MD Current M2s: how hard was your first year, really?

[theNDhopeful44]

Rising first year medical student here. I'm matriculating this fall having just finished undergrad this past May, and I'd love to hear opinions on what the transition to med school was like. How much were you studying? Was it efficient? Were you able to have a life (hobbies, volunteering, research, a relationship, etc.) outside of your coursework? I was a good student in college with diligent study habits, and I'd love to gauge how much I'm going to have to change to succeed these next four years.

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[Stagg737]

If you're used to putting in the hours it won't be as bad, but the first few weeks/months are typically a pretty huge adjustment for most people (especially those who haven't been in school in a while). I think the best thing to do is use the first month or so to really figure out what study methods are going to work for you and not worry about your grades too much. I tried adjusting how I studied more than a few times and it did more harm than good. Imo, the first few months were pretty stressful and I had almost no downtime until I got into a rhythm. Then it really just depends on what you're shooting for. If you're aiming for top of your class, you probably aren't going to have a huge social life or a lot of time for other stuff. If you're just looking to do decently and pass/stay around middle the class, you'll have some extra wiggle room. Most of first year I was done studying by 5 pm most days and would take Friday nights and most of Saturday off (unless we had a test on Monday/Tuesday) and I had B's most of first year.

Imo, I think that's an average and things will vary a lot from person to person. Some people are really efficient and landed near the top of the class without doing much more than everyone else. Some people were studying 24/7 and barely passing (and one or two failed out). Really just depends on you, so ymmv. One thing I will say is that the people who tend to do really well aren't necessarily the harder workers, they're the ones who figured out how to be the most efficient. Hard work is important, but I think efficiency trumps everything else (which is why I think getting your study method down early is so important.

 

[theNDhopeful44]

If you're used to putting in the hours it won't be as bad, but the first few weeks/months are typically a pretty huge adjustment for most people (especially those who haven't been in school in a while). I think the best thing to do is use the first month or so to really figure out what study methods are going to work for you and not worry about your grades too much. I tried adjusting how I studied more than a few times and it did more harm than good. Imo, the first few months were pretty stressful and I had almost no downtime until I got into a rhythm. Then it really just depends on what you're shooting for. If you're aiming for top of your class, you probably aren't going to have a huge social life or a lot of time for other stuff. If you're just looking to do decently and pass/stay around middle the class, you'll have some extra wiggle room. Most of first year I was done studying by 5 pm most days and would take Friday nights and most of Saturday off (unless we had a test on Monday/Tuesday) and I had B's most of first year.

Imo, I think that's an average and things will vary a lot from person to person. Some people are really efficient and landed near the top of the class without doing much more than everyone else. Some people were studying 24/7 and barely passing (and one or two failed out). Really just depends on you, so ymmv. One thing I will say is that the people who tend to do really well aren't necessarily the harder workers, they're the ones who figured out how to be the most efficient. Hard work is important, but I think efficiency trumps everything else (which is why I think getting your study method down early is so important.

Thanks! For you, what have you found to be the most efficient method of studying? For me in undergrad, it was re-talking myself through lecture slides, flashcards for memorization, and re-writing the most important concepts from all lectures and then trying to find ways to relate them to one another.

 

[Stagg737]

Thanks! For you, what have you found to be the most efficient method of studying? For me in undergrad, it was re-talking myself through lecture slides, flashcards for memorization, and re-writing the most important concepts from all lectures and then trying to find ways to relate them to one another.

First year we had powerpoints with lectures. So I'd usually go to lecture, listen and annotate onto the slides, then go over them once that night (took about 30 minutes/lecture for me), again on the weekend, and then once more the weekend before the test. Was always able to get 3-4 passes on my own that way. Didn't really use/try Anki until the end of the year and crushed everything I used it for, but it took me waaaaay to long to make a deck, so I'd end up only having decks for half the lectures and not doing as well on the other parts. Anki's great if you can make flashcards quickly but if you're not efficient at making cards it becomes more of a time-sink than it's worth. Second year was completely different because we no longer got powerpoints, had few to no lectures, and were learning a lot straight out of textbooks, so I had to come up with completely different methods for second year (which was far worse than first year imo).

It really just depends on what your school's curriculum is like and what works for you.

 

[bananafish94]

How much were you studying? Was it efficient?

You do have to study a lot. As it gets close to the block exam, it can be pretty intense. The beginning of each block isn't as bad. You have to experiment a bit to find the most efficient method for you!

