1St Year English To Boost One's Gpa

[SkepticalStudent]

I don't know how sacrilegious it is to discuss GPA boosting, but I have a question about this. I received 6 ENGL credits at UBC from getting a 7 in IB-HL English. Would I still be able to take first-year English to boost my core GPA a bit, or is this something that's frowned upon since I already have 6 non-specific first-year English credits?

[The Cat in the Hat]

I'm assuming IB English is like AP English where it fulfills first year English requirements. If this is the case then it is your choice if you want to take English in university or not. Many people take AP just as prep for hard courses, with the intention of retaking them; eg. AP Calculus.

 

So to answer your question:

1. Yes you would be able to take English to boost your GPA.

2. It is not frowned upon.

 

But hey, I'm just a grade 12 student; take the advice with a chunk o' salt.

[JohnGrisham]

If you got credits for IB/AP take it and run.

English at UBC is not a GPA booster. Only 2-3 people in the english classes get an A.

It isn't worth it. A GPA booster would be a class you can get over 90 in. That doesn't happen often in UBC english courses, and would be much more work than trying to get above 90 in an easy class like Geology or EOSC.

[SkepticalStudent]

If you got credits for IB/AP take it and run.

 

English at UBC is not a GPA booster. Only 2-3 people in the english classes get an A.

 

It isn't worth it. A GPA booster would be a class you can get over 90 in. That doesn't happen often in UBC english courses, and would be much more work than trying to get above 90 in an easy class like Geology or EOSC.

Thanks for the heads up. I heard that most people find first-year English at UBC difficult, but other IB students I talked to when I was a first-year said it was much easier than IB-HL English, and for them it was an easy A. I just figured it might be the same for me, but maybe not!

 

I know EOSC is a GPA booster but it's not a prereq for medicine, and I was looking to bump up my prerequisite GPA specifically. The only prereq I have left is BIOC 302. CHEM 205 and BIOC 202 murdered my prereq GPA.

 

I also took CHEM 213. Anyone know if UBC counts all the prereqs you did that fulfill the requirements or just the best ones? (With CHEM 205 my prereq GPA is 3.7. With CHEM 213 it's 3.9.)

[JohnGrisham]

Thanks for the heads up. I heard that most people find first-year English at UBC difficult, but other IB students I talked to when I was a first-year said it was much easier than IB-HL English, and for them it was an easy A. I just figured it might be the same for me, but maybe not!

 

I know EOSC is a GPA booster but it's not a prereq for medicine, and I was looking to bump up my prerequisite GPA specifically. The only prereq I have left is BIOC 302. CHEM 205 and BIOC 202 murdered my prereq GPA.

 

I also took CHEM 213. Anyone know if UBC counts all the prereqs you did that fulfill the requirements or just the best ones? (With CHEM 205 my prereq GPA is 3.7. With CHEM 213 it's 3.9.)

UBC goes by % not GPA.

 

Again, English is only a GPA booster if you get above 90. I see your point about prerequisite GPA, but ubc doesn't pay too much attention to it. I know people with low 70s prerequisite GPA who got in. Relax.

 

As for prereqs, they count the FIRST one you took that satisfied it. So if you took 205 before 213, they count that.

[The Cat in the Hat]

I have received AP or IB credit (and attained the minimum grades UBC requires) for prerequisite courses, but have also taken the actual courses themselves. Will these grades be included in the prerequisite average?

Yes, if you took the actual courses in your first year or second year (not in subsequent years) and have AP/IB credits, we will use the university grades.

 

Source: http://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/frequently-asked-questions/#CreditsCourses-A1

[SkepticalStudent]

I have received AP or IB credit (and attained the minimum grades UBC requires) for prerequisite courses, but have also taken the actual courses themselves. Will these grades be included in the prerequisite average?

Yes, if you took the actual courses in your first year or second year (not in subsequent years) and have AP/IB credits, we will use the university grades.

 

Source: http://mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions/frequently-asked-questions/#CreditsCourses-A1

Yeah my question wasn't whether I it was possible (though when I read it now, if one wasn't sure what I meant they might interpret it that way) but whether it would be considered something of a "cheap shot" in trying to improve one's prereq GPA. 

 

Again, English is only a GPA booster if you get above 90. I see your point about prerequisite GPA, but ubc doesn't pay too much attention to it. I know people with low 70s prerequisite GPA who got in. Relax.

Thank you! That's good to know. I don't know why I always thought they put much more emphasis on the prereq GPA.

[Korra]

I don't know how sacrilegious it is to discuss GPA boosting, but I have a question about this. I received 6 ENGL credits at UBC from getting a 7 in IB-HL English. Would I still be able to take first-year English to boost my core GPA a bit, or is this something that's frowned upon since I already have 6 non-specific first-year English credits?

I transferred a 5 in IB English. It's dragging down my GPA. It transferred as a B+. Sometimes I wish I just took it again.

[bclionsfan]

dude, no body here is seeing the bigger picture

 

If you got a 7 (final IB result), that clearly means you are OUTSTANDING at analyzing passages/ideas.....not a lot of people in the world get a 7 in HL english

 

So what I recommend is:

 

take another arts course (philosophy, or whatever interests u) that's considered not as a hard marking wise

even if this means taking a 2nd year course

 

i am 100% confident you will be able to do well in any other 1st or 2nd year arts course that you are interested in

even a business course with essay writing, 

 

 

also do what you like, forget "cheap shot" of taking easier courses...do what u like, the results will follow

i guarantee you

 

p.s- props on the 7 in english! 

p.p.s- consider doing a minor in creative writing or some arts concentration where u can employ your superb level 7 english skills! haha

[bclionsfan]

lol, liked my own post

-and I don't feel bad since it's (hopefully) not as weird as doing it on Fb

[SkepticalStudent]

I transferred a 5 in IB English. It's dragging down my GPA. It transferred as a B+. Sometimes I wish I just took it again.

Your transfer credits are affecting your GPA? Mine don't appear on my transcript at all, so I don't think they're affecting my GPA at UBC. They only appear in the "Transfer Credit" section on the SSC. Is this just me?

 

 

dude, no body here is seeing the bigger picture

 

If you got a 7 (final IB result), that clearly means you are OUTSTANDING at analyzing passages/ideas.....not a lot of people in the world get a 7 in HL english

 

So what I recommend is:

 

take another arts course (philosophy, or whatever interests u) that's considered not as a hard marking wise

even if this means taking a 2nd year course

 

i am 100% confident you will be able to do well in any other 1st or 2nd year arts course that you are interested in

even a business course with essay writing, 

 

 

also do what you like, forget "cheap shot" of taking easier courses...do what u like, the results will follow

i guarantee you

 

p.s- props on the 7 in english! 

p.p.s- consider doing a minor in creative writing or some arts concentration where u can employ your superb level 7 english skills! haha

Thanks for all the recommendations! I have taken a couple upper-year-level philosophy courses, and I'm a business student so I had to take a business writing course as part of my degree (my prof was a very tough grader, unfortunately - much tougher than the profs for other sections).

 

My 7 was unexpected; I was a predicted 6 but aced the IB exams.  I wish it would affect my GPA (it might drag it up a bit)!