I was hoping I could get some informed responses to my questions about getting a phd.
First let me get some of my background out of the way:
I did poorly in high school because of being lazy etc.. I barely graduated. For lack of other options I went to a local four-year university out of high school where I continued the same trend of extreme laziness, flunking everything, taking classes over and over and over again, and eventually being kicked out via academic suspension after three years. Fast forward four years and a 180 happened in my desire for education. I started back to school at a community college (one of my state's best CCs) last year and should be getting my associates degree in computer science this fall. I have a 3.5 GPA at my current school (down from 3.74 last semester). I started strong but lost some steam more recently with a lazy streak and am now trying to pick it back up.
I want to go on to a university to get my bachelor, and then to grad school to do a phd someday. My associates can transfer directly to any school in my state. So here are my questions:
1) I really want to go to a grad school that's got some prestige to it. I know I won't get into the BIG private schools like Vanderbilt, Duke, Yale, Harvard, etc. But I'd like to go somewhere with some level of prestige. I've thought about somewhere like William & Mary, or Rutgers, etc.. Please recommend some schools I can check out.
2) I'd like to pursue my phd in biology, but my undergrad major is computer science. Does the phd have to match the undergrad? Does my bachelors have to be relevant?
3) What does it take to become a phd candidate? What would be required of me, for instance, grades-wise, experience, etc.?
Please note that at this point I'm just asking casually. I'm obviously ignorant of this matter and just need some information so I can start the process of thinking about all of this.
Thanks.
If you plan to complete your bachelor's in Computer Science, then as you do it, be sure to take electives in biology to develop a background, and if you do well in the classes, that's definitely a big plus. It's not necessary for your current major to be related, but for graduate studies the universities want to know that you have potential. Plus in your application essays there's always an angle you can find: such as your CS studies helped hone your reasoning skills, which are important in the natural sciences. Also, make preparations for the GRE... there are plenty of resources available to help you prepare.
There are many universities that aren't of the Harvard or Yale caliber, but with prestige and name recognition, like UC Berkeley or U Michigan, that you can apply to. I'd suggest first applying for a master's program in biology instead of going straight into a PhD program; you need to build up that foundation.
Good luck!!
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 16, 2017, 03:04:52 AM
I was hoping I could get some informed responses to my questions about getting a phd.
First let me get some of my background out of the way:
I did poorly in high school because of being lazy etc.. I barely graduated. For lack of other options I went to a local four-year university out of high school where I continued the same trend of extreme laziness, flunking everything, taking classes over and over and over again, and eventually being kicked out via academic suspension after three years. Fast forward four years and a 180 happened in my desire for education. I started back to school at a community college (one of my state's best CCs) last year and should be getting my associates degree in computer science this fall. I have a 3.5 GPA at my current school (down from 3.74 last semester). I started strong but lost some steam more recently with a lazy streak and am now trying to pick it back up.
I want to go on to a university to get my bachelor, and then to grad school to do a phd someday. My associates can transfer directly to any school in my state. So here are my questions:
1) I really want to go to a grad school that's got some prestige to it. I know I won't get into the BIG private schools like Vanderbilt, Duke, Yale, Harvard, etc. But I'd like to go somewhere with some level of prestige. I've thought about somewhere like William & Mary, or Rutgers, etc.. Please recommend some schools I can check out.
2) I'd like to pursue my phd in biology, but my undergrad major is computer science. Does the phd have to match the undergrad? Does my bachelors have to be relevant?
3) What does it take to become a phd candidate? What would be required of me, for instance, grades-wise, experience, etc.?
Please note that at this point I'm just asking casually. I'm obviously ignorant of this matter and just need some information so I can start the process of thinking about all of this.
Thanks.
You are getting ahead of yourself. I do IT for a living ... do you want to teach? Research in Computer Science is minimal. Only go to college if you can pay for it up front, don't go into debt. For your BSc to to any school that will accept you, preferably in-state so you can live at home ... unless you simply enjoy blowing money. If you do enjoy blowing money, become a financial advisor or economist ;-) On your binary behavior ... have you seen a doctor? Do you have chronic fatigue or something else? If you are ill, you need medical care. Unfortunately they can't do much about chronic fatigue (my wife had it) and the auto-immune disease that is behind it, made her manic-depressive. And manic-depressive will take a severe cut out of any success you might earn in life.
