Anybody Starting Undergrad?

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Techmed07

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.. If so where?
and say a little about yourself as in how many hours and (what type) of classes you are taking for your 1st term?
What have you been this summer?
-Preparing,
-Partying...
-Summer Classes??






I'll guess, I'll start

My name is Justin I am Nigerian but a born citizen, aspirations to finish undergrad SUMA*
I am starting undergrad at Texas Tech ( no IVY league but it'll do)
I am taking 14 hours..(little more than I wanted to take)
I'll finish this semseter off with 23 hours because of a few AP credits and SAT exemptions. This summer I've been of lately looking over some Chemistry (because I want to). Earlier I had participated at Health Occupations Students America (H.O.S.A) National competition placed 5th in nurition (should have studied more...).



Classes:

Chem
Anthro
Advance Rhetoric
Precal


Food,Sleep,Social Life or Good grades..I've picked three and I'll never look back.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
More than half of us will not make it into medical school...We all should remember that and work hard and if possible have some fun too!..... Six Weeks in till I'm off to my full time job
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Techmed07 said:
Food,Sleep,Social Life or Good grades..I've picked three and I'll never look back.
Click to expand...

Giving up your social life for a chance at medical school by getting good grades during Freshman year?

Yeah...rarely happens. It's a good thing (sort of) that you have this mindset, but you need a social life to keep you sane during undergrad. Don't give up what may be your last chance to have fun, because it's VERY likely that you WILL look back and regret it.
 
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First of all dude, food isn't a factor. You have to pick two of the remaining. And trust me, if you choose sleep over social life, you will look back. And you will realize you wasted the best four years of your life. Sleep when your dead, enjoy college.
 
Hahahah food but no exercise? Looks like someone is going to gain a lot of weight freshmen year.
 
Umm one question. How do you get summa* Do you have to have a certain gpa?
About me.
Technically i start undergrad this year, but i already started last year so yeah.
 
geneticclone said:
Umm one question. How do you get summa* Do you have to have a certain gpa?
About me.
Technically i start undergrad this year, but i already started last year so yeah.
Click to expand...

To be a summa cum laude, you need a 3.9 or higher throughout your undergrad career.
 
sle3pyguii said:
To be a summa cum laude, you need a 3.9 or higher throughout your undergrad career.
Click to expand...

Go ahead and sell your soul while you're at it. It's not that much more. :smuggrin:
 
oh and i just finished my freshmen year, so i can give you a little bit of guidance.

Fall:

Eng 101
Chm 113 (Gen CHM)
PGS 101 (Intro to Psych)
MAT 270 (Calc I)

Winter:
PGS 350 (Social Psych)
Eng 102
Chm 116 (Gen Chm II)
HST 104 (Western Civ)
MAT 266 (Engineer Calc II)

First semester is time to get adjusted. Meet new ppeople, party, get laid or not. I found out that i could handle college (3.75 GPA) so i added another class to my schedule second semester, ended up getting a 3.89. Biggest skill you need in college is balance and moderation. If you do not have fun time (for me Thurs and Saturdays) you WILL burn out. So have fun.

Summer wise, right now i am taking Spanish first session and some stupid computer class second session. I wouldnt suggest taking anything too intense unless you are really dedicated. I tend to get really lazy over summer so i just took some stupid easy classes.
 
My schedule is similiar to the poster above.
So far ive only done one semester of ugrad and thats a community college.
I took
Intro to Psych
Abnormal Psych
Western Civ 2 since i aped out of hte first one
then ....a math class....
and english 101 with the evilest teacher alive.

I got a 3.75...
This summer im taking
Chem I and english 2
 
It's confusing whether I am or not. Technically, I guess I am because I was just graduated this summer, but I was dual enrolled last year. In the spring I took:
Bio 102 (w/lab)
Gen Chem #1 (w/lab) for science majors
Eng 101
Poli Sci
Geography
and worked 30hrs/wk, volunteer work on Saturdays

This summer:
Spanish 1 (w/lab)
Spanish 2 (w/lab)
Trig
Pre Calc
Western Civ
I spend Fridays shadowing, Saturday afternoon volunteering, and squeezing in field research when I can.

