Finished D1 at UNC... AMA!

[Glimmer1991]

Hey! So I know I've been extremely scarce around here, but we have two weeks off before summer classes begins and I figured I'd come around and see if anyone had questions about my first year of dental school. (Kudos to all the other folks who gave me the idea for this thread.)

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[MonoApex]

What were your stats and extracurricular activities like upon acceptance?
What is life like at UNC?
How friendly are the people?
Last one , How are the girls? lol

 

[Incis0r]

Congrats @Glimmer1991 !!!

If you could go back in time to your pre-dental years and give yourself some advice before starting dental school, what would it be?
How did you study for exams etc?
How much free time did you have each day?

Thank you so much for doing this.

 

[Glimmer1991]

What were your stats and extracurricular activities like upon acceptance?
What is life like at UNC?
How friendly are the people?
Last one , How are the girls? lol

Hah!

Okay, I'll be real--my stats and ECs were really, really good. OVERBOARD good. I don't know if they're the best to go by, because I think I could have done way "worse" and still have been just as successful. However, here you have it:

AADSAS GPAs: 3.97 oGPA, 3.96 BCP, 3.97 sGPA, 3.97 Non-science
DAT: 26AA/30TS/23PAT
Over 100 hours shadowing
Over 600 hours volunteering
Over 1000 hours work experience on my app (but then I also worked full-time for 9 months before school started)

Life at UNC is good. I was already really familiar with the place since my fiancé went here for undergrad, and it's a pretty awesome town. School, however, has been TOUGH. The first year at UNC--particularly spring semester--is supposedly the hardest it gets. This semester has DEFINITELY lived up to its reputation, but somehow, I've come out alive on the other side. People have varying levels of stress, but overall, we're a really motivated group (and I think that stress kind of goes along with that). Our professors often comment on how we have some of the highest test averages they've ever seen, and I know people work really hard. I still find plenty of time for myself, though, or else I'd be going crazy! First semester took a lot of adjusting for me because my undergrad was not NEARLY as strenuous as dental school, but once I got a handle on things, it all got a lot better (mentally, emotionally, and in terms of my social life).

The people, overall, are extremely friendly. No complaints about my classmates. We all seem completely willing to help each other out, and we all like to get out and have fun.

The girls? My friends and I always joke about how everyone at UNC's dental school is attractive. But, well, seriously. Everyone is. Haha!

 

[Bifenthrin]

Hi there!

What did you think of your first year? How do you like it? I remember how hard you were working to get in, so wanted to see how you're doing and feeling.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Congrats @Glimmer1991 !!!
If you could go back in time to your pre-dental years and give yourself some advice before starting dental school, what would it be?
How did you study for exams etc?
How much free time did you have each day?
Thank you so much for doing this.

Thank ya!

Advice to pre-dental me would be to stop doubting myself and just to know that I've got things handled. I'm my own worst enemy, and in hindsight, I fretted over some silly stuff when it came to making my application as good as it "needed" to be. I'm the type to always give things 100%, and while that may yield great results, it also leads to a lot of unnecessary stress. I've eased up a lot in dental school--you kind of have to in order to survive the crazy workload--and I find that I'm not only just as successful, but I'm also a lot happier overall.

Dental school is MUCH more time-consuming than undergrad because of the enormous volume of info we have to take in every day. Because of that, I've had to kind of work out a "new" studying schedule as compared to what I did in undergrad. Here's what I've found works best for me...

In general, I start prepping for tests 7 business days before the actual exam. (I don't study on weekends unless we have a Monday test and I HAVE to study. Taking the weekends off is one of the things that keeps me sane.) We usually have about 1 test a week, but sometimes we have 2, 3, or even 4 (and yes, we had 4 tests THE WEEK AFTER SPRING BREAK--so my spring break sucked!). The "7 days out" method usually gives me enough time to go through and thoroughly learn everything, and I'm not generally a crammer. However, during those weeks with multiple tests, I sometimes have to prepare for a test in, say, 5 days--but I usually try not to cut it any closer than that. I need time to learn things, and I have to go over my notes multiple times before things really start to stick.

On average, I study about 3-4 hours a day. I often take off Saturday and Sunday. I generally try to get in 1.5 hours in the morning (I wake up early), an hour during lunch, and then I only have a little bit left to do once I get home in the evenings. If I waited until the evening to study, that would totally suck--we don't get home until 4 or 5 PM on most days, and I'd literally be studying until I go to bed. Yuck.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Hi there!
What did you think of your first year? How do you like it? I remember how hard you were working to get in, so wanted to see how you're doing and feeling.