After you get to your Junior year in BSc ... then we can talk about grad school. Or maybe you just have grandiose delusions ... in which case political office is in your future.
"I do IT for a living ..."
:snicker:
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on March 16, 2017, 11:42:57 AM
"I do IT for a living ..."
:snicker:
30 years IT plus Aerospace Engineering. As a sailor, what did you major in ... tattoos and girls? -)
Quote from: Baruch on March 16, 2017, 12:37:11 PM
30 years IT plus Aerospace Engineering. As a sailor, what did you major in ... tattoos and girls? -)
You missed the pun. Think more scatologically. (I had counted on that.)
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on March 16, 2017, 04:45:23 PM
You missed the pun. Think more scatologically. (I had counted on that.)
:snicker: - that looked like a candy bar to me ;-)
Like another member said, I think you are getting way ahead of yourself.
College is about figuring out your interests, not only building a career. So take time, a couple of years, to figure out what you are interested in and then study that. A jump from computer science to biology tells me you are unsure about what each of these majors entail, and the respective fields you can get into.
To answer one of your questions, no it is not impossible to get into a graduate school to study biology if you have a bachelor's in computer science. But, without necessary background in biology, chances are you will be rejected.
As far as what university, it depends on several factors: your degree/prospective graduate major, location (do you want to move away or stay local), cost (how much can you afford, or are you prepared to take out loans), your grades. Prestigious schools are, obviously, more competitive to get into and require high grades, high test scores, and unique experiences. But, prestige shouldn't be the criteria to pick a school. Yes, it's nice on the resume, but each school has its strengths and weaknesses, so do some research about each school and compare its prospects to what you want to do.
I went to a state university, but my state university was top 10 research university in the US, which aligned with my interests at the time. It was also local, like I preferred, relatively inexpensive, and had a well-recommended (by working mentors) engineering program. Pick the university that works for you, not the one that is good on paper.
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
You don't need a sheep skin, or even an education. You are a future used car salesman. Get out on that lot and sell more lemons.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
That's a rather interesting motivation. While prestige and social status are indeed motivations people take into consideration when making major life choices, having it as the only motivation might not lead to the happiness you seek.
Quote from: The Skeletal Atheist on March 18, 2017, 10:13:46 AM
That's a rather interesting motivation. While prestige and social status are indeed motivations people take into consideration when making major life choices, having it as the only motivation might not lead to the happiness you seek.
He can always be the next Emperor Norton:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Norton
I smell egomania ... or inferiority complex.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
You have to really want it. You can't just get a PhD, it's a huge, overwhelming, all consuming amount of work.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
Many people don't respect a person with a PhD, even one who contributes substantially to his area of expertise, so just having a PhD is a rather expensive way of trying to be prestigious in front of a lot of people who don't give a shit anyway. What a PhD does is teach you the tools you will need to do research and add to the current body of knowledge in your field, or to pass on the body of knowledge by teaching at a university. Most university professors also do research. Publish or perish is the adage that comes to my mind. If you do it exceptionally well, you may or may not acquire prestige.
I think most people would see a guy with a PhD as kind of pretentious if all he got it for was to be prestigious. And to be quite blunt, in my mind, just getting a PhD for the prestige would be defined as pretentious. You could end up losing prestige, rather than acquiring it.
BS - bull shit
MS - more of the same
PhD - piled higher and deeper
I get a raft of shit from some people, just for being an uppity college graduate (MS in my case).
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
Just go buy one from some diploma mill. Then you can pretend all you want.
Quote from: sdelsolray on March 18, 2017, 09:43:07 PM
Just go buy one from some diploma mill. Then you can pretend all you want.
It's more about what makes me happy. The prestige is not
completely the motivation. I have a genuine interest in science. But a phd is not required to have a good understanding of science. It boils down to.....I want to accomplish something great in my life, a phd is a great accomplishment, so I'd like to try to get one.
