I currently attend a cc and my first year didn’t go great at all. I stopped going to classes and got F instead of a W, I retook the classes and got my gpa up to a 2.8. This semester I’m taking more pre-reqs but they aren’t as demanding as I wish they were. Only one of them is a science class. My current goal is being a forensic pathologist so Med school is a must. After reading how challenging it is, I have considered joining the Military so I am able to study and only study. I am currently training, studying, working and I feel like I am falling behind/ I’m done for. School has been challenging me but I really want to do this. As a first gen, I feel irresponsible and so lost, when I research online I am told it’s a lost case. I have made it this far, I want to be better. I want to become better
Hugs to you.
Slow down!
You don’t need to have figured out your entire life right now. And forensic pathology is YEARS away-- and there are many other paths you could take for jobs that you’d find just as interesting. So SLOW DOWN.
Your job right now is to do as well as you can with the actual courses you are taking, not to worry about something 8 years from now. Knock the ball out of the park on each and every assignment. Focus instead of grinding your wheels.
You can do this. Slow but steady. Master the material. Reach out to the instructor if you don’t understand something. Show up for every class.
Good luck!
Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words. I’ll do that. I feel as if I have to have everything figured out and that has been making me feel trapped. Enjoy your day and thank you once again
I agree with @blossom. Take a deep breath and slow down.
If you join the military, you will have a full time job…and limited time for studying.
I would suggest that you put medical school thoughts aside for now. Your goal now is to do the best you can do in undergrad school.
I would suggest that you read about all these other health care professions as well. Some don’t even require a bachelors degree.
Thank you, I will look into it. My chances are none right…
Your chances for a great career are fine. Be patient, and do your best. These decisions do not need to be made today.
Most of the people who work in the field of forensic pathology are NOT physicians. They have technical specialties in fiber, fluid, chemical, DNA analysis; they are grant and budget specialists (how does all that state of the art equipment get paid for?), they are policy experts who work with lawmakers at local, state and federal levels. They are photographers and graphic designers who are skilled with models and simulations, and they are data specialists who report to the FBI and other government bodies about trends the office is seeing in the field and how this year’s fentanyl fatalities compare with last year both locally, regionally and nationally.
Many, many great jobs. They aren’t going anywhere, I promise you. Excel in your math classes. Chem classes. Communications/writing classes. All of these skills will serve you well down the road.
Hugs.
Your community college should have tutoring services available. Generally they’re free or low cost.
If you are struggling in class, please make time to go see the tutors. Sometimes it’s called the “writing and academic center”.
My kids have historically been strong academic performers, but they made sure to attend as many tutoring sessions as possible on a daily basis. All three of my kids eventually became tutors. Each of them had a different way of teaching.
Our middle child tutored using games which helped the Premed students remember facts. (Jeopardy, Apples to Apples).
The eldest used traditional methods, but she also took apart large puzzles (from secondhand stores) and jimmied them with differential equations and theorems to figure out problem sets.
The youngest just was a fantastic traditional tutor. He could explain things on a very basic level and then transition them into the homework problems.
The point is: the tutors are selected by the professors because they’re good at what they do. They are getting paid to tutor you but they also get a grade from their students. They have to be good. Take advantage of their services; it’s there for you!
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.