1st year dental

[whburg]

Hello!!
I am a to be dental student starting in August and I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice for us rookies. Any recomendations, any helpful input, anything that would make the adjustment easier and more enjoyable.

Can dental students have fun while in school, or are we cast off into the labs and libraries for endless hours?

Thanks for any input?

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[aphistis]

I'm a D1 myself in my fourth or fifth week, and the best piece of advice I can give you is to BE READY. The entire environment is nothing like undergrad; you're surrounded by other extremely high-speed students, and the volume of material can be overwhelming at first.

It's a whole different ballgame from what you're used to. It's not necessarily worse, but it's very challenging, and you'll almost assuredly experience a pretty abrupt (and possibly unpleasant) culture shock for the first few weeks. If/when that happens, remember you heard about it here first, and remind yourself this: it'll pass. I promise.

Once you adapt to the higher-speed curriculum, you start having a much easier time of it. I'm not there yet, but I can feel the process beginning, and I'm already having a better time than I did at first. When you start dental school, you're overwhelmed by two things: paradigm shift and information overload. Once you get used to the new paradigm you're in, you just have to deal with the classes...and you'll hopefully realize, like I'm starting to, that it's really not so bad after all.

Good luck!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Bill gave some excellent advice. I'm just starting my second week of classes and I echo his sentiments.

At ASDOH our courses last one week, so we're taking a semesters worth of material and work and cramming it into one week. This can be invigorating (if you love the subject matter) but it can also be extremely mentally draining.

I posted something about classmates over on the "My Arizona Experience" thread in the pre-dental forum. Check that out if you like--it's about how your views of classmates and others in undergrad don't apply anymore once you're in dental school. In dental school EVERYBODY is capable and everybody has a brillliant background.

Remember that somebody is going to be at the bottom of the class in dental school, and also remember that a 4.0 in undergrand does NOT equate to a 4.0 in dental school. This is especially true if your school doesn't grade on a curve. ASDOH doesn't, but my undergrad did.

I've found classtime and hanging out with my fellow students to be a blast. Most everybody is extremely cool and the class is so diverse that I'm always finding out cool stuff about my classmates.

Enjoy yourself, but BE READY!

 

[UBTom]

to Whburg:

I'd like to add:

1) NEVER, EVER fall behind. As the other gentlemen aptly mentions, dental school is a lot of work. Fall behind early and you will spend the rest of the semester trying to catch up.

2) Don't ever believe the upperclassmen when they say "oh yeah the next few years will be easy." To them maybe, but maybe not to you.

3) Everything in pathology looks pink.

Good luck!

 

[Yah-E]

1) work hard - start to study at least three days before a major exam, a week for an exam that you absolutely have to do well in, aim for 90/100, "A"s, and/or HP, don't just settle to pass

2) play hard - try things that you haven't tried yet, give it a shot! you're in dental school already, you're here...have fun! If you don't drink, try a glass of wine, ask a person out on a date, talk to a classmate that you haven't said hi yet, heck, say "hi" to someone that you walk pass by, do something that has nothing to do with school

3) hang out with classmates - dont' just do to school be all quite and then go home in your little shell. Meet classmates, find out where they're from, their name, their hobbies....your best man, maid of honor, and/or your wife/husband may just be one of them

4) talk to professors - get to know them, go to office hours, ask questions outside of class, you'll be amazed how much this interaction will benefit you. Once they know you by first name bases, you'll get all the attention you'll need

5) get involved - join organizations and/or clubs, meet more people, start to build you C.V.

6) Study groups - you'll be amazed how effective this studying method is. Try to limit yourselves to only 3 or 4 to be effective. When it gets to large, it turns into a social gathering and end up talking about everything but the subject you're studying

7) Go to sim lab on after school hours - only if needed or desired. First year, only waxing take up most of your time.

8) Reach out - volunteer, shadow, contact program directors for the specialization that you may be interested in. Build a relationship with those program directors, inform them of your academic progress. It's never too early to plan if you KNOW what path you want to walk on (if you want to specialize).

9) SDN - maintain your contribution on this site, people need ya! We helped you, you got the info that you wanted, now give back, stick around!

10) Work out - stay in shape, join a club, run, start to do cardio, work on your lower back (hyperextensions). Save your back and get it stronger. There's no point for you to get all "A"s and then you're not going to be around in another 20 years. Get more energy inside of ya!

 

[c132]

I am in my second year and I would recommend that you not kill yourself like most people are probably telling you. If you want to do good later on, remember to be good to your classmates. This is perhaps the most important part of your school later on because after you get through all the science classes and start building full or partial dentures, or endo, your friends are more valuable to you than anything else, because they can help you!!!!

I study the night before every exam and rarely do bad on an exam. I am not the 4.0 but I do have a 3. something. Make sure you take REALLY good notes, this is more helpful than anything school wise because most professors only test on what they cover.

The last thing is just be yourself. Don't be one of those nerds that nobody likes because you would screw someone sideways just to get an A. And don't coupe up in the house and do nothing but study every night. Get out and have some fun.

Dental school can be fun or hell, depending on how you want it to be.!

 

[Meatpuppet]

My advice: if your school hasn't already set up some sort of notetaking service, try arranging one with a bunch of classmates. Everyone can benefit from this.