Well, for what its worth, I got kicked out of the state university for low grades in the early 70s. Too much political activism and not enough studying. I got a good job anyway because I lied about it. But I went back in the 90s and succeeded. I had learned to write, think, and express myself clearly. I took seminar classes competing with grad students and dedicated undergrads focussed on the subjects and got straight "A"s.
One professor asked me to be a teaching assistant "The Politics of The Vietnam War". I declined, having a career job in telecommunications, but the offer meant a lot.
The diploma (Bachelor Of Science in Government and Political Science) had utterly no effect on my career. No one where I worked ever knew I got it or didn't have it before.
But it meant a lot to ME personally.
If it helps your career, do it. But if it doesn't, do it anyway. It will matter to you all the rest of your life.
Cavebear
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 18, 2017, 11:02:54 PM
It's more about what makes me happy. The prestige is not completely the motivation. I have a genuine interest in science. But a phd is not required to have a good understanding of science. It boils down to.....I want to accomplish something great in my life, a phd is a great accomplishment, so I'd like to try to get one.
I do understand that need for self-regard. I had been doing computer operations for a long time. Not programming, not engineering. I was worried that I might have lost the knack. So two years ago I studied some advanced computer science .. quantum computing and cryptography. Took an on-line course (Youtube) of quantum mechanics from Stanford. Read on-line unpublished textbooks/lecture notes from guys at Cal Tech. Learned how to do one kind of actual cryptography. We all like a challenge now and then. But this only cost me time and effort, it didn't cost any money. School is very expensive these days.
And there are other kinds of great accomplishment. Being a son, husband and father are my favorites. But that isn't for everyone (some of us are daughters, others will never marry or raise children). Keeping a stead job, now a days ... is a great accomplishment. Learning a foreign language is a great accomplishment. I wish you luck in doing something toward realizing that your life is worthwhile. It already is, you just don't know it yet.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 17, 2017, 06:34:48 PM
The only reason I want phd is for the prestige of having one. I pretty much just want one to have one. That's it. Good enough reason for my mind. I don't really care about "what works for me", because I'm not basing this on that kind of criteria. I just want the phd to be able to say I've got one. That's it. I'm going for prestige and nothing else, so the prestige of the school not only matters, but its the only thing that matters to me.
No one is going to hand you a prestigious degree; you have to put in a tremendous amount of effort.
A 3.5 GPA likely won't do you any good whether for admission into a prestigious university, or for graduating with Ph.D. -- need to focus 3.7+, especially major GPA. I do not say that to discourage you; just telling you how it is. At William & Mary, for example, you need 3.7 GPA in 7 of 8 courses and no lower grade than B-, and above 3.0 cumulative GPA to graduate with a Ph.D in Computer Science (http://"http://catalog.wm.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=14&poid=2787") (they do not have Ph.D in Biology). As far as admission, this may interest you (from W&M FAQ (http://"http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/how-to-apply/transfers/faqs-OLD/index.php")):
QuoteDo you have a minimum GPA requirement?
The admission committee prefers to see academic achievement at the 3.5 level or higher, but considers other factors such as strength of curriculum and number of credit hours. If a course has been repeated for a grade, both the original grade and the grade earned in the repeated course will be reviewed.
How do you determine a student's GPA if he or she has attended more than one college or university?
The admission committee will review each individual cumulative GPA from each institution attended. The admission committee will look at factors such as dates of attendance and grade trends when reviewing multiple college transcripts.
And graduate admissions, from my experience, look at your extracurricular activities and what you do besides studying for exams. Do you work? Do you volunteer? It is good to find a professor and work with him/her, build rapport and get involved in activities. Strong letters of recommendation will go a long way to remedy lower GPA or past academic failures.
Actually, I think the key to a PHD is to have some really interesting idea in the subject. That's not as easy as it sounds. A PHD really requires some new idea. They don't hand them out for just taking lots of classes.
You learn stuff getting to your Masters. You get the PHD for going beyond known learning to some strange idea and defending it.
