said your undergrad only offers classes certain terms. That’s how it is at most schools, but that doesn’t mean you have to take them all at once.

Can you meet with an academic advisor? Usually they have some sort of recommended schedule on how to group classes together for your major so you’re not overloaded like you currently are.

 

[meelc]

I personally chose to get my Masters instead of going straight to vet school as further preparation and to balance out a lower undergrad GPA. I held a graduate assistantship throughout my whole program so it didn't cost me anything. I also worked for a vet during this time so I gained hundreds of hours of more vet experience. Granted, I understand this path may not be for everyone, but I would recommend keeping an open mind about it as an option!

 

[Spoot]

I had really poor grades my second semester, I think probably around a 2.7. I made every excuse, but in reality, I didn't know how to study and I didn't want to. When I finally got my priorities straight and buckled down with my academics, I got dean's list for the following five semesters and eventually graduated with a 3.68-3.7 (depending on if you count some summer community college courses I took). You just have to want it, you have to be willing to take whatever time you need to pass the course with an A.

That doesn't mean you have to spend every night rewriting and highlighting your notes or whatever (I used to do that and found it to be a HUGE waste of time for me). In fact, for me it meant spending the better part of ONE day, probably 8+ hours, reading and reading and rereading my notes before the exam. I would force myself to read them all the way through, not even stopping if I didn't understand something. Once that was done, I would do that again, but pay a little more attention to what I was struggling with. Then I would do it again, and jot down what I was struggling with. 9 times out of 10, by the third read through, I understood most things just by having seen all the material. I would ask my friends when we studied together if I still couldn't grasp it. I more or less learned this method from a friend. You have to find what works for YOU.

I struggled a lot in college because I was afraid of failure--there was always this nagging doubt that I couldn't do it, so why even try when I know I'm going to fail? What's the point of doing something hard that I'm bad at, I'll make a fool out of myself. I eventually learned that doesn't lead to success in life. You either find out that you can do it and it just takes a lot of effort, or you fake it 'till you make it.

My mom always told me "Put forth your best effort, and then you won't be able to regret anything because you'll know you did everything you could do."

 

[deleted676737]

Two withdrawals really won’t kill your chances, especially in semesters where you’ve really overloaded yourself with courses.

I’m assuming your undergrad has some sort of gen ed requirements? I would recommend spreading those out and intermixing them with harder classes, so you’re not taking a full course load of just science classes every semester.

I know you said your undergrad only offers classes certain terms. That’s how it is at most schools, but that doesn’t mean you have to take them all at once.

Can you meet with an academic advisor? Usually they have some sort of recommended schedule on how to group classes together for your major so you’re not overloaded like you currently are.

I agree with this. OP, I personally was accepted to several vet schools back during the 2015-2016 cycle with a couple of Ws and even a D on my transcript (although, to be fair, that D was in a non-science course my freshman year when vet school wasn't really even on the radar yet). My cumulative GPA was around a 3.2. Two Ws won't, on their own, destroy your chances, especially if the rest of your application looks solid. A W is always going to be preferable to a D or F, and you may even find that your grades improve if you drop since you won't have that class weighing you down any longer.

Also, I want to stress the importance of taking care of yourself throughout undergrad. Yes, there are vet schools that do consider things like courseload, but it usually isn't weighed very heavily and IMO it's far more important to perform well in your classes, and if you burden yourself with too much, then not only is your own well-being being comprised but also, likely, your grades. I understand that it is tempting to jump into things at 110%, but that isn't always the best option. If you reflect on things and decide that what you're currently dealing with is too much, then there is absolutely no shame in cutting back somewhere, be it through withdrawing from a class or working fewer shifts at a job or even taking a leave of absence for a semester or two to get back into a positive mindset and take care of yourself.

And, yes, speak with your academic advisor.

Most of all, though, breathe. You are still very early in your undergraduate career and you have more than enough time to rebound from this setback. You just need to take the process one step at a time but, most importantly, don't overwhelm yourself to the point that your grades or, worse, mental and physical health suffer as a result. This race is not a sprint, but a marathon.

 

[EngrSC]

If I were in your shoes I would try a totally different study method. Do you know someone that’s getting As in the classes you’re taking? Ask them exactly how they study and try their method. I tend to do really well and my classmates like to say I’m smart but really I’m no smarter than they are, I just found a way to study that works very well for me. It’ll differ from person-to-person obviously but what you’re doing now isn’t working so it’s time to jump ship.