Were you able to have a life (hobbies, volunteering, research, a relationship, etc.) outside of your coursework?

Absolutely! I do all of those things. I have a happy and fulfilling life outside of academics.

how much I'm going to have to change to succeed these next four years.

Completely depends on what works for you. I had to change my study strategies a lot, personally. I was never a flashcard person in college but fell head-over-heels for Anki in medical school. You might have to use different methods for different disciplines, as well. What works for anatomy might not work for physiology, pathology, etc. But you will find your way!

 

[Hakuna Matata]

I studied a minimum of 6-8 hours a day. This increased to 12-15 the few days before an exam.
It's hard, it's stressful. I cried a lot. But you can still have a life. I got married during M1 and had a baby beginning of M2 (planned). You don't have to put the rest of your life on hold just because you're in medical school.


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[bunnyg]

I don't know how it works at your school , but at mine , they give you a big adjustment period.
The cell bio/fundamentals block at my school was only slightly harder than undergrad (your worst quarter lol), then we had a MSK block which was slightly harder than that. Once we got into organ systems blocks though things ramped up a ton (got literally like twice as hard), but this only started in January. I would say that after January, I was studying 5-6 hours after class per day (although somedays not as much because of clinic/small group sessions in afternoons), and 6-8 hours /day on the weekends (both days). Ramped up before quizzes/exams but they give you a lot of time to study (not much new material)

My social life took a nose dive after we started organ blocks. At the beginning of year we would go out to bars/ restaurants/ do fun stuff 2-3 x a week . After organ blocks started, it became more like once a week or once every two weeks. But you do other things with your friends, you just cant get drunk and ruin the next day lol . I want to try to re-vamp my social life a bit this year.

I have time to work out 6 days a week for an hour a day, which is my main hobby. I slept 8-9 hours a night. I'm single right now, so dont have a relationship to worry about. Not much time for watching netflix , but its all about how you prioritize things.

 

[theNDhopeful44]

You do have to study a lot. As it gets close to the block exam, it can be pretty intense. The beginning of each block isn't as bad. You have to experiment a bit to find the most efficient method for you!

Absolutely! I do all of those things. I have a happy and fulfilling life outside of academics.

Completely depends on what works for you. I had to change my study strategies a lot, personally. I was never a flashcard person in college but fell head-over-heels for Anki in medical school. You might have to use different methods for different disciplines, as well. What works for anatomy might not work for physiology, pathology, etc. But you will find your way!

You're at Rush, right? That's where I'm starting in the fall. Any insight into doing well?

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

The best advice anyone every gave me was "study smarter, not harder"

Don't just try to compensate by increasing the number of hours you study. Get creative and always be refining your approach to improve efficiency and retention.

But to answer your question yes it's hard. Although I actually thought undergrad was harder. Med schools expect a lot out of you, but provide tons of support too.

 

[mehc012]

Honestly? Med school has been the most fun, laid-back time of my life. Minimal homework = less work than a full college load. Optional lectures = <10hrs/wk I have to be at school. Great classmates, interesting stuff to study, access to really cool shadowing whenever I want. I'm frustrated that summer exists, I'm ready for school to start back up again!

 

[bananafish94]

You're at Rush, right? That's where I'm starting in the fall. Any insight into doing well?

Congrats!! You're going to absolutely love it. I can't imagine a better place to study. My biggest piece of advice isn't really school-specific...just don't be afraid to experiment a lot with your study method. Like I said, the way I study in medical school is radically different from how I studied in college.


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[drkube]

We don't have mandatory attendance at our school, so I find myself have a lot of flexible time. We were eased into the coursework so it wasn't too difficult to adjust. Honestly, once you find out what kind of studying works for you, med school should not be hard. In terms of difficulty, I would rate it 4/10, and during finals probably a 8/10.

 

[vernhart]

Honestly? Med school has been the most fun, laid-back time of my life. Minimal homework = less work than a full college load. Optional lectures = <10hrs/wk I have to be at school. Great classmates, interesting stuff to study, access to really cool shadowing whenever I want. I'm frustrated that summer exists, I'm ready for school to start back up again!

I laughed at the absurdity and then I cried.

 

[Azete]

Honestly? Med school has been the most fun, laid-back time of my life. Minimal homework = less work than a full college load. Optional lectures = <10hrs/wk I have to be at school. Great classmates, interesting stuff to study, access to really cool shadowing whenever I want. I'm frustrated that summer exists, I'm ready for school to start back up again!

