Dear Reader II

Hey K, this blog is incredible and exactly what I need right now. I'm going to Cal this fall and majoring in Integrative Bio, just like you. I just had a few questions: 1. you mentioned in a previous post that an A is different than an A- in college, whereas in high school they're weighted the same when calculating GPA-- could you explain that a little? 2. how much time do you spend studying/reading/doing homework each day? (are you a bad procrastinator?) haha :) 3. what do you do in your spare time (if you have any)? 4. ... are you male or female? 5. Looking back on your first semester, is there anything you would change? would you do anything differently? Thank you so much!! you're a lifesaver.

Dear Anonymous,

So glad I could help! :D

1. In high school, there is no difference between an A and an A-. If you get three A's and three A-'s on a report card in high school, then your GPA is a 4.0. If you get the same grades in college, it's lower (depending on how many units each class is worth). There is no difference in grade points between an A and an A+, but there is a difference between an A and an A-. For example, let's say in college, you took three classes, each worth 4 units. If you get A's in all three classes, your GPA would be a 4.0. However, if you got one A-, then your GPA would be a 3.9. Unfair, isn't it? ; ) 

2. How much time I spend studying/reading/doing homework is difficult to say. There are periods of time when I spend five/six hours straight just studying and/or doing work (but that's when I have midterms/finals coming up). Other times, I work for an hour or two and then take a break. In all, after my classes, I make sure to dedicate a good portion of my day to getting my work done because after 8 pm or so, my will to work leaves me hahaha. (This is not including the study groups I go to- which take up even more time). Also, living in Unit 3, it was difficult to study after that time since my floor was really social and people would come into our room periodically and sit there talking (I'm not a big library person). (I tend not to procrastinate too much ; ) 

3. In my spare time, I hang out with my roommates/floormmates/friends. My roommate and I like to watch movies so we spend a lot of time doing that. I also go get Boba with my friends frequently, or yogurt. Sometimes we go to SF :). I don't drink or party much, but my roommates go a few times a month, either to the frats or to the clubs in SF (and they also have full class loads- although not premed, one is taking all the premed classes). Karaoke is always fun, albeit a bit pricey. However, keep in mind that this is not every day. There are some days that I stay in my room the entire day, although not that often. There isn't really a dull moment here; you can always find something to do : )

4. I am female : ) 

5. I can either give you a philosophical answer or a straight forward answer to this question hahaha. My philosophical answer would be- no, I wouldn't do anything differently or change anything, because then I wouldn't have anything to grow from. My first year was an intense learning experience for me, and a very humbling one at that. However, a straight forward answer would be- yes, I would change a few things if I could. First, I wouldn't go into my first midterm with a big head. Since the lectures were a breeze, I naturally thought the test would be too. Make sure to take your time and use ALL the time they give you to double/triple/quadruple check your answers. Go to professor office hours and SLC study groups religiously. Take advantage of drop-in tutoring! Also, don't freak out if you fail your first/second/third midterm, most likely, many others did too ; ). Do ALL of the practice tests they offer and get familiar with the testing style of your teacher-fast. Study during thanksgiving/spring break (easier said than done). And lastly, don't be afraid to have a little fun. Make sure you indulge in the complete college experience when you can. Go to a frat party, join a club, do an intramural sport, volunteer, take fun classes- classes that you actually want to take- not just GPA boosters ; ). This is the only time when you will be able to. Get close to your roommates/floormates- you'll be stuck with them for a year and most likely, they'll become some of your closest friends. 

Your first year will go by quickly so make sure to enjoy every minute of it! 

I hope this helps! Have a great summer and see you next year! 

From,

K