What effect has being a pre-med had on your college life?

[ClrkKnt]

Most pre-meds I know don't usually go out and party even on the weekends and as they become upperclassmen they tend to spend a lot of time studying even on the weekends. Then I noticed that majority of them have other investments outside of your typical college life.

I have heard many people say that these are supposed to be the "best 4 years of your life" but I am one of the very few that is just not buying it. Even having been to parties myself and talking to people, whenever the question about majors comes up most people I talk to aren't science majors which makes me wonder what the science majors are doing.

Looking at past posts on this I read so many users claiming how easy college was for them and they were able to live your typical college life that the media portrays, I am not buying that at all, I call BS.

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[Theafoni]

Clark kent, we've discussed this topic several times. Just find balance. On a typical Saturday, I go to the gym and then study or other times I go out.

Some premeds work 40 to 60 hours, they dont have time for a social life.

 

[frosted_flake]

I sense that you aren't happy being 'pre-med' from your past posts.

 

[pepocho]

.

 

[buttercup12]

I'm sure if you spent less time complaining about what isn't and more time actually appreciating your day-to-day life you wouldn't be as miserable.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

Most pre-meds I know don't usually go out and party even on the weekends and as they become upperclassmen they tend to spend a lot of time studying even on the weekends. Then I noticed that majority of them have other investments outside of your typical college life.

I have heard many people say that these are supposed to be the "best 4 years of your life" but I am one of the very few that is just not buying it. Even having been to parties myself and talking to people, whenever the question about majors comes up most people I talk to aren't science majors which makes me wonder what the science majors are doing.

Looking at past posts on this I read so many users claiming how easy college was for them and they were able to live your typical college life that the media portrays, I am not buying that at all, I call BS.

 

[EngineerPreMD]

Some premeds work 40 to 60 hours, they dont have time for a social life.

Just gonna throw this out there. In college I was an engineering major and I consistently held down at least one on-campus job while also working 15-20 hrs/week in a lab, did some ECs I enjoyed, and kept my GPA very competitive. My senior year I switched into pre-med, finished almost all my pre-reqs while putting 30+ hrs/week into a senior design project, worked in a lab, volunteered, and went on job interviews. I went to a school that is known for grade deflation and cut-throat students. I think I put in about 60 hrs/week my first three years, and 80+ in that senior year. The whole time I still managed to work out, go out with friends pretty much every Fri/Sat, go on a couple of fun trips, visit family, and stay active in my fraternity.

Yeah that senior year put bags under my eyes, and I definitely put on a little flab (which I've thankfully lost since graduating), but overall I still felt as though I had more than enough time for everything and everyone in my life. Anything that I let slip was purely my own fault. You have 168 hours in a week. After sleep, that's 119 hours (for me at least). After errands, bills, cleaning, eating, etc... you have ~105 hours. That's 4 hours/day of free time in the worst of circumstances in college. In my experience people don't really know what it's like to work a full day until they get a job, and even then most young people will only work effectively for maybe 5 of 8 working hours.

OP, when is the last time you woke up at 8 am, got to class/library by 9 am, took good, active notes in class, studied material actively or did homework/worked for the entirety of all those awkward schedule gaps, and then went to the library/lab until at least 6? Now when is the last time you did this almost every day? That's an 8 hour work day. Do that 6 days a week (48 hrs/week) with a average schedule and you'll get it ALL done with plenty of weekend/night time to relax or do ECs. If you aren't enjoying life take a look at how you spend your time. Whenever you procrastinate or work inefficiently, ask yourself if that moment is enjoyable enough that you're willing to give up time with friends for it. A college social life isn't very hard to maintain, there's no reason you should be without one because you're pre-med.

 

[ClrkKnt]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

I don't get what people really get out of hyping up their life online. Somewhere deep down there must be some sense of guilt from telling the fictional stories some of you tell. From my own experience studying with a lot of pre-meds and preparing for classes, yes a lot of them do have time for other things like jobs and extra curriculars but if you believe that a pre-med is living the same kind of college life as some communications major then you have to either be trolling or just high.

