4 Science classes, 8 hours volunteer, 14 hours research and 15 hours scribe

[Monika12]

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[goft20]

Cake walk.


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[Monika12]

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[SoonToBeDrG]

I've done something similar. Two rigorous summer courses (equivalent to four regular in terms of credits), 20 hours research, 20 hours employed at biotech, eight hours hospital volunteering, and my MCAT was that summer. I handled it fairly well, though I was honestly beat 100% of the time. Grades didn't suffer but my MCAT did. You feel great once you've completed it, but the stress and lack of sleep and/or lack of social life was not worth it in my opinion. If you can push back at least one class or somehow save yourself some time, I think you'll be much happier.

Just my 2c

 

[Monika12]

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[claduva94]

I did 21 credits (all science)
Studied for the MCAT
12 hrs/week Research
20 hrs/week working
At least 5 hrs/week volunteering
And a few other ECs.
It was worthwhile in that I was able to get a lot done in the semester. However, I would start working at 8 and wouldn't be done til late in the afternoon or evening. I had absolutely horrible eating habits. But the good comes with the bad I suppose. I will be amping up the volunteering and research next year but will be taking a lighter workload. So it wasn't too traumatizing.

 

[Monika12]

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[Taco Time]

How many of the science classes are you taking with their corresponding labs? I took three labs in a semester (T-W-Th) for bio, ochem, and physics each week on top of EC's, volunteering, and research. It's not so bad some weeks but it can suck. One week you could have two midterms, a practical, and a research paper due for one of your labs. Hard work will be needed.

 

[Monika12]

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[Evisju7]

Just make sure to prioritize your classwork. If that starts to fall behind, you need to re-evaluate your schedule.

 

[Time Table]

I'll let you know after I finish my semester of bio/orgo/physics with labs of all three, research and sociology or some other extra course

 

[DielsAlder]

To echo what everyone said, prioritize your classwork!
I took a similar schedule to yours last year, but not nearly as busy.
MCAT studying, four very hard biology/chemistry electives, 20 hours research, 4 hours volunteering. My MCAT studying was confined to only weekends because of my schedule. I enjoyed my schedule though, because I found it to be a nice balance between keeping busy and having leisurely time outside of academics.

 

[Lawgiver]

All of my science classes have labs.

Three lab classes tops. My personal limit. You can always do 4 next term if 3 is, eh, ez for ya.

 

[Monika12]

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[Ironale]

I've had a similar load in terms of hours, but just work and school. If you think you can pull A/A- in all of your classes while maintaining this schedule then I say go for it and push yourself. It's much more likely that you'll burn out though and your grades will suffer or you will have to drop something else. If you have a relationship or personal life obligations on top of this...definitely re-evaluate

 

[Monika12]

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[swolebrah]

Definitely had a schedule like the one you posted, and going to have a even crazier one coming up this semester.

Some tips brah:

#1: Get a time management software (Outlook calander, google calander, etc ) or get a planner.

I prefer outlook, since its synced with all my devices and can be accessed without a connection to the internet in case I need.​

#2: Learn to wake up early, thus maximizing amount of time in the day.

I'm usually never on more then 5 hours of sleep, is it healthy? Probably not, but its a sacrifice I'm willing to make and you should be able to as well.
Use supplements to help cognitive boost, nothing illegal, they can help maximize like the saying " most bang for your buck"​

#3: Have discipline

That means having time slots for working out, making your own meals, etc. It's easy to forget about your own health, and it might seem that you're getting more done, however your body is the biggest ROI asset you have. Manage that portfolio well, 'gnom im sayin? Nothing ruins success like having a ugly body. If your aesthetic, life is easy mode.​

Hope these helped, and if you already have your time management game on lock ...hopefully this helped a reader or lurker who had similar questions.

 

[Monika12]

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[swolebrah]

Greaaaat!! thanks. I have never used a planner before (I have actually a great memory) But I guess this time, I should start and spend less time thinking of what I have to do and just check my phone/laptop.
What kind of supplements do you take? It is true that I forget to eat sometimes and wake up starving, but I promised to myself to stop doing this.

Yeah the thing with a planner is it keep tracks of how much time you spend doing "nothing" , since its big gaps of no events. Thus you can fill those gaps in with stuff.

Supplements: tea (herb) , coffee with l theanine (synergistic coffee effect without the jittery buzz) , Ginkgo biloba extract (herb) , choline (mimicks vit B secondary to cognition) , acetyl l-carnitine (this stuff is put in redbull/monster/etc) , occasional ritalin for my diagnosed adhd.

