Time Management Advice Needed

[KUamanda]

Anyone else out there have to work full-time while going to college? I do. I am taking 15 credits and working 30-35 hours per week.
The result is that I don't have enough free time to participate in service organizations on campus and I don't get to volunteer alot. (which i love to do)
I don't have alot of leadership experience in clubs/organizations b/c I can't dedicate any time to them. Am I doomed when med schools look at my list of extracirricular activities???
I already take out huge loans to pay for tuition and books. I've exhausted that resource. My credit cards full and I can hardly make any headway on them b/c I can only pay the minimum monthly amount.
Anyway, I just want to know if anyone else is going through the say thing. I sometimes feel like I am the only one.

Thanks.

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[fourthyear]

I'm a 4th year med student. I think most med schools will give you big points for being able to handle nearly full-time employment and pre-med classes. The hours you put into your job are way more hours than extracurriculars usually take for most people. I believe that as long as you made your time commitment to your job clear on your application and essay, it can only make you look more mature and hard-working than the average applicant.

You might want to sign up for one or two volunteer activities that don't require much time commitment - especially if you enjoy it. But don't worry so much about not having heavy involvement in an organization.

Something else to think about though - med school, especially private ones, costs big bucks. Consider your state school for med school and if you are still early in your undergrad years, you mihgt consider transferring to a less-expensive school now to lower your total debt.

 

[KUamanda]

Thanks for the advice Fourthyear. I am currently involved in the Loin's Club on Campus and am a member of the Red Cross. I volunteered 10 hours a week last year to the local hospital and worked in the Pharmacy and in Same Day Surgery.
I go to a state school right now that is quite cheap to attend. (UNC) And I am planning on going to a state med school rather than Duke or somewhere else private.
Without getting into it too much..I am 21, have been in school full-time since I was 18 and am only a sophomore!!! Does that make any sense at all? I recently moved from KS to NC for many reasons but lived here for a year so I am instate now, for tuition purposes. Some horrible things have happened to me and to say the least I can, I am already 20,000 in school loan debt and have 2 years to go!!! That's amazingly ridiculous.
However, the reasoning behind the loss of credits is due to transferring. I lost quite a few..they just wouldn't except some as transfers. So anyway...all I can say is that becoming a doctor is the only thing I want to do with my life. I want to serve in the Peace Corps for a few years after medical school to donate my time and expertise to unfortunate children all over the world.
There are so many reasons why I want to become a docotor. I just want to make sure I won't be penalized for having to work all the time.

Thanks Again.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Hey KUamanda! I don't have much advice to give you, but I just wanted to welcome a fellow Tar Heel (even if it is by way of transfer) to SDN!!! Congrats on getting NC residency. In my opinion, I don't think that having to work full-time is going to hinder you much, especially if you are able to maintain your grades. Best of luck!!!

 

[KUamanda]

Sweet Tea, I guess I should have clarified what UNC I go to huh? There are about a thousand of them. I actually go to Charlotte. I toured UNC-CH, but it just wasn't for me. It's a wonderful school with a beautiful campus but my boyfriend is here in Charlotte and I have alot of friends around here.
I love Tarheel basketball (who doesn't) and get to a game every now and then. I went to the University of Kansas for 2 years!
The whole Roy Williams thing was going on at that time...anyway...thanks for saying hey.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Oh my bad!! Well, welcome to SDN anyway-- you!!! And you're right-- UNC-CH basketball is a wonderful thing

 

[DW]

best piece of time management advice: get off this friggin site, before the dependence sets in!!!!!

 

[agent]

I work 40 hours and go to school 3 nights a week.

Its definitely possible ive been doing this for about 2 years now and have 2 to go. I'm going to be a junior this january.

good luck to you in your time management, btw i run 2 websites and have a wife and a baby.

 

[the*mess]

Hi, KUamanda...

Best piece of time management advice I can offer is to set your priorities at the start and don't change them until the task is done. So, if your schoolwork comes first and your job comes second, get used to the idea of very little social time until you are done with your education and residency.

I work 40+ hours a week and am taking 14 hours of undergrad classes. The first time I tried do to this, I insisted on an active social/recreational life. And I just couldn't be a party animal, diligent student, and full-time employee. I made the (stupid) choice of putting school third... and am now paying for that decision with a couple of extra years of undergrad work.

Just take care of the important things and keep the right things important.

 

[agent]

i did the same thing mess' the first time around at school.. this is why i am now a non-traditional pre-med student.

 

[uffda]

Originally posted by KUamanda
I don't have alot of leadership experience in clubs/organizations b/c I can't dedicate any time to them. Am I doomed when med schools look at my list of extracirricular activities???
QUOTE]

what about leadership where you work? Shift leader, any special projects, training new employees, team leader? Not knowing what kind of work you do I can't offer any more specific guesses - but think about it.