Just coming from my own experience of going to house parties and "out", most of the people I have run into are not in any way science majors and the science majors I have run into are so exhausted from a long week that they are relaxing at home on a Friday or Saturday night watching movies rather than going out like others.

I didn't say pre-meds are doomed to be stuck in a library for 4 years but you guys need to stop being naive and making up fictional stories about your college experiences.

 

[La Presse]

I'm either in the lab, in the clinic, or in class. Trust me, it weighs on you after a while.

 

[CollegeGirl94]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

I don't get what people really get out of hyping up their life online. Somewhere deep down there must be some sense of guilt from telling the fictional stories some of you tell. From my own experience studying with a lot of pre-meds and preparing for classes, yes a lot of them do have time for other things like jobs and extra curriculars but if you believe that a pre-med is living the same kind of college life as some communications major then you have to either be trolling or just high.

Just coming from my own experience of going to house parties and "out", most of the people I have run into are not in any way science majors and the science majors I have run into are so exhausted from a long week that they are relaxing at home on a Friday or Saturday night watching movies rather than going out like others.

I didn't say pre-meds are doomed to be stuck in a library for 4 years but you guys need to stop being naive and making up fictional stories about your college experiences.

LOL what school do you go to?
At my school, at least half the students at parties will be Science majors, make sense as half the students in my university are in the school of sciences...?

I think it is balance. Sometimes you go out if you can, other times you just can't. I don't know anybody that studies all weekend unless they're behind/it's test time.

 

[Doudline]

Just gonna throw this out there. In college I was an engineering major and I consistently held down at least one on-campus job while also working 15-20 hrs/week in a lab, did some ECs I enjoyed, and kept my GPA very competitive. My senior year I switched into pre-med, finished almost all my pre-reqs while putting 30+ hrs/week into a senior design project, worked in a lab, volunteered, and went on job interviews. I went to a school that is known for grade deflation and cut-throat students. I think I put in about 60 hrs/week my first three years, and 80+ in that senior year. The whole time I still managed to work out, go out with friends pretty much every Fri/Sat, go on a couple of fun trips, visit family, and stay active in my fraternity.

Yeah that senior year put bags under my eyes, and I definitely put on a little flab (which I've thankfully lost since graduating), but overall I still felt as though I had more than enough time for everything and everyone in my life. Anything that I let slip was purely my own fault. You have 168 hours in a week. After sleep, that's 119 hours (for me at least). After errands, bills, cleaning, eating, etc... you have ~105 hours. That's 4 hours/day of free time in the worst of circumstances in college. In my experience people don't really know what it's like to work a full day until they get a job, and even then most young people will only work effectively for maybe 5 of 8 working hours.

OP, when is the last time you woke up at 8 am, got to class/library by 9 am, took good, active notes in class, studied material actively or did homework/worked for the entirety of all those awkward schedule gaps, and then went to the library/lab until at least 6? Now when is the last time you did this almost every day? That's an 8 hour work day. Do that 6 days a week (48 hrs/week) with a average schedule and you'll get it ALL done with plenty of weekend/night time to relax or do ECs. If you aren't enjoying life take a look at how you spend your time. Whenever you procrastinate or work inefficiently, ask yourself if that moment is enjoyable enough that you're willing to give up time with friends for it. A college social life isn't very hard to maintain, there's no reason you should be without one because you're pre-med.

We're all so impressed. Please tell us more.

 

[dyspareunia]

Most pre-meds I know don't usually go out and party even on the weekends and as they become upperclassmen they tend to spend a lot of time studying even on the weekends. Then I noticed that majority of them have other investments outside of your typical college life.

I have heard many people say that these are supposed to be the "best 4 years of your life" but I am one of the very few that is just not buying it. Even having been to parties myself and talking to people, whenever the question about majors comes up most people I talk to aren't science majors which makes me wonder what the science majors are doing.

Looking at past posts on this I read so many users claiming how easy college was for them and they were able to live your typical college life that the media portrays, I am not buying that at all, I call BS.

Med school is way more fun than premed. More drinking, more partying, more awesomeness.

