Does anyone else struggle with feeling like a ******* in classes? LOL

[zachdwphoto]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I'm starting back to school for spring semester. I'm realizing how much I have forgotten or how "rusty" I am. Does anyone else feel like they are below average in their classes even though you're making A's and B's. I have a 3.68 gpa not an amazing gpa but high enough that I feel like I should be at the top of my classes. I feel sometimes like I'm the ******* 🙁.......realistically I'm probably in the middle. I'm taking ochem 2 this semester and I finished physics last year. Those are the classes I'm talking about. I will be sitting for the MCAT at the end of this summer and feel like I'm ill-prepared. anyone else in my position? just venting and looking for some help.......

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

Maybe you are the type of person who learns best on their own. I am this way. Sometimes I felt stupid in lecture, like everyone else was "getting" it, but when I read the material on my own I understood it very quickly.

 

[justAstudent]

I found that pre-reading or just skimming over the days lecture slides made me understand the material while it was being taught. When I didn't, I was more or less just jotting down notes and pretending like I knew what was going on when I really had no clue what was happening.

 

[zachdwphoto]

Maybe you are the type of person who learns best on their own. I am this way. Sometimes I felt stupid in lecture, like everyone else was "getting" it, but when I read the material on my own I understood it very quickly.

You have a point Quinn.....I think it has to do with processing the material my way and my insecurities infront of intelligent people.....the latter I should probably get over quickly LOL

 

[zachdwphoto]

I found that pre-reading or just skimming over the days lecture slides made me understand the material while it was being taught. When I didn't, I was more or less just jotting down notes and pretending like I knew what was going on when I really had no clue what was happening.

Yeah...I agree.....sometimes I wander if the people that get into med school are the ones in class that get it and all the other pre-meds are just pipe dreaming

 

[justAstudent]

Yeah...I agree.....sometimes I wander if the people that get into med school are the ones in class that get it and all the other pre-meds are just pipe dreaming

I don't know about others, but I definitely felt the way you did during undergrad, especially during many of my upper-division classes like biochemistry. Oh, and Physics made me feel like a ******* no matter what I did.

 

[zachdwphoto]

I don't know about others, but I definitely felt the way you did during undergrad, especially during many of my upper-division classes like biochemistry. Oh, and Physics made me feel like a ******* no matter what I did.

I'm glad to hear this from a med student!! Thanks for your input! Studying for the MCAT sounds so intimidating and hearing testimonies like yours helps!

 

[Pacna]

I can comfortably say that I usually followed what the prof was saying for about 2 minutes in lecture if I hadn't studied in advance. The rest of the lecture just felt like skimming the material as they were going too fast to digest anything that was going on.

Agree with the above - pre study for lectures if you want to feel like you know what they're talking about.

 

[zachdwphoto]

I can comfortably say that I usually followed what the prof was saying for about 2 minutes in lecture if I hadn't studied in advance. The rest of the lecture just felt like skimming the material as they were going too fast to digest anything that was going on.

Agree with the above - pre study for lectures if you want to feel like you know what they're talking about.

🙂

 

[brianbellau]

I definitely know how you feel, if I haven't pre-read the chapter or lecture beforehand, I always zone out within a few minutes of the prof's lecture. But as soon as I go home and read it on my own, I understand it.
Wondering if you are the same way?

 

[zachdwphoto]

I definitely know how you feel, if I haven't pre-read the chapter or lecture beforehand, I always zone out within a few minutes of the prof's lecture. But as soon as I go home and read it on my own, I understand it.
Wondering if you are the same way?

Yeah I think I am......I need to be better about pre-reading the chapters. I just feel like everyone is smarter than me quite often. But if I read the chapters and do more independent studying I usually do better. I'm an introvert and do better on my own. Not to sound arrogant I just learn better by myself.

 

[Pacna]

Yeah I think I am......I need to be better about pre-reading the chapters. I just feel like everyone is smarter than me quite often. But if I read the chapters and do more independent studying I usually do better. I'm an introvert and do better on my own. Not to sound arrogant I just learn better by myself.

I've found that differences in intelligence aren't what make a GPA. Study enough = A. Don't study enough = another grade.

Don't kid yourself. Those "smart" students are just studying more/earlier than you.

 

[Mornhavon]

.

 

[deleted577188]

In short, YES!