Hey, Bifenthrin!

You want the honest answer? First semester sucked. Second semester was harder in terms of classes, but better for me because I had finally figured out what I was doing. I mean, I'll be honest... I totally underestimated how hard dental school was going to be. A lot of that is just simply due to the sheer number of hours we're at school, and then trying to find time to study when I'm EXHAUSTED. In undergrad, you have lots of little breaks during the day to get in studying, and I usually could be TOTALLY done with my school work by around 5 o'clock or so. However, in dental school, we don't even get DONE until 5--and then you have to find time to eat, study, and maybe get in a few minutes with friends/family. It's a big juggling act.

That being said, I have done really, really well. It took my a while to tweak how I was studying and figure out the "optimal" amount to get the grades I wanted, but I think I'm finally there, and I'm having a lot more fun. It all just felt very overwhelming at first, but I've gotten a handle on it now. You definitely have to give yourself some time to adjust!

There have been times when school felt impossible (like those weeks I mentioned with four tests), but somehow, someway, we all find a way to manage it. I think it's fascinating what you can make your mind and body do if you simply HAVE to do it... Haha!

 

[Bifenthrin]

Hey, Bifenthrin!

You want the honest answer? First semester sucked. Second semester was harder in terms of classes, but better for me because I had finally figured out what I was doing. I mean, I'll be honest... I totally underestimated how hard dental school was going to be. A lot of that is just simply due to the sheer number of hours we're at school, and then trying to find time to study when I'm EXHAUSTED. In undergrad, you have lots of little breaks during the day to get in studying, and I usually could be TOTALLY done with my school work by around 5 o'clock or so. However, in dental school, we don't even get DONE until 5--and then you have to find time to eat, study, and maybe get in a few minutes with friends/family. It's a big juggling act.

That being said, I have done really, really well. It took my a while to tweak how I was studying and figure out the "optimal" amount to get the grades I wanted, but I think I'm finally there, and I'm having a lot more fun. It all just felt very overwhelming at first, but I've gotten a handle on it now. You definitely have to give yourself some time to adjust!

There have been times when school felt impossible (like those weeks I mentioned with four tests), but somehow, someway, we all find a way to manage it. I think it's fascinating what you can make your mind and body do if you simply HAVE to do it... Haha!

Hahaha I totally get you on that. My first year was kind of a disaster in terms of adjusting and grades and all that, plus things going on in personal life. I finished out the year with straight C+s in the sciences. Now I'm a month away from being done with second year, and I've been getting B's all year, even though this year is so much harder than first year. Hoping I can keep it up with the bundle of finals I'm going to have in May...

It's definitely a good thing I don't plan to specialize.

Also, is attendance for classes mandatory at UNC? Most of ours aren't mandatory attendance which is my saving grace.. I do so much better when I just self study, as I figured out second semester last year hahaha. I only go in for labs, clinic, and mandatory attendance classes now (which are a few of the BS classes that they make mandatory so someone shows up hahaha).

 

[Glimmer1991]

Hahaha I totally get you on that. My first year was kind of a disaster in terms of adjusting and grades and all that, plus things going on in personal life. I finished out the year with straight C+s in the sciences. Now I'm a month away from being done with second year, and I've been getting B's all year, even though this year is so much harder than first year. Hoping I can keep it up with the bundle of finals I'm going to have in May...

It's definitely a good thing I don't plan to specialize.

Also, is attendance for classes mandatory at UNC? Most of ours aren't mandatory attendance which is my saving grace.. I do so much better when I just self study, as I figured out second semester last year hahaha. I only go in for labs, clinic, and mandatory attendance classes now (which are a few of the BS classes that they make mandatory so someone shows up hahaha).

Heck yeah--especially if you don't plan on specializing, those Bs (and Cs!) are your golden ticket!

Technically, attendance is mandatory, though it is rarely enforced. However, we had some issues with people not showing up to class once the semester was coming to and end and people were studying for finals... and that got a little hairy because professors were getting annoyed. Some of our classes are NOT lecture captured (ugh!), so you have to show up for those. I tend to go to class, though, unless the class is TOTALLY useless to go! I like to be able to go up and ask the professor questions about things during breaks and whatnot... which you can't do if you're only lecture capturing!

 

[tarheel616]

I currently go to UNC for undergrad, and I am about to dental school this up coming cycle. As an out-of-state student I am still unsure if I will even apply to UNC based on the numbers alone. The general dentist I shadow in Chapel Hill graduated from UNC, so I am sure that will help somewhat, but I am not sure if I even have a chance getting an interview let alone an acceptance. Do you currently know anyone in the class who was out of state and attended UNC for undergrad? Any advice?