Please put this person on every terrorist watch list in the known universe.

 

[Dandine]

If you consider yourself to be efficient at studying, you should be fine. Your study style will definitely change based on your classes and materials, and getting to a point where you can understand the material consistently will probably determine how much time you want to devote yourself to other things. There will be classes you find really difficult to wrap your head around (it depends on the person so I'm going to leave it at that), but they are absolutely do-able if you put in the time.

And everyone here saying stuff about repeating and retaining is right (and it seems that's how you learn best). Find a way to make everything memorable. Will you forget stuff? Probably. But you're learning all of this to get you into the habit of getting the material in your head and then being able to properly recall as needed.

Two personal nuggets of advice:

1. This is more relevant to your school's teaching, but it will help at some point to study in the way you will be evaluated. If you are going to take a practical, make sure you can identify stuff without seeing their names. If you know you will have certain types of problems show up on the exam, do those problems. If you have no idea how you're going to be evaluated, then look at the learning objectives or ask people who have taken those classes before what to look out for. Do not go into studying blind; know what you are looking at and what you know you absolutely have to do. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go in-depth and read more about other things (in fact you should do that too!), but don't sacrifice what you know you absolutely have to do for an exam if you know it's on there. Sounds like common-sense advice, but it's easy to get overwhelmed by material and neglect important things that you could have learned earlier.
2. Take care of yourself. People drop out. People fall into depression. If you pace yourself, you will be fine, but realize you will also feel doubt along the way. Whatever you have to do to make sure you are in this for positive reasons, do it. Exercise, eat well, hygiene it up. If you have hobbies, do them. Socialize. Make sure you have a support system and people you trust. Again, common-sense advice, but it's easy to get overwhelmed and forget you have that.

Yes, it's hard, but there are people that genuinely love med school in spite of it. You got this. Best of luck with your first year!

 

[mehc012]

Please put this person on every terrorist watch list in the known universe.

I got lucky with schools, I guess. Sure exam periods get a little stressful at times, but I sleep more than I did in college because I'm better prepared, overall, which is largely just because I enjoy the material more. For reference, I was a solid B student in undergrad (clearly not gunner material) but I've been 1.5-2 SDs above the class average on our practice NBME-style exams in med school, with substantially less stress, substantially more sleep, and an infinitely better social life.

 

[DrWhozits]

I have been getting As and Bs (probably 40/60), but did minimal work relative to most of the top students. The difference between the 95-100 students and the 85-95 type is wayyyyy more hours studying than it's worth.

If you are gunning, Med school probably sucks. But if you do the work, but don't over do it and stay in the mid B to low A range, you will be able to balance a lot of stuff. I have a relationship and research that I was able to easily maintain, while also making time to goof around and go out to drink, play video games etc.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

Honestly? Med school has been the most fun, laid-back time of my life. Minimal homework = less work than a full college load. Optional lectures = <10hrs/wk I have to be at school. Great classmates, interesting stuff to study, access to really cool shadowing whenever I want. I'm frustrated that summer exists, I'm ready for school to start back up again!

+1 for the most part. Med School has been good to me. It was tough at times but life in general is hard. I'm fortunate to be in med school.
I studied no less than in undergrad which was pretty much all the time. Still found time to gain a few hobbies

 

[mehc012]

I have been getting As and Bs (probably 40/60), but did minimal work relative to most of the top students. The difference between the 95-100 students and the 85-95 type is wayyyyy more hours studying than it's worth.

If you are gunning, Med school probably sucks. But if you do the work, but don't over do it and stay in the mid B to low A range, you will be able to balance a lot of stuff. I have a relationship and research that I was able to easily maintain, while also making time to goof around and go out to drink, play video games etc.

Exactly. I'm at a P/F place, so 85-95 is fine.

 

[GonefromTX]

I'm not at a pass/fail school. My experience with M1 was that I found it extremely difficult to be even average in class. In undergrad I would just work harder and not go out on the weekends if I really wanted an A, but in M1 I found it almost impossible to get honors in any class, and still get good enough grades to pass or high pass the rest.