Fall:
Spanish 3 (no lab)
Eng 102
Gen Chem 2 (w/lab)
Phys 1 (w/lab)
Computer programming course
Finite Mathematics
Fridays shadowing, Sat. volunteering, working in research lab on weekends and after classes

The fall schedule is an overload, but it's already signed off by my advisor with the admonishment that if I find the load too heavy I am to drop something, anything, and that I make sure to find time to sleep. I feel I have good start w/earning 4.0, so far. So, the advice he gave me was what I had planned, anyway, if I realize that I'm not learning as much as I can from each class. It's easier to drop a course from a too heavy load than it is to add one after classes begin.

Some people might consider my schedule light, and some, heavy. So far, it's been just right for me. I do 'have a life'. The EC's might be educational and community service, but they are equally fun and a different from classwork. I have time to hang out with friends, engage in my hobbies, and read and write for pleasure. You don't have to give that stuff up for grades; you just have to keep a perspective that doesn't put fraternizing ahead of learning.

Summa cum laude is a great honor, but that's all it is - an honor. It won't make or break a person. Here the req is 3.95. If I make that, it will be nice. My parents would beam. If I don't, they'll beam anyway.:p I just want to make the most of the opportunities that I have right now while I'm young, enthusiastic, and unattached.

You have an attitude to do well. Your course load doesn't seem too light or too heavy. Once you find that you can handle your course load, you'll be able to find your own comfortable balance between studies & social life. Neither has to exclude the other. The desire for top honors is admirable, but I hope you don't allow it get out of proportion to the extent that earning a "B" or "C" makes you depressed. What you learn will stick with you for life. It's much more important than a grade or honor.
 
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Humid your course load is heavy. How many units was your spring? Also your school is in a semester system?
 
Thank you for being polite with your wording, Geneticclone.

Yes, it's the semester system. Spring was 17 hours. Geography was a joke, though. One of those courses where, if you merely read the first line of every paragraph, you could pass. A good human geography course would have been interesting. That's what I had expected. That course was a waste of time.

All the other profs were great. They obviously loved the subjects they taught, were knowledgable, enthusiastic, up-to-date, and went into more depth than the texts offered. The most time consuming were Eng. & PoliSci because they were heavy on reading, research, and composition. But they were stimulating and thought provoking.

Summer is also 17 hours. They don't recommend taking more than 9 hours of summer courses at a time, but I was 'web-enabled'. So, I registered w/o having to see the advisor. It hasn't been too bad. The 5 week language & math courses move quickly. So, it's a matter of staying on top of them & never falling behind. The history is heavy on reading and essay writing. It's a busy summer, but better than being bored.

I did have to get the advisor to sign-off on my fall schedule. I think it will work for me. Chem & phys are mostly math & I don't seem to have any problem w/math based subjects. The programming class is mainly a matter of formality. Hopefully, I can learn some new things from it, but it's one of the languages I've already learned on my own. I enjoy a good English class, and Spanish should be much less of a strain over a 15 wk course than it has been in the 5 wk courses.

The fall schedule comes out that I will have one killer day where I have classes from 8AM til 10:30PM, with a couple of breaks during the day. The other days are easy days. And I'll have Fridays for my fun stuff.

Part of the reason I'm taking this load is because certain courses are only offered during certain semesters, and a couple of others always conflict in schedule. By getting these out of the way now, I can move into junior status as far as credits go. Then I'll still have 3 1/2 years available on my scholarship. It's not that I'm trying for early graduation. It's because there are so many upper level classes that I want to be able to take. This way I will be able to take more of them and be able to take more courses outside of my major. Maybe I'll have honors when I'm done. Maybe not. Either way, I hope to enjoy getting all the education I can during undergrad. After that, I might not have the opportunity because studies will be more focused on specific areas.

I don't know if this is easier or more difficult for me than for the general student population. I never went to high school, or any school, since third grade. That has advantages and disadvantages. I guess that makes me somewhat of a non-traditional Ugrad. :) I'd be glad to talk about that, if you'd like.
 
geneticclone said:
My schedule is similiar to the poster above.
So far ive only done one semester of ugrad and thats a community college.
I took
Intro to Psych
Abnormal Psych
Western Civ 2 since i aped out of hte first one
then ....a math class....
and english 101 with the evilest teacher alive.