 

[Life Sucks]

No offense, but I hate when people feel stupid with a 3.68+ gpa. You know, compare to most of the kids in universities or not pre-med, you're pretty much in the top one precent. Plus, you're kidding yourself if you should know everything at first. If that's the case, why go to school. Turn into the medical version of Steve Jobs.

 

[Drakeyboo]

I also feel the same way. I can't even concentrate in class when I did pre-read everything. I wish I could skip class, but all my classes require attendance for points.

 

[darkjedi]

don't worry, this feeling continues well into med school too

 

[zachdwphoto]

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[musicalMD]

I'm glad to hear this from a med student!! Thanks for your input! Studying for the MCAT sounds so intimidating and hearing testimonies like yours helps!

I know how you feel about the MCAT. I am also taking it this summer and feel completely unprepared. Just do the best you can do and set a solid study schedule! If your school has other pre-meds then you could also make a study group.

 

[zachdwphoto]

I know how you feel about the MCAT. I am also taking it this summer and feel completely unprepared. Just do the best you can do and set a solid study schedule! If your school has other pre-meds then you could also make a study group.

yeah I'm going to study from the SDN curriculum!

 

[Zelda840]

I have a 3.9 GPA and while some things came easy to me (Bio, Anatomy, GenChem), others were a real struggle (Organic, Physics). I used to get really down on myself when I didn't immediately understand something, but now I've come to accept than no one is perfect and we all have different strengths and weaknesses. I may have to study twice as long as the next person to get my A in physics, but that's ok. As long as you are honest with yourself when you're struggling and willing to put in the time and effort to rectify a situation before it's too late, you'll be fine. 🙂

 

[Ace-Co-A]

I don't really understand the point of some lectures (esp. math classes). Material like that just doesn't lend itself to oral presentation, and I think >90% of the people listening feel stupid.

That's why I just sit in the back and do problems... and then write down important stuff like exam times/dates, extra homework, etc.

 

[Lya]

I don't really understand the point of some lectures (esp. math classes). Material like that just doesn't lend itself to oral presentation, and I think >90% of the people listening feel stupid.

That's why I just sit in the back and do problems... and then write down important stuff like exam times/dates, extra homework, etc.

As a math major, I have to agree there.

I still remember when by the time we got to the 2nd mid term, I finally understood the materials from 1st mid term. I felt so incredibly dumb in that senior-level, real analysis course, such a different class from calc, diff eq, and linear alg. And all of this while there was this freshman taking this course with seniors and juniors, literally getting 100s on everything, taking notes once in a while. I don't know how he did it.

It's just that there are students who get it right away and who don't get it, with no one in between. And the professor cannot make everyone happy or understood. She/he doesn't have time to ignite our curiosity by doing PBL or spending more time to cover the same amount of materials--those who get it will get bored and complain to the professor, while others will still struggle even with that extra time or different approach. Math/CS TAs are usually just grading homework, rather than tutoring students like in bio/chem/physics courses.


#whydidimajorinmath

 

[MedWonk]

So I'm starting back to school for spring semester. I'm realizing how much I have forgotten or how "rusty" I am. Does anyone else feel like they are below average in their classes even though you're making A's and B's. I have a 3.68 gpa not an amazing gpa but high enough that I feel like I should be at the top of my classes. I feel sometimes like I'm the ******* 🙁.......realistically I'm probably in the middle. I'm taking ochem 2 this semester and I finished physics last year. Those are the classes I'm talking about. I will be sitting for the MCAT at the end of this summer and feel like I'm ill-prepared. anyone else in my position? just venting and looking for some help.......

You may the type of person for whom lecture is just a wall of noise. It pretty is to me usually. Part of it is your own learning style. Pre-reading helps a little, but that's assuming the reading material isn't dry, and it often is. This isn't to say I don't get anything out of lecture, but to me it's always been one of the least efficient means of learning new material unless the lecturer is good at they do. If you're doing well in classes, which it seems like you are, then I wouldn't really worry much about this.

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

I feel like a ******* too! But really its when i feel like a ******* that i do my best. I learn by making as many mistakes and learning from them.

 

[pyrrion89]

At one med school interview day they let us sit in on a MS1 lecture... wow did I feel dumb.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

At one med school interview day they let us sit in on a MS1 lecture... wow did I feel dumb.

Sat in on a lecture just before my interviews at one of my schools...

Med Student Host: So, what did you think of your first med school lecture?
Me: It was awesome... in that I didn't get anything out of it. 🤔