To be fair, if I wanted to just get a passing grade (65 or 70) in every class, it was very easy. Without a second of studying and with undergrad knowledge and intuition you would probably be able to get 40-50% in M1 exams. But you'll find that your classmates are on a whole different level from undergrad. If your school has the pass/high pass/honors system, you'll see that some people are just naturally more talented and will be able to make honors with half the time you study. And of course also people with have the ability to just sit at the same spot for 10 hrs/day studying.

It depends a lot on how talented you are at the subjects taught in M1. I found myself to be horrible compared to others in brute memorization when it comes to Anatomy and had to work like a dog in M1. I am very good at math and found M2 to be a breeze when Epidemiology was taught, while everyone else struggled with what I thought was just intuitive calculations.

 

[Username555]

Honestly, the reason M1 year was hard for me came down to self discipline. If you wake up at a reasonable time every morning, study a certain amount every day (I found that around 3-4 hours of actual focused studying was good most days) regardless of how far away a test is, sleep at a reasonable time, etc, M1 should be manageable for pretty much everyone.

The problem is, very few people operate this way and mostly everyone is gonna have things that come up in their lives that alter their "ideal schedule." I know if I made med school my entire life I could have done great while also having free time, but very few people actually choose to do that.

With dedicating time every day to hit the gym, talk to friends, spend time with significant other, keep up with clubs, handle stuff in your personal life, etc, you find that very few days you'll be able to follow the "ideal schedule" you set for yourself. Add the fact that you're in your early 20s and don't have the self discipline of an adult yet, and school gets pretty difficult to stay on top of.

 

[takeurmeds02]

Not hard at all if you're no stranger to hard work and you quickly find out how you best study (as was above). For me, the most difficult time periods were right before Winter break and right before the end of the year...So over it at those points lol.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Current third year here, just wanted to say it's always a good idea to develop a routine for daily/weekly studying. Feel free to experiment with study methods at first, but make sure that you're still studying the material while you try to figure out what works best for you. Definitely make sure you have established a routine by second year; it'll make studying for class exams and step 1 prep much easier. I fell off my routine toward the end of second year, and I regret it now cuz I got a lower step score than I initially wanted (still did well, tho). And of course, make time to hang out with your friends and do the things you love. Burnout is real, so always make sure you have stuff to look forward to doing when you're not studying.

P.S. Third year is SO much better than the first two years!

 

[mcloaf]

P.S. Third year is SO much better than the first two years!

Safe to say opinions about this are mixed...

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Safe to say opinions about this are mixed...

I'd rather see real patients, present on them, and write notes on them than sit in the library for hours on end studying the theory part. The monotony of 2nd year routine is part of the reason why I couldn't stay focused enough.

 

[GonefromTX]

I'd rather see real patients, present on them, and write notes on them than sit in the library for hours on end studying the theory part. The monotony of 2nd year routine is part of the reason why I couldn't stay focused enough.

Agreed. At least we're not sitting at the same spot for hours on end studying anymore. Then again I'm on psych

 

[kb0275]

First year we had powerpoints with lectures. So I'd usually go to lecture, listen and annotate onto the slides, then go over them once that night (took about 30 minutes/lecture for me), again on the weekend, and then once more the weekend before the test. Was always able to get 3-4 passes on my own that way. Didn't really use/try Anki until the end of the year and crushed everything I used it for, but it took me waaaaay to long to make a deck, so I'd end up only having decks for half the lectures and not doing as well on the other parts. Anki's great if you can make flashcards quickly but if you're not efficient at making cards it becomes more of a time-sink than it's worth. Second year was completely different because we no longer got powerpoints, had few to no lectures, and were learning a lot straight out of textbooks, so I had to come up with completely different methods for second year (which was far worse than first year imo).

It really just depends on what your school's curriculum is like and what works for you.

Advice on making anki cards? DO you recommend splitting the time to make anki cards with a roomate?

 

[kb0275]

You do have to study a lot. As it gets close to the block exam, it can be pretty intense. The beginning of each block isn't as bad. You have to experiment a bit to find the most efficient method for you!

Absolutely! I do all of those things. I have a happy and fulfilling life outside of academics.

Completely depends on what works for you. I had to change my study strategies a lot, personally. I was never a flashcard person in college but fell head-over-heels for Anki in medical school. You might have to use different methods for different disciplines, as well. What works for anatomy might not work for physiology, pathology, etc. But you will find your way!

Advice on making anki cards? DO you recommend splitting the time to make anki cards with a roomate?

 

[mehc012]

Advice on making anki cards? DO you recommend splitting the time to make anki cards with a roomate?

