I'm about to begin taking my first premed courses. I have heard lots of horror stores about how difficult it can be (especially Orgo Chem), so I'm expecting to have to study harder than I've ever studied to get the grades I need.
For those of you who managed to get straight As (or a comparable grade), what tips can you give to us who may be just getting started?
Thanks!
The best I advice I could give you is DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ANY COURSE no matter how easy they may seem at first.
Study daily. If you don't understand something ask your professor, right away, especially in the chemistrys & physics because a lot of the material builds upon previously learned material and you cover a lot of material fast.
Your textbook can, and likely will, be your best friend. Don't be afraid to read it. But some books are better than others.
Don't ever feel ashamed or embarrassed to go and ask your professor 10,000 questions. After all, you're the one getting graded.
I didn't do well in most of my pre-med reqs. But I recently started to really perform. I'm killing biochemistry and I'm in my professor's office asking questions 3x a week. Its important to me that I
understand EVERYTHING, in addition to just knowing the facts, we are responsible for and even a little more.
One last thing. If you aren't ready to commit to these courses, don't take them right now. I'm not saying you aren't a serious student but if you've got too much going on then perhaps it isn't the greatest idea to get involved in courses that will consume a lot of your day, every day.
I'm convinced that there is no such thing as "smart people" and "dumb people" but rather the distinction comes from how much time and quality work is put forth.