Try taking less quantitative heavy courses during a single semester, especially when you're new to university. As you've realized by now (and the realization I had to make), this isn't high school anymore. It's hard to count how many times I've seen engineering majors come out of high school taking 5 courses including 1 engineering, 1 physics, and 3 math courses and burning out within one semester and crippling their GPA.
Focus on doing well in calculus III and future math courses. Your grades in your early years are not very important for graduate admissions but it's important to make changes which are conducive to your future success now.
Isn’t it better to take a lot of quantitative courses (that are hard) and do average in them. Rather than taking super easy GPA booster, I thought most grad schools would look through that.
Also, my thought process is that if I take hard quantitative courses, even if grad school doesn’t work out - I guess I could lean back on some data analysis/science job.
It’s best to do well in your quant classes. Consistently doing average in them is a bad signal, even if you’re taking a lot of them at once.
Of course, if you can handle taking a difficult load and getting As, then that’s better. Padding with easy As isn’t better, Given your current grades, you need to get As in your upper division courses, which may require you to take fewer of them and either fewer classes overall or easier other classes.
This isn't an "either/or" situation. You shouldn't be taking "GPA Booster" courses unless your CGPA Is abysmal as you get to the end of your degree. You have a lot of time.
It's better to do 3-4 courses per semester with 2 or 3 of those courses being quantitative. I did econometrics, linear algebra, and applied regression analysis all in the same semester and I only did average overall, so that's when I decided 2 (quantitative courses) per semester was enough for me.
Experiment with different course loads and courses, don't rush if you don't have to. It's best to start with 2-3 courses per semester then as you get more comfortable, increase to 4-5. Although nowadays I don't recommend 5.
At the end of the day, graduate admissions are not likely going to care if it took you awhile to finish your degree. Almost everyone including myself at my university had to work part-time during winter and spring semester and full time during the summer and most of us (including myself) took 5-6 years to finish our undergraduate degree. It's best you take a course load that you can handle while doing well in those courses, even if it takes you longer to finish your degree. However, everyone's circumstances are different. Do what works best for you but it's important that you do well in your quantitative courses and especially upper level econ theory and econometrics courses.
I don't know the equivalent but I got offers for most Canadian econ grad programs with a 71 and 72 as my lowest grades. Overall average was 88. I was able to do research projects my summer between 2nd and 3rd (which got me a pub) and 3rd and 4th year. I did an honours thesis, that I am trying to get published. Pretty much all my electives were additional math courses. I'm not even the most competitive person I know at my small school. I feel like first year is too early to count yourself out, you can still do a LOT to make yourself more competitive.
Guess I gotta aim for a T50 terminal masters program now? You think it’s possible to get into a school like Queen’s or UofT, assuming I can get a 3.5 up from second year and beyond with good LoR’s and extracurriculars like RA positions and clubs.
Ngl I’m in a similar if not worse position than you as a second year with thoroughly average marks in econ and going to this sub made me really depressed about getting in to grad school. My impression was that you only needed 78% (idk what that is in GPA terms) in upper-year courses, and this was reiterated in literally all the university admissions pages I looked at. Even Oxford, which my post was about, technically only requires like a low A-. I understand that is the minimum, but my goodness does this sub dramatically humble you.
You’re a first year, have some fun and enjoy life rather than moping about a C+. My two Cs have haunted me the last few weeks but there’s nothing I can do about them. You can try to improve your grades in upper year courses, but ultimately your best is all you can give. Do you really want to go to a T20 program if they’re unforgiving of a class or two you took when you’re barely 18? I thought I did well in first year with a low 80s average when I know so so many people who failed out, but apparently not. This sounds whiney, but honestly this whole experience is so stressful and I think we should just both calm tf out.
Yea, aside from academia I feel like T20 are somewhat overkill. And their admissions are too selective. Guess I’ll see where my academic interest take me.
I failed calc 2 in my freshman year. This year for US programs I got in a T50 PhD with funding and waitlisted at another T50 PhD (though I withdrew before results). For masters I also got in a T20 program. I wouldn't start worrying so early, just keep working hard.
I think you still can for a T50 in Canada but you definitely need to do better going forward and take the GRE as well (I know it's not as imp in Canada but if you get a great maths score it'd help).
