Originally Posted by K-Luv
Well, first off, is the scholarship institutional? Or is it from an outside source? Is it semester based? Yearly based? Or cumulative? I got a scholarship for biology. If I fell below the minimal GPA, I was put on a warning, in which I had to meet or exceed the minimum GPA the next semester (based on that semester's grades, not cumulative). If I fell below the following semester, once again I would have been put on warning. Repeat. I only fell below once, by the way.
Kudos to him for teaching you how to write a proper paper (draft, review, revise, and so on)! It absolutely amazes me how many college students cannot (couldn't) write their way through a basic college paper, even though they claim[ed] up and down their work was gold.
Your opinion on whether or not anyone writes like that is moot. If that is how the prof wants you to write and present information, then that is how you are going to write. And three things I have learned are that: 1) different profs are going to demand different writing styles. 2) different journals and other publications demand different styles for submissions, regardless of what is considered standard or "modern". 3) if you want to be a trail-blazer and get creative with your papers, you'll have to do that on your own time.
Don't know what to tell you, you will fade into the crowd. You can be the top student at your school and while you may get recognition on the Dean's List, no one is going to hand you stars and brownies for your effort. In fact, outside of graduation rank, no one is going to care let alone notice. You are not in high school anymore. No one care about cliques or social standing. Well, not to the effect they do in high school, and generally the concept of being "cool" or the best or "in" fades away. No one is going to hold your hand. If you are failing a course, your professor more-than-likely will not say anything; even if you are the type to stay after class to shoot the breeze. So the sooner you get used to the idea that you are just another student, the better off you will be.
As StarlaJane pointed out, grading on a curve can be a blessing and a curse. Don't assume it will always boost your grade, and to be perfectly frank, it pissed me off to no end knowing that my good grade helped bring up some slackers grade. Yup, students tend to put studying on the back-burning if they know the prof is going to curve the grades. I mean, why not? Your C could turn into a high B. So why bother?
I hate profs who grade on a curve. To me it shows they are bad teachers at the most. Or good teachers who are just afraid of losing their jobs (adjuncts, for example). Call it pride or what ever, but I always believed the grade I got was the grade I earned. If I got a low grade, I accepted it and did my best to improve the next time. Failing is how we learn.
But....I actually enjoyed the competition in class. It pushed me to do the best I could, but honestly, what ever my grades were, I always knew that I gave it my best and in the end that was all that ultimately mattered to me.
Since biology majors are required to take a year of gen chem and a year of organic chem, the gen chem courses are generally not weed out courses. A quick look at UTs website shows that there are two orgo II courses, one of which is indicated as Chem Majors only. That one is the weed out course.
Gen Chem is fairly easy on one hand. The math is basic arithmetic with the hardest part being conversion of units. On the other hand, I found it more difficult than orgo because at least in orgo you focus on narrow range of topics as opposed to the broad-view of topics covered in gen chem.
@esker regarding study, study, study...and do extra homework ...I disagree. One thing you will realize (hopefully) is that profs generally tell you the material they want you to learn. Which is generally the material they will test you on. I say generally because on occasion there is that one prof who will test on material not covered in lecture, the reading, homework assignments, etc. But they are rare since most profs don't want to spend any more time grading your tests/papers/homework than you do doing them.
It's simply a waste of time to study stuff you are not asked, or otherwise required, to study. It might make you a smarty pants, but it will take time away from the material you should be studying, and in reality, it creates an awkward situation where even though you begin the answer correctly, you "talk" your way into a wrong answer by including too much irrelevant information.
Simply put: only study what they profs ask you to study, and only answer the questions by answering only what is being asked.
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