If You Had to Do It Again

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striving4greatness90

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Hi everyone! I just finished my freshman year of college. Im interested to know what you all wish you could change about the way you approached being a pre-dent and what you could do over again if given a second opportunity to begin as a freshman again.

Also, what do you advise me to be doing now in preparation for dental school?

p.s. Im really glad to have found this forum because so many of you all have been so helpful and it is greatly appreciated.
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striving4greatness90 said:
Hi everyone! I just finished my freshman year of college. Im interested to know what you all wish you could change about the way you approached being a pre-dent and what you could do over again if given a second opportunity to begin as a freshman again.

Also, what do you advise me to be doing now in preparation for dental school?

p.s. Im really glad to have found this forum because so many of you all have been so helpful and it is greatly appreciated.
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I would start shadowing. Even if its one hour a week. Try to build a connection with your dentist and see if he/she can let you go to clinics of other specialties as well. Also make sure you get those As! get involved in the community and start volunteering. but MOST important in my opinion is those GRADES!
 
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Wished I partied more.
 
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I would have started dating earlier.
 
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Regarding major, I would have picked business and took the recommend bio classes for a well-rounded academic background.
Regarding my choices...I would have been way more mature and taken it much more seriously. Maybe I wouldn't have had to do a post bac. However, at the same time I managed to learn more about myself these past 2 years and it's been a truly humbling experience.
If the worse case scenario plays out and dentistry somehow is no longer an option, I would be happy knowing that I became a better man.
 
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I would have worried less about being a perfectionist on every assignment. Enjoy yourself because college goes by in the blink of an eye.
 
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Oh yeah, I probably would have also NOT taken the bus to downtown Austin on the weekend of ACL.
You see life changing things in Walmart at 2am.
 
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Would have majored in a business type major.. and would've done better my first few semesters..
 
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I would have stopped stressing over every little exam. Then again, here I am in dental school doing the exact same thing. Just do what makes you happy I suppose. You'll get to where you want in due time.
 
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Wish I partied less.
 
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Played more Gameboy in general classes and majored in something non-science (e.g. Foreign language or business). Would have dated more seriously, would have been better at getting to know professors. But at the end of the day, I'm very pleased with my undergraduate experience.
Just live life how you want and be happy with that.
 
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brigdawg521 said:
Played more Gameboy in general classes and majored in something non-science (e.g. Foreign language or business). Would have dated more seriously, would have been better at getting to know professors. But at the end of the day, I'm very pleased with my undergraduate experience.
Just live life how you want and be happy with that.
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Lol is it 1998 or something?
:hilarious:
 
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Why do people keep saying they wish they dated more?
 
This is a bunch of terrible advice. As far as giving you the best shot of getting into dental school goes you need to work on networking. What I mean by that is you need to start shadowing and shadowing as many dentists as possible. Also you need to make relationships with your science professors by going to their office hours and talking to them even if you don't really need help with the material. You really should have at least 5 or 6 professors that you can say you have a good enough relationship with to write you a good LOR. You also need to make good study habits and keep your GPA as high as possible obviously. Now this doesnt mean lock yourself in a room and never go out becuase you should still go out and party with your friends when you get your work and studying done. As far as dating goes don't even worry about that right now its over rated.
 
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Mhines24 said:
Also you need to make relationships with your science professors by going to their office hours and talking to them even if you don't really need help with the material.
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Could not agree more!
 
DentalLonghorn2014 said:
There are days when I wonder how life would be as a stay at home dad. I honestly think I would be really good at it lol
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Right? You never know. You could have enjoyed cooking and baking. Then you start writing your own cookbook and the next day, you become rich yourself, and leave the sugar mama then.
 
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Scumbag_Steve said:
That one night of drinking/relaxing/spending time with friend or family/stress eating is something that happened closer to once a month for me, and looking back I should have made it a weekly priority instead.
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AMEN brother.
 
