how to cope with losing 4.0 by a few points
Hey all. I am incredibly sorry if this sounds neurotic, I’m just feeling really down and could use some advice on how to move forward.
Sure I was doing a lot this semester, sure (working two jobs, 20+ credits, etc.) but I still don't feel like that's an excuse for what just happened. I'm a sophomore and had a 4.0...until I mixed up parts of an incredibly easy equation in my physics final and missed getting an A by just a few points.
I just feel incredibly irresponsible and ashamed. I had put in loads of effort into this class and to lose the A just because I didn't pay enough attention to the last lecture makes me incredibly embarassed. I feel like if I had studied just 30 minutes more, I would have done well on the final. The class itself was relatively easy, wasn't even calc-based, AND it was a prerequisite.
I go to a large state school (~t100+) and I'm an ORM, so I know I'm kinda disadvantaged and GPA would have mattered more.
I know it's just one B but how do I stop comparing myself, especially given the rising median GPA for matriculants, feeling like an irresponsible idiot? I'm not even mad at the grade, I'm mad at how it was in my control and I carelessly screwed up (I've had straight A's for like the last 10 years) and somehow still lack good study habits into sophomore year. Usually when I see people with 3.8/3.9X GPAs they actually went to hard schools, actually tried, and got the B; I feel embarassed/undeserving because it feels like this B could have easily been avoided and most premeds here who are strategic/intentional about course planning usually end up with perfect GPAs. If anyone has ever been in a similar situation, do you have any advice on how to move forward?
Posted May 11, 2025, 4:47 PM UTC