 

[Theafoni]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

I don't get what people really get out of hyping up their life online. Somewhere deep down there must be some sense of guilt from telling the fictional stories some of you tell. From my own experience studying with a lot of pre-meds and preparing for classes, yes a lot of them do have time for other things like jobs and extra curriculars but if you believe that a pre-med is living the same kind of college life as some communications major then you have to either be trolling or just high.

Just coming from my own experience of going to house parties and "out", most of the people I have run into are not in any way science majors and the science majors I have run into are so exhausted from a long week that they are relaxing at home on a Friday or Saturday night watching movies rather than going out like others.

I didn't say pre-meds are doomed to be stuck in a library for 4 years but you guys need to stop being naive and making up fictional stories about your college experiences.

If you wan't to party, go party, you'll just have to take an F on that test Monday morning. Secondly, don't worry about what other people are doing, it's terrible idea to compare your life with theirs, as you said, they're in communications and you're a pre-med, completely different things.

 

[CollegeGirl94]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

I don't get what people really get out of hyping up their life online. Somewhere deep down there must be some sense of guilt from telling the fictional stories some of you tell. From my own experience studying with a lot of pre-meds and preparing for classes, yes a lot of them do have time for other things like jobs and extra curriculars but if you believe that a pre-med is living the same kind of college life as some communications major then you have to either be trolling or just high.

Just coming from my own experience of going to house parties and "out", most of the people I have run into are not in any way science majors and the science majors I have run into are so exhausted from a long week that they are relaxing at home on a Friday or Saturday night watching movies rather than going out like others.

I didn't say pre-meds are doomed to be stuck in a library for 4 years but you guys need to stop being naive and making up fictional stories about your college experiences.

Why on Earth would anybody need to make a fake profile and lie about their experiences to make themselves look BETTER? Don't people come here for help/advice?

 

[Theafoni]

Mr Kent, can you describe your typical day?

 

[aspirantmed]

I don't understand what you're trying to get out of this thread .. If it's to ask if a better work-life balance is possible, then yes, it definitely is. Most universities have a counseling or fitness-wellness program that can talk to you about those kinds of difficulties. Maybe you should schedule an appointment with them and see what they can help you come up with.

 

[EngineerPreMD]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

We're all so impressed. Please tell us more.

Okay yeah... Looking back at that, yes that was a damn self-indulgent/obnoxious post, though I didn't mean for it to come off that way. My point was that if you claim to have no time, you're overlooking tons of missed time and going about school the wrong way. That can make you very unhappy. It certainly made me unhappy until I figured out how to manage my time. Pre-med is no cakewalk, that's for sure, but a lot of that stems from the fact that it's asking people who've never been given freedom before to suddenly budget 40-60 hours of work every week with an extremely disordered and unstructured schedule. It's the organization, not the workload, that's the problem.

 

[ClrkKnt]

Med school is way more fun than premed. More drinking, more partying, more awesomeness.

great and where is the part you wake up?

 

[ClrkKnt]

Mr Kent, can you describe your typical day?

- wake up in the morning (around 8 AM)

- class from 8 AM to 4 PM with breaks inbetween for studying and eating lunch

- after class review the material and get daily online assignments done

- done by 6 PM

- hit the gym

- go eat dinner (at around 7:30 or so)

- after dinner head to the library to get up to date on the material for classes

- at around 11 PM get some sleep so I can wake up in the morning prepared for class

On Wed, Thur, and Friday I do shadowing so factor that in.

Saturdays I go out when I can but most of my pre-med friends stay in and watch movies.

 

[Reckoner]

great and where is the part you wake up?

Did you start this thread so you could call anyone who isn't as miserable as you a liar?

 

[CollegeGirl94]

- wake up in the morning (around 8 AM)

- class from 8 AM to 4 PM with breaks inbetween for studying and eating lunch

- after class review the material and get daily online assignments done

- done by 6 PM

- hit the gym

- go eat dinner (at around 7:30 or so)

- after dinner head to the library to get up to date on the material for classes

- at around 11 PM get some sleep so I can wake up in the morning prepared for class

On Wed, Thur, and Friday I do shadowing so factor that in.