 

[Bifenthrin]

Heck yeah--especially if you don't plan on specializing, those Bs (and Cs!) are your golden ticket!

Technically, attendance is mandatory, though it is rarely enforced. However, we had some issues with people not showing up to class once the semester was coming to and end and people were studying for finals... and that got a little hairy because professors were getting annoyed. Some of our classes are NOT lecture captured (ugh!), so you have to show up for those. I tend to go to class, though, unless the class is TOTALLY useless to go! I like to be able to go up and ask the professor questions about things during breaks and whatnot... which you can't do if you're only lecture capturing!

Haha true. I usually just email the professors to ask questions if I come across something while studying that I need clarified. They're usually pretty good about getting back to me quickly. Thankfully all of our classes are podcasted, which really saves me the hassle of having to show up. I'm not a morning person at all, so not having to go to 8AM lectures is amazing.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I currently go to UNC for undergrad, and I am about to dental school this up coming cycle. As an out-of-state student I am still unsure if I will even apply to UNC based on the numbers alone. The general dentist I shadow in Chapel Hill graduated from UNC, so I am sure that will help somewhat, but I am not sure if I even have a chance getting an interview let alone an acceptance. Do you currently know anyone in the class who was out of state and attended UNC for undergrad? Any advice?

There are quite a few OOSers in my class, but I'm not positive if any of them went to UNC for undergrad. However, I would DEFINITELY still apply, especially if you've gone to UNC for undergrad! Don't let the small number of OOS students scare you. 31 out of 82 students went to UNC for undergrad--so they definitely like to accept their own people.

https://www.dentistry.unc.edu/academic/dds/documents/classprofile2018.pdf

The dental school will also let you switch to "in state" status after the first year, which will save you a lot of money in the long term. You absolutely should apply--there's literally nothing to lose!

P.S. I just creeped your previous posts, and if you like UNC, you'd be CRAZY not to apply! From what I've seen, you have a great application, and I'm sure you will do equally well on the DAT.

 

[DentalDoge]

You've said that you have found a way to handle dental school courses really well. What kind of advice would you give to someone who is gunning for A's? Anything to add to the aforementioned studying schedule?

Thanks for doing this!

 

[Incis0r]

Glimmer you're the best!

 

[deleted659902]

Hey! So I know I've been extremely scare around here, but we have two weeks off before summer classes begins and I figured I'd come around and see if anyone had questions about my first year of dental school. (Kudos to all the other folks who gave me the idea for this thread.)

1) Are you numero uno in your class?
2) Do you have a four point o?

 

[Glimmer1991]

You've said that you have found a way to handle dental school courses really well. What kind of advice would you give to someone who is gunning for A's? Anything to add to the aforementioned studying schedule?
Thanks for doing this!

Hey, DentalDoge!

I'm not exactly "gunning" for As, but I'm getting them! I've eased up a lot on my expectations of myself; however, I still have a 4.0. So, my schedule works.
3-4 hours a day, take off Saturday and Sunday when I can (ie. weeks when there isn't a Monday test). Start prepping for tests ~7 days beforehand.

Obviously, that schedule can vary depending on the particular course load. For example, gross anatomy at UNC only lasts for half of first semester, so it is ridiculously fast-paced. I had to put in a good 1.5-2 hours a day to stay on top of that class, along with studying for everything else--so my average was probably closer to 4-5 hours a day at that time. (But it was much smoother sailing once it was over! I also made a 99.75 in that class, so the studying paid off.)

 

[Glimmer1991]

1) Are you numero uno in your class?
2) Do you have a four point o?

There are still a few of us with 4.0s, so I guess we're all technically tied. I'd say maybe 7-10 people.

 

[DentalDoge]

Hey, DentalDoge!

I'm not exactly "gunning" for As, but I'm getting them! I've eased up a lot on my expectations of myself; however, I still have a 4.0. So, my schedule works.
3-4 hours a day, take off Saturday and Sunday when I can (ie. weeks when there isn't a Monday test). Start prepping for tests ~7 days beforehand.

Obviously, that schedule can vary depending on the particular course load. For example, gross anatomy at UNC only last for half of first semester, so it is ridiculously fast-paced. I had to put in a good 1.5-2 hours a day to stay on top of that class, along with studying for everything else--so my average was probably closer to 4-5 hours a day at that time. (But it was much smoother sailing once it was over! I also made a 99.5 in that class, so the studying paid off.)