I got a 3.75...
This summer im taking
Chem I and english 2
Click to expand...



That is cool!... sounds like a busy summer! Does your GPA transfer to your 4 year college?.. Humid you look like you been going full speed ahead as well....haha I feel behind now..lol. Anybody else?
 
You're not behind. You have the ability and a nice start w/the AP and SAT subject tests to your credit. I didn't have that choice. I came in via dual-enrollment, thus getting my toes wet with the first credits. You'll be spending your first semester in an entirely new environment. Part of the learning curve is learning the environment and how you relate to it. You have a good first semester schedule. I think you made good choices. It's not a race. Feeling like a hot shot & taking on too many classes first semester ranks right up there in on people's lists of "Stupid things I did my freshman year." You've got a positive attitude & good schedule. You're good to go. Plenty of time to adjust your scheule in later semesters if you decide that's what's right for you. Who knows, you just might find other activities that are worth more to you than that. Those really are part of your education, even when they aren't for credit. Lifelong interests are developed outside the classroom as much as in it.
 
Techmed07 said:
.. If so where?
and say a little about yourself as in how many hours and (what type) of classes you are taking for your 1st term?
What have you been this summer?
-Preparing,
-Partying...
-Summer Classes??






I'll guess, I'll start

My name is Justin I am Nigerian but a born citizen, aspirations to finish undergrad SUMA*
I am starting undergrad at Texas Tech ( no IVY league but it'll do)
I am taking 14 hours..(little more than I wanted to take)
I'll finish this semseter off with 23 hours because of a few AP credits and SAT exemptions. This summer I've been of lately looking over some Chemistry (because I want to). Earlier I had participated at Health Occupations Students America (H.O.S.A) National competition placed 5th in nurition (should have studied more...).



Classes:

Chem
Anthro
Advance Rhetoric
Precal


Food,Sleep,Social Life or Good grades..I've picked three and I'll never look back.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
More than half of us will not make it into medical school...We all should remember that and work hard and if possible have some fun too!..... Six Weeks in till I'm off to my full time job
Click to expand...


Just thought I would mention (don't know if anyone else did) that you need to average 32 hours per year to graduate in 4 years (at least at all the Ohio schools). I took 18-20 credit hours per semester.
 
Haemulon said:
Why are there only four choices? And why must you only pick three???
Click to expand...


I just want to do well... Grades come first, everything else will fall in place.
I just know what I want and I will go after it regardless of some minor personal scarifices. Some of my friends will not be going to college to pursue education but are/will going to start their full time Jobs. And that is what I plan to do at undergrad start my full time job. I am just blessed I can better myself in the process unlike some of my peers. If I make friends great!...if I dont who cares?! I am not going to college "to find myself" (I can take a year off for that). I'm going to work and to compete..everything else can pass me by or what not.. I may regret it but it won't be as a big of a regret if I do not take this chance to better myself ...Well what might differ than some of you is that I am not going to college only for myself but my family.. that is a different story.

So, let's drop that! Who else is starting Undergrad!! Six more weeks!! Books are soo expensive.. I hear it only gets worst too!! hahaha
 
foreverLaur said:
Just thought I would mention (don't know if anyone else did) that you need to average 32 hours per year to graduate in 4 years (at least at all the Ohio schools). I took 18-20 credit hours per semester.
Click to expand...


So...Oh that'll be done with taking summer courses. My brother took 12 hours his first sem, and he'll end up graduating in 3 years.

He is going to summer classes however taking 9 hours there every summer..
 
Techmed07 said:
I just want to do well... Grades come first, everything else will fall in place.
I just know what I want and I will go after it regardless of some minor personal scarifices. Some of my friends will not be going to college to pursue education but are/will going to start their full time Jobs. And that is what I plan to do at undergrad start my full time job. I am just blessed I can better myself in the process unlike some of my peers. If I make friends great!...if I dont who cares?! I am not going to college "to find myself" (I can take a year off for that). I'm going to work and to compete..everything else can pass me by or what not.. I may regret it but it won't be as a big of a regret if I do not take this chance to better myself ...Well what might differ than some of you is that I am not going to college only for myself but my family.. that is a different story.

So, let's drop that! Who else is starting Undergrad!! Six more weeks!! Books are soo expensive.. I hear it only gets worst too!! hahaha
Click to expand...

