Tips for a 4.0 semester

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
N

nemolaws

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2012
Messages
35
Reaction score
6
Recently finished my first semester of dental school. Started off extremely strong acing most assignments and tests, and then things seemed to get out of hand out of nowhere. Didn't finish as strong as I would like at all. Any tips to stay committed and completely own the semester (4.0 or close to it) ? Spring semester is rumored to be one of the worst. I attend UNC dental, but I figure that there should not be a tremendous difference in curriculum between schools.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
"Forward this PM on to five of your friends, press Control + 4, and you'll be amazed at what you see on your transcript!"
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
"Professors hate him! Local dental student exposes shocking acing secret. Learn the 5 minute trick to his stunning results!"
 
  • Like
Reactions: 10 users
@Glimmer1991 - As someone who's benefited a ton from your DAT advice, I'd love to hear your 2 cents on this, too! :)
 
Glimmer1991 said:
Sending you a PM!!! :)
Click to expand...
I hate to be another person to bother you, but I really want that advice as well please. If you wouldn't mind posting it here so everyone can benefit and you wouldn't have to post it so often I think you'd be better off. Thanks
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
Guys! I'm flattered. Just got back from my honeymoon, so I'm sorry I haven't checked this thread in a while! :)

I go to the same school as @nemolaws, so it's kind of super easy for me to tell him what to do to succeed. I'm not sure that many of my tips are necessarily universal, since a lot of my advice tends to deal with specific professors and their respective classes at UNC.

Let me say this, though, as some universal advice--if you do NOT plan on specializing, please do not try to ace everything and kill yourself in the process. Really. It DOESN'T matter. Be a good clinician, and well, a lot of the sciences like biochem and micro... they just don't really matter for too much. Making a B wouldn't be too bad. Or hey, maybe even a C. We take a bazillion credit hours each semester (next semester is TWENTY SIX credit hours!), so even if you make a few Bs (and even a C or two), the other As will carry you through and keep your GPA plenty high. And there's always a few classes each semester that are kind of "gimme" grades, which helps. You have to try in dental school, sure--but don't sacrifice your life for it!! I know a lot of folks on SDN do extremely well in undergrad, and it's easy to carry over that "gotta ace everything" mindset. But the reality is that it just isn't even close to being worth it or necessary if you're unhappy. Make PLENTY of time for the other things you care about in life, and honestly, the school stuff falls into place. If you got into dental school, you're smart enough to handle it, and everyone finds their own way of managing things. Just don't be too hard on yourself in the process.

Now... If anyone has questions about specific things, I'd be more than happy to answer!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12 users
I managed a 4.0 on 27.5 credit hours this semester. Glimmer's advice is pretty solid. Seek the best advice from the faculty you trust the most. Surround yourself with positivity. Pessimism is abundant-- avoid that temptation and steer clear. I work my tail off, but I never study or do work of any kind on Sundays because that is important to me. I also try to do everything I can to make time for my wife. Great results come when you make room for the things that matter most.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 7 users
Or could anyone else on this thread that already received Glimmer1991's advice send me a copy of what you were told please?
 
italianstallion2008 said:
I managed a 4.0 on 27.5 credit hours this semester. Glimmer's advice is pretty solid. Seek the best advice from the faculty you trust the most. Surround yourself with positivity. Pessimism is abundant-- avoid that temptation and steer clear. I work my tail off, but I never study or do work of any kind on Sundays because that is important to me. I also try to do everything I can to make time for my wife. Great results come when you make room for the things that matter most.
Click to expand...
Where do you go to school? Undergrad?
 
Memorize all the slides. There are no tricks to do well. If you learn the slides and memorize the minute details that the rest of your class won't bother learning you will most likely be able to do very well on every test. Unfortunately, most dental school tests/classes are not a good measure of intelligence but rather if you can memorize the slides well. This is because everybody can learn concepts. What differentiates the class are tough questions and tough questions usually involve obscure facts or things you might have overlooked. Obviously understanding concepts helps in memorization and picking up of obscure content but at the end of the day if the question asks you "what the prevalence of disease x,y, and z is" there isn't much to it other than did you read and memorize. Good luck
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
nemolaws said:
Recently finished my first semester of dental school. Started off extremely strong acing most assignments and tests, and then things seemed to get out of hand out of nowhere. Didn't finish as strong as I would like at all. Any tips to stay committed and completely own the semester (4.0 or close to it) ? Spring semester is rumored to be one of the worst. I attend UNC dental, but I figure that there should not be a tremendous difference in curriculum between schools.
Click to expand...

I'm applying to UNC dental this upcoming cycle and was wondering what D1 is like? How were the courses and any presentations?
 
Get the hard test questions from people who took it the year before. Seems to work for the gunners in my class....
 
PM me on how not to get a 4.0 semester in dental school. I have some top secret tips and advice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
@Glimmer1991 i would love a PM of how you excelled in dental school. (Studying habits, techniques to memorize, tips for time management) Thanks so much!
 
Stop begging glimmer for a golden key. Work hard, and talk to upper classmen in your school for advice. An admin should close this thread.
 
1. Think about your professors - what are their personalities like? Do the upperclassmen have anything to say about them? This can give you clues as to what kind of questions and the difficulty they will be asking you on - also whether or not they will be repeating questions from previous years.

2. Don't trust anything the professors say about their exams - "Oh don't worry, I'm not going have questions on Topic X that we went over last week on the exam" - LIE. They can and will change questions at the last minute, sometimes even at the behest of your more gunner-type classmates. They will often forget what they have said to your class about exams and the like - so just be prepared! If you went over Topic X, Y, and Z, know all three of them come test day.

3. Syllabi are gold. They are generally held to actual standards, probably having to do with accreditation, and will list all topics you need to know. Sadly, your class may not cover all of these topics in lecture, due to time or other reasons. But you'll still need to know them regardless unless you want to risk getting a B!
 
Just stay on top of everything and put in the time and it's perfectly possible. No real secret.
 
You reek of desperation! Glimmer isn't getting you all into ortho. There is nothing secret about it. Work hard and sacrifice! For heaven's sake, just learn what's in the PowerPoint presentations and you're more than 90% there.

Big Hoss
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Glimmer1991 said:
Sending you a PM!!! :)
Click to expand...
Glimmer, PLEASE, PM me.

I'm having a really hard time with this soufflé! What am I doing wrong?
Not whipping the egg whites enough??
Am I removing it from the oven too soon??
Should I just give up and move on to Hungry Man dinners??

Help!!!!!!!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

K
Tips for applying to Orthodontics
Replies
1
Views
1K
LeagueofLigTies
LeagueofLigTies
S
Tips on Finding a Good Residency
Replies
4
Views
1K
Saddleshoes
Saddleshoes
S
  • Solved
Dismissal from dental school- after only one semester? What do I do?
Replies
16
Views
3K
pearlytooth86
P
C
Waxing tips
Replies
5
Views
732
Chicago_predental
C
P
tips on drilling
Replies
7
Views
2K
Faefly
Faefly
Top