Advice to Your Former Self

BU Medical Sciences
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juliedi

juliedi

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I keep coming across threads in which worried pre-med freshmen (or high schoolers) ask neurotic questions... and then get ridiculed by older and wiser SDNers. In the same spirit, if you could go back in time and give some help advice to your former self, med school related or otherwise,what would you say?

I know I'd tell myself to not sweat the small stuff so much. And also to not piss off my RA, because getting on her bad side is not a good idea.
 
work hard, study hard, put in the effort to build up a med school app. know why you want to go into medicine/have passion - if that's what you what.

most importantly: enjoy college, the lifestyle, have fun all which I did and wish could come back!
 
I would go back and tell my past self of all the warning signs of depression before it gets too bad.
 
hmmm, I don't feel old and wise enough to be giving myself advice yet. 😳

how about this: Dear freshman rhesuspieces, don't be sad that you got a B in GenChem because you were spending too much time with your new boyfriend. You are still with him now (and accepted to a med school) so it was worth it. 😀

Also--freshman rhesuspieces, you will get to work with monkeys one day. Just sayin'.

but really...maybe my future MS-4 self can stop by this thread and give the current me some advice?? kthxbai
 
Never eat raspberries.















1,000,000,000,000,000,000 points to whoever gets the reference
 
Dear freshman ivy:

A) You're not the hot **** you think you are. 90% of majors in your major are smarter than you.

B) chillax

C) This medical thing....try it out

D) One less beer = one less month of your genitals on fire
 
Quit working so much and enjoy college. It's over before you know it and you'll be sad you spent 99% of your friday and saturday nights working.

Oh! and volunteer more as a frosh when you actually had about 3 hours a week to do it. Otherwise, you end up sleeping 4 hours a night worrying that you don't have enough clinical experience.

Don't move in with Laura. She'll be a horrible roommate. And remember: don't be stupid!
 
1. Don't try to be cool. No one that you are impressing is going to be there for you after college.
2. Don't reject summer research oppurtunity for the sake of summer romance because it will turn into summer heartbreak anyway. So, you lose twice and feel depressed all year.
3.Don't let friends take advantage of your hospitality.
4. Hang out more with the smart squares than the rich, party animals.
5. SELF-PROMOTION, don't be humble or shy when talking about yourself.
 
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VikingLegacy, I am pretty hard headed, too, so I likely wouldn't heed the advice. But I think I would like to tell myself not to blow over $3K on MD applications in the 2009 app cycle with my rather unimpressive stats. That was a financial and ego-crushing mistake.
 
As a post-bac with a crappy undergrad GPA who toiled in a career that wasn't right for me, I'd tell my younger self to consider becoming a doctor earlier and save myself alot of trouble. I would have also told myself to not screw around so bad in my classes and get better grades. I also would have told myself to invest in google.
 
1.) Shop around for good teachers, not an easy schedule
2.) Take 2 years off and go live in a Spanish speaking country doing whatever.
3.) Do more yoga
4.) Don't feel bad about Ws....no one gives a crap anyway.
5.) Practicing communication skills >>>> practicing science skills
6.) Be more forgiving of the douchebags around you
7.) Watch a little less TV and spend a little more time at the theater
8.) Go to school for free whenever you can, *******. Don't be so emotionally attached to a school you've never attended.
 
1) You know you don't want to be an engineer after 1 quarter, don't "give it a fair shot" for 2 years.
2) Don't listen to the idiot academic advisors. Yes, you can change from the engineering series chemistry, physics and math coursework. Even if you lose first quarter of those series, there is still less classes in the lifescience ones.
3) Go to class *******. Your first one isn't until noon, how hard is it to wake up by noon.
4) Don't fret the drinking and frat life. You come out better for it, just make sure you actually stay on top of the academic part too.
5) Start training for football walk-on tryouts earlier. 2 months of not drinking and starting to run will not get you on the football team, but it will get you damn close, think what more could have done.
 
1) Don't work so much... The money and ability to graduate debt free isn't worth the years you have to spend trying to fix your application to get into med school... Also, working 3 jobs and going to school full time is probably not the best idea... Especially since your dad will help you pay your bills if you really needed it.
2) Don't apply with a 16 and a 19 on your MCAT... Grades do matter. Even more than experience. Over $4000 down the drain... And not a single interview!
3) Don't take all of your classes with your boyfriend. He is a distraction and has poor study habits... Though, we are married now, so it worked out... Still, men don’t take school as seriously as women, so I probably took years off my life by getting so frustrated with him.
4) Business? Really? What are you going to do with a business degree!? What a waste of 2 years of my life...
5) Make a plan and stick with it. You can't do everything, you are spreading yourself too thin and it is not going to be worth it in the end.
6) You should have partied more. People look at your grades and think you probably drank every night instead of studied... You should have had more fun if you knew you were going to be in school this long.
7) Pay more attention in Spanish. You may actually need that one day. Took 2 years of Spanish and I don't even think I can form a coherent sentence.
8) Just stop what you are doing and focus on one goal. You can do it… Self doubt is not an option.
 
