How I Raised My GPA
It’s no secret -- I wasn’t really doing well my first two years at Stanford ( a little bit of my junior year). General chemistry was a shit show, Cs all around and the only classes I managed to do well in were Yoruba, Thinking Matters, and PWR -- all classes that were basic general education requirements. My very first quarter at Stanford, my GPA was a 3.24, science GPA 2.4. Not so hot. I figured I just take all my pre med classes at a post bacc or community college where it would be easier.
After reflecting on my first two years (check out that video), I made the decision to get back into pre med course because quite frankly ya girl was on a no loans path and I didn’t want to have to take out loans for a post bacc. So my junior year, I switched my major from Psychology to Human Biology and began planning the next two years to start (and finish) a new major while trying to complete as many pre med classes as I could. I knew moving forward I was looking at 17+ unit quarters, but I was determined to do it. My junior year suffered. I had jumped back into pre med and science classes, but I was still getting Cs! I was distraught because my science and overall GPA were only going down. So during winter break, I had a melt down. I was crying day and night, and just felt like it’d be impossible to go to medical school at this point. But as my saying goes, you get one day to cry and then spend the other 6 days finding a solution. That’s exactly what I did, I picked myself up. I told myself I’d try academic skill coaching again and that I would reevaluate the way I learn and study. Then I made a video about picking yourself back up (watch here). If you are a true subscriber and have already watched the video, you’d never know I had just had a melt down, I’m here to say now, ya girl shed some tears before I filmed that video.
I came back to school winter quarter, determined to turn things around, after all I still had one more year to prove myself. Alana, from Stanford academic skill coaching, was the boost of confidence I needed. She reaffirmed my intelligence. It also helped that her husband was in residency and she had tons of friends of color who pursued medicine --- so she’s understood me and why it’s was so important I did well. I made a change. I started taking school seriously, I asked questions in class, I did psets with others, I went to office hours. I started doing things that were necessary to succeed. It’s important to note that simultaneously, I was in therapy for my depression and anxiety, so overall, I was doing a lot better emotional wise and was better able to refocus my attention on school. Slowly, my Cs turned into Bs by the end of my junior year. It wasn’t quite where I wanted to be, but man it was an improvement.
Senior year, I came back with a vengeance. I knew I was capable of getting Bs, so it was time to go hard for As. At the same time, I had just lost 20 pounds and became a lot more active and overall, I was healthier, both physically and mentally. Senior year was my year to prove that I deserved to go to medical school. I was taking bio chem, ochem, and some other upper division bio classes to raise my science GPA. I continued to go to OH, found that being collaborative with others helped me do better. I was more intentional about the relationships I built with professors and I kept myself accountable for staying on top of all my classes, but I did not sacrifice social/fun time, and you shouldn't have too.
At last, once I had made significant academic and lifestyle changes, I was able to really focus my energy on ending senior year strong. My senior year GPA was a 3.78, the highest GPA I’d ever seen in my entire Stanford Career. I only got two Bs that entire year. If I could do it, you most definitely can too. The pre med journey is meant to weed people out, discourage and beat people down, especially students of color, but you are smarter, stronger, and more resilient than any chemistry class thrown your way. It’s important to recognize when you’re not doing well and address the root cause. Don’t be silent and give up on your dream, SAY SOMETHING. Talk to people who have been in your shoes, remind yourself of the reasons you wanted to pursue medicine in the first place. Imagine a world with one less doctor, don’t let that be you.