Eat complex carbs, slow digesting energy to get you through the day. Poptarts and energy bars for the most part are not complex carbs. They just stimulate insulin spiking and leads you to store it as glycogen reserves most of the time. So its beneficial to eat complex carbs in the morning , hence breakfast important meal of the day, since those carbs will provide sustainable energy instead of intermittent boost energy that usually does not last long.

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

Wee

well I'm gonna have 4science for the next 4semesters. I'm done with my non science requirement ! :/

Aaaand that's why Psych courses are always so booked. Interesting, low-effort, no lab.
Seriously, that was almost every semester for me: 3 sciences (with 2-3 labs) and a Psych, rinse and repeat.

 

[mehc012]

Also, I like Business Calendar on android...syncs with your gCal, lets you use it offline, task integration, INFINITELY customizable, etc.

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

The General psychology here has a lab but I heard it was more like a case study hour. and ALL science classes have labs the same semester. you cannot take the class without the lab.

You couldn't take classes without labs at my school either...but not all sciences have labs. Some of the Bios go without.
Our Psych had a lab, too, but it didn't really count.

My point is more this: your school is not wildly special and different from all others people on here have attended. You can find some non-science courses to take, and it would probably be a good idea to. If you cannot find a single non-lab course which interests you, that is something you should work on. One dimensionality is not a good thing, and 4 labs/semester EVERY semester is just a poor choice on the time management front (and this from someone who took 2-3 every semester without fail)

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

Well, I don't want to spend 6 years in college. I am double majoring in chemistry and biology, that is why I have tons of classes I have to take and they are ALL requirements, so I don't have any choice.
I have taken tons of non science classes already, so I guess, I've had enough and again, ALL science classes in my university have labs. I have checked them all and they are ALL (3+1) credits.

Funny, I did the same thing, major wise (well, I dropped the Bio major senior year cuz I didn't want to take Ecology, but I took another Chem instead) and still managed to take a non-science every semester.
Even if you go to the one school where every single science has a lab , you can work it out. But then I guess we wouldn't all be on SDN applauding your plight.

If you have no choices, I'm not sure what you are asking. Are we just supposed to pat you on the head?

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

You're really serious here, aren't you? you should maybe reread what I asked before asking that
I wasn't asking to tell me whether I can do it or not but just giving me YOUR story. I'm sure you got it now

My story is different, I was an exchange student my first year so ALL my classes except one were non science, that is why I'm already done with them.

Fair enough. I had forgotten the specific wording of the OP.
Still seems rather pointless...you're going to do it, guess you'll find out how rewarding/not it is for YOU. What is the point? In general, on SDN, no matter the wording, these sorts of threads serve as 'please pat me on the back and profess amazement at how awesome I am', both for the posters and some of the respondents. Your phrasing honestly doesn't change this in the slightest. But sure, let me play along too, as I am also deserving of back-pats.

Fwiw, though I'm sure you'd prefer to ignore everything I say at this point, I had a similar schedule hours-wise (40hrs scribe, 20hrs biotech company, 6hrs science courses, 12hrs commuting) and I felt like a total bad@ss when I pulled it off. I also felt exhausted and had no friends.

I did one summer with 3 science courses in 8wks. Intense, awesome, loved every second, and I didn't lose too much socially cuz it was such a short time-scale (and you could group-study).

In school, I pulled an average of 17credits/semester, a sports team with daily practice and weekends spent travelling for tournaments, some student gov't stuff, and a few odd jobs/tutoring, depending on semester. It was...fine. I'm glad I did it, but I wasn't focused and didn't come out feeling quite so bad@ss. I also wasn't planning on medicine at the time, so I didn't feel like pushing for it academically. You really do get out of it what you put into it.

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

Well thanks for your opinion. I don't think I would feel as a badass, it's not like nobody does it but good for you.

My question is: what is the point of giving lessons to others without knowing why they are posting?
Don't bother answering because it's none of my business

Pull it off and you should feel at least a little badass! Hard work done well = feeling badass, at least for me.

Because regardless of why you are posting (which, please do explain), it both looks like and turns into back patting - your 'why' is frankly irrelevant to that. I like pointing out back patting threads, because they irritate me...so I do. That is the entirety of my motivation.

 

[Monika12]

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[mehc012]

Well I don't think people would care if it irritates you. For one preachy, there are a 100 people who read the question, answer and that's it. But please, continue assuming things and be about it if it makes you happy. I love happy people

Didn't say they'd care!
It's just, if I'm gonna pat your back, I'm going to do it while rolling my eyes.
S'OK, I roll my eyes when I pat my own back too, just like I glare at needlessly slow pedestrians whether I'm in the car or in the crosswalk (running).

 

[Monika12]

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