why am I getting a bad GPA in college?

Question

I was taking 3 courses and I just took my final.

I have got: B(4units), B (3 units) and ?(4 units)

that ? is an unknown, but I am sure I did a bad job....it should be D or C.....

so what's my GPA?? my college is using a 4-GPA scale.

why am I getting a bad GPA?? I have heard a lot of successful storys about students getting high GPA. it seemed that high GPA is easy to achieve. but now i know it is not. It is VERY hard to get high GPA. what does it take to get a high GPA? (I used to have 3.75 in high school, now I am suffering in college, WHY??)I am a science major and I planned to be a medical doctor. how can I go to grad school with this low GPA? *tears*


what should I do to improve? I am a freshman in a community college. I need to transfer!!!

thx very much for your time!!!



P.S. I am worried that I will never get an A....-_-

stop being destructive

actually my main question is:

what should I do in order to get a high GPA?

Answer 1

Please hang in there! College is tough... You are on a totally different playing field than you were in highschool. Classes are tougher and class sizes are bigger normally so you are getting less individual attention from the teacher. In highschool teachers push their students to succeed. In college, the student has to take an active role in that success which you seem willing to do based on your question.

My guide for studying??? It got me through college in occupational therapy with a 4.0 GPA. Make sure to attend every class possible and be rested so you are ready to pay attention. Read any information you are given to read before class (even if you just skim the main points). This will give you some background on the material so it will make more sense in class. Within 2-3 days after lecture while the notes are still fresh in your mind, sit down and reorganize them and either rewrite them or type them up (typing works best for me because it is neater and quicker). Get to class at least 10 minutes early so you have a few minutes to skim over the last classes notes before class starts. Finally, go through your notes at least 1 more time (depending on your ability to learn the stuff) before the exam.

If that isn't enough, form a study group with no more than 3 students from your class. Just discussing something outloud with someone who might be able to explain things a little differently than the teacher is a big help!

The rule we were taught in school is you need to hear something 3 times before it is committed to longterm memory. It is time consuming but you seem to be dedicated enough to do it. It will become routine quickly and won't seem that bad after the first couple of semesters.

I do wish you the best of luck! Those A's will come. Just be patient. And if they don't, don't worry about it. My mom says she'd always rather have a doctor who got all C's in school than all A's because it shows that there was more in their life than just school, a common sense sometimes goes a lot farther than book smarts!

:-)

Answer 2

have u taken all your basics? no, if your a freshman, prob not. take some of those minor classes to start with...like your art, pysch, soci, comp, speech....those should be the super easy classes. ALWAYS use ratemyprofessor.com i wont take a class w/o reviewing what others said about that particular class and proff. NEVER. there are good and bad proffs, if you have the option, why take the bad one, ya know? maybe your techniques for studying are off. try different ways of studying. sometimes study groups are good. make sure to make it a small group tho, 2-3 people, any more than that...nothing ever gets done. get a friend to come over and call stuff out to you. make stupid little rhymes to help u remember the long hard stuff. like (Nutrition, Enzymes, Water=Never Eat Watermelons) u see? people learn better using different techniques...u just have to find yours....good luck. its still early on...college is a new thing for u...give it some time, youll get it. (high school NEVER properly prepares you for college like they should!) so aggravating

Answer 3

College is very different from high school, it is much less structured, and it is only up to you to make sure you get the work done. The B's are good, especially for your first semester, but obviously the D will be a problem. Talk to an advisor, most colleges have grade forgiveness policies which will allow you to re-take a course you did badly in to try and earn a higher grade to replace the old grade. But be careful, you can usually only do that 1-3 times depending on the college. Also, talk to your advisor about developing strong study habits that will work for you and that you can stick to, and maybe get involved in a study group as having peer support will help you. Finally, set specific goals for yourself; it's wonderful that you want to transfer and eventually go to med. school, but try to be more specific and set both long and short term goals. For example, decide on which university you want to transfer to, then meet with someone there to find out what their transfer guidelines are. This will give you some specific points to work on, like a certain GPA, or required courses to get into your major after transfer. Also, decide what grades you want to get and really focus on getting those grades. If you want A's you can get them, you just have to be realistic about how much work and time you will have to put into each course to get it. If you really want high grades but don't have enough time or energy to put out all the work necessary you can always cut down on the number of courses you are taking, at least until you get comfortable with your study schedule and habits, so that you can really devote yourself to the classes you are taking. Finally, if you find you are struggling in a class, talk to the professor right away, don't wait until you're already on your way to a low grade, most professors are more than willing to give you the help you need, or to help you find someone/something that can help. Good luck, and stick with it, keep focused on your goals and you can do it! Best wishes!

Answer 4

Maybe it's difficult for you because you are working and going to college at the same time. That's hard unless you really manage your time well. See if you can work less hours or if you live with your parents and they allow it, not at all.
It might help a lot to study throughout the semester instead of right when a test is coming. Also, feel free to ask or e-mail the teachers for help or homework advice. Sometimes you can even get them to review your research papers and tell you what needs revising before you turn them in.
Finally, take heart. If you're a freshman, you have plenty of semesters to raise your GPA. Aim to do your best in everything and don't take any assignment for granted. Good luck!

Answer 5

Except for the ? (4 units), you have a 3.0 GPA (B average). You probably did better than you think you did on the "grade unknown" final. Just do your best and if you need help, ask for it during the semester - don't wait until the end, by then it is too late.

Also, the first year in college is the hardest. This is due to adjustment issues, being responsible for one's self for often the first time in one's life, etc. Also, keep in mind that if you get 4 credits of "C" and 4 credits of "A" they average out to a "B." So don't be so hard on yourself, keep studying, and enjoy college.

Answer 6

Well, you're doing okay for your first few classes. If you got a 3.75 in high school, you are intelligent enough to be successful. Basically college boils down to how you apply yourself. If you attend all your classes, put forth the effort each week, and show your teachers that you are serious, you should be successful. Application comes from interest and motivation. Do you have either? or both? Do you like your major? Best of luck!

Answer 7

Well if you got 2 B's and a C it would be a 2.66 if its 2 B's and a D it would be 2.33. College is hard work, but to be successful it takes studying, good time management, and prioritizing. Maybe you can't go out and hang with your friends as much as you would like. Maybe you have a job and need to cut back on hours to make more time for school. If you are having problems in a class take advantage of the programs that your school have available to you. EX. GO TO A TUTOR. Most times they have more time for you to ask questions over and over again until you get it. Also take advantage of you professor's office hours. Ask him if he can hash out problems with you. Als, what alot of students don't know is prof. are alot more lenient on students they can put a name and a face to. Make yourself known to him by asking for help and clarification. Good luck in college. Don't get discouraged keep at it and achieve that top notch GPA. No one can hold you back but yourself.

Answer 8

I'm a college freshman, and I often visited my teacher at office hours when I found out I had a B in my English class. The professors actually like students to ask questions. So that's my advice, just ask the teachers what you need to be doing differently.

Answer 9

To calculate GPA:

A=4
B=3
C=2
D=1

Add up your grades and then divide by the number of classes you have.

The only way to do better is to study more and never miss class. Here's a hint to get an A: take an easy physical activities class and get an A in there.

Good luck.

PS - ignore all the useless comments. Just try harder in school and believe in yourself.

Answer 10

well...you gonna have to study harder, review class notes, preview before the class begins so you can understand better. at the college, a 3 credit course doesn't just mean you meet 3 hours a week, it means you spend 6 to 9 hours a week on studying that course....so 12 credit is 36 hours of study plus attending classes. that's why it's called full time student!