 

[katashark]

I've read all over that vet schools don't like to see people retake classes? I was thinking about retaking some of the base classes at community college over the summer but I wasn't sure if that would just make my transcript even more a mess

Plenty of people retake a few classes and still get into vet school. Learn how you study. Have you tried different techniques? Bonus - this will help you in veterinary school when you may need different tactics to learn for different classes.

Deep breaths. You'll get there.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

To maybe give some perspective:

The first time I applied my science/pre-req gpa was 2.9. I still got through to the interview stage, and wound up in the top 50% of the applicants that year. Was I accepted? No. But did they throw me in the rejection pile right away? Nope. My experiences were great and my LORs were strong. My academics weren't stellar, but that's not the whole application.

I retook the classes the adcom suggested and wound up with a 3.2 science gpa on my second attempt. I was waitlisted that year (so I was 1-3 spots away from an acceptance). It was a massive improvement, and if my interview had been killer I might have been accepted. So it is possible. Don't kick yourself too hard, learn from your past semesters, and learn how to study. You have time to improve and time to put together a great application.

 

[sheltermed]

if my interview had been killer

Would you mind expanding on this? What made your interview not killer? Did you do a file review where they explained?

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Would you mind expanding on this? What made your interview not killer? Did you do a file review where they explained?

Yup, I did file reviews both times.

There were two things that contributed to my being waitlisted rather than accepted my second year. The first was my cumulative gpa. If my gpa had been higher (by about 0.08), that would have been enough to offer me an acceptance. As it was, I was just below what accepted students 9, 10, and 11 had, so I ended up in the 12-14 waitlist range instead.

The second thing was my interview. WSU does a ranking system, something like "exceptional," "very good," "average," and "poor" for interviews. (I'm not 100% sure those are the terms they use, but you get the idea.) They said that my interview went really well, and that I was definitely in the "very good" category. If I had been better prepared for a couple of the off-the-wall questions, or if I'd had a better answer prepared for the "tell us about a time . . . " scenario, then I might have made it into that top interview tier. That would have gotten me an acceptance, even with my gpa.

At first I was really frustrated about not getting accepted. I had done everything they talked about in my first file review - I got large animal experience, I added an LOR they wanted to see, I retook two classes they asked me to, I retook the GRE and improved my scores - and I was heartbroken that even after all my improvements, I still wasn't good enough. The file review gave me a lot of closure. They gave me some really nice complements and stressed how close I had come that year. WSU accepts 11 students from my state, and they waitlist 3. The spots 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 were all SUPER close that year. Any little thing could have bumped one student up or another down.

Anyway, all that's to say that a bad semester or bad year isn't the end of the world. Ideally everyone would apply with 4.0 gpa's, 3,000 hours of volunteer experience, 3,000 hours of vet experience, and LORs from people who think you walk on water. But we're human, we make mistakes and learn, and even someone with a sub-3.0 pre-req gpa can end up doing okay in the application game, even if I wasn't accepted.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

A W or two will not prevent you from getting into vet school. I had a W on my transcript and it never even came up. I think you need to take a deep breath, evaluate where you are struggling, change how you’re studying, and really think hard about spreading your classes out more. You can definitely come back from a 2.7 but you need to do better than you’re doing right now. Not just because you need to bring your GPA up, but I promise you that vet school is a slog of difficult classes and never-ending exams and you want to do everything you can in undergrad to have good study habits so you can perform under that pressure. If you want this, you can make it happen.

 

[futurevet_11]

You're filling your course schedule with a lot of difficult courses, especially as a freshman and early sophomore. I know some schools have limited options of when they'll have classes, but if you want to bump your GPA and have a better time, I'd recommend allowing yourself to graduate late, especially if you don't want to get a masters. Space classes out a bit more and add an extra semester to your undergrad, or take classes over the summer so your schedule isn't so packed. Also, if you think you MIGHT get a D in ecology, withdrawal. A W is way better than failing a course and bringing down your GPA. You can also always retake classes. People get into vet school with W's on their transcript and with lower GPAs. You don't need a 3.5 or 3.6 to get in. When you do apply, apply strategically. Some schools have an average accepted GPA in the 3.3-3.4 range. Keep in mind, all of it is an average and people do get in with below that GPA.

You also said you'e considered switching your major but you don't think you'd have enough time, but under no circumstances do you have to graduate in 4 years. A ton of people graduate as 5th years and theres nothing wrong with that. It's always better to major in something you actually like and are interested in than going forward with a degree that you're struggling with and don't enjoy. It also gives you a back up plan if you decide against vet med or don't get in.