Quote from: Cavebear on March 25, 2017, 02:50:18 AM
Actually, I think the key to a PHD is to have some really interesting idea in the subject. That's not as easy as it sounds. A PHD really requires some new idea. They don't hand them out for just taking lots of classes.
You learn stuff getting to your Masters. You get the PHD for going beyond known learning to some strange idea and defending it.
In the US. It is different in Russia for instance .. a PhD is awarded after many years of professional work, as an award, not as a degree. Such a person will have done much peer-reviewed research, not just one example.
Quote from: Sylar on March 23, 2017, 03:17:16 PM
No one is going to hand you a prestigious degree; you have to put in a tremendous amount of effort.
A 3.5 GPA likely won't do you any good whether for admission into a prestigious university, or for graduating with Ph.D. -- need to focus 3.7+, especially major GPA. I do not say that to discourage you; just telling you how it is. At William & Mary, for example, you need 3.7 GPA in 7 of 8 courses and no lower grade than B-, and above 3.0 cumulative GPA to graduate with a Ph.D in Computer Science (http://"http://catalog.wm.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=14&poid=2787") (they do not have Ph.D in Biology). As far as admission, this may interest you (from W&M FAQ (http://"http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/how-to-apply/transfers/faqs-OLD/index.php")):
And graduate admissions, from my experience, look at your extracurricular activities and what you do besides studying for exams. Do you work? Do you volunteer? It is good to find a professor and work with him/her, build rapport and get involved in activities. Strong letters of recommendation will go a long way to remedy lower GPA or past academic failures.
Ok, I'll give you the rundown of my education so far:
Prior to last semester, I had a 3.74 GPA. Last semester I made a C in my first computer science class and shot my GPA down to a 3.48. I suppose I can always retake this class and get it back up there.
I'm currently at CC, and my state's CCs have a program that, if you complete the associate of science degree, it will transfer seamlessly as a junior to virtually all public (and some private) universities in the state.
Recently, the head of the computer science department at a university in my state visited our computer science class and spoke about his school and their program. The school itself is not particularly renowned (though it's a perfectly good school), but their school of computer science is very highly renowned. They offer the only undergraduate degree in bioinformatics (the field I'm interested in) in the state. They award full scholarships to students who complete the transfer degree program with a qualifying GPA. Mine is sufficient. I only have 8 more courses counting the ones I'm taking this semester to graduate with my associates degree. Then I'll be transferring.
My dream school is Vanderbilt. This is the school I'm aiming for for grad school. The head of the computer science department of the university mentioned above has two phds from Vanderbilt. He personally tries to help high achieving students get there, and I believe that if I make it clear to the department heads what my goals are, and do very well, they will help me to achieve it.
Of course the damning dark spot on my record will be the horrendous experience I had on my first college attempt back when I first started college. I flunked nearly everything, taking some classes several times and never passing them. I made no progress and it was just a complete failure of unbelievable proportions. I took a four-year gap and started at my current college. Since then my grades have been good.
So, what do you think? Go for it, or give up the dream?
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 26, 2017, 03:04:05 AM
Ok, I'll give you the rundown of my education so far:
Prior to last semester, I had a 3.74 GPA. Last semester I made a C in my first computer science class and shot my GPA down to a 3.48. I suppose I can always retake this class and get it back up there.
I'm currently at CC, and my state's CCs have a program that, if you complete the associate of science degree, it will transfer seamlessly as a junior to virtually all public (and some private) universities in the state.
Recently, the head of the computer science department at a university in my state visited our computer science class and spoke about his school and their program. The school itself is not particularly renowned (though it's a perfectly good school), but their school of computer science is very highly renowned. They offer the only undergraduate degree in bioinformatics (the field I'm interested in) in the state. They award full scholarships to students who complete the transfer degree program with a qualifying GPA. Mine is sufficient. I only have 8 more courses counting the ones I'm taking this semester to graduate with my associates degree. Then I'll be transferring.
My dream school is Vanderbilt. This is the school I'm aiming for for grad school. The head of the computer science department of the university mentioned above has two phds from Vanderbilt. He personally tries to help high achieving students get there, and I believe that if I make it clear to the department heads what my goals are, and do very well, they will help me to achieve it.