Saturdays I go out when I can but most of my pre-med friends stay in and watch movies.

How on Earth do your premed friends have time to watch movies? Why aren't they studying?

 

[Theafoni]

Your schedule looks like a typical college life, what are you having issues with? Are you stuck in a rut? When I get bored with my schedule, I do things out of the ordinary, instead of studying one night, I'll try to skip that and I may attend on campus events and get free food, play FIFA all night, or go hang with friends.

 

[Theafoni]

How on Earth do your premed friends have time to watch movies? Why aren't they studying?

I can't even remember the last time I watched movies..

 

[CollegeGirl94]

I can't even remember the last time I watched movies..

Really?! Maybe I'm not working as hard as I think I am lol.

 

[dyspareunia]

great and where is the part you wake up?

Everyday at 7am. Then I eat breakfast, feed my cats, etc until 8am. Study until ~11am, each lunch, lift, etc, study again from ~3pm-5pm, then hang out, eat dinner, hang out more, watch Netflix, then go to bed.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Thank God I was a non-traditional student! I actually had an awesome four years of college since they weren't spent jumping through hoops... Err... Wait a minute. I meant, I'm pretty sad that I didn't get to spend the best four years of my life doing things I was passionate about.

 

[okokok]

Thank God I was a non-traditional student! I actually had an awesome four years of college since they weren't spent jumping through hoops... Err... Wait a minute. I meant, I'm pretty sad that I didn't get to spend the best four years of my life doing things I was passionate about.

I was just going to say--non trad is where it's at. I barely remember college, to be honest. I'm not proud of that, especially because I'm still paying loans from it, but I lived the undergrad party life to the fullest. After I graduated, I traveled and worked abroad for three years. I came back with several thousand saved and buckled down and took pre med classes while working and was admitted to several med schools for this fall. I know it doesn't seem easy. But you have only one life. If you're unhappy, you can change. If you want this career, you will get there eventually. Don't give your heart and happiness to a job goal.

 

[KnuxNole]

Now the well written stories come in.

"I volunteer over 100+ hours a week, have an on-campus job, make straight A's, am 6"4, 220 lbs of pure muscle, and have a new girl in my crib everyday". SMH

I don't get what people really get out of hyping up their life online. Somewhere deep down there must be some sense of guilt from telling the fictional stories some of you tell. From my own experience studying with a lot of pre-meds and preparing for classes, yes a lot of them do have time for other things like jobs and extra curriculars but if you believe that a pre-med is living the same kind of college life as some communications major then you have to either be trolling or just high.

Just coming from my own experience of going to house parties and "out", most of the people I have run into are not in any way science majors and the science majors I have run into are so exhausted from a long week that they are relaxing at home on a Friday or Saturday night watching movies rather than going out like others.

I didn't say pre-meds are doomed to be stuck in a library for 4 years but you guys need to stop being naive and making up fictional stories about your college experiences.

This may be a shock, but those "fictional stories" are pretty typical. LOTS of people have a job, take 15 credits of classes, smash a girl weekly, go to the gym for an hour, and make straight A's. This ain't no Disney ****. If it was, you would have your furry companion knock some sense into you via a random musical number

Maybe you need to find other science major friends. Sounds like you might find people who don't like to go out but spend their weekends inside to relax. That isn't bad by any means, but maybe you need to find people more like yourself.

 

[KnuxNole]

- wake up in the morning (around 8 AM)

- class from 8 AM to 4 PM with breaks inbetween for studying and eating lunch

- after class review the material and get daily online assignments done

- done by 6 PM

- hit the gym

- go eat dinner (at around 7:30 or so)

- after dinner head to the library to get up to date on the material for classes

- at around 11 PM get some sleep so I can wake up in the morning prepared for class

On Wed, Thur, and Friday I do shadowing so factor that in.

Saturdays I go out when I can but most of my pre-med friends stay in and watch movies.

Shadowing 3 days a week is a LOT, but still leaves for free time. Do you go to the library at night every day, studying for upcoming quizzes/tests daily? And the gym? You have Sat/Sun to do lots of fun stuff. I'm sure there are days you don't need to go to the lib or gym...depends on you and your needs.