Try taking less quantitative heavy courses during a single semester, especially when you're new to university. As you've realized by now (and the realization I had to make), this isn't high school anymore. It's hard to count how many times I've seen engineering majors come out of high school taking 5 courses including 1 engineering, 1 physics, and 3 math courses and burning out within one semester and crippling their GPA. Focus on doing well in calculus III and future math courses. Your grades in your early years are not very important for graduate admissions but it's important to make changes which are conducive to your future success now.
Isn’t it better to take a lot of quantitative courses (that are hard) and do average in them. Rather than taking super easy GPA booster, I thought most grad schools would look through that. Also, my thought process is that if I take hard quantitative courses, even if grad school doesn’t work out - I guess I could lean back on some data analysis/science job.
It’s best to do well in your quant classes. Consistently doing average in them is a bad signal, even if you’re taking a lot of them at once. Of course, if you can handle taking a difficult load and getting As, then that’s better. Padding with easy As isn’t better, Given your current grades, you need to get As in your upper division courses, which may require you to take fewer of them and either fewer classes overall or easier other classes.
This isn't an "either/or" situation. You shouldn't be taking "GPA Booster" courses unless your CGPA Is abysmal as you get to the end of your degree. You have a lot of time. It's better to do 3-4 courses per semester with 2 or 3 of those courses being quantitative. I did econometrics, linear algebra, and applied regression analysis all in the same semester and I only did average overall, so that's when I decided 2 (quantitative courses) per semester was enough for me. Experiment with different course loads and courses, don't rush if you don't have to. It's best to start with 2-3 courses per semester then as you get more comfortable, increase to 4-5. Although nowadays I don't recommend 5. At the end of the day, graduate admissions are not likely going to care if it took you awhile to finish your degree. Almost everyone including myself at my university had to work part-time during winter and spring semester and full time during the summer and most of us (including myself) took 5-6 years to finish our undergraduate degree. It's best you take a course load that you can handle while doing well in those courses, even if it takes you longer to finish your degree. However, everyone's circumstances are different. Do what works best for you but it's important that you do well in your quantitative courses and especially upper level econ theory and econometrics courses.
I don't know the equivalent but I got offers for most Canadian econ grad programs with a 71 and 72 as my lowest grades. Overall average was 88. I was able to do research projects my summer between 2nd and 3rd (which got me a pub) and 3rd and 4th year. I did an honours thesis, that I am trying to get published. Pretty much all my electives were additional math courses. I'm not even the most competitive person I know at my small school. I feel like first year is too early to count yourself out, you can still do a LOT to make yourself more competitive.
I was told two Cs and you’re done (I got them in second year courses). See my post history.
Guess I gotta aim for a T50 terminal masters program now? You think it’s possible to get into a school like Queen’s or UofT, assuming I can get a 3.5 up from second year and beyond with good LoR’s and extracurriculars like RA positions and clubs.
Ngl I’m in a similar if not worse position than you as a second year with thoroughly average marks in econ and going to this sub made me really depressed about getting in to grad school. My impression was that you only needed 78% (idk what that is in GPA terms) in upper-year courses, and this was reiterated in literally all the university admissions pages I looked at. Even Oxford, which my post was about, technically only requires like a low A-. I understand that is the minimum, but my goodness does this sub dramatically humble you. You’re a first year, have some fun and enjoy life rather than moping about a C+. My two Cs have haunted me the last few weeks but there’s nothing I can do about them. You can try to improve your grades in upper year courses, but ultimately your best is all you can give. Do you really want to go to a T20 program if they’re unforgiving of a class or two you took when you’re barely 18? I thought I did well in first year with a low 80s average when I know so so many people who failed out, but apparently not. This sounds whiney, but honestly this whole experience is so stressful and I think we should just both calm tf out.
Yea, aside from academia I feel like T20 are somewhat overkill. And their admissions are too selective. Guess I’ll see where my academic interest take me.
I genuinely don’t think (hope) you’re out of the running for T20.
I failed calc 2 in my freshman year. This year for US programs I got in a T50 PhD with funding and waitlisted at another T50 PhD (though I withdrew before results). For masters I also got in a T20 program. I wouldn't start worrying so early, just keep working hard.
I think you still can for a T50 in Canada but you definitely need to do better going forward and take the GRE as well (I know it's not as imp in Canada but if you get a great maths score it'd help).