Of course the damning dark spot on my record will be the horrendous experience I had on my first college attempt back when I first started college. I flunked nearly everything, taking some classes several times and never passing them. I made no progress and it was just a complete failure of unbelievable proportions. I took a four-year gap and started at my current college. Since then my grades have been good.
So, what do you think? Go for it, or give up the dream?
Go for it. Persistence is worthwhile. Universities are good at forgiving early grade problems because young adults change. When I went back to the State University after 20 years, they eliminated my early failures with the stroke of a pen. "Like it never happened" as one commercial says.
I took hard seminar classes with dedicated seniors and some grad students in the classes and sailed right through. I was actually "the smartest guy in the room" in spite of having been kicked out 20 years earlier for poor grades. I was a poor student the first time around; I changed.
What they care about is "What can you learn now?".
What degree you get is determined by what you want. I wanted a BS in Government and Politics and I got it. I could have gone farther without much effort, but I didn't feel a need to do that.
And don't mistake a degree for knowledge. You can have either or both.
A brief story as evidence... At a Thanksgiving dinner, I was seated across the table from some guy I knew nothing about. A bit of conversation regarded human migration to North America and we ended up talking for 2 hours. He assumed I had a PhD on the subject. Unknown to me, he was the Anthropology Chair at a State University. And my brother in law's brother. LOL!
He was so shocked that I "only" had a BS in Government and Politics that he bugged my sister for the 3 days he stayed there to make sure I wasn't kidding him. He said I knew more than most of his grad students. Well, I'm an avid amateur. Which is why I mention that knowledge and degrees aren't exactly the same.
So do you want the degree or the knowledge? Knowledge is easier to acquire.
Myelin ... yes, keep at it, computer science isn't a bad choice, provided you pair it with something real like biology, finance etc. You are doing better than I did in college, and like Wile E Coyote, I'm a genius.
I hope you guys are right. I'm not sure if Vandy is going to be an option at this point. Like you guys said, all I can do is show what I'm capable of now. I just hope I can get in the good graces of these guys at the university and have them help me make it.
Quote from: Baruch on March 26, 2017, 09:32:52 AMcomputer science isn't a bad choice, provided you pair it with something real like biology, finance etc.
Yes, I'm adding a biological component to my computer science degree by majoring in bioinformatics.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 26, 2017, 11:58:48 AM
I hope you guys are right. I'm not sure if Vandy is going to be an option at this point. Like you guys said, all I can do is show what I'm capable of now. I just hope I can get in the good graces of these guys at the university and have them help me make it.
Yes, I'm adding a biological component to my computer science degree by majoring in bioinformatics.
Today, people who only program, are those who grew up in a mud hut in India.
Quote from: Baruch on March 26, 2017, 01:51:13 PM
Today, people who only program, are those who grew up in a mud hut in India.
What??
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 26, 2017, 03:38:25 PM
What??
If you can't program for $6 per hour, with 10 years experience, forget it. You can't compete against the artificially high price of the dollar vs the rupee. An experienced programmer in India, goes for $12 per hour, but he has to give half of that to the job shop. My job is the same in the US, the government pays a total of twice what I make to retain my services locally. My speciality being military medical support. If we gave the work to the Indians, I would be out of a job in a pink slip week. We haven't gone "late Roman" on DoD stuff yet.
Quote from: Baruch on March 26, 2017, 10:20:47 PM
If you can't program for $6 per hour, with 10 years experience, forget it. You can't compete against the artificially high price of the dollar vs the rupee. An experienced programmer in India, goes for $12 per hour, but he has to give half of that to the job shop. My job is the same in the US, the government pays a total of twice what I make to retain my services locally. My speciality being military medical support. If we gave the work to the Indians, I would be out of a job in a pink slip week. We haven't gone "late Roman" on DoD stuff yet.
Not if the most "terrific" president in history has anything to say about it.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 27, 2017, 01:33:10 AM
Not if the most "terrific" president in history has anything to say about it.