I hear that haha. GA is handled similarly at my school, 2 months in the summer before D1. I'm just a bit worried about it because Ive often heard from previous students at my school that the fast pace and sheer volume of information of GA in 2 months is probably the hardest thing to deal with in year 1. At this point, im willing to take any help to work out a good schedule/work flow.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I hear that haha. GA is handled similarly at my school, 2 months in the summer before D1. I'm just a bit worried about it because Ive often heard from previous students at my school that the fast pace and sheer volume of information of GA in 2 months is probably the hardest thing to deal with in year 1. At this point, im willing to take any help to work out a good schedule/work flow.

My best advice for gross is just to keep up with it EVERY DAY. This is one class that you do NOT want to fall behind in! Is this the only class you'll be taking? If so, put a solid 2 hours a day into it, and you'll be absolutely golden. (That's basically what I did, even with all of my other classes.). It's a lot (and not very fun), but manageable!

 

[Faux]

I'll definitely keep in mind how you studied throughout the day. I'm going to live across the street from the school so studying in the morning and during lunch would work out great.

 

[tooth knockn]

Hey! So I know I've been extremely scarce around here, but we have two weeks off before summer classes begins and I figured I'd come around and see if anyone had questions about my first year of dental school. (Kudos to all the other folks who gave me the idea for this thread.)

Are research study paper assignments given ?

 

[Glimmer1991]

Are research study paper assignments given ?

In groups of five, we had to write one research paper this semester. It ended up being about 8-10 pages double-spaced. We had to do a five day "diet diary" and then talk about what foods/habits were cariogenic or anti-cariogenic. Then, we had to give suggestions as to how we could improve our diets. It wasn't awful, just kind of a nuisance.

We had another group paper/presentation last semester about the divide between medicine and dentistry. This one was a challenge, as the paper was only supposed to be be 5-8 pages... but there were closer to 10 of us in the group. Hard to divvy out the work since there were so many group members!

 

[Incis0r]

Have you done anything with operative dentistry yet? Maybe some basic amalgams? If so, do you get to go into the school on the weekends and practice to your heart's content?

How is the weather in NC during the months of November-March? If you say below 50, I'm out .

 

[I want to go to there]

What methods do you use to study(flashcards, read/review, etc.)? Do you read textbooks or study exclusively notes? What do you use to take notes? Did you get study materials from upper classman and if so, were they helpful? I would really appreciate a thorough answer.

 

[kenny878]

1. What was the hardest class/subject to handle/grasp in D1? (Ie. GA, clinical work, pathology etc)

2. What do you reccomend doing or what did you do the summer before D1 (im starting d school in canada in august!)

3. Did you not do ANY schoolwork on weekends? (If so thats awesome)

4. Do you plan to specialize?

5. How much debt do you expect to have accrued by the time you're done D4?

6. Thanks for doing this... Its awesome!

 

[joiedevivre86]

Did you remember a lot of science material from undergrad that applied to your classes or was it more learning everything from the beginning? Do you find that you can have a good gym schedule with classes ending so late? Do you read all the assigned reading, and if so, do you keep pace with the class and take notes as you read? What do you do in your down time at night/what do you do to stay sane?

Thanks for doing this!

 

[deleted659902]

There are still a few of us with 4.0s, so I guess we're all technically tied. I'd say maybe 7-10 people.

4.0 in dental school.... now that is just....incredible.

Btw, did your gross anatomy course cover head and neck as well? What about lower limbs and back?

 

[distressstudent]

Glimmer-san, why were you hiding in your bee hive for so long

 

[DentalDoge]

4.0 in dental school.... now that is just....incredible.

Btw, did your gross anatomy course cover head and neck as well? What about lower limbs and back?

I'd hope UNC GA covers head&neck ... in dental school.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I have a few questions!

1. I'm from MA, and I know you said to still apply if you are OOS, but realistically, do I have a shot?
2. Have you done anything with operative dentistry yet? Maybe some basic amalgams? If so, do you get to go into the school on the weekends and practice to your heart's content?
3. How is the weather in NC during the months of November-March? If you say below 50, I'm out .

1. Well, it depends... How strong of an application are we talking about? HOWEVER, I'll go ahead and shatter that question by saying it definitely gets below 50 in the winter months. North Carolina winters aren't frigid, but they ain't warm, either.
2. Oh, yeah. We waxed teeth in "dental anatomy" all first semester, and we had a class during spring called "conservative operative dentistry" where we learned how to prep teeth and do amalgams and composites. You can go into the lab on both weekdays and weekends and drill/fill to your heart's content! I think they kick you out after midnight, although I've never personally experienced that. Hah! I always felt like we were moving SOOOOO fast in lab, but I have come a LONG way since we first started.