I wouldn't split with someone, personally...everyone has a different style. If you're going to use premade cards, use Bros or something vetted. The advantage of doing your own is a) having your own style and standards, and b) you learn while you make them.

 

[Stagg737]

Advice on making anki cards? DO you recommend splitting the time to make anki cards with a roomate?

Nope. Never really figured out how to make what I considered adequate decks in a reasonable amount of time. Sorry.

 

[bananafish94]

Advice on making anki cards? DO you recommend splitting the time to make anki cards with a roomate?

I know of people who have an Anki group where people are assigned lectures for which they make Anki cards. Personally, I don't like that because I learn best by making my own cards but if it works for them then that's wonderful. I usually make cards as I watch the lecture for the first time, getting down a lot of the broad information. Then, when I really delve into the details on the second pass I make more specific cards. And I continuously review those cards on the Anki schedule until the exam. Once I got into the groove with that my grades went way up, so I like it a lot.

 

[theNDhopeful44]

I know of people who have an Anki group where people are assigned lectures for which they make Anki cards. Personally, I don't like that because I learn best by making my own cards but if it works for them then that's wonderful. I usually make cards as I watch the lecture for the first time, getting down a lot of the broad information. Then, when I really delve into the details on the second pass I make more specific cards. And I continuously review those cards on the Anki schedule until the exam. Once I got into the groove with that my grades went way up, so I like it a lot.

I think that's an awesome way to study, especially since Rush is moving toward a flipped classroom for us. I think at least tentatively, my plan is to watch each lecture twice, make broad notes on the first pass, and then specific Anki decks on the second pass. Seems similar to what I did in undergrad science courses and I never felt that I didn't know my material. I'm also pretty regimented in that I study for 4-ish hours at a time without feeling the need to stop, so I'm definitely not concerned about a lack of motivation or drive.

 

[bananafish94]

I think that's an awesome way to study, especially since Rush is moving toward a flipped classroom for us. I think at least tentatively, my plan is to watch each lecture twice, make broad notes on the first pass, and then specific Anki decks on the second pass. Seems similar to what I did in undergrad science courses and I never felt that I didn't know my material. I'm also pretty regimented in that I study for 4-ish hours at a time without feeling the need to stop, so I'm definitely not concerned about a lack of motivation or drive.

I might caution against watching lectures twice. One thing that I've learned in medical school is that you want to maximize the amount of active learning you do. By active learning, I mean things like flashcards where you have to actively recall information, practice questions, teaching it to somebody else, etc. Things like watching lecture and copying notes down are passive learning that aren't as helpful and can take up a lot of time!

 

[theNDhopeful44]

I might caution against watching lectures twice. One thing that I've learned in medical school is that you want to maximize the amount of active learning you do. By active learning, I mean things like flashcards where you have to actively recall information, practice questions, teaching it to somebody else, etc. Things like watching lecture and copying notes down are passive learning that aren't as helpful and can take up a lot of time!

That's fair. I study best on my own, so I don't know how much teaching I'll be doing to others outside of PBL sessions. I feel like flashcards are great for rote memorization, but not application. Are your exams mostly recall, or are they designed like step 1? I think how I'll be tested is what will drive my studying.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Get study guides from the MS2s. Update them as appropriate. Save yourself the hours.

Skip class whenever possible, watch on 1.5-2x speed on your couch (but actually pay attention! no half assing this while distracted on Facebook).

Get involved in social/club stuff early on.

If something isn't working for you in regards to how you're studying, switch it up ASAP. Get in touch with your school's learning center. They're there to help you succeed.

Don't fall for the quantity > quality trap when studying. If you've spent 12 hours staring at ppt's, then another 2 hours will probably add absolutely nothing (consecutively). My grades shot up when the night before tests I stopped studying around 9, relaxed for 1-2 hours (whatever you like—gym, gaming, beer + netflix, etc.) then got up around 5:30 AM to do one last quick review. Like seriously went up at least a letter grade. It was a great move for me.

If you decide to use Anki, you have to go ALL IN with Anki. Doing it halfway is a good way to fail.

Don't start studying for Step1.

Make SketchyMicro and SketchyPharm your best friends early on (if applicable to your curriculum).

 

[mehc012]

Get study guides from the MS2s. Update them as appropriate. Save yourself the hours.

Skip class whenever possible, watch on 1.5-2x speed on your couch (but actually pay attention! no half assing this while distracted on Facebook).