And again, unless you talk to each and every person in your science class, I think you are meeting the wrong people.

 

[armybound]

I have heard many people say that these are supposed to be the "best 4 years of your life" but I am one of the very few that is just not buying it.

hmm, I wonder if most pre-meds feel this way. I'll be honest, I didn't "experience" college like a lot of people do (didn't ***** around, etc) but I'll tell you, the years I've spent since college have been so much better than college. The years I worked before med school, during med school, even sometimes as a resident are so much more rewarding.

 

[EngineerPreMD]

This may be a shock, but those "fictional stories" are pretty typical. LOTS of people have a job, take 15 credits of classes, smash a girl weekly, go to the gym for an hour, and make straight A's. This ain't no Disney ****. If it was, you would have your furry companion knock some sense into you via a random musical number

Maybe you need to find other science major friends. Sounds like you might find people who don't like to go out but spend their weekends inside to relax. That isn't bad by any means, but maybe you need to find people more like yourself.

People are saying my post was ridiculous (obnoxious, yes, not ridiculous), but I once knew a guy who got a 4.0 in comp sci, 6' 2" and actually did modeling, weekly smash at least (even a few threesomes), made 50K each year DURING college with some web service he'd created (+15K for summer internships), and was probably one of the nicest people I'd ever met. He works for Google now. I mean, I don't know why people don't think this happens. It's just a very, very small minority. I only said that I did a ton of stuff in college (because I switched paths and had to) and that I was still able to dine out with friends and have fun occasionally... There are people out there living their lives (and some of them are even pre-med).

 

[KnuxNole]

People are saying my post was ridiculous (obnoxious, yes, not ridiculous), but I once knew a guy who got a 4.0 in comp sci, 6' 2" and actually did modeling, weekly smash at least (even a few threesomes), made 50K each year DURING college with some web service he'd created (+15K for summer internships), and was probably one of the nicest people I'd ever met. He works for Google now. I mean, I don't know why people don't think this happens. It's just a very, very small minority. I only said that I did a ton of stuff in college (because I switched paths and had to) and that I was still able to dine out with friends and have fun occasionally... There are people out there living their lives!

That's what happens when people stereotype too much, they fail to see the loads of people breaking the mold.

Funny thing is, college is the PERFECT place to see all diverse people doing things that break certain stereotypes and to expand your perspectives. OP needs to meet other science majors who share his interests, he'll get to really know the ins and outs of those people, and learn a lot

The fact that OP jumped to pre-meds partying as a myth shows the narrow viewpoint, something that usually gets washed away early on in college, which is indeed one of the best years of people's lives. Others would argue the period after college in their 20s are the best. Both have their advantages.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Most pre-meds I know don't usually go out and party even on the weekends and as they become upperclassmen they tend to spend a lot of time studying even on the weekends. Then I noticed that majority of them have other investments outside of your typical college life.

I have heard many people say that these are supposed to be the "best 4 years of your life" but I am one of the very few that is just not buying it. Even having been to parties myself and talking to people, whenever the question about majors comes up most people I talk to aren't science majors which makes me wonder what the science majors are doing.

Looking at past posts on this I read so many users claiming how easy college was for them and they were able to live your typical college life that the media portrays, I am not buying that at all, I call BS.

How college affected me.

 

[Kochanie]

I know I am one of the few on here, but being a premed destroyed me.... Maybe it was because I attended my university, but I went from a bubbly, happy, person to not even being able to look people in the eye. It made me anxious, nervous, and just unhappy. Also, If I was in shape before, I definitely am not now.

 

[Boolean]

Life?

 

[lumpyduster]

Yeah if I got off the internet every once in a while I'd probably lead a very normal life.

 

[darklabel]

There are people like PreMdEngineer that make it work and it happens and there are others that can't.

I will tell you something from one premed to another, that acceptance makes everything so damn sweet. No matter how your experience in the last 4+ years were, once you get an acceptance somewhere, it's all really worth it and then you stop giving a rat's ass about how you experienced college life and look forward to being a doctor.