I understand the pressure that you want everything to work out perfectly and that you had everything planned out and what not. I felt it, and so did a lot of other pre-vet and pre-med students. But take the time to remind yourself that there are SO many roads you can take to get to the same destination. Take your time. Take care of yourself.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

You also said you'e considered switching your major but you don't think you'd have enough time, but under no circumstances do you have to graduate in 4 years. A ton of people graduate as 5th years and theres nothing wrong with that. It's always better to major in something you actually like and are interested in than going forward with a degree that you're struggling with and don't enjoy. It also gives you a back up plan if you decide against vet med or don't get in.

I understand the pressure that you want everything to work out perfectly and that you had everything planned out and what not. I felt it, and so did a lot of other pre-vet and pre-med students. But take the time to remind yourself that there are SO many roads you can take to get to the same destination. Take your time. Take care of yourself.

I was just about to suggest this. It would also give the OP more time to get veterinary experience - which I can't see them being able to get much of with the course load and study difficulties they are describing. Grades with no experience are meaningless.

 

[SkiOtter]

You also said you'e considered switching your major but you don't think you'd have enough time, but under no circumstances do you have to graduate in 4 years. A ton of people graduate as 5th years and theres nothing wrong with that. It's always better to major in something you actually like and are interested in than going forward with a degree that you're struggling with and don't enjoy. It also gives you a back up plan if you decide against vet med or don't get in.

THIS. This is what I came here to add onto what everyone else earlier said.

 

[desprt2beavet]

If I were in your shoes I would try a totally different study method. Do you know someone that’s getting As in the classes you’re taking? Ask them exactly how they study and try their method. I tend to do really well and my classmates like to say I’m smart but really I’m no smarter than they are, I just found a way to study that works very well for me. It’ll differ from person-to-person obviously but what you’re doing now isn’t working so it’s time to jump ship.

I actually just figured out what studying method works for me. I did poorly on my first exams and I studied a new way and got a 90 on one of them (for bio 1), just panicked when I wrote this because the class that entered in my course grade as a midterm grade was a class that I only had one exam in so far. I'm worried that I didn't get to execute my new studying method on a second exam. I didn't know what worked for me for a LONG time. I'm slowly figuring it out

 

[desprt2beavet]

Plenty of people retake a few classes and still get into vet school. Learn how you study. Have you tried different techniques? Bonus - this will help you in veterinary school when you may need different tactics to learn for different classes.

Deep breaths. You'll get there.

I replied to someone else just now too about this but I only just figured out what studying method works for me. I just got a 90 back on one of my other classes exams. I was worried about ecology because I didnt have the opportunity to exhibit my new method on an exam yet, we only had the one that i did poor on and it was entered as a midterm grade :/ just panicking I guess. I emailed my professor and he told me not to worry a lot yet, and to see how I do on the next exam and see how much it changes the grade.

 

[desprt2beavet]

A W or two will not prevent you from getting into vet school. I had a W on my transcript and it never even came up. I think you need to take a deep breath, evaluate where you are struggling, change how you’re studying, and really think hard about spreading your classes out more. You can definitely come back from a 2.7 but you need to do better than you’re doing right now. Not just because you need to bring your GPA up, but I promise you that vet school is a slog of difficult classes and never-ending exams and you want to do everything you can in undergrad to have good study habits so you can perform under that pressure. If you want this, you can make it happen.

I definitely want this! I'm completely buckling down. At the time I wrote this I was freaking out because the class that entered in my current course grade (D, ugh) was a class I only got the chance to take one exam in so far. I emailed the professor and he told me to calm down and see how much the next exam changes things for me. I'm really working hard! I feel like I don't even have time to breathe anymore. I'm working on it, I promise! This post is not just empty words.

 

[desprt2beavet]

You're filling your course schedule with a lot of difficult courses, especially as a freshman and early sophomore. I know some schools have limited options of when they'll have classes, but if you want to bump your GPA and have a better time, I'd recommend allowing yourself to graduate late, especially if you don't want to get a masters. Space classes out a bit more and add an extra semester to your undergrad, or take classes over the summer so your schedule isn't so packed. Also, if you think you MIGHT get a D in ecology, withdrawal. A W is way better than failing a course and bringing down your GPA. You can also always retake classes. People get into vet school with W's on their transcript and with lower GPAs. You don't need a 3.5 or 3.6 to get in. When you do apply, apply strategically. Some schools have an average accepted GPA in the 3.3-3.4 range. Keep in mind, all of it is an average and people do get in with below that GPA.

