Help: Should I retake Bio101 even though I have credit for it?

[mountainmama23]

Hi, I am a prevet student who is only a freshman but I wanted some advice. I know this seems stupid amongst all the vet school admissions forums but I figured I would just post it anyways. I took a placement test at my school to place out of Bio101 and just found out I passed and got the credit, but with the lowest possible score (60%). My options are to either retake it (lecture and lab) anyways, which I would do, but I know that it is a weed-out class and I am worried that it will be hard even though I am good at bio. Some people are telling me to retake it, but I was wondering if I really need to or if it is better to move onto the next biology class instead. I am just scared that if I retake it, I won't get an A because it is just a hard class in nature and it will be for nothing. If I do get an A though, it will be a helpful gpa boost because I got a C+ in chem101 last semester (which didn't give me much faith in 101 classes). I am also taking chem102 this semester (the second level of gen chem) and I'm not the best at chemistry so I'm going to need to put a lot of time into that class. I know this depends on the school a little, but just any experience in general that could help would be much appreciated.

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[genny]

Hi, I am a prevet student who is only a freshman but I wanted some advice. I know this seems stupid amongst all the vet school admissions forums but I figured I would just post it anyways. I took a placement test at my school to place out of Bio101 and just found out I passed and got the credit, but with the lowest possible score (60%). My options are to either retake it (lecture and lab) anyways, which I would do, but I know that it is a weed-out class and I am worried that it will be hard even though I am good at bio. Some people are telling me to retake it, but I was wondering if I really need to or if it is better to move onto the next biology class instead. I am just scared that if I retake it, I won't get an A because it is just a hard class in nature and it will be for nothing. If I do get an A though, it will be a helpful gpa boost because I got a C+ in chem101 last semester (which didn't give me much faith in 101 classes). I am also taking chem102 this semester (the second level of gen chem) and I'm not the best at chemistry so I'm going to need to put a lot of time into that class. I know this depends on the school a little, but just any experience in general that could help would be much appreciated.

Well, if you have a 60% grasp on the basics that the next level bio classes build upon, I would think you would have a harder time doing well in those next level classes than if you had earned an A in the basics. But you know yourself best and your own study habits - if you think you can do well in more advanced classes after testing out of Bio 101, then by all means don't waste your time taking the class.

 

[that redhead]

If you aren’t able to be successful in a 101 level class, it will be hard to be successful in the higher level classes. College is tough but your first year is a good time to establish good study habits and learn about your school’s study resources for students. Better to do that now while at the onset of your studies than later when you’re struggling in higher level courses. Upward trend and all that

 

[JaynaAli]

I tested out of a few basics like English 1/2 and Algebra. The place I went to vet school considered CLEP tests as pass/fail only, so the course didn't have any effect at all on my GPA. Had I taken it for the easy A, it would have been a benefit, so normally I would recommend someone just take the course, particularly if they're on scholarship and it won't cost extra. In your case, on one hand, the school seems to think that 60% is acceptable knowledge to move on, but I agree with the others that if you don't have a good bio1 foundation it will be hard to move on to bio2 and other upper level bio classes. Can you take it over the summer or fall semester so it's not competing with chemistry for your attention this semester? Better to take a little longer than to screw up your GPA if vet school is the ultimate goal. Eventually schools will want to see you can handle multiple science classes in one semester, but it doesn't have to be when you're a freshman, in my opinion.

 

[Stroganoff]

I never took General Bio 1 or 2 since I was a visiting/transfer student and non-trad. Just started out with the 2xx and 3xx classes like Cell Bio, Microbio, Immuno, A&P 1 and 2, etc. I sat through Bio 1 on the first day and went "You've got to be kidding me" as the prof stumbled around, and it seemed like not a good use of my money/student loan debt, so I just switched.

You know yourself best -- or if you don't, now's the time to learn how to learn and learn how to manage your time and build study habits. You'll need to be able to take more specific bio pre-reqs that do build on some of the information in general bio, but this is dependent on the school's rigor as well as each person. I took Psych 101 at one school, and it was hard even though it was just a survey course that introduced the upper level courses. When I took more advanced Psych classes (Abnormal, Social, Personality, Sensation & Perception), even though they built on General Psych, I felt I could've started from scratch and learned it just fine. Similarly, although General Bio introduces Cell Bio, I did well in Cell Bio not having taken General Bio at all. I just studied really hard and didn't feel like I missed out on anything at all.

with Chem 2 and a potential Chem 1 re-take. If you can learn and review Bio 101 on your own (e.g. over the summer, watch a ton of lectures and buy a textbook or something), then it could be "cheaper" money-wise and time-wise than formally taking the course (i.e. you saved time and money testing out, no?). It's really dependent on how motivated you are to truly master the material better than 60%. Whether that's formally taking the class or independent study depends on both you and the school's rigor.

 

[staff_wielder]

Yo. gen bio is a crap shoot, there are so many topics to cover etc that it is hard no matter what. And don't worry about upper level classes. You learn what you need to learn to know those concepts as you go. Who cares if you don't know the mitochondria is the power house of the cell. Yes, theoretically, you need the foundational base to do well in the upper level classes, but I don't remember jack **** from 1st year vet school, other than the part that draws.... other vetties can finish that sentence. I'm in ECG reading class, and I have totally forgotten which little hump indicates back flow from the aorta, or what does it mean when you skip the p wave, or what all the blocks will look, etc etc, but I'm re-learning as I need. If it's some 4 credits and you really need the GPA boost, take it, but gen bio is a lot of god damn work so be prepared. If you can take less credits next semester and get all A's that's a better use of your time. College is low credits (compared to where I am at Vet school, but I hear Penn(we) is the exception credit wise). I'm taking some 30+ credits, while in college I was only taking 13-17 credits a semester, so each point mattered a lot more. You need to pull your GPA up from the Chem hit. While going through life you need to experience it and live it, so do what you need to do and take ceramics or basket weaving or whatever you want. It's only through retrospection, you're like, **** it, should have just done what I needed. So this advice only sounds like this because I'm no longer going through that experience and it's so "easy" for me to phrase it like this: get your A's , take what requirements you need to get into Vet school, do the best you can, forget "knowing" it. You retain what you do on the regular unless you're just smarter than the average but hey, I ain't that smart. I vote no for Bio, unless you really need the GPA boost. Focus on other **** like physics and neuro and biochem etc etc (I'm assuming Chem 101 was orgo, don't take Pchem if you don't have to)...

 

[Stroganoff]

(I'm assuming Chem 101 was orgo, don't take Pchem if you don't have to)...

Probably Gen Chem not orgo O-Chem.

 

[grebes4lyfe]

the part that draws....

Goes under the jaw

I’m surprised you forgot that the dog is the final authority...