If a President isn't more than a CIA psyop ... you mean. The Ds got a whole lot of nothing out of Obama. The Rs will get a whole lot of nothing out of Trump. See with Obama, the Rs are cock blockers. With Trump both Ds and Rs are cock blockers.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 26, 2017, 03:04:05 AM
Ok, I'll give you the rundown of my education so far:
Prior to last semester, I had a 3.74 GPA. Last semester I made a C in my first computer science class and shot my GPA down to a 3.48. I suppose I can always retake this class and get it back up there.
I'm currently at CC, and my state's CCs have a program that, if you complete the associate of science degree, it will transfer seamlessly as a junior to virtually all public (and some private) universities in the state.
Recently, the head of the computer science department at a university in my state visited our computer science class and spoke about his school and their program. The school itself is not particularly renowned (though it's a perfectly good school), but their school of computer science is very highly renowned. They offer the only undergraduate degree in bioinformatics (the field I'm interested in) in the state. They award full scholarships to students who complete the transfer degree program with a qualifying GPA. Mine is sufficient. I only have 8 more courses counting the ones I'm taking this semester to graduate with my associates degree. Then I'll be transferring.
My dream school is Vanderbilt. This is the school I'm aiming for for grad school. The head of the computer science department of the university mentioned above has two phds from Vanderbilt. He personally tries to help high achieving students get there, and I believe that if I make it clear to the department heads what my goals are, and do very well, they will help me to achieve it.
Of course the damning dark spot on my record will be the horrendous experience I had on my first college attempt back when I first started college. I flunked nearly everything, taking some classes several times and never passing them. I made no progress and it was just a complete failure of unbelievable proportions. I took a four-year gap and started at my current college. Since then my grades have been good.
So, what do you think? Go for it, or give up the dream?
I would say go for it, persistence is key, and failure is just part of the process. No one succeeds without failing and if you're not failing then you're not trying.
Past may be a dark spot, but graduate admissions are more than just a look at your transcripts -- there are essays where you can make your case, and then there are face-to-face interviews. If you show genuine interest and drive towards whatever it is you set out to do then more likely than not they will see through the dark spot and consider you.
The past you can do nothing about. The future, yes, and that's where your focus needs to be. If you are struggling with a particular subject, get tutoring; most colleges/universities offer it for free. Internet is also great help; there's a lot of tutoring material available, even whole courses on YouTube. When I took Engineer-In-Training exam a couple of years ago, I hadn't taken some material that was going to be tested, and I learned it watching YouTube videos.
Never settle for low grades. It is hard to get your GPA back up when it starts going down. Assuming you have completed 36 units with 3.48 GPA and need 24 more to graduate (avg AA degree requires 60 units), you will need 27 units with a grade of A in order to attain 3.7 GPA (that is 9 courses 3 units each). Again, not trying to discourage you; just laying out information for you, so it helps you make informed decisions.
Quote from: Sylar on March 27, 2017, 12:58:40 PM
Never settle for low grades. It is hard to get your GPA back up when it starts going down. Assuming you have completed 36 units with 3.48 GPA and need 24 more to graduate (avg AA degree requires 60 units), you will need 27 units with a grade of A in order to attain 3.7 GPA (that is 9 courses 3 units each). Again, not trying to discourage you; just laying out information for you, so it helps you make informed decisions.
Well, I'm not going from the Associates degree straight to the phd obviously. I'm getting my bachelors, so there will be plenty of classes to raise my GPA. Plus, I'm going to retake that first computer science course I got a C in.
Quote from: MyelinSheath on March 28, 2017, 04:40:52 AM
Well, I'm not going from the Associates degree straight to the phd obviously. I'm getting my bachelors, so there will be plenty of classes to raise my GPA. Plus, I'm going to retake that first computer science course I got a C in.
That sounds good. Remember that you can also withdraw from courses and take GE courses pass/no pass.
Withdrawing is a double-edged sword; it can help you as it doesn't affect GPA, and it can hurt you as too many of them look bad on transcript, especially if they were major courses. GE classes you can generally take pass/no pass so they do not affect your GPA, but you have to check with your counselor before you do that.
Retaking courses you did poorly in can always be explained. A bad year, an ill parent, hard job. Succeeding in a repeated course shows determination.