 

[Glimmer1991]

What methods do you use to study(flashcards, read/review, etc.)? Do you read textbooks or study exclusively notes? What do you use to take notes? Did you get study materials from upper classman and if so, were they helpful? I would really appreciate a thorough answer.

Hey!

I would go to lecture (or just lecture capture online) and take my own notes on PPTs. The program I used was GrowlyNotes (MUCCCCHHHHHH better for a Mac than OneNote, in my opinion). I would read my notes and type them out again and again until they were firmly engrained in my mind. Here's a link to how I studied in undergrad (I made a few posts in this thread)... I can't do quite the same thing nowadays, but the fundamentals are still there! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-much-should-you-study-per-day-in-undergrad.1047360/

I'm NOT a textbook reader, and I only had to do it on VERY rare occasions in dental school. The only time I ever used a textbook, actually, was for rare occasions in physio where the stuff in our PPTs just didn't cut it. (Sometimes, I think our professors unfortunately forget that they aren't lecturing to PhD students and thus don't include a lot of necessary background info).

Flashcards aren't really my thing, either. I'm a read, review, and "type it out" kind of gal.

At UNC, we get paired up with a "Big" in the class above us. I happened to get one who is AWESOME, and I did use her notes on occasion. They were definitely helpful. That being said, I tend to take extremely thorough notes myself, and I generally find them more helpful than anything else.

 

[Glimmer1991]

1. What was the hardest class/subject to handle/grasp in D1? (Ie. GA, clinical work, pathology etc)

2. What do you reccomend doing or what did you do the summer before D1 (im starting d school in canada in august!)

3. Did you not do ANY schoolwork on weekends? (If so thats awesome)

4. Do you plan to specialize?

5. How much debt do you expect to have accrued by the time you're done D4?

6. Thanks for doing this... Its awesome!

Heeeey kenny!

1. In terms of the sheer volume of material and how quickly we had to learn it, GA was the most intensive class of first year. However, I didn't find it very difficult to actually "grasp" the material... there was just a lot of it! For first semester, biochem was awful for me. AWFUL. Our lecturer was this super nice man, but gosh, his delivery just didn't work for me. I had to teach myself that ENTIRE class. It was beyond stressful, but I pulled it out. Second semester, the class I most disliked was micro (and "dislike" is a euphemism). Not only was it a BOATLOAD of information, but I also found it really uninteresting, and we were tested on the most minute details. We also had 50 zillion guest lecturers, and each had a different testing style... We had four tests in micro, but we never had the same teacher show up on more than one test, so you never really knew what to expect!

2. Don't do anything school-related the summer before dental school. Seriously. Maybe get a job, make some cash that you can spend while you're in school, and go on a vacation or two.

3. I only study on weekends when I HAVEEEEE to. This means I work harder during the week than a lot of people, but to me, it's worth it to have those days off!

4. Nah, no plans to specialize at the time. I have to keep my GPA kind of high for a scholarship, though, so that's a motivator. I might want to do a GPR or AEGD, but it's still too early to tell!

5. Thanks to scholarships and a bit of help from my parents (they graciously help with my living expenses), I will probably have about 100-120k in loans by the time I graduate. I'm not living lavishly and try to keep to a reasonable budget, but I'm also not denying myself too many of the things I had before I went to dental school (aka when mom and dad were still paying my bills, hahaha!). For example, I live without a roommate, which is expensive, but worth it for me. I also eat out multiple times a week and have yet to kick my love for Starbucks.

6. You're most welcome!

 

[Glimmer1991]

Did you remember a lot of science material from undergrad that applied to your classes or was it more learning everything from the beginning? Do you find that you can have a good gym schedule with classes ending so late? Do you read all the assigned reading, and if so, do you keep pace with the class and take notes as you read? What do you do in your down time at night/what do you do to stay sane?
Thanks for doing this!

Hey there!

Meh, unfortunately, I didn't honestly get to use too much of what I had learned from undergrad. I've found that what my undergrad classes covered just kind of touched the surface of what we learned at UNC! The classes here pack in a LOT more info (and in greater detail) as compared to what we did in undergrad. It also has been a while since I took some of the classes that we are "retaking" in dental school (for example, it's been 2 years since I've had gross anatomy and physiology), and a lot of it had left me since then. I suppose I still had a pretty strong background in the sciences, though, so I'm sure that has helped!

Ah, I'm not much of a gym person, though I probably need to work on that. (This metabolism ain't gonna last forever...) I have classmates that work out regularly, though! I will say, though, that there are some weeks when it is definitely a challenge to get everything in. Unfortunately, I'm generally braindead when I get home at the end of the day... and all I want to do is eat dinner and sleep! Ugh! So lazy, but seriously, the school day is tiring, but you still gotta study in the evenings. This is why I need those "free" weekends to kind of detox my mind.