Wear sunscreen.

Eat less, exercise more.

Drink less, study more.
 
Consider being a doctor during freshman year so that I wouldn't have to take a 5th year due to getting a minor in business.
 
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Keep up that sure as **** optimism that was laughable to everyone who knew you weren't cut out for med school . . .

Discouragement is the odor of jealousy . . .

If you skip MCAT class to watch a game and your team loses, you feel really stupid. . .

Do it all the same way . . .
 
"The lottery numbers are xxxxxxxxx"
 
I agree with Noshie's #1. Take out some sort of loan, beg for money, do whatever it takes to get on campus freshman year. Make friends with the chemistry nerds instead of the sorority losers. They will help you with your homework instead of making you feel guilty for studying. Also, don't take a random calculus course before you even start college, thinking it is just "practice" and not realizing it will be a permanent 5 hr C on your record. Basically, get better grades. Uggh.
 
Me?

Don't be a Biomedical Engineer. Go out and do more athletic things. Spend your time with friends and not stuck doing work 24/7.
 
Dear freshman self,

- Don't F up your first semester, because then you will spend the rest of college digging yourself out of that hole.

- Study Abroad!!! Really really regret not doing that 🙁

Dear senior self,

Thank you so much for going out Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Thank you for quitting your job and spending the entire summer doing awesome, fun things. 😎
 
Apply for that biology scholarship for the love of God. I didn't even know about it for most of my college career, and I won it as soon as I applied for it. I could have had a lot more fun in college if I didn't have to spend $7000 out of pocket each year for tuition.
 
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1) Be who you are not what others want you to be.
2) Avoid religious groups.
3) Your going to end up pre-med soon so don't give up and just bomb classes.
4) Biology is boring later, take your pre-recs and be a humanities major.
5) Bigger isn't always better...
 
Don't be afraid to transfer if you want to just because you are worried about LOR's. Time off of school is not the end of the world. Medical W's are a lot better than C's on your application. Work less and live a little more.
 
Dear freshman Chops,

*smack in face*

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, TAKE THE FREE TUITION AT YOUR STATE SCHOOL.
 
1) DON'T GIVE UP THE FULL RIDE TO UW YOU STUPID ****!

2) It's not you, it's them. Seriously, ditch the people that are bringing you down, no matter how much you "love" them.

3) Just because you're not a slutty, drunk mess doesn't mean you can't have a social life.

4) One hour a day at the gym will not lead to you failing that class, lard***.

EDIT: Also, stay away from hippies/artists. They make bad boyfriends. It doesn't matter, you will never learn...*Sigh*
 
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1. While Guinness is good, Smithwick's is to be preferred.
2. All else being equal, just go for a milk stout instead.
 
MilkmanAl said:
Dude, YES. What the hell was I thinking?
Click to expand...
I don't know man, I don't know. Looking back, I wonder how I could have possibly been that stupid. The scholarship was basically handed to me. John and Abigail Adams....look it up :bang:
 
juliedi said:
I keep coming across threads in which worried pre-med freshmen (or high schoolers) ask neurotic questions... and then get ridiculed by older and wiser SDNers. In the same spirit, if you could go back in time and give some help advice to your former self, med school related or otherwise,what would you say?

I know I'd tell myself to not sweat the small stuff so much. And also to not piss off my RA, because getting on her bad side is not a good idea.
Click to expand...

do not, play wow. *arnold S voice on* must terminate, world of Warcraft. *voice off*

if i didn't do this for the entire 4 years of high school and the first year of college, man, i feel sad just thinking how far i would have gotten than now.
 
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550544_truerwordswereneverspoken.jpg
 
To Freshmen Playa:

1) Don't get drunk and get high at the same time……really really hurts the next day.

2) Don't give two s**** about women. You know you will get what you want out of it eventually.

3) Always make sure to be your best self both in your work, and with people.

4) Work hard play hard. Never do too much of either, you couldve saved yourself a bad first two years.
 
To myself:

1. Don't have to be a science major. Be a major in something that may interest you like sociology (I loved my intro to sociology class) and take premed prereqs on the side and take a few extra higher ups if you feel necessary as far as premed classes go.

