It's been just over a year now since the day I quit law school to take up this project, and this morning the final information about last semester came up, leaving everything settled and done.
I ended up with an A- in Physics, more or less miraculously. I suppose it's really just the result of my having done ~10% better than the average on nearly everything, combined with some really hard work to get a respectable score on the midterm. My Final in Physics was less respectable. I got a 66% on it, and the median score was 69%, so I finally came at/under the average. That's not particularly surprising though, given that I chose to put all of my time into studying for the Chemistry final.
The way things have turned out, it looks like that was a solid decision in hind-sight. It was a bit risky, but things fell into the right places. Ideally you don't want to put yourself in a position where you need to make "stop-the-bleeding" choices along these lines, I know, but it's both comforting and exciting to know you made the right ones.
As a future applicant, my resume isn't going to have as much padding on it as any of the more qualified prospective medical students who have been putting together their package for years. I have managed to give myself some relevant experience while working in the ER though, and hopefully I can get something else of interest before I start to apply.
As far as grades go, my "new" GPA is a 3.9 after my first three classes, which is solid enough on its own to give me a shot at most schools if I can find a way to score extremely well on the MCAT. So I'm going to have to start seriously considering how to approach the MCAT. It seems unlikely my grades will plummet if I can manage to do well in Physics just one more time. I can't start to focus on them less, because then they will, but its becoming apparent that the MCAT is going to be the single biggest make or break piece of my application.
Anyways. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with how things stand after a year of working on it. Hopefully everything can continue moving in the right direction.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Physics Final
Today I found out that I got a 66% on the Physics Final.
Ok. It's a D+. It's an awful grade. It's still better than I thought I did, by a little bit. More importantly, It's over 50%. My grade in Physics is pretty much guaranteed to be a B+ now, with a very small possibility of an A-. I probably won't find out which of those two it is for another day or two.
Either outcome is completely, perfectly, amazingly satisfactory for me though.
Now - that final grade is basically inflated (as I was talking about in the last post). Not by means of a curve, but by means of offering make up quizzes, a lot of take-home homework points, effectively free points from the lab section, etc.
I'm absolutely, postively, clearly not a B+ or A- student in Physics. And that's a serious problem.
It's a problem I'll have to address for the MCAT.
Until the MCAT though, a B+ or A- in the course absolutely keeps me in the running. So let's hope I can do as well, or preferably better, next semester. And, more importantly, let's hope I find a way to step things up in time for the /real/ test I have to take. For now though, this is a great result for me.
Ok. It's a D+. It's an awful grade. It's still better than I thought I did, by a little bit. More importantly, It's over 50%. My grade in Physics is pretty much guaranteed to be a B+ now, with a very small possibility of an A-. I probably won't find out which of those two it is for another day or two.
Either outcome is completely, perfectly, amazingly satisfactory for me though.
Now - that final grade is basically inflated (as I was talking about in the last post). Not by means of a curve, but by means of offering make up quizzes, a lot of take-home homework points, effectively free points from the lab section, etc.
I'm absolutely, postively, clearly not a B+ or A- student in Physics. And that's a serious problem.
It's a problem I'll have to address for the MCAT.
Until the MCAT though, a B+ or A- in the course absolutely keeps me in the running. So let's hope I can do as well, or preferably better, next semester. And, more importantly, let's hope I find a way to step things up in time for the /real/ test I have to take. For now though, this is a great result for me.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
And The Grades Start To Roll In
Personal things have had me feeling down lately, despite being on vacation, so I suppose getting my grades is as good a diversion as any.
The first grades in are from Chemistry, where, apparently, I managed to get an A. The break down of that grade isn't available (yet - maybe it will be later), but I know I got a 92% in the Lab section of the course, which counted for 25% of the total. That means I'd have needed a 94% minimum in the lecture to get an A (assuming a 94% is an A, and not an A-, and assuming that a 93.5 is rounded up rather than down).
My grades on the two regular exams were 74 and 96, for a total of 170/200. The final was out of 200 points, and I don't know the exact grade I got on it. Basic math reveals that a 100% would have left me with a 92.5% average in the lecture portion, however, which makes my actual 4.0 untenable without some kind of curve.
Yay for grade inflation.
I didn't really need it in this course - I should have had a 4.0 anyways, if not for carelessness on the first exam. For that reason, the inflation doesn't really worry me. When I take the MCAT, I'm confident my actual ability in Chemistry will reflect a 4.0, or something close to that.
It's possible the curve was small - I was expecting an A- after all, so it could have been as little as a half-step bump. Nonetheless, grade inflation like this in all the classes is really something, and it's not a good something. If inflation is that common in other universities, it might make sense to just adopt a system that's entirely pass/fail across the board, rather than pretend to separate students along a more regimented set of criteria that only exist for show. Added bonus: a pass/fail system would cause students less stress. If you're going to have evaluations, I really think it's worth having them done seriously. Otherwise the whole process turns into something of a joke.