Get involved in social/club stuff early on.

If something isn't working for you in regards to how you're studying, switch it up ASAP. Get in touch with your school's learning center. They're there to help you succeed.

Don't fall for the quantity > quality trap when studying. If you've spent 12 hours staring at ppt's, then another 2 hours will probably add absolutely nothing (consecutively). My grades shot up when the night before tests I stopped studying around 9, relaxed for 1-2 hours (whatever you like—gym, gaming, beer + netflix, etc.) then got up around 5:30 AM to do one last quick review. Like seriously went up at least a letter grade. It was a great move for me.

If you decide to use Anki, you have to go ALL IN with Anki. Doing it halfway is a good way to fail.

Don't start studying for Step1.

Make SketchyMicro and SketchyPharm your best friends early on (if applicable to your curriculum).

We aren't allowed study guides from upper class years, and our lectures are optional, but not recorded. Still works out fine!
I agree on the all-or-nothing thing on Anki, only exception being if your Histo comes from a limited set of slides. Then it's fine to just brute force memorize Histo but not Anki everything.
I really do not get the appeal of the Sketchy series, at all. Does not work for me in the slightest.

 

[kb0275]

Get study guides from the MS2s. Update them as appropriate. Save yourself the hours.

Skip class whenever possible, watch on 1.5-2x speed on your couch (but actually pay attention! no half assing this while distracted on Facebook).

Get involved in social/club stuff early on.

If something isn't working for you in regards to how you're studying, switch it up ASAP. Get in touch with your school's learning center. They're there to help you succeed.

Don't fall for the quantity > quality trap when studying. If you've spent 12 hours staring at ppt's, then another 2 hours will probably add absolutely nothing (consecutively). My grades shot up when the night before tests I stopped studying around 9, relaxed for 1-2 hours (whatever you like—gym, gaming, beer + netflix, etc.) then got up around 5:30 AM to do one last quick review. Like seriously went up at least a letter grade. It was a great move for me.

If you decide to use Anki, you have to go ALL IN with Anki. Doing it halfway is a good way to fail.

Don't start studying for Step1.

Make SketchyMicro and SketchyPharm your best friends early on (if applicable to your curriculum).

When you say half way, do you mean splitting the work of making anki flashcards?

 

[kb0275]

I wouldn't split with someone, personally...everyone has a different style. If you're going to use premade cards, use Bros or something vetted. The advantage of doing your own is a) having your own style and standards, and b) you learn while you make them.

I was thinking reading through the ppt once, then making anki cards by copying/paste but only making cloze deletion cards. Thoughts?

 

[mehc012]

I was thinking reading through the ppt once, then making anki cards by copying/paste but only making cloze deletion cards. Thoughts?

I'm really picky about my Anki cards, and I think that most lecture ppts are poorly made, so...I'm not the one to ask on this front.

 

[IslandStyle808]

I was thinking reading through the ppt once, then making anki cards by copying/paste but only making cloze deletion cards. Thoughts?

Actually, I would suggest trying to make 2nd and 3rd order question stemming from several slides. When you do this, it will help to cut down on unnecessary factoids you need to memorize. There were even moments where my questions generated would appear on the actual exam.

If you find you are having difficulty making such questions, it also tells you that it is an area you are weak in. So there is a ton of benefit by making higher order questions of your anki cards.

Of course this takes time, so if you are having trouble making higher order cards, then make them 1st order and take note that this is a concept that maybe troubling you. Then look over the concept again the future, then try to make a higher order card later on if you can.

 

[futuredoc331]

Honestly? Med school has been the most fun, laid-back time of my life. Minimal homework = less work than a full college load. Optional lectures = <10hrs/wk I have to be at school. Great classmates, interesting stuff to study, access to really cool shadowing whenever I want. I'm frustrated that summer exists, I'm ready for school to start back up again!

Agree 100 %. School wasn't all that fun or easy for me, but I absolutely hate summer. I'm ready to go back, have been since second week of summer.

 

[futuredoc331]

OP,

I've seen the whole gamut. There were kids in my class who were done at 5pm every night, partied on the weekends, and honored every test. Then there were people who studied every waking hour, including the weekends, and barely got by. I think it really just comes down to how well you do with the rote memorization and your schools testing.

I feel like I could have done much better at a school that had multiple smaller tests per class instead of one giant test (per block) that covered everything.