<p>Hey I’m currently a senior at a specialized science high school in Manhattan and have a horrible average. No matter what I do I cant seem to bring it up. My work habits and everything are nothing short of abysmal and it has caused me much anguish over the years. Now in a relatively short amount of time Im probably going to be attending the run of the mill big state university and want to make sure this doesnt happen again, because there is no second chance [I aspire to go to med. school in this country]. Any suggestions would be appreciated and also if you know of any books I could read that would give me an idea of exactly what to do to get that 4.0 in college would also be appreciated. </p>
<p>First, I would discuss your academic interests, achievements and study habits with an academic counselor and any favorite teachers you have. They have had contact with you and may be able to offer some specific advice.</p>
<p>Regarding med school, you may want to consider some lesser-known liberal arts schools with good records for med school admission. Some that have been mentioned on this board are Juniata, Wooster. Allegheny, Hope and University of Dayton. Franklin & Marshall is another option.</p>
<p>As for the “how to get a 4.0 in college” books, or books on study skills, there are plenty of them. Reserve an hour of time and browse the titles at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble; check out some Amazon.com reviews of the books that look good to you. Then buy a couple or get them from the library. </p>
<p>Aqua, when you talk about a “horrible average” do you mean under a 3.0? Or are you speaking of a CC horrible, a 3.5+? Juniata and Allegheny (can’t speak for the other suggestions) are not slam dunk admittance for less then average (real avg, not CC avg.) students. </p>
<p>If you are into frats and sports and want to go to a college that has lots of options for majors and don’t have a lot of money, then a state school is a very good choice. Small private liberal arts schools are good because you will get individual attention, small class size and usually nicer facilities. The downside is cost and less choice of majors.</p>
<p>Also, all state schools are not the same. My son could get into West Virginia University but not Penn State. All liberal arts colleges are not the same. The idea is not to find schools with “easy” classes but to find a major and a college where you want to learn.</p>
<p>kathiep makes a good point. . .there is quite a bit of variety within both the small liberal arts college (LAC) and larger state university worlds.</p>
<p>I suggested some smaller, lesser-known LACs as they have some success in preparing students for medical school, and you seemed to be less than excited about a larger state school.</p>
<p>I would say that the main benefits of smaller schools are smaller classes and more opportunity for faculty contact. There are some social benefits as well, though there are certainly larger pools of peers and activities at a larger university. In general, I think you have to be more motivated to get what you need at a larger school, though a motivated student can do well just about anywhere. </p>
<p>Another small school/big school tradeoff has to do with changing academic interests. A larger school would have more options for you should you decide not to pursue medical school, however, changing majors and graduating in four years may be tougher there. And I do think the small class/more personal contact gives undecided students a better window into various academic disciplines than do the 100+ intro sections at many large universities.</p>
<p>Rather than agonizing over abysmal work habits for hours and hours, spend that time analyzing what is wrong, making a <em>written</em> plan to correct the problems, and implementing your plan.</p>