2. Stay confident rather then second guessing myself.

3. Don't get involved in premed organizations. do your volunteering on your own through a hospital and shadowing through a hospital. If you get involved in organizations only get involved in what you can rather then getting into too much at once and if being involved too much is too much for you, know when to quit it and get involved only in what you can.

4. Find a good lab only once you got yourself figured out in terms of classes and then stick with it instead of jumping around to another research lab. Learn everything you can so that if you need a job later it will help a lot.

5. Learn how to budget time.

6. Most importantly, 1. Don't let people get to you and influence you too much like I did when i was younger. 2. more importantly then 6.1., 6.2. MOst important of all......go to a doctor and get blood tests for PCOS and treatment for such. Would've made a big difference a long time ago.

There's a lot more but these are the most important ones.


Not to say that i didn't like the higher micro bio classes just think it might have been a better route.
 
1. That little religion you were raised in? It's a cult. Get out and get therapy NOW.
2. Go to one of the two very fine UC schools that accepted you. You never know how family finances will work out...
3. Do not go to the exotic international school that requires parents with deep pockets. When said deep pockets abscond to a third world country and start a new family, you will be left high and dry with zero ability to a) get scholarships b) loans c) grants, etc. as an international student.
4. If, say, you have been left high and dry at an international school, take a formal withdrawal from university. Don't walk away from 3 Incomplete grades, because 15 years later they will magically turn into Fs.
5. Your family will never be normal or sane. Just accept this, and know that it's not your fault. Practice kindness and love for them when you can, but only from a safe distance with good boundaries.
6. Don't ever take on a "Project Boyfriend" and try to fix him. For 8 years. It won't work. Really.
 
Love this thread. This is advice to both my high school and college self.

1) Stop being so religious and antisocial (the two went hand in hand).
2) Don't stay home for college. Leave your family and dorm at the state school.
3) Major in Psychology. Majoring in Biology will not get you into med school.
4) Don't get depressed. Depression ruined my freshman/sophomore year grades and now I'm trying to dig myself out.
5) Have fun and socialize as much as possible during college while also maintaining good grades. I didn't have as much fun as I could have due to staying home.
6) Don't stay in a relationship if it's not fun and has no purpose. Relationship stress totally drains you mentally/physically/emotionally.
 
Dear undergrad self...

DO NOT TAKE THAT BIOCHEM CLASS YOU ARE THINKING OF TAKING!! DON'T! JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! YOU HATE BIOCHEM!

That physics class you are taking and struggling with... TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS AND GIVE IT A SHOT!! IT'S ACTUALLY FUN ONCE YOU GET IT... also go to office hours!!! The professor you have is by far the MOST caring instructor and person! EVER!

Get to know your professors better (like you will in your senior year but it will be kinda too late) ... don't be intimidated to ask questions and have conversations... they are smart, experienced folks who can and are willing to help you out now and in the future!!

Run for office in that school organization you so badly want to run for 🙁 .... don't doubt yourself! you'll win!

make time to take some more humanities courses... you know how much you love those!

Do a lil more clinical volunteering.... regardless of how much you already have and how sure you are about medschool

last but not least... please don't cry about that jerkface! it'll all turn out for the best! 🙂
 
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1. Go to the counseling center. Your crazy levels are off the charts.

2. I know the freshman weeder sciences classes are insanely easy, but that's no excuse to go out partying the night before every exam. Seriously, you have no excuse for the As you didn't get.

3. Major in business like you really want to, and take the pre-med prereqs on the side. Keep the Spanish minor though.

4. Don't make out in public so much. Try to have at least a shred of composure at all times.

5. Don't move into the sorority house, you hate it and end up bailing after a semester.

6. Find some balance between your social and academic lives, and get involved in research and ECs early freshman year.
 
*Starts off by slapping old self in the face with a frying pan*

1. There is no need to stay up till 2 when you know you weren't going to study anyway. Sleep is beautiful.

2. If you were only smart enough to realize that doing things slowly over time instead of quickly all at once would save you so much time and stress...

3. Don't let girls ruin other parts of your life. Not worth it.

4. Be social. Smile more. Get that stick out of your a**.

5. Don't join premed organizations. Its cliched and ultimately unproductive. You can easily find volunteering and shadowing opportunities all on your own.

6. Join things you would actually enjoy doing with people you would enjoy doing them with.

7. Give researching a proper chance.

8. Most important of all: Stop thinking that you are amazing. You are not a unique snowflake. There are many many people smarter than you. Get over it. There are more important things to life than finishing the race first. Things like being happy.
 
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