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Carbohydrates said:
Right? You never know. You could have enjoyed cooking and baking. Then you start writing your own cookbook and the next day, you become rich yourself, and leave the sugar mama then.
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And they say the American Dream is dead lol
 
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Advance said:
Lol is it 1998 or something?
:hilarious:
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Dude, the fact that emulators are now on phones (hail android) means I can train my Charizard all day and all night so long as I have a charge :)
 
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brigdawg521 said:
Dude, the fact that emulators are now on phones (hail android) means I can train my Charizard all day and all night so long as I have a charge :)
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Fair enough. I play pokemon yellow on my 3DS. :thumbup:
 
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brigdawg521 said:
25 here and still Fire Blasting with the best of them :)
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Now we have to be friends. When you get accepted to all 3 Tx schools...Make sure you choose Baylor. :D

striving4greatness90 said:
This thread has flown off the rails lol. Wheres the advice?
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-Make good grades
-Do well on the DAT
-Have some good ECs
-Get good letters
-Apply early
-Learn how to hold a conversation
-Enjoy college

That pretty much sums it up.
 
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Advance said:
Now we have to be friends. When you get accepted to all 3 Tx schools...Make sure you choose Baylor. :D



-Make good grades
-Do well on the DAT
-Have some good ECs
-Get good letters
-Apply early
-Learn how to hold a conversation
-Enjoy college

That pretty much sums it up.
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Will do, thanks.
Did you get accepted to all 3 Tx schools? Why did you choose Baylor over Houston?(I want to go here)
What is being build across the street at Baylor? A newer clinic like San Antonio?
 
I would have definitely networked better with my professors, done some more EC as well. I also wished I didn't have sdn right off the bat so I would have actually used my predent advisor more often
 
.
 
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Advance said:
Now we have to be friends. When you get accepted to all 3 Tx schools...Make sure you choose Baylor. :D
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For sure mate! I have another buddy starting at Baylor this fall and he's hoping I pick it as well. Being from the Dallas area it's definitely high on the list! Just gotta get them interviews and acceptances first :D
 
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Oh sell your textbooks you're not going to use them for DATs....I didn't even need to buy textbooks for like 80% of my classes. Wished I listened to my predecessors
 
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striving4greatness90 said:
Will do, thanks.
Did you get accepted to all 3 Tx schools? Why did you choose Baylor over Houston?(I want to go here)
What is being build across the street at Baylor? A newer clinic like San Antonio?
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Baylor does have a plan for a new clinical facility that may be what they're building across the street. I believe that's what my interviewer told me.
Yeah I got accepted to all 3.
I chose Baylor because it was the cheapest. Houston is a solid school but I just felt like Baylor was a better fit for me.
 
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Advance said:
I chose Baylor because it was the cheapest. Houston is a solid school but I just felt like Baylor was a better fit for me.
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I live 40 minutes away from Baylor but I want to go to Houston because my parents are crazy and I dont want the possiility of having to live at home. Am I dumb for wanting to go to Houston?
 
striving4greatness90 said:
I live 40 minutes away from Baylor but I want to go to Houston because my parents are crazy and I dont want the possiility of having to live at home. Am I dumb for wanting to go to Houston?
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I would choose based on which program you like best. You can always take out loans for living expenses and move out if you want to attend Baylor.
 
Don't always trust student reviews on myedu.com or ratemyprofessors.com
Some people make a class harder than it really is or downplay the difficulty of the class because they are freaking geniuses.
 
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heres my issue.. In the fall im taking chem 1, anat/phys 1, precal, microbiology.
In the spring im taking bio2, chem 2, anat/phys 2, and calculus.
Ill be doing SMDEP in the summer following my sophomore year so I cant take summer classes.
In my junior year i Will take orgo and biochem in the fall. Is adding physics on top of that too much? It is also the year I will be at a university. Will I have time to study for the DAT and take it that spring? Should i just take physics my senior year? is 1 full semester of orgo enough for dat? When should I take it?

I cannot take any of my sciences in the summer this year because they are either filled up already or the professors are terrible.
 
striving4greatness90 said:
heres my issue.. In the fall im taking chem 1, anat/phys 1, precal, microbiology.
In the spring im taking bio2, chem 2, anat/phys 2, and calculus.
Ill be doing SMDEP in the summer following my sophomore year so I cant take summer classes.
In my junior year i Will take orgo and biochem in the fall. Is adding physics on top of that too much? It is also the year I will be at a university. Will I have time to study for the DAT and take it that spring? Should i just take physics my senior year? is 1 full semester of orgo enough for dat? When should I take it?

I cannot take any of my sciences in the summer this year because they are either filled up already or the professors are terrible.
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I would wait to take the physics. It's not on the DAT and you can apply without having taking it. You just need to complete it by the time you graduate.
 
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