Hey, I'm an incoming freshman and I plan on majoring in Biochemistry. I know this question has already been asked so many times but what advice would you give to a premed student?
Advice for an incoming college freshman.
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Work hard from the start. Don't slack your first semester, it could really bite a chunk out of your AMCAS calculated gpa.
Get to know a lot of people and try to form meaningful relationships. Especially try and find a significant other IMO, because it will just get harder and more stressful finding someone during medical school and after. Particularly, you should go for someone not in biology or chemistry, but to each their own.
Get involved in sports, gardening, clubs, societies, whatever. Anything that keeps you involved with other people and keeps you from being an automaton who only studies and has no fun!
Volunteer. Go abroad and study in another country! Learn another language!
Follow this advice, and you should be good 👍
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Solid advice right there.
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Chill out, have fun, work hard (very hard) when it matters. Taking a semester (or year) break from pre-med stuff is better than burning out. Don't sweat the small stuff. Take the classes you enjoy, rather than the classes all the other pre-meds take (unless those really are the ones you want to take) - you'll do better in them. Never, ever cheat. Don't lie. Try to find something you're passionate about, and spend your time doing that. You can relate almost anything to medicine in an interview, and it's more compelling if you were truly devoted to what you were doing. Do well in your pre-reqs. Don't feel as though you need to overload on them early on to impress people - focus on doing well more than doing everything.
And keep an open mind. You're a freshman. You may discover something that surprises you. I started college as a physics/bio double major, then changed to history/international affairs, then history/biology. Never once did I consider medical school until after college. Life is funny that way. College is great. Don't forget to have a good time.
And keep an open mind. You're a freshman. You may discover something that surprises you. I started college as a physics/bio double major, then changed to history/international affairs, then history/biology. Never once did I consider medical school until after college. Life is funny that way. College is great. Don't forget to have a good time.
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👍
Yup.
Never put yourself in the situation where you NEED a 100 on the final. Always work hard in the beginning so in the end you can tell yourself, well I want a 100 but I only NEED an X to get an A in the class.
Thanks for the advice! I justed wanted to add that I was planning to join a sport like Rugby and start volunteering. Is this too much already, or should I just wait a quarter(going to UCSB) to get the feel of college? Also, I was offered work-study, so should I take a job or just stay completely dedicated to my Academics and ECs?
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The one thing you shouldn't do is join a premed organization.
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If you want to join the rugby team and volunteer, join the rugby team and volunteer. You'll figure it out.
I have no advice with regard to work-study.
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This! Or read sdn it will make you go crazy, listen to me, I can't even take my own advice
This. Also, stay off SDN until you need it for practical advice about the applications/MCAT (around mid junior year).
Concentrate on getting good grades, participating in ECs that you like, and getting enough clinical exposure (volunteering or shadowing) to be sure about medical school.
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Do not take organic chem as a freshman, even if you have advance placement credit. There lies the road to ruin.
Do not cheat. If you are caught, GAME OVER.
Make daily physical activity a habit from day one on campus.
Don't be a drip who doesn't know how to have fun but avoid campus shenanigans that result in vandalism. Getting written up for such behavior can come back to bite you when it comes time to apply.
Be smart about money; don't sign up for a credit card and just make minimum payments monthly. That can result in the financial equivalent of chronic backpain.
Do not cheat. If you are caught, GAME OVER.
Make daily physical activity a habit from day one on campus.
Don't be a drip who doesn't know how to have fun but avoid campus shenanigans that result in vandalism. Getting written up for such behavior can come back to bite you when it comes time to apply.
Be smart about money; don't sign up for a credit card and just make minimum payments monthly. That can result in the financial equivalent of chronic backpain.
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I've never heard that word before, but I'm totally using it from now on.
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1) Keep your GPA up from the start.
2) Find ECs and volunteering oppertunities you genuinely enjoy, early on, and stick with them. A few meaningful long term activities look better than a bunch of short activities.
3) You'll want some of the unspoken ECs like volunteering, leadership...etc...But, try not be a cookie cutter applicant. There's a few unspoken requirements like volunteering and things, but don't force yourself into something you don't like, just because you think it will look good for med school.
For example, you should have volunteering, but don't force yourself to do volunteering you don't like. Instead try to find other volunteering opportunities you find more worthwhile. You'll stick with it longer and actually be able to talk about it on your application and interviews. Plus, it will actually be interesting and not another chore.
4) As important as ECs are, still keep in mind. You can always take time after college or during summers to build up ECs, However, it's hard to repair a bad GPA. Basically, don't overload on ECs if they begin to deter from your ability to do well in classes.
5) This is weird, but I didn't treat undergrad as if I was pre-med. I kept med school in mind and tried to do well. However, a lot of things I did in college had nothing to do with med school. I just did them because I enjoyed them. I participated in music stuff, took English classes and just did what made me happy. There's a lot of amazing things to experience in college, so don't be afraid to go outside of the standard pre-med things. Surprisingly, these non medically related endeavors may be the things that help you stand out among other pre-meds come application time.