Sounds like you definitely have a plan. It's great to be focused and really know what your goals are. Best of luck to you! :luck:
 
Techmed07 said:
Books are soo expensive.. I hear it only gets worst too!! hahaha
Click to expand...

I would recommend finding out what books you need for your classes ahead of time and browsing through eBay, half.com, and the Amazon Marketplace.

I saved at least 50% on buying textbooks and I then turned around and resold them. Over the course of college, I've barely spent a penny on textbooks. Just take good care of them throughout the semester.
 
foreverLaur said:
I would recommend finding out what books you need for your classes ahead of time and browsing through eBay, half.com, and the Amazon Marketplace.

I saved at least 50% on buying textbooks and I then turned around and resold them. Over the course of college, I've barely spent a penny on textbooks. Just take good care of them throughout the semester.
Click to expand...

I agree, I just recently purchased all of my books for an advanced Neuroscience lab and Immunology courses that would have totaled more than $250.00 at my school's bookstore.. and I got them used off of Amazon for under $40.00. :)
 
Regarding first year, first semester classes -

Don't overload yourself if you've never done college courses before. I (unintentionally) ended up with a pretty easy first semester, and I believe it was the best thing that I could have done. Those were some hard first few months, but if I had to do a semester like that now I would fall asleep from boredom. College is a tremendous transition. A ton of my friends rushed headfirst into college and are now "taking some time off" (still?) because it was too stressful.

Ramp yourself into insanity. If you gradually work your way up to Super Nerd you won't even know it's happening.
 
geneticclone said:
Pffft only as 3.9. Thats easy!!:D
Thanks for answering my question
Click to expand...

That is a fairly cocky attitued coming from someone who made a 3.75 at a high school with ash trays.
 
NCF145 said:
That is a fairly cocky attitued coming from someone who made a 3.75 at a high school with ash trays.
Click to expand...

agreed - i went to a top high school in my area and pulled a 4.0 with honors/AP without really cracking open a book. college? definitely would bomb out with the same attitude.
 
i don't know what's more insane and depressing, that this thread exists or that i read and am posting to it.

you all are in college. most of you are barely 20 if that. go do stupid young crazy things. party. drink. meet members of the opposite sex for questionable activities that you will find embarassing in 2 years and damn funny in 10. take random classes in interesting things you'll never have the chance to learn about again. join random clubs and do things you're interested in but will never have the time to so again. be young. you only get to do that once.

you will not regret a B+ instead of an A- in 10 years. you will regret wasting your youth on this meaningless BS.

so says a 31 year old MSII who had a 2.9 out of undergrad but few regrets about those years.
 
noonday said:
i don't know what's more insane and depressing, that this thread exists or that i read and am posting to it.

you all are in college. most of you are barely 20 if that. go do stupid young crazy things. party. drink. meet members of the opposite sex for questionable activities that you will find embarassing in 2 years and damn funny in 10. take random classes in interesting things you'll never have the chance to learn about again. join random clubs and do things you're interested in but will never have the time to so again. be young. you only get to do that once.

you will not regret a B+ instead of an A- in 10 years. you will regret wasting your youth on this meaningless BS.

so says a 31 year old MSII who had a 2.9 out of undergrad but few regrets about those years.
Click to expand...


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

We should get a Sticky for this post and other great posts. This would come first, then the definition on "hard science VS soft pansy science."
 
foreverLaur said:
agreed - i went to a top high school in my area and pulled a 4.0 with honors/AP without really cracking open a book. college? definitely would bomb out with the same attitude.
Click to expand...

Dude he meant a community college is a high school with ash trays.
 
Techmed07 said:
.. If so where?
and say a little about yourself as in how many hours and (what type) of classes you are taking for your 1st term?
What have you been this summer?
-Preparing,
-Partying...
-Summer Classes??






I'll guess, I'll start

My name is Justin I am Nigerian but a born citizen, aspirations to finish undergrad SUMA*
I am starting undergrad at Texas Tech ( no IVY league but it'll do)
I am taking 14 hours..(little more than I wanted to take)
I'll finish this semseter off with 23 hours because of a few AP credits and SAT exemptions. This summer I've been of lately looking over some Chemistry (because I want to). Earlier I had participated at Health Occupations Students America (H.O.S.A) National competition placed 5th in nurition (should have studied more...).