Nooooooooooooo I do NOT do the assigned reading, and it hasn't bitten me in the butt so far. There really just enough time for it unless you TRULY want to study all day, every day. I only read textbooks if there is stuff that is lacking in the PPTs/outlines that our professors give us (which has happened a few times). Basically, I just use them for background info that I need, but even that isn't very often. Fortunately, our PPTs generally include everything we need to be successful.

Once I'm done studying for the evening, I basically just hang out with my fiancé. We cook dinner together if I have time, but he is generally the one doing that. We also go out to eat a few times a week. We like to go walk around campus, and we also are watching a few shows on Netflix (just got finished with House of Cards, and we've just jumped on the "Lost" bandwagon). I also kick ass at some Mario Kart, and we play the Wii some nights. I've made a few great friends that I hang out with on the weekends.... Our schedules are generally just too hectic to find times that mesh during the school week!

 

[Glimmer1991]

Glimmer-san, why were you hiding in your bee hive for so long

i am da worstest

 

[Glimmer1991]

4.0 in dental school.... now that is just....incredible.

Btw, did your gross anatomy course cover head and neck as well? What about lower limbs and back?

Yup, head and neck was included in our GA class... no separate class for it! It made up the entirety of our last exam in the class, and was very thorough.

We did the arms, chest, abdominal cavity, and head/neck. We didn't do the genitals or lower limbs.

 

[tooth knockn]

In groups of five, we had to write one research paper this semester. It ended up being about 8-10 pages double-spaced. We had to do a five day "diet diary" and then talk about what foods/habits were cariogenic or anti-cariogenic. Then, we had to give suggestions as to how we could improve our diets. It wasn't awful, just kind of a nuisance.

We had another group paper/presentation last semester about the divide between medicine and dentistry. This one was a challenge, as the paper was only supposed to be be 5-8 pages... but there were closer to 10 of us in the group. Hard to divvy out the work since there were so many group members!

Interesting....

Not bad....

Very good way to start DS

 

[ICUrunning]

Welcome back glimmer.

For those that don't know, glimmer pretty much ran this whole subforum last cycle.

Any "must-haves" that you suggest we bring to dental school to make our lives more comfortable? Trying to make a big list of things to buy. Lotta shopping to do.

Is there a dress code for you guys?

Send some of those straight A's my way, if you can.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Welcome back glimmer.

For those that don't know, glimmer pretty much ran this whole subforum last cycle.

Any "must-haves" that you suggest we bring to dental school to make our lives more comfortable? Trying to make a big list of things to buy. Lotta shopping to do.

Is there a dress code for you guys?

Send some of those straight A's my way, if you can.

Ah yes, the good old days! Filled with joy and free time...

Okay, so here's some legit, random advice for things to bring--GET A ROOMBA IF YOU CAN. I've wanted one for years, and finally bit the bullet two weeks ago. They are definitely expensive, but it's a splurge that will last a long time and will make your life better/easier. I chose the 770 and it is AWESOME. Vacuuming is totes a thing of the past. And my floors are clean every day aaaaand it cuts way down on the dust in my apartment. We named him "Alfred" (like the Butler from Batman). He is a part of the family and is perfect for my apartment. (P.S. Bed Bath and Beyond always has 20% off coupons that you can use!)

Get an awesome pillow. Everyone who stays over loves my pillows. I sleep like a baby every night. I have this one:
http://www.belk.com/AST/Main/Belk_Primary/PRD~9201012BEAU9440EU/Beautyrest Latex Pillow.jsp?ZZ<>tP=4294923540&ZZ<>t=pillow&ZZ_ST=pillow&fO=AND(Category_Path,NOT(P_IS_PRODUCT_SEARCHABLE:N))&ZZ_OPT=Y&FOLDER<>folder_id=1408474395191292&bmUID=kPlzF1C&ViewAll=&changeViewInd=y

Actually, just make sure your bed is really comfortable overall. It's worth the splurge to sleep well every night... You will NEED that!

I bought a nice desk, but honestly, I do most of my studying wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. So that was kind of useless, but hey, it's pretty.

Get decent kitchen stuff. Oneida runs a BIG sale online a few times a year, and I really hit the jackpot with that. I seriously have a fully stocked kitchen, and it didn't cost too much money. Unfortunately, I don't cook as much as I had planned, but hey, I have stuff when I need it...

