Dental Can you help with my pre-dental undergrad schedule?

[TanMan]

Hi I'm a freshman biology major in need of help with my schedule. I was reading forums and noticed that most people are taking two science classes per semester like biology and chemistry but my advisors never instructed us to do so. Kinda in hope for a layout for pre-dental these upcoming years, should I pick up chemistry this second semester? Also if it matters will be changing to a liberal arts major because I'm more interested but still will take prerequisite.

A lot of advisors will tell you not to take two sciences because there are people who are ill prepared to take two science courses from high school. It is generic advice that works for most people.

I think at this stage, taking chemistry is a bit of a gamble, as past performance may be indicative of future performance. This depends on the circumstances as to why you got a C in Bio. I would be concerned if you took Chemistry and ended up dragging your Biology and Chemistry grades simultaneously.

You really need to bolster your bcp/science GPA significantly, since you are not off to a good start - 5 units with a C. I think BCP GPA is calculated separately now v. science GPA, so you don't have the luxury of using science underwaterbasketweaving courses to make your BCP GPA look higher unless you take "easy" Bio/Chem/Physics intro courses that are typically offered to non-science majors, which you will become.

So... strategically, I'd probably take as many underwater basket weaving biology, chemistry, or physics courses in your second semester to bolster your BCP gpa, increase your overall sci gpa, and create a strong buffer for things to come.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Every university (in the United States at least) usually has a dedicated office for academic advising which accumulates various curriculum template sheets for majors. I know as a biology major, you are probably having difficulty meeting with professional or faculty advisors in your major, but you should find out who your health professions advisor is (in career services, in the department, or somewhere else in the university). They are the ones that have familiarity with your general education requirements more than we do (why I think you are taking history classes), which you have to fit in order to graduate with your degree. I don't know if you have found an affinity group/student group of interested premedical/predental/prehealth students, but often you can find some insight from older students who can give you a perspective on what to do.

Regardless, not doing well in biology if it's your first college class is a little concerning. In general you probably should be ramping up from 2 science/math classes in freshman year up to taking 3-4 by your junior/senior year. Coursework rigor is a big deal for many schools and how well you can juggle a semester's worth of challenging courses is often a selection factor. In dental school you won't have many options in your first year and you'd be taking what would be the equivalent of 24-28 hours each semester. I agree to think twice before taking chemistry, but I also think you need to find someone who can help you with navigating the biology major track and take advantage of any tutorial help you can get.