A HS Student With Some Questions

[Dr. Butterfinger]

So I have a couple of questions regarding pre med

1. What is a good major that offers a fall back is I don't get into med school without adding to much more coursework?

2. How hard exactly are the weed-out courses (i.e. gen chem & bio, ochem) and how long do you spend studying? What are some tips you have for getting through those courses

3. How do you study? What methods do you use? How do you keep yourself disciplined?

4. Do you still have time for any fun at college?

5. How do you approach a professor during office hours?

6. How big of a difference is there from HS to college?

7. Finally, if you don't mind my asking, what college did you go to or are at and what does your schedule look like?

Sorry for all of the questions. I'm seriously considering a career in medicine and I just want to know how to best prepare myself.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Symphonies]

1. What is a good major that offers a fall back is I don't get into med school without adding to much more coursework?
Not too sure about this, granted most people do science (biology/biochemistry) majors, but they're not exactly great fallbacks since your only choice is academia. A good amount of people do BME, but I personally feel the more difficult classes like physics probably bring down your GPA more and decreases your med school admissions chances even more. The fallback majors that I'd ever suggest include so much extra coursework so I can't really say I have advice to offer here.
2. How hard exactly are the weed-out courses (i.e. gen chem & bio, ochem) and how long do you spend studying? What are some tips you have for getting through those courses
Depends on which school you go to; if you go to an ivy or a top undergrad, chances are it'll be pretty dang hard. In my opinion, it's very manageable where I'm at (although I attend a state school).
4. Do you still have time for any fun at college?
Fun is relative to how busy you keep yourself. I slack off some amount of weekends but I keep my weekdays packed so there's not too much leisure time during the week.
5. How do you approach a professor during office hours?
Just walk up to them when they're available and ask for clarifications on any material you're confused about, they're there to help you, not kill you.
6. How big of a difference is there from HS to college?
For me, high school was basically brute memorization and how to game tests without actually knowing the material. That doesn't fly in college. They already assume that you know the material, and in exams, they want you to bring it one step forward and actually apply it in the questions that they throw at you. Basically, make sure you understand everything you can in the smallest time possible.

Can't really expand on number three, usually most people just find their groove on how they study best. In regards to staying disciplined, if you're really committed to your career, intrinsically staying disciplined shouldn't be an issue.

 

[810390]

3. How do you study? What methods do you use? How do you keep yourself disciplined?

Firstly, and most importantly, have a pinpoint focus on what you want to do for graduate school. Understand that before you entire your graduate college of _______, you must solidify your background in the sciences at your undergraduate institution. Maintain a sharp focus.
While handling pressure from workloads or deadlines, remain composed and continue to produce qualitative work. Don't burn out, resort to stress-relief, and zone out. Facing the workload after your dose of stress-relief will bring even greater anxiety. Tackle work as soon as it is assigned. Watch a quick tv show episode after your work session to reward yourself.
Stop and figure out your priorities, make a mental list of what's most important, and go through that list step by step. I would preview lecture materials before class, so I can understand course content much better and faster. At home, review materials the day it is presented; identify complex, more difficult sections, and reach to the professor, TA, or classmates for help. For examinations, focus on key topics, and arrange review sessions with friends to identify points you would have missed working alone.
Maintain this study habit and you will have great success!

 

[Dr. Butterfinger]

3. How do you study? What methods do you use? How do you keep yourself disciplined?

Firstly, and most importantly, have a pinpoint focus on what you want to do for graduate school. Understand that before you entire your graduate college of _______, you must solidify your background in the sciences at your undergraduate institution. Maintain a sharp focus.
While handling pressure from workloads or deadlines, remain composed and continue to produce qualitative work. Don't burn out, resort to stress-relief, and zone out. Facing the workload after your dose of stress-relief will bring even greater anxiety. Tackle work as soon as it is assigned. Watch a quick tv show episode after your work session to reward yourself.
Stop and figure out your priorities, make a mental list of what's most important, and go through that list step by step. I would preview lecture materials before class, so I can understand course content much better and faster. At home, review materials the day it is presented; identify complex, more difficult sections, and reach to the professor, TA, or classmates for help. For examinations, focus on key topics, and arrange review sessions with friends to identify points you would have missed working alone.
Maintain this study habit and you will have great success!

Thank you for this. I'm going to try to apply these tips to my study habits now.

 

[Dr. Butterfinger]

1. What is a good major that offers a fall back is I don't get into med school without adding to much more coursework?
Not too sure about this, granted most people do science (biology/biochemistry) majors, but they're not exactly great fallbacks since your only choice is academia. A good amount of people do BME, but I personally feel the more difficult classes like physics probably bring down your GPA more and decreases your med school admissions chances even more. The fallback majors that I'd ever suggest include so much extra coursework so I can't really say I have advice to offer here.
2. How hard exactly are the weed-out courses (i.e. gen chem & bio, ochem) and how long do you spend studying? What are some tips you have for getting through those courses
Depends on which school you go to; if you go to an ivy or a top undergrad, chances are it'll be pretty dang hard. In my opinion, it's very manageable where I'm at (although I attend a state school).
4. Do you still have time for any fun at college?
Fun is relative to how busy you keep yourself. I slack off some amount of weekends but I keep my weekdays packed so there's not too much leisure time during the week.
5. How do you approach a professor during office hours?
Just walk up to them when they're available and ask for clarifications on any material you're confused about, they're there to help you, not kill you.
6. How big of a difference is there from HS to college?
For me, high school was basically brute memorization and how to game tests without actually knowing the material. That doesn't fly in college. They already assume that you know the material, and in exams, they want you to bring it one step forward and actually apply it in the questions that they throw at you. Basically, make sure you understand everything you can in the smallest time possible.

