Taking an writing course for prep

[Guest tmacgirl]

I'm planning on taking a writing course in first year to help with the essay on the MCAT. I have the chose of taking an expressive writing course at UTM. Now this doesn't thrill me because I'm not the best at english and scared that a poor mark will bring down my G.P.A. but I've read the course outline and believe that this could really help in the MCATs.

 

So is it wise to take a course if it will bring down my G.P.A but help alot on MCATs?

[Guest Jochi1543]

Can you do it pass/fail? Or, maybe you could start meeting with instructor right away and take the time to mention your poor writing skills to him/her, so that he/she sees that you are really working hard and taking the course seriously - that should help you get a better grade even if your work itself is not that great. They like to see sincere effort and willingness to learn, which, of course, also means perfect attendance and turning in assignments on time.

[Guest ltha]

Knowing how important GPA is to get accepted into meds in Canada, do you really think it's worth the risk? Personally, I took the MCAT last summer, have not taken an English course in university, and managed a Q on the writing section.

 

The MCAT essay isn't like a standard essay that you would write for a university course. You don't need an introduction or a conclusion, all you really need to do is have one paragraph supporting the statement, one arguing against the statement, and a last paragraph saying when the statement is true and when it isn't. Just my opinion, but I don't think that taking an English class would have helped me with my composition.

 

ETA: It might be helpful to take an English course to help you throughout undergrad in general, but I wouldn't take it just for the purpose of the MCAT essay.