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College Answer Guy Columns
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Written by Lance Millis
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Monday, 09 June 2008 00:55 |
Last week’s column was about how best to prepare for a career in the health professions. I intentionally didn’t discuss grades, figuring “everybody knows you have to have great grades to get into med school”. Only after the column appeared did I remember how often students are unrealistic about their own ability to ‘get in’.So here’s the reality: - If you want to be a medical professional, but aren’t good at science courses, you’re not being realistic.
- Unless you retake the class, any “C” in a required science class could keep you from being accepted.
- Without a 3.5 GPA in required science courses, you’ll probably need a personal recommendation from the big guy upstairs, or will need to ‘top out’ the admission test (or maybe both).
-------------------------Parents, did you know that without your child filing specific paperwork allowing it, you will not have access to their academic records? Because of the Buckley Amendment, also referred to as the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the academic records of any individual attending a school beyond high school are to remain confidential, except when specifically requested in writing by the individual whose records are in question. This means schools must have written permission from the student in order to release any information from their educational record. This applies to speaking with their academic advisor or professor about their performance. These regulations are intended to protect the student (imagine an estranged family member gaining access to grades or contact information and using it to harm the student), and not to keep secrets from parents. The bottom line is that the school doesn’t have any information your student doesn’t have access to, and open communication between you and your student will negate the need for access to these records anyway. Each college has its own procedures and forms to address access to information. Check with the Registrar’s Office at your child’s institution.-------------------------Test-taking strategy – On multiple choice tests, if you feel like you know the material you will be tested over, but have difficulty deciding which of the existing answers to choose on the test, try this… When you read the question, cover up the answers with your hand or a piece of paper. Come up with what you think the answer is, then look at the answers and see which one is the closest. People sometimes know the material, but get confused or distracted when reading the answers, often talking themselves out of correct answers. It also saves time by eliminating re-reading the question repeatedly. It reduces the possibility of ‘visual recognition’ as a false positive – seeing a particular piece of information in a specific context within the course and presuming it makes that answer correct. It also encourages self-confidence, preparation, and self-trust. Submit your questions to
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, and visit www.collegeanswerguy.com and www.collegeprep101.com.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 05 April 2009 21:03 )
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