I feel that post-acceptance -> MS-1 is such a sweet, rosy colored feeling and I'm embracing it until I become a bitter medical student and then resident that craps on future premeds' dreams of being a physician and how terrible it is

 

[Oso]

I know I am one of the few on here, but being a premed destroyed me.... Maybe it was because I attended my university, but I went from a bubbly, happy, person to not even being able to look people in the eye. It made me anxious, nervous, and just unhappy. Also, If I was in shape before, I definitely am not now.

That sounds a bit.. Intense. You need to find a way to balance schoolwork and EC's with time for yourself, friends, and family. If you're really feeling anxious and unhappy then you may want to talk to someone about it. Now is the time to learn to handle a heavy schedule in a relatively healthy way, because things will only get busier and more difficult.

My $0.02

 

[Kochanie]

That sounds a bit.. Intense. You need to find a way to balance schoolwork and EC's with time for yourself, friends, and family. If you're really feeling anxious and unhappy then you may want to talk to someone about it. Now is the time to learn to handle a heavy schedule in a relatively healthy way, because things will only get busier and more difficult.

My $0.02

Way ahead of you sir.

 

[mrh125]

it annihilated it except during the last quarter of school. I had to study 10 hrs a day and study on weekends, so no fun time and tons of burn out. Also some premeds are really weird competitive, standoffish,and become friends just to find out what you know and compete against you (I hate fake friends and I'm not carrying people. if you want genuine help i provide it, but i'm not bailing people out just because i studied longer than them and actually gave a ****) so I went through a few of those because I sit in the front middle of class, work my ass off, and ask questions. Last quarter I said, **** it just had some fun, had a great time with friends, and lots of hookups. Best quarter ever, damn I miss college, which I why I kept my apartment and still hang there.

I did join a frat for a brief period of time, but I had to pick premed over that and party frat lifestyle and premed don't mix.

If i went back I would just knock the premed courses off right away (instead of waiting on some), join frats, and have more fun during the last 2-3 years.

 

[Kochanie]

it annihilated it except during the last quarter of school. I had to study 10 hrs a day and study on weekends, so no fun time and tons of burn out. Also some premeds are really weird competitive, standoffish,and become friends just to find out what you know and compete against you (I hate fake friends and I'm not carrying people. if you want genuine help i provide it, but i'm not bailing people out just because i studied longer than them and actually gave a ****) so I went through a few of those because I sit in the front middle of class, work my ass off, and ask questions. Last quarter I said, **** it just had some fun, had a great time with friends, and lots of hookups. Best quarter ever, damn I miss college, which I why I kept my apartment and still hang there.

I did join a frat for a brief period of time, but I had to pick premed over that and party frat lifestyle and premed don't mix.

If i went back I would just knock the premed courses off right away (instead of waiting on some), join frats, and have more fun during the last 2-3 years.

Sounds exactly like my school. Met some "friends" that I lost as soon as they found out I was struggling academically.

 

[mrh125]

Sounds exactly like my school. Met some "friends" that I lost as soon as they found out I was struggling academically.

Yep, and before I was actually succeeding academically none of those people wanted to be friends with me or even act like they gave a **** about me. It was hard to give a **** about them once they noticed I started improving academically likewise.

 

[buttercup12]

.

 

[moisne]

Sounds like working hard but not working smart. Pick a different major so you don't need to study as hard. Then you can get a part time job, do research, and volunteer ... And study for MCAT, while having a social life.

(Ps... I studied for the mcat and only got a 26.... I then took a few years later and got a 30+ without studying because my part time job was tutoring and that helped me study more than any books)

 

[Frostbite22]

I really just feel it depends on the person. I knew a girl who wouldn't take more than 16 credits and only volunteered 3 hours a week. I've also known others who work 40 hours, volunteer, and take 18 credits. Both ended up with around the same grade average and both have started medical school.

Some people just handle things differently. If you've always worked since high school you probably can balance things out better or you take less courses. Plus maybe your study habits aren't as good as others or maybe you can't retain information as well. Everyone is different and that's okay, there is no need to say people are fictional or this isn't real life. Personally when I was in college I was shocked at how people had jobs. I thought it was the norm, but I guess I just was raised differently. Doesn't mean I looked down on those people who didn't have jobs, they were just blessed with better financial aid/or parents who can afford their rent/tuition. If people can handle snowboarding every weekend or getting drunk while pulling off decent grades who are we to judge?