6) Don't let other freak you out. It's easy to get distracted and competitive (especially in the pre-med hard science classes like Orgo), but just focus on yourself and try to be the best that you can be.
7) Last, but not least, have fun! 🙂 Seriously, college has made up some of the best years of my life. I made friends who are like family to me, experienced and saw many new things, and grew a lot as a person. It's a special and amazing time, so make the most of it. Go out, make friends, try various activities. Of course, make sure to manage time and do well in classes, but definitely enjoy college too. Balance helps a lot...though I often times gave up sleep to socialize. 😛
P.s. Almost forgot but get to know professors early. (Don't force it or be pushy, but go to office hours, or talk to them if you're interested in their subject or share other interests.) The better you know your professors, the better their LOR may likely be.
P.p.s. Most of my closest friends were NOT pre-med, and that was great. Having friends in other majors with different backgrounds was nice because they often forced a neurotic person like me to get out of the library and have fun when I needed it. Good friends make a world of difference IMHO. 🙂 Of course, you don't want them too be too distracting. My buddies knew how to have fun, but they took classes seriously, which helped me keep my own focus and not get too distracted.
2) Find ECs and volunteering oppertunities you genuinely enjoy, early on, and stick with them. A few meaningful long term activities look better than a bunch of short activities.
3) You'll want some of the unspoken ECs like volunteering, leadership...etc...But, try not be a cookie cutter applicant. There's a few unspoken requirements like volunteering and things, but don't force yourself into something you don't like, just because you think it will look good for med school.
For example, you should have volunteering, but don't force yourself to do volunteering you don't like. Instead try to find other volunteering opportunities you find more worthwhile. You'll stick with it longer and actually be able to talk about it on your application and interviews. Plus, it will actually be interesting and not another chore.
4) As important as ECs are, still keep in mind. You can always take time after college or during summers to build up ECs, However, it's hard to repair a bad GPA. Basically, don't overload on ECs if they begin to deter from your ability to do well in classes.
5) This is weird, but I didn't treat undergrad as if I was pre-med. I kept med school in mind and tried to do well. However, a lot of things I did in college had nothing to do with med school. I just did them because I enjoyed them. I participated in music stuff, took English classes and just did what made me happy. There's a lot of amazing things to experience in college, so don't be afraid to go outside of the standard pre-med things. Surprisingly, these non medically related endeavors may be the things that help you stand out among other pre-meds come application time.
6) Don't let other freak you out. It's easy to get distracted and competitive (especially in the pre-med hard science classes like Orgo), but just focus on yourself and try to be the best that you can be.
7) Last, but not least, have fun! 🙂 Seriously, college has made up some of the best years of my life. I made friends who are like family to me, experienced and saw many new things, and grew a lot as a person. It's a special and amazing time, so make the most of it. Go out, make friends, try various activities. Of course, make sure to manage time and do well in classes, but definitely enjoy college too. Balance helps a lot...though I often times gave up sleep to socialize. 😛
P.s. Almost forgot but get to know professors early. (Don't force it or be pushy, but go to office hours, or talk to them if you're interested in their subject or share other interests.) The better you know your professors, the better their LOR may likely be.
P.p.s. Most of my closest friends were NOT pre-med, and that was great. Having friends in other majors with different backgrounds was nice because they often forced a neurotic person like me to get out of the library and have fun when I needed it. Good friends make a world of difference IMHO. 🙂 Of course, you don't want them too be too distracting. My buddies knew how to have fun, but they took classes seriously, which helped me keep my own focus and not get too distracted.
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- Just because it's freshman year don't think, "Oh it's only freshman year I could slack off". My personal mistake. 🙄
- Lifting weights or cardiovascular workouts are good for taking out stress, plus you get your swole on or tone on if you are a chick.
- Have friends to help you out or go have fun with. A gf/bf to relieve stress. (Again IDK if you are a male or female) lol
- Do NOT drink and drive.
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Amen.👍
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Pretty solid advice so far. If I giving advice to the incoming freshman version of me, I think I would prioritize keeping my GPA high from the start. Although people adjust to the college rigor at their own pace, still try your absolute hardest; it's better to go overboard with studying at first and then dial it down once you've learned how to be more efficient than slack off and have to work twice as hard later to get your GPA to a competitive level.
Try to have as many new experiences you can, be open and friendly and make lots of friends and connections (some of the most valuable opportunities and experiences I've had came from places I wouldn't have expected). Let loose and have fun often! There should always be time for play, otherwise you're going to burn out really fast. Work hard, play hard, really is the best motto--be smart with your decisions though and don't do anything that is going to jeopardize your hopeful career.
Try to have as many new experiences you can, be open and friendly and make lots of friends and connections (some of the most valuable opportunities and experiences I've had came from places I wouldn't have expected). Let loose and have fun often! There should always be time for play, otherwise you're going to burn out really fast. Work hard, play hard, really is the best motto--be smart with your decisions though and don't do anything that is going to jeopardize your hopeful career.