Anyways - next up will be Physics. I expect the results of that in the next few days.
The first grades in are from Chemistry, where, apparently, I managed to get an A. The break down of that grade isn't available (yet - maybe it will be later), but I know I got a 92% in the Lab section of the course, which counted for 25% of the total. That means I'd have needed a 94% minimum in the lecture to get an A (assuming a 94% is an A, and not an A-, and assuming that a 93.5 is rounded up rather than down).
My grades on the two regular exams were 74 and 96, for a total of 170/200. The final was out of 200 points, and I don't know the exact grade I got on it. Basic math reveals that a 100% would have left me with a 92.5% average in the lecture portion, however, which makes my actual 4.0 untenable without some kind of curve.
Yay for grade inflation.
I didn't really need it in this course - I should have had a 4.0 anyways, if not for carelessness on the first exam. For that reason, the inflation doesn't really worry me. When I take the MCAT, I'm confident my actual ability in Chemistry will reflect a 4.0, or something close to that.
It's possible the curve was small - I was expecting an A- after all, so it could have been as little as a half-step bump. Nonetheless, grade inflation like this in all the classes is really something, and it's not a good something. If inflation is that common in other universities, it might make sense to just adopt a system that's entirely pass/fail across the board, rather than pretend to separate students along a more regimented set of criteria that only exist for show. Added bonus: a pass/fail system would cause students less stress. If you're going to have evaluations, I really think it's worth having them done seriously. Otherwise the whole process turns into something of a joke.
Anyways - next up will be Physics. I expect the results of that in the next few days.
Friday, December 11, 2009
That Went As Badly As Expected...
A bit worse, actually.
The Physics final was one of the more painful tests I've sat through. My plan of focusing on certain bits didn't fair very well, because for some reason most of the exam ended up being on the other bits I didn't get to.
I'm not particularly upset, or distraught, though. Not yet.
I'm far too tired for that. And I saw this coming. And I still suspect a solid minority (or even majority) of people did just as badly, if not worse. So there's nothing to do but sit around and see if it gets curved, and how much it gets curved. My off-chance at getting an A- in Physics is pretty much gone, but that's ok. We'll have to see just how bad it ends up though.
Until I find out, I'm not going to worry.
It's time to sleep, rest, clean my apartment, relax, and have some fun. I'll get back to classes in January, and maybe I can beat Physics in round two.
The Physics final was one of the more painful tests I've sat through. My plan of focusing on certain bits didn't fair very well, because for some reason most of the exam ended up being on the other bits I didn't get to.
I'm not particularly upset, or distraught, though. Not yet.
I'm far too tired for that. And I saw this coming. And I still suspect a solid minority (or even majority) of people did just as badly, if not worse. So there's nothing to do but sit around and see if it gets curved, and how much it gets curved. My off-chance at getting an A- in Physics is pretty much gone, but that's ok. We'll have to see just how bad it ends up though.
Until I find out, I'm not going to worry.
It's time to sleep, rest, clean my apartment, relax, and have some fun. I'll get back to classes in January, and maybe I can beat Physics in round two.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Seven Years Ago I Had A Chemistry Final
I did so badly on it that I walked out laughing.
Today I had another Chemistry Final, and the result wasn't nearly the same. Now, I'm not going to fool myself. The questions were easier in this course, and some were drawn straight from the book. There was more time to finish the exam as well. So it's not really a perfect comparison.
But still. Having gone from an F on that exam, to what is quite likely an A- or an A on this exam, seems like a real vindication of my project, even if this one was a bit easier.
My final grade for the semester is still undetermined. I don't actually know what I got on this exam, and it's possible I did worse than I think and got a B+ or even a B. If that's the case, given how I stupidly messed up on the first exam, I'd probably be stuck with a B+ for the semester - a huge disappointment. With any luck though, my plan to put my studying time into this will have paid of nicely, and I'll end up with an A- or better in Chemistry.
The downside to my "spend all your time on Chemistry" plan is about to become obvious, however: I have two days to study for my physics exam. Even if I was more or less on the ball in that course, two days probably wouldn't be enough. Given how much I'm struggling, two days is practically a joke. I'd need more like two weeks to be able to get my stuff together.
It was a willful choice on my part, though. I've done ~10% better than everyone on everything throughout the semester, and I'm banking that that trend will carry through on this exam (or, rather, that I'll score in the average, or even 10% below it this time). If that's the case, and there's a curve like I'm banking on, I can probably fail this test and still get a B+ in the course. Maybe even better, depending what type of curve it is.
.... so my study time is going to be all about damage mitigation. A 0 and a 50% will both get me an F on the final, but there's a huge difference between the two. If I can manage to predict two or three problems that are going to be on the exam, and get that type of problem down well, I can probably manage something in the area of a 50%. Sounds awful, I know, but it could actually work out just fine with a bit of luck on my side.