 

[Tawantinsuyu]

Just gonna throw this out there. In college I was an engineering major and I consistently held down at least one on-campus job while also working 15-20 hrs/week in a lab, did some ECs I enjoyed, and kept my GPA very competitive. My senior year I switched into pre-med, finished almost all my pre-reqs while putting 30+ hrs/week into a senior design project, worked in a lab, volunteered, and went on job interviews. I went to a school that is known for grade deflation and cut-throat students. I think I put in about 60 hrs/week my first three years, and 80+ in that senior year. The whole time I still managed to work out, go out with friends pretty much every Fri/Sat, go on a couple of fun trips, visit family, and stay active in my fraternity.

Yeah that senior year put bags under my eyes, and I definitely put on a little flab (which I've thankfully lost since graduating), but overall I still felt as though I had more than enough time for everything and everyone in my life. Anything that I let slip was purely my own fault. You have 168 hours in a week. After sleep, that's 119 hours (for me at least). After errands, bills, cleaning, eating, etc... you have ~105 hours. That's 4 hours/day of free time in the worst of circumstances in college. In my experience people don't really know what it's like to work a full day until they get a job, and even then most young people will only work effectively for maybe 5 of 8 working hours.

OP, when is the last time you woke up at 8 am, got to class/library by 9 am, took good, active notes in class, studied material actively or did homework/worked for the entirety of all those awkward schedule gaps, and then went to the library/lab until at least 6? Now when is the last time you did this almost every day? That's an 8 hour work day. Do that 6 days a week (48 hrs/week) with a average schedule and you'll get it ALL done with plenty of weekend/night time to relax or do ECs. If you aren't enjoying life take a look at how you spend your time. Whenever you procrastinate or work inefficiently, ask yourself if that moment is enjoyable enough that you're willing to give up time with friends for it. A college social life isn't very hard to maintain, there's no reason you should be without one because you're pre-med.

I think you have one of those time turner things that Hermione has in Harry Potter.

 

[EngineerPreMD]

I think you have one of those time turner things that Hermione has in Harry Potter.

You have no idea how much can get done with the right motivation. You will lose your mind though, but you'll find it again, so no need to worry.

 

[Kochanie]

I really just feel it depends on the person. I knew a girl who wouldn't take more than 16 credits and only volunteered 3 hours a week. I've also known others who work 40 hours, volunteer, and take 18 credits. Both ended up with around the same grade average and both have started medical school.

Some people just handle things differently. If you've always worked since high school you probably can balance things out better or you take less courses. Plus maybe your study habits aren't as good as others or maybe you can't retain information as well. Everyone is different and that's okay, there is no need to say people are fictional or this isn't real life. Personally when I was in college I was shocked at how people had jobs. I thought it was the norm, but I guess I just was raised differently. Doesn't mean I looked down on those people who didn't have jobs, they were just blessed with better financial aid/or parents who can afford their rent/tuition. If people can handle snowboarding every weekend or getting drunk while pulling off decent grades who are we to judge?

I completely agree, but I do think the school you go to plays a role. I don't know one person that has a full time/part time job here. I could could actually probably bet that no one has a full time job. I don't think it comes down to just ability.

It's actually shocking to me too. Growing up with a brother 8 years older than me, all I saw was him/his friends working while going to college.

 

[dyspareunia]

So you don't go to class at all except for test days?

Pretty much. We have a required class here and there, but I don't attend non-required classes.

 

[Frostbite22]

I completely agree, but I do think the school you go to plays a role. I don't know one person that has a full time/part time job here. I could could actually probably bet that no one has a full time job. I don't think it comes down to just ability.

It's actually shocking to me too. Growing up with a brother 8 years older than me, all I saw was him/his friends working while going to college.

I do agree with you. I mean each school is slightly different. I am sure someone at your school has a job, you probably don't know everyone there.