Classes:

Chem
Anthro
Advance Rhetoric
Precal
Click to expand...


Why are you taking precalc and not Calculus??
 
Yes but, almost everyone I know took precal in high school, if not calculus as well. Just saying,
And maybe it is different at my school but calculus is a basic class with no prereq necessary.
 
bostonpmed said:
Yes but, almost everyone I know took precal in high school, if not calculus as well. Just saying,
And maybe it is different at my school but calculus is a basic class with no prereq necessary.
Click to expand...

all schools i've seen require precalculus or something of that nature before taking calculus.. or take the placement test and place into calculus.

at my specific school, we had to take the placement test no matter what credits we already had.

calculus isn't usually a prereq to much of anything and if it is, it isn't until later so if the OP needs precalc to succeed at calc, why not?
 
geneticclone said:
Precalculus is a prerequistite to calculus?
Click to expand...

I am not too strong in math.. I placed in Cal 1, but decided I want to get my feet wet before so I am doing a lower tier math class first.


Any other starting Undergrads?
 
I'm starting a brand new major at a brand new school - does that count for a new undergrad? :)
 
i don't know what's more insane and depressing, that this thread exists or that i read and am posting to it.

you all are in college. most of you are barely 20 if that. go do stupid young crazy things. party. drink. meet members of the opposite sex for questionable activities that you will find embarassing in 2 years and damn funny in 10. take random classes in interesting things you'll never have the chance to learn about again. join random clubs and do things you're interested in but will never have the time to so again. be young. you only get to do that once.

you will not regret a B+ instead of an A- in 10 years. you will regret wasting your youth on this meaningless BS.

so says a 31 year old MSII who had a 2.9 out of undergrad but few regrets about those years.
Click to expand...



To answer your question it is more depressing and insane that you opened this thread.. This thread does not pertain to you in the slightest bit "Are you starting Undergrad ?. Thank you for your advice... I am sure many take it! *that would explain the 50% drop out rate in college*. It would also explain the difficulty becoming summa cum lade. I am looking toward the future. I believe later down the road taking care of my mother who sacrifice so much for me will be far more rewarding than just having questionable sexual relations with the opposite sex or getting "sloshed". " Let no man should despise their youth" that is an excerpt from a famous book called the "Bible".

I think we should leave it at this, you found your way into Med School, let me find mine. If my way is making a 4.0 in undergrad, missing out on some high risk sex, some minor liver damage , B.S classes (that I can take in junior college) and through those minor regrets me getting into John Hopkins Med School, let it be. I am sure I will find a way to cope.


I am sick and tired of people like noonday who believe they have the answers to what I should do during my freshmen undergrad. I obviously have a plan and I am not detouring from it.. Please stick to the thread topic.

Noonday no need to respond our correspondence is over.
 
hey im switching majors too!

from bioengineering ---> biology -----> psychology -----> finance. All in one year! Geez!
 
Techmed07 said:
Why not?! :D
Click to expand...

Okay here goes!

My name is Lauren and I am 20 years old.

Technically I am starting my 5th year of college this fall... sorta. I did PSEOP during my junior and senior years of high school. I went to college full time and took regular college classes, but I did so while in high school and it was fully paid for. The classes I took counted both towards high school requirements and college credits. These two years will count just the same towards med school GPA and such as what I did post graduation.

I previously went to Miami University (Ohio) as a computer science / accounting major. I'm working for Ernst & Young currently, but have realized that it isn't the career choice for me and I really hated Miami and the location.

Thus I am staring fresh at Ohio State University as a Microbiology major, finally pursuing my dream to be a doctor (16 years and still going).

