2 min read

Something I struggled with as a biology major was math. Math was never one of my strong areas; I had to work harder than most just to achieve an average to slightly below-average grade. One of my first-year curriculum requirements was calculus. I was dreading that class because I knew from my high school experience that calculus was an area I would consider a weakness. So, I started planning. The course was scheduled for my second semester, so I had time to prepare. I went online to the school’s website and found tutors, knowing I would probably need one. During the break between semesters, I went over the syllabus with some of my classmates and reviewed my notes from high school calculus. I was feeling more confident after doing some practice worksheets to refresh my memory and prepare for more advanced work.

The class was going well until about a month into the semester. I received some lower grades on quizzes and my midterm score was just below the class average. I was disappointed and frustrated with the results of what felt like hard work. I spoke with the professor to see if there were any resources he could recommend to help me improve. He helped me identify certain weaknesses so I could adjust my priorities. I had some of the basics confused: defining limits, recognizing how the integral applies to certain problems, etc. I brought these issues up with my tutor and we established a plan to address my struggles with more advanced concepts.

My grade, which wasn’t strong to begin with, started to gradually improve small bits at a time. I took my class grade from a 2.7 GPA to a 3.0. First-year calculus was probably one of the most demanding and challenging classes I remember from my undergraduate experience. But it also taught me the value of planning, evaluating my strengths and weaknesses, and using resources to identify opportunities to improve and enhance my knowledge. I learned that the cause of my upward trajectory was in part due to a change in mindset: I recognized that my desire for a good grade was hindering my ability to strive for better comprehension. When I started focusing more on what I could do to improve, and less on how I could simply increase my grade, I began to show genuine growth.

Click to return to Dental School Interview Questions.