Class President

[drPheta]

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Hey guys,

I'm a first year at Tufts, and I was nominated by my classmates to run for class president. Now, I thought about it briefly at the beginning of the year, but felt that other students would do a better job at it than me. However, I found myself wanting to run again. The problem is...will my grades suffer much with that job?

Currently I:

-Transcribe notes for Monday/Friday gross antomy and Tues Dental anatomy lectures
-Have a dog
-live about 30 mins commute (train and bus combined) from school

My grades for the first exam block were great. All A's. I'm getting all my wax ups done within 3 hours or less, and my quiz averages are a A's, as well.

I want to stay on top of everything, and keep shooting for "top" spot. I'm not competitive in an unhealthy way. In fact, for gross lab I will explain a lot of the cadaver and email typed resources for the entire class when I do so for myself.

What do you guys think. Especially Yah-E cause I know he was class pres at Nova.

 

[gryffindor]

Being class president is a cool position. It sounds like you are already very helpful to your classmates. As the president, you will get more interaction and respect from the administration and faculty and if you do a good job, they will have a very positive perception of you. But you may also have to deal with lots of irritation and complaining from you classmates about anything and everything they choose to gripe about and think you should be able to fix.

As far as your grades suffering, they'll suffer only if you want them to. It is all about time management and priorities. I can only tell you about my experience. Although I am not class president, I have been very involved at my school through ASDA. It involves attending lots of meetings and doing lots of scutwork on the side. I was ASDA delegate for 2.5 years, headed our yearbook section all 4 years, done summer research & everything associated with it during the school year (presentations, write-ups, etc), and wrote for ASDA at school and nationally. But, I always get my school work done and have done fine in dental school because that is very important to me as well (my rank stayed at 12/90 throughout). However, my priorities right now are #1)dental school (activities, studying, & being social) and #2)watching TV. I don't have a family to take care of, I don't work a side job, I wasn't too hard core about having to work out, I don't have any pets, I don't have a nagging significant other, etc. So for me, it made sense to get involved in dental school activities or else I'd be bored out of my mind.

Of course, I have a belief that it is important to get involved. If you are elected to a position, you should do what is expected of that position (and help out with other officer's duties as needed) and not just take it and do nothing. Hopefully you won't have many of your class officers fall into the get-elected-and-do-nothing category, making you job as president more difficult. But being involved has allowed me to have so many cool opportunities and experiences in dental school, I am so glad to have done it.

If you think class president might not be your thing, you might look into being involved in ASDA. Tufts has always had so many national leaders from their school, with the current president of ASDA nationally, Josh Ries, a senior from your school. They have a strong ASDA chapter, talk to Josh and he'll be happy to help you not only with your dilemma of to run or not, but also be able to tell you about all the cool stuff there is to get involved with in ASDA. ASDA has been a lot of fun at my school and interacting with students from around the country. And lots of ASDA leaders are on top of their stuff academically as well.

Don't just become one of those students who only study for good grades and do nothing else. It makes you a very boring person. Come senior year, you'll be glad you've stayed involved when you start writing why you are qualified for post-grad!

Good luck to you!

 

[Yah-E]

Dr. Pheta:

Being the Class President is not only an honor, but also an extreme rewarding experience. You will meet faculties, Deans, and many adminstration staffs you other wise wouldn't probably meet if you weren't the Class President.

At Nova Dental, our SGA is pretty strong, but during our first year, my classmates have interacted with me much more than the SGA officers. I, personally, believe that whether you're just a class representative or a SGA Officer, they're both going to look great on your CV.

About grades going down, I don't care what anyone else says, being a class representative will definitely take a toll on you, whether it's emotionally, physically, and/or academically. From personal experience, my Winter Semester grades last year did drop because of my involvement as the Class President. Lets face it, you could be studying or whatever during the time that you're planning, meeting, organizing, and/or posting that is within the role of Class President! This position will take patience, time-management, and a great deal of time from your schedule.

When I was done with the position, I was so surprised and pleased to find all that extra free time where I could do things for myself and towards my own academics. Overall, I had a great experience with being the Class President, but the position definitely has its own thorns.

If you are outgoing, confident, articulate, friendly, organized, confident in your ability to maintain your academic excellence, AND enjoys meeting people, then I say GO FOR IT! It can only enhance your dental education experience positively or negatively!

Good luck.

WARNING: whinning and uncooperative classmates may be ahead!

 

[drPheta]

thanks for all the insight guys. I thought about it, and I decided to let the other nominees run. I'd rather spend that time with my dog...who would have to remain with my sister if I took the position.

Once, again, thanks.

If I decide I want to run, I may do so for the next year.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Our first year class president is putting in lots of time, but he's doing a great job.

The time factor is always something to consider.

On the flip side, I think he is really having a rewarding experience doing what he's doing.

 

[puzzle]

here is your classmmate from tufts 007,it's a pity that you are not running. Anywayz thanks for notes you sent out. Also, good luck next year if you are running. I guess, it is wiser to get the feel of dental school before putting more weight on yourself. Best!