Here is my schedule from this fall until graduation: (keep in mind this is now at a quarter school where 3 classes is the norm, not 5)

Year One
FALL (20 hrs)
-Gen Chem I w/ lab
-Culture of Israel
-Calculus II
-US History to 1877
WINTER (16 hrs)
-Human Anatomy w/ lab
-Gen Chem II w/ lab
-Biology I w/ lab
SPRING (20 hrs)
-Gen Chem III w/ lab
-Bio II w/ lab
-Literature course
-Physics II w/ lab

Summer I
Physics III w/ lab

Year Two
FALL (16 hrs)
-Organic Chemistry I
-General Microbiology I
-Undergrad Research
.-Genetics
WINTER (16 hrs)
. -Organic Chemistry II
-Organic Chemistry Lab
-General Microbiology II
.-Immunobiology
SPRING (14 hrs)
. -Biological Chemistry
-Microbial Genetics
.-Microbial Diseases

SUMMER II
-Organic Chemistry III
-Organic Chemistry III Lab

.Somewhere in there I need to fit in Spanish I-IV. The reason I am only taking 3 classes in Winter of Year I is because the Anatomy lab is very in depth, taught by the medical school, and involves 11 hours of class/lab time despite only getting 6 credit hours for it.

Spring of Year 2 I am only taking 3 classes because it is MCAT time!!!

I graduate after Spring Year 2, but am taking Ochem III that summer - it was too much to add in to the Spring w/ taking the MCAT and it isn't required to graduate. Just required to start med school!

I also have a part time job in a genetics lab doing their accounts receivable and web design. In the spring, I will also take over doing dna sequencing and some genetics research. I volunteer 1 day a week at the OSU Medical Center as well.

As far as a social life goes, I always make sure I go out one night a week, usually Saturday or Sunday. For special events and birthdays and such, I'll go out during the week as well, but sometimes have to sacrifice my weekend night out. I don't regret anything I have done though. I have plenty of fun and I have learned A LOT through personal experiences.

Being very focused in undergrad is a good thing. College is for the education. However, just make sure you go out, have fun, and make lifelong friends too. My dad was an EE major and put in 80 hours a week between studying and class time. He managed to have fun and doesn't regret a single moment of it.

And the differences between a B+ and an A- is a big one. It is the difference between a no from a medical school because you have a 3.3 and a yes from a medical school because you have a 3.7.

However, a few B+ won't make a difference in the long run :)
 
foreverLaur said:
Okay here goes!

My name is Lauren and I am 20 years old.

Technically I am starting my 5th year of college this fall... sorta. I did PSEOP during my junior and senior years of high school. I went to college full time and took regular college classes, but I did so while in high school and it was fully paid for. The classes I took counted both towards high school requirements and college credits. These two years will count just the same towards med school GPA and such as what I did post graduation.

I previously went to Miami University (Ohio) as a computer science / accounting major. I'm working for Ernst & Young currently, but have realized that it isn't the career choice for me and I really hated Miami and the location.

Thus I am staring fresh at Ohio State University as a Microbiology major, finally pursuing my dream to be a doctor (16 years and still going).

Here is my schedule from this fall until graduation: (keep in mind this is now at a quarter school where 3 classes is the norm, not 5)

Year One
FALL (20 hrs)
-Gen Chem I w/ lab
-Culture of Israel
-Calculus II
-US History to 1877
WINTER (16 hrs)
-Human Anatomy w/ lab
-Gen Chem II w/ lab
-Biology I w/ lab
SPRING (20 hrs)
-Gen Chem III w/ lab
-Bio II w/ lab
-Literature course
-Physics II w/ lab

Summer I
Physics III w/ lab

Year Two
FALL (16 hrs)
-Organic Chemistry I
-General Microbiology I
-Undergrad Research
.-Genetics
WINTER (16 hrs)
. -Organic Chemistry II
-Organic Chemistry Lab
-General Microbiology II
.-Immunobiology
SPRING (14 hrs)
. -Biological Chemistry
-Microbial Genetics
.-Microbial Diseases

SUMMER II
-Organic Chemistry III
-Organic Chemistry III Lab

.Somewhere in there I need to fit in Spanish I-IV. The reason I am only taking 3 classes in Winter of Year I is because the Anatomy lab is very in depth, taught by the medical school, and involves 11 hours of class/lab time despite only getting 6 credit hours for it.

Spring of Year 2 I am only taking 3 classes because it is MCAT time!!!

I graduate after Spring Year 2, but am taking Ochem III that summer - it was too much to add in to the Spring w/ taking the MCAT and it isn't required to graduate. Just required to start med school!

