I might fail one of my major class

College Life
1

Hi im a sophomore bio student and I might fail my intro bio class. The first midterm average was 71 and had a standard deviation of 13. I got 64. On the 2nd midterm, average was 65 and I got a 55. The standard deviation will probably be around 10 or 13 again. Each midterm is worth 22 percent and final 55 percent. Im not sure if theres a curve but i think the class is curved at the end and average would be curved to a C. Im so scared of the possibility of failing since I need to pass this class to officially declare major since im in a pre-major for the first 2 years school.

2

If you work your butt off and study well for the final, you should be able to pass with at least a C.

If you feel you are really struggling to understand the concepts, you might also want to reconsidering switching to a different major. I’m not saying you should but, from my experience, lots of intro classes are intentionally fast-paced and somewhat difficult. For example, one of my classmates dropped 6.01 (the intro EECS course at MIT) after the second test and is now majoring in a different, unrelated field.

But if you really want to major in bio, I strongly suggest trying to grasp any concepts in your class that you don’t fully understand, and study well for the final. Later biology courses usually only get harder…

3

I was actually thinking of switching major to chemistry B.S. but to do that I would be a little behind for about a quarter or two. 2nd option is biochemistry which I need to pass this class in order to get in. 3rd option is chemistry B.A. which I dont need bio and are in track(wont be behind but heard chemistry B.A. isnt really that useful compared to B.S.?)

4

Work your butt off to try to get that C. Then work with an adviser to help you figure out what you want to do regarding majors and what your options are. It would be a shame this far into the semester to give up the credits that you have paid for for the class. Go to any academic support services that there are for the class.

5

Are you planning to take a second term of Bio?

6

  1. Make sure you are reading the text book.

  2. Go to Professor’s office hours. Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”

  3. If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.

  4. Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.

  5. Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or bio or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.

  6. Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)

  7. If things still are not going well, get a tutor.

  8. Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.