After all - fortune favors the bold.
Today I had another Chemistry Final, and the result wasn't nearly the same. Now, I'm not going to fool myself. The questions were easier in this course, and some were drawn straight from the book. There was more time to finish the exam as well. So it's not really a perfect comparison.
But still. Having gone from an F on that exam, to what is quite likely an A- or an A on this exam, seems like a real vindication of my project, even if this one was a bit easier.
My final grade for the semester is still undetermined. I don't actually know what I got on this exam, and it's possible I did worse than I think and got a B+ or even a B. If that's the case, given how I stupidly messed up on the first exam, I'd probably be stuck with a B+ for the semester - a huge disappointment. With any luck though, my plan to put my studying time into this will have paid of nicely, and I'll end up with an A- or better in Chemistry.
The downside to my "spend all your time on Chemistry" plan is about to become obvious, however: I have two days to study for my physics exam. Even if I was more or less on the ball in that course, two days probably wouldn't be enough. Given how much I'm struggling, two days is practically a joke. I'd need more like two weeks to be able to get my stuff together.
It was a willful choice on my part, though. I've done ~10% better than everyone on everything throughout the semester, and I'm banking that that trend will carry through on this exam (or, rather, that I'll score in the average, or even 10% below it this time). If that's the case, and there's a curve like I'm banking on, I can probably fail this test and still get a B+ in the course. Maybe even better, depending what type of curve it is.
.... so my study time is going to be all about damage mitigation. A 0 and a 50% will both get me an F on the final, but there's a huge difference between the two. If I can manage to predict two or three problems that are going to be on the exam, and get that type of problem down well, I can probably manage something in the area of a 50%. Sounds awful, I know, but it could actually work out just fine with a bit of luck on my side.
After all - fortune favors the bold.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Exam Planning
I'm still sick. Wow.
Anyways. Exams are getting closer, so I had to come up with a plan of action. I decided to take a cue from mid-terms, where the lesson was that I could have benefited more from extra studying of chemistry rather than working endless hours on physics for a minimal return.
I think I can study Physics a ton between now and the exam, and there's still a very good chance I'll do badly (or not well enough to guarantee an A- w/o a curve, which might very well give me an A- anyways). If I work on Physics a lot, and didn't get an A-, I probably wouldn't have had the time to work much on Chemistry. Chemistry is easier, but isn't getting any curves. So that could put me in a situation where I'm not getting an A- or better in either course. I'd much rather work on Chemistry hard now, get my A in that, and then see if I can get an A- in Physics from a hopeful curve despite having a mediocre final.
The Chemistry exam is coming up first also, so doing well on it will get me in a nice state of mind. And studying Chemistry doesn't panic me like studying Physics does. I was thinking I'd fail Physics for a long time - at this point, it looks like a B+ is fairly likely even if I do badly on the final, and I'm almost guaranteed to not do worse than a B. A B would be bad, but I'd be pretty happy with a B+. It's worth keeping that in perspective.
The Chemistry exam is this coming Tuesday, so I have five more days to get 100% set for it. I have to work on three chapters, plus some general review of earlier stuff. I think I can manage that, if I do a chapter a day. Then I'll have two days before the Physics exam, so I can still get in "some" preparation, and hopefully not end up with a zero on that exam.
Anyways. Exams are getting closer, so I had to come up with a plan of action. I decided to take a cue from mid-terms, where the lesson was that I could have benefited more from extra studying of chemistry rather than working endless hours on physics for a minimal return.
I think I can study Physics a ton between now and the exam, and there's still a very good chance I'll do badly (or not well enough to guarantee an A- w/o a curve, which might very well give me an A- anyways). If I work on Physics a lot, and didn't get an A-, I probably wouldn't have had the time to work much on Chemistry. Chemistry is easier, but isn't getting any curves. So that could put me in a situation where I'm not getting an A- or better in either course. I'd much rather work on Chemistry hard now, get my A in that, and then see if I can get an A- in Physics from a hopeful curve despite having a mediocre final.
The Chemistry exam is coming up first also, so doing well on it will get me in a nice state of mind. And studying Chemistry doesn't panic me like studying Physics does. I was thinking I'd fail Physics for a long time - at this point, it looks like a B+ is fairly likely even if I do badly on the final, and I'm almost guaranteed to not do worse than a B. A B would be bad, but I'd be pretty happy with a B+. It's worth keeping that in perspective.
The Chemistry exam is this coming Tuesday, so I have five more days to get 100% set for it. I have to work on three chapters, plus some general review of earlier stuff. I think I can manage that, if I do a chapter a day. Then I'll have two days before the Physics exam, so I can still get in "some" preparation, and hopefully not end up with a zero on that exam.
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