I also have a part time job in a genetics lab doing their accounts receivable and web design. In the spring, I will also take over doing dna sequencing and some genetics research. I volunteer 1 day a week at the OSU Medical Center as well.

As far as a social life goes, I always make sure I go out one night a week, usually Saturday or Sunday. For special events and birthdays and such, I'll go out during the week as well, but sometimes have to sacrifice my weekend night out. I don't regret anything I have done though. I have plenty of fun and I have learned A LOT through personal experiences.

Being very focused in undergrad is a good thing. College is for the education. However, just make sure you go out, have fun, and make lifelong friends too. My dad was an EE major and put in 80 hours a week between studying and class time. He managed to have fun and doesn't regret a single moment of it.

And the differences between a B+ and an A- is a big one. It is the difference between a no from a medical school because you have a 3.3 and a yes from a medical school because you have a 3.7.

However, a few B+ won't make a difference in the long run :)
Click to expand...
If you have already done so much for your finance/ accounting major why dont you just complete it, then take the necessary pre req courses and then apply for med school?
 
geneticclone said:
If you have already done so much for your finance/ accounting major why dont you just complete it, then take the necessary pre req courses and then apply for med school?
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It would take 2 years to complete either major. I only spent 2 years as an accounting major. When I did stuff in high school, I pretty much only took stuff towards my high school diploma and a lot of fun stuff since it was free (i took a lot of dance classes and guitar lessons). i was also going to follow in my dads EE footsteps and took some engineering courses.

I am 100% sure I do not want to work in business so the degree itself would be rather pointless and it would actually take me longer to do the accounting degree + prereqs than it would be just to do a microbiology major. If I don't get into medical school I'll also apply again or look at other health care related careers. If all else fails, I wouldn't mind teaching science :).
 
foreverLaur said:
It would take 2 years to complete either major. I only spent 2 years as an accounting major. When I did stuff in high school, I pretty much only took stuff towards my high school diploma and a lot of fun stuff since it was free (i took a lot of dance classes and guitar lessons). i was also going to follow in my dads EE footsteps and took some engineering courses.

I am 100% sure I do not want to work in business so the degree itself would be rather pointless and it would actually take me longer to do the accounting degree + prereqs than it would be just to do a microbiology major. If I don't get into medical school I'll also apply again or look at other health care related careers. If all else fails, I wouldn't mind teaching science :).
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I see. Im doing Human bio, and if i dont get into med school i dont know what im going to do, other than reapply
 
geneticclone said:
I see. Im doing Human bio, and if i dont get into med school i dont know what im going to do, other than reapply
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i've made schedules for both and had them approved by advisors. There is literally a once class difference, and that doesn't count doing the premed classes for accounting.

If you really can't get into medical school, there is always that nursing option. A BSN/RN can be achieved in as quick as 11 months. Depending on what you choose, you can still do a lot of patient caring, have flexibility, etc. Just always a thought in the back of my mind I guess. You can reapply, do a masters program, do a post-bacc program, get your phd, teach in high school, teach in college, do research.... and then you can still get your MD.
 
I just have to say that going into freshman year of undergrad with the mentality that it is necessary to sacrifice your social life to achieve your dream of being a physician is about the saddest thing I've ever seen. You can have a social life and be a good student at the same time. I had many a semester where I pulled a 3.8 as a neuroscience major doing research and I still partied my tush off and I am by no means a genius. I'm now in medschool and though the social life gets sacrificed a bit more often it is by no means something that needs to be given up. If you need to completely eliminate your social life to achieve academic success in an undergrad setting you will lose your mind trying to keep up in medschool. If you don't have breathing room in undergrad you will suffocate in medschool.

The most important thing you can do for yourself as a premed is not to get the highest score in ochem, or to publish a breakthrough journal article, it is to learn how to balance your personal life with your professional life in a way that makes you well rounded and ensures your sanity when times get tough. Beyond even the sanity issues at hand, socialization is a key part of being a physician. Being able to read people, to explain things so they understand, to network within your chosen specialty, to make sure your interviewer loves you . . . all of this things are of vital importance and the best way to hone these skills is to go out into the world an interact with people.

Please please please know that you can follow your dreams without having to give up a life outside of academics and medicine, many many of us have walked this path and have made it to the holy grail of medschool with our social lives intact, it is indeed possible.
 
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