Can't really expand on number three, usually most people just find their groove on how they study best. In regards to staying disciplined, if you're really committed to your career, intrinsically staying disciplined shouldn't be an issue.

This is very helpful.

 

[Dr. Butterfinger]

1. What is a good major that offers a fall back is I don't get into med school without adding to much more coursework?
Not too sure about this, granted most people do science (biology/biochemistry) majors, but they're not exactly great fallbacks since your only choice is academia. A good amount of people do BME, but I personally feel the more difficult classes like physics probably bring down your GPA more and decreases your med school admissions chances even more. The fallback majors that I'd ever suggest include so much extra coursework so I can't really say I have advice to offer here.
2. How hard exactly are the weed-out courses (i.e. gen chem & bio, ochem) and how long do you spend studying? What are some tips you have for getting through those courses
Depends on which school you go to; if you go to an ivy or a top undergrad, chances are it'll be pretty dang hard. In my opinion, it's very manageable where I'm at (although I attend a state school).
4. Do you still have time for any fun at college?
Fun is relative to how busy you keep yourself. I slack off some amount of weekends but I keep my weekdays packed so there's not too much leisure time during the week.
5. How do you approach a professor during office hours?
Just walk up to them when they're available and ask for clarifications on any material you're confused about, they're there to help you, not kill you.
6. How big of a difference is there from HS to college?
For me, high school was basically brute memorization and how to game tests without actually knowing the material. That doesn't fly in college. They already assume that you know the material, and in exams, they want you to bring it one step forward and actually apply it in the questions that they throw at you. Basically, make sure you understand everything you can in the smallest time possible.

Can't really expand on number three, usually most people just find their groove on how they study best. In regards to staying disciplined, if you're really committed to your career, intrinsically staying disciplined shouldn't be an issue.

What fallback majors would you suggest anyway?

 

[liquidstatic]

What fallback majors would you suggest anyway?

BME isn't a bad choice, though it is a lot of extra legwork for a backup. Don't stress about your major yet, you have plenty of time to choose.

 

[Dr. Butterfinger]

BME isn't a bad choice, though it is a lot of extra legwork for a backup. Don't stress about your major yet, you have plenty of time to choose.

What do you think about a business major like finance or accounting.

 

[liquidstatic]

What do you think about a business major like finance or accounting.

You'll have a lot of extra science classes to take.

 

[Symphonies]

What fallback majors would you suggest anyway?

Although a lot of people say BME isn't too bad, but I honestly haven't really heard too much favorable reviews about it. In my opinion, another major that has decent job security would be computer science. However, CS almost has nothing in common with a science major, so I can't even begin to imagine the amount of extra classwork that you'll have to take

 

[Sharknad0]

1. What is a good major that offers a fall back is I don't get into med school without adding to much more coursework?

I'm Bio premed, my roommate is Electrical Engineering premed, his dad was Poli-sci premed. It's whatever you think you want to do in case medicine won't work out. One other option can be Business, which is pretty general. I'm getting a Business minor and it's a great experience getting to learn something other than science.

2. How hard exactly are the weed-out courses (i.e. gen chem & bio, ochem) and how long do you spend studying? What are some tips you have for getting through those courses

They're hard if you slack. Those are the classes which separate the people who coasted through high school and the people who are actually putting in effort because for classes like OChem there's a 0% chance you'll memorize everything in lecture or after looking at it once. Practice, practice, practice. Spend at least 1/2 an hour a week studying for every hour you have class. You have a one hour OChem lecture MWF? Then study later in the day for 30 minutes every MWF. At least.

3. How do you study? What methods do you use? How do you keep yourself disciplined?

Whiteboards for reaction mechanisms, flash cards for molecular structures and facts in biochem, typing my notes up a week before a test so that everything is in one easy to access place, and so you have time to understand your notes and see if anything is wrong. How do I keep myself disciplined? It's hard. It's really hard. Sometimes you feel like you wanna drop-out and that's just a fact. You have to find out what motivates you. Why do you want to do this? Why not study towards another profession?

4. Do you still have time for any fun at college?

Short answer: Yes
Long answer: Yeeeeeeeeeeeees

5. How do you approach a professor during office hours?

It's easiest during the first few days. "Hi Dr. X, I'm Y and I'm in your Z class and I just wanted to introduce myself."

6. How big of a difference is there from HS to college?

If you're at the top of your class and get accepted into a great school, now you're surrounded by EVERYONE who was at the top of their classes. If you made it through decently in HS, then you're surrounded not only by everyone who made it through decently in HS, but also the people who were at the top of their class. It isn't about making it through the classes and tests, it's about learning and understanding the material so that when tests arrive you don't just answer the material and forget, you know what the answer is and why. I made it through classes in HS pretty easily but college is hard. Doesn't mater where you go, it's hard. But that doesn't mean you can't succeed.

7. Finally, if you don't mind my asking, what college did you go to or are at and what does your schedule look like?

PM me and I'll let you know.