You also said you'e considered switching your major but you don't think you'd have enough time, but under no circumstances do you have to graduate in 4 years. A ton of people graduate as 5th years and theres nothing wrong with that. It's always better to major in something you actually like and are interested in than going forward with a degree that you're struggling with and don't enjoy. It also gives you a back up plan if you decide against vet med or don't get in.

I understand the pressure that you want everything to work out perfectly and that you had everything planned out and what not. I felt it, and so did a lot of other pre-vet and pre-med students. But take the time to remind yourself that there are SO many roads you can take to get to the same destination. Take your time. Take care of yourself.

Thank you for your thoughtful words! I have thought about the path of graduating late. I also have to take into account financial costs and what not, so not all of it is an option sometimes I wish college didn't feel so limiting. I don't think I want to change my major, I really do like biology but doing bad on exams is killing it for me. My lab grades are impeccable, and I do really good on those assignments. I think I'm just a hands on gal.

 

[desprt2beavet]

I was just about to suggest this. It would also give the OP more time to get veterinary experience - which I can't see them being able to get much of with the course load and study difficulties they are describing. Grades with no experience are meaningless.

I do get veterinary experience during my summers and already have some, and I'm working on getting more during the academic year. I go to college in an area near a major vet school where it's incredibly difficult to get vets to let you shadow and gain experience. Instead of working with vets while I'm at school I've been volunteering at shelters and dog sitting. I shadow when I go home which is often, and I'm looking into internships!

 

[desprt2beavet]

My 2 cents: I wouldn’t rule out the option of a masters. It will give you a chance to make sure you handle upper level science classes & help with your gpa if you do well.

I didn't mean to sound rude or dismissive of a masters, I just have a lot of anxiety and tend to be neurotic about my future and planning it out. I realize it may have to be a path I take, and I will definitely make that decision based on what will be best for me

 

[LyraGardenia]

I replied to someone else just now too about this but I only just figured out what studying method works for me. I just got a 90 back on one of my other classes exams. I was worried about ecology because I didnt have the opportunity to exhibit my new method on an exam yet, we only had the one that i did poor on and it was entered as a midterm grade :/ just panicking I guess. I emailed my professor and he told me not to worry a lot yet, and to see how I do on the next exam and see how much it changes the grade.

If I'm understanding the situation correctly I wouldn't stress about it, midterm grades don't go on your transcript so vet schools won't see them, midterm grade reports are just for your own purposes so you know where you're at in your classes. That's great you've figured out a study strategy that works for you! Just breathe and focus on doing what you need to do to improve from here. Like other people said, there's absolutely no shame in withdrawing from a couple classes, retaking classes, or taking a lighter course load if you need to. Definitely talk to your advisor about a recommended order to take your classes in, you shouldn't have to take all hard sciences to graduate in 4 years unless your school has some really stringent requirements.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I do get veterinary experience during my summers and already have some, and I'm working on getting more during the academic year. I go to college in an area near a major vet school where it's incredibly difficult to get vets to let you shadow and gain experience. Instead of working with vets while I'm at school I've been volunteering at shelters and dog sitting. I shadow when I go home which is often, and I'm looking into internships!

Ah, gotcha. It's been so long since I've had that mythical thing called a summer I forget they exist, lol.

 

[Polocrosse2017]

I am in the same semester you are. First semester sophomore year. My gf (premed) is like you and taking WAY too many hard classes at once. It is burning her out. She is also a biology major. She did end up dropping one class (before it went on her transcript) because it was too much. She decided to take more classes in the summer to even things out a bit. I have found for me that taking two hard sciences a semester works the best. I have microbiology and physics 2 this semester. Next semester will be the hard one with organic and genetics. I'm just doing all my vet pre-reqs first. This semester I also have a lab class, a humanity, and a math. That is enough! That way I don't burn out before vet school and still enjoy my undergrad time. I'll do english in the summer and biochem the first semester next fall and I'll have the prerequisites for where I'm going to go done. Then I'll take the extras ! Just be kind to yourself as you go through this. My little easy one hour lab has probably led me to a research job for the summer after a short teacher led trip to Switzerland (3 hours there!!). Good luck and as everyone has said two W's don't kill you. D's are not good!