Get a Roku if you don't have an Xbox or something else that will play Netflix. Then, convince your parents to pay for a Netflix subscription and just bum it off of them. Bonus points if you can also bum an HBO Go subscription. I'm actually having to use my grandmother for that one...

I always had a coffee pot, but I also got a hand-me-down Keurig from my parents in the middle of the year. It has been really awesome, and I use it a lot! It's great for when I just want one cup of coffee... which is basically most of the time. Haha!

And lastly, live by yourself if you can. Roommates could be fun, but I honestly think they would be super distracting (at least for me). This is all null, though, if you have a spouse or SO. Definitely live with them if you can, LOL. They make life a heck of a lot easier.

Yes, unfortunately, we do have a dress code. I miss my fancy jeans. We have to either wear business casual or Carolina blue scrubs (which I think is "ciel blue" in the world of scrubs). I bought some funky Danskos to wear with my scrubs... They might be pretty dang ugly, but I totally rock 'em.

 

[Loyoladentalman15]

What were your stats and extracurricular activities like upon acceptance?
What is life like at UNC?
How friendly are the people?
Last one , How are the girls? lol

The girls. I like how you asked the question the majority of us guys would like to know but would never ask lol

 

[DentalDoge]

Hey!

I would go to lecture (or just lecture capture online) and take my own notes on PPTs. The program I used was GrowlyNotes (MUCCCCHHHHHH better for a Mac than OneNote, in my opinion). I would read my notes and type them out again and again until they were firmly engrained in my mind. Here's a link to how I studied in undergrad (I made a few posts in this thread)... I can't do quite the same thing nowadays, but the fundamentals are still there! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-much-should-you-study-per-day-in-undergrad.1047360/

I'm NOT a textbook reader, and I only had to do it on VERY rare occasions in dental school. The only time I ever used a textbook, actually, was for rare occasions in physio where the stuff in our PPTs just didn't cut it. (Sometimes, I think our professors unfortunately forget that they aren't lecturing to PhD students and thus don't include a lot of necessary background info).

Flashcards aren't really my thing, either. I'm a read, review, and "type it out" kind of gal.

At UNC, we get paired up with a "Big" in the class above us. I happened to get one who is AWESOME, and I did use her notes on occasion. They were definitely helpful. That being said, I tend to take extremely thorough notes myself, and I generally find them more helpful than anything else.

Didnt think OneNote was ever optimized for Mac use ... or even non-pen use.

I've been playing around with the set up between Powerpoint and OneNote on my Surface Pro 3, and I think this work flow will work really well in the coming years. We'll see.

To answer your question earlier, we also take Intro to Dentistry. But I'm sure that's just a BS course. I just hope I can pull a Glimmer during my GA summer course in a month.

 

[ICUrunning]

Didnt think OneNote was ever optimized for Mac use ... or even non-pen use.

I've been playing around with the set up between Powerpoint and OneNote on my Surface Pro 3, and I think this work flow will work really well in the coming years. We'll see.

To answer your question earlier, we also take Intro to Dentistry. But I'm sure that's just a BS course. I just hope I can pull a Glimmer during my GA summer course in a month.

When do you start school, Doge?

 

[DentalDoge]

@ICUrunning June 1st.

 

[Mycoalwin]

@Glimmer1991 thanks for doing this! My questions pertain more to life at UNC rather than the curriculum. Some background info on me (that would probably help in addressing my questions): I've been in Southern California my whole life and am looking for a totally new life experience for the next four years of my life. Thus, I will be applying to the NorCal schools and some East Coast schools (all in big name cities, really). I never had UNC on my radar, but I met a few people from the area a few weeks ago (they go to NCSU) and told me that the area around UNC (mainly Raleigh) is actually a great place to be!

I guess my main question is: how would you say life is there? Not sure if you've been to SoCal, but would it be similar? What's there to do around there? Basically: how is life there?

Much appreciated again!

 

[nagune]

thanks for doing this. keep up the good work. you are helping so many people by doing this.

 

[mrdocta]

Hey Glimmer! Would you say that it's possible to review all lecture notes after classes get out each day? Or is there too much material?

Unfortunately the best way I learn is going to class, taking all the notes, recording the lecture, then going home to relisten to the lecture to actually comprehend the material. Things just don't click during lecture since I'm trying to keep up with notes. I most likely won't listen to the lectures over again in dental school, but just listen to fill in the gaps of what I missed. Thanks!

 

[mis_gnomer]

how did you study for the DAT?

