2full2eat Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Another post about w's on a transcript brought me to finally ask this question for opinions. Heres my story: I graduate from a Community College summer of 08', finishing out with a summer class in High School Chem. I transfer to a four year private College to enter into a Bio major. I apply late, and get last pick for classes. The admissions counselor tells me my recent Chem class is transferrable and counts as a College Chemistry I course here at our school. I reply, are you sure? I believe that is a High School Chemistry level course. She checks again and responds to me, yes it is equivalent. I take here word for it (My biggest mistake.) Now this school is amazingly small, one professor per class subject. I miss Chem I my first semester because i was told i have these credits, and begin Chem II my second semester. Needless to say, I'm totally lost each and every class. I manage to some how pull off a 56 on my first exam, and figure i really must try harder and seek out a tutor. I do so, and to my surprise a 22% on my second exam. Third exam follows suit. I ask my advisor in the Major, why do you think this is? We talk, I find that indeed my course from my community college is not equivalent and i was placed into Chem II by mistake. Now, i would have to wait to take Chem I following next fall, because there is no Chem I in the summer. My Biology courses that i had prepared for the spring are now on hold, because they all require a full year of Chemistry already behind me, and I receive my first W on my transcript for Chem II, before i even had the prereq. Wow, I'm pretty upset, i transfer out of the school, and go right back to my community college where things are safe. Ok, totally screwed up at the CC, took chem I, pre cal, physics, and abnormal psych. Each class I performed sub-parr and withdrew from Chem for the fear i would receive a D or C- in the class. Better luck next semester? No, finished with a C+ in Chem I. I have really no great excuse for my performance other than the fact that i just didn't take a normal general chemistry route, and after some time in college for so long, i develop senioritis before i become a senior. Obviously my Chemistry courses were kind of backwards and with a lot of space in between them as well. Next, i transfer to a four year school again, take Chem II the following spring when it was offered, and get a B in the class. I struggled and worked really hard for that B! So my question is this, i know its good to retake and get bad grades replaced like the C+ I have, but in the end i believe it would look worse to retake the class a THIRD time, and see what I get. Instead of simply showing that I withdrew from Chem I, retook it didn't do great but didn't fail, then did even better in the more "difficult" part of gen chem (chem II) at a four year college opposed to CC, and now my plans to Ace O-Chem. I believe the upward trend is better than retaking a class 3 times. What do you think? Also, when it comes to Essay time, how do I explain my grades regarding that I technically have W's for both gen chem I and gen chem II, BUT the W on my chem II is from not having the prereq for the class. How should I come to explain this drawn out story about my adventures with general chemistry? Should I not even mention it, and say I've screwed up, I accept my mistakes and i moved on? Confused! Any advice would be awesome. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Depends on how the rest of your grades are, and your GPA. If the C+ is an outlier, don't worry about it and don't even mention it. If the school cares enough about it they will ask you, and you can have a simple, easy, answer prepared for them. AKA, not the paragraph you just gave us... that was too complicated. If that C+ is one of many or you have worse grades popping up on your transcript, it's a different story. Likewise with the W's... don't make a mountain out of a molehill. Unless your transcript is littered with W's, those two withdrawals are not that big a deal. You can explain them succinctly when/if you are asked to do so. If I were you, I would be focused at this point on addressing the study skills necessary to do well in orgo, and on identifying schools that are a good match. Once you actually have grades from organic chemistry and your other pre-reqs, you'll be in a better position to decide how to handle your earlier missteps. Don't add any more W's to your record if you can avoid it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Hated gen chem, LOVE o-chem. this is a pattern I'm noticing, my peers that did really well in gen chem aren't doing as well in o-chem and vise versa. don't fear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panelson Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 agreed, love o-chem...not a fan (nor am i that great) at gen chem. MattK got it on the nose this is a pattern I'm noticing, my peers that did really well in gen chem aren't doing as well in o-chem and vise versa. don't fear it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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