 

[Glimmer1991]

@Glimmer1991 thanks for doing this! My questions pertain more to life at UNC rather than the curriculum. Some background info on me (that would probably help in addressing my questions): I've been in Southern California my whole life and am looking for a totally new life experience for the next four years of my life. Thus, I will be applying to the NorCal schools and some East Coast schools (all in big name cities, really). I never had UNC on my radar, but I met a few people from the area a few weeks ago (they go to NCSU) and told me that the area around UNC (mainly Raleigh) is actually a great place to be!

I guess my main question is: how would you say life is there? Not sure if you've been to SoCal, but would it be similar? What's there to do around there? Basically: how is life there?

Much appreciated again!

Hey, mycoalwin!

Unfortunately, I've never made my way to anywhere in Cali, so I'm not the best person to answer this. I have lived all over the south, though--Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina--and I really do like it in Chapel Hill. Of course, Chapel Hill in itself is a fun city, but Raleigh is great, too. There are always things to do, but if you're looking for a place where there is always TONS of energy, then UNC might not be your best bet. (But I'm not sure if that's how SoCal is!!) Honestly, most of my classmates just seem to hang out at bars or the occasional beerfest/music festival in Chapel Hill and Durham on the weekends. I don't really venture to Raleigh very often, but I have friends who went to school there and love it!

The NCSU people are going to be biased towards Raleigh because that's where they live currently, but the surrounding towns are just as cool.

 

[Glimmer1991]

Hey Glimmer! Would you say that it's possible to review all lecture notes after classes get out each day? Or is there too much material?

Unfortunately the best way I learn is going to class, taking all the notes, recording the lecture, then going home to relisten to the lecture to actually comprehend the material. Things just don't click during lecture since I'm trying to keep up with notes. I most likely won't listen to the lectures over again in dental school, but just listen to fill in the gaps of what I missed. Thanks!

Hey! I had a similar studying method in undergrad of reviewing my notes each day. Things also don't click for me during lecture since I'm so busy typing, but generally, I find that my notes are thorough enough that I don't have to go back and listen to the lecture again.

Yes, you would have enough time to re-read all of the day's lecture notes at the end of the day. However, you DEFINITELY wouldn't have enough time do that along with lecture capturing... and you also wouldn't be giving yourself anytime to prep for upcoming tests. Basically, going over all of the current day's lectures would take up all of your evening studying time. In undergrad, I prepared/reviewed for each class every single day (I posted a link to a thread about my study habits in an earlier post). In dental school, that's not really possible once tests start rolling in. I've had to change up my methods, and now I try to prepare for upcoming tests starting ~7 days in advance. You basically have to be as efficient as possible with your time, and you will generally find yourself with time only to study for the upcoming test(s). This gets super challenging when you have weeks with 2+ tests, and there's no way you'd have time to go back over any information that isn't going to be on one of those tests! I know it sounds like a big change to your current studying habits, and it was to me, too... but hey, it works! Dental school just has SO much information, and there is SO little time to learn. You do what you have to do to keep your head above water!

Another possibility is that you could just skip class and learn everything by lecture capture. If you slow the professor down and are able to repeat things in the video, you might have enough time to both type out notes AND actually digest what the professor is saying. However, at UNC, not every class is lecture captured... but it would work for some of them!

 

[Glimmer1991]

Dearest @Glimmer1991 - I have a verrrryyyy important question for you and am in desperate need of advice.

Do people still use backpacks to carry their things around in dental school!?!?? Or would something like a large purse be better? (Also, do you generally find yourself carrying around anything other than a laptop or is that pretty much it?) Just wondering how that works with the whole business attire dress code thing.

Plz respond ASAP I must know.

YAAAAS BACKPACK STILL OK IN DENTAL SCHOOL!!! PRAISE DA LORD!
I'm just using my same old North Face from undergrad.

I generally carry my laptop AND a 1.5 inch binder. We have one professor (Dr. Hadler) who has a course packet that she really utilizes--you will need to draw in diagrams, fill in notes, etc. She takes a lot of her notes on the board, and you copy them down by hand. So, I keep that packet in the binder, along with any other random papers/tests/quizzes we get back in other classes.

I also carry colored pens to school every day... for Dr. Hadler, too. Haha! Seriously, you need it for her notes, but her teaching style is extremely effective (she's TOUGH, though!). I take notes on my computer for every other class, but for her, it is just so much easier to do it by hand.

I probably wear scrubs 3 days a week (when we have clinic or lab), and business casual 2 days a week. (Everyone starts off wearing nice clothes to school every day, but that quickly deteriorates to scrubs. Haha!)

 

[Glimmer1991]

how did you study for the DAT?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/my-breakdown-again.949908/

It's been almost three years, though... so I don't know how much things have changed!