Getting Back on track-advice?

[MrsHouseMD]

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okay, here is the story...

I'm 28 years old and having to start over in school. When I first enrolled in college I was a very immature and irresponsible 19 year old who did not have a clue in regards to direction. I went to school almost a whole semester, LOL. I skipped a few of my finals, skipped alot of class and bombed a few courses as a result.

Married, divorced, raising a child on my own...my child will be seven years old next month and things are finally where I can go back to school seriously this time to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor! In order to do that...being I didn't have much school under my belt my adviser suggested I get an Academic Renewal (wiping out my transcript sort of-but the grades will ultimately have to be reported when eventually applying to med school). This serves two purposes...to help my current GPA and to make it where I would qualify for financial aid.

Well, my Academic Renewal was granted and while I had to appeal for financial aid, it was approved as well! So, now i'm FINALLY back in school and I will start in 5 weeks! 🙂 I'm a Biology major and am signed up for 15 hours this semester in order to get back in the swing of things before loading my plate with 17 or so hours. (i will next semester)

I'm so excited and I have been reading everything in site trying to prepare myself for school this time around and I am welcoming any & all advice! 🙂

Thanks in advance!

 

[SunshineNYC]

Now that you're focused, you will excel. Seriously, I did poorly my first two years in undergrad because I had no idea what I was doing in school... it just wasn't the right time for me in life. After graduating, I realized what I wanted to do and then went and did it and always got good grades. It means something to you now and so you'll prioritize accordingly. Just remember, there's nothing in school that's above your comprehension or understanding... it's a matter of dedication, which it seems like you have.

Good luck.

 

[MrsHouseMD]

Now that you're focused, you will excel. Seriously, I did poorly my first two years in undergrad because I had no idea what I was doing in school... it just wasn't the right time for me in life. After graduating, I realized what I wanted to do and then went and did it and always got good grades. It means something to you now and so you'll prioritize accordingly. Just remember, there's nothing in school that's above your comprehension or understanding... it's a matter of dedication, which it seems like you have.

Good luck.

Thanks! This part will be something very good to remember...

"there's nothing in school that's above your comprehension or understanding... it's a matter of dedication"

 

[MrsHouseMD]

well, i may should have posted this in the "mentors" section.

Anyways, I just wanted to add that I'm a single mom and currently have a successful career in Graphics (I'm the Corporate Marketing & Advertising Director aka...head graphic artist at a large real estate company). So, my desire to become a doctor is a dream that simply won't "go away", therefore I'm going to put myself through hell and become a doctor despite my success in my "runner up" career of choice. 😉

 

[TurboTegGirl]

well, i may should have posted this in the "mentors" section.

Anyways, I just wanted to add that I'm a single mom and currently have a successful career in Graphics (I'm the Corporate Marketing & Advertising Director aka...head graphic artist at a large real estate company). So, my desire to become a doctor is a dream that simply won't "go away", therefore I'm going to put myself through hell and become a doctor despite my success in my "runner up" career of choice. 😉

I am in the same boat as you on this one. I finished my bachelor's degree, but with a fairly poor GPA, because I did not really see where I wanted to go with myself. I now have a very successful career, but my "dream won't go away" either. So, I'm going to see what I can do, to try to make it possible, starting out below the norm.

 

[MrsHouseMD]

it's definitely something that is a "calling"...and you hope that all doctors are doctors because they felt the "call" to do so...and not because daddy or grandpa was. Passion about medicine makes a difference...

Even though i'm having to turn my life upside down to pursue this, I feel for once in my life I have some real direction and I'm accomplishing something (even though I have successes under my belt in other aspects).

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Don't major in Biology unless you like plant biology. You can major in anything you wish (chemistry, history, physics, religion, biochemistry, music, microbiology) as long as you take all of the prereqs. Your school may even have a major that is closer in line with medical classes like we have at my school called Micro-Molecular Biology degree.

 

[njbmd]

Well, my Academic Renewal was granted and while I had to appeal for financial aid, it was approved as well! So, now i'm FINALLY back in school and I will start in 5 weeks! 🙂 I'm a Biology major and am signed up for 15 hours this semester in order to get back in the swing of things before loading my plate with 17 or so hours. (i will next semester)

I'm so excited and I have been reading everything in site trying to prepare myself for school this time around and I am welcoming any & all advice! 🙂

Thanks in advance!

The first thing that you want to do is take your time. Don't overload with courses until you have a firm idea of how much study time you will need to get through your coursework successfully. At first,take the minimum amount you need to make yourself full-time (unless you are working then you need to be a part-time student). If you find that you are earning "As" with your lower class load, use the extra time for volunteering and shadowing.

Don't go to class unprepared. This means doing your textbook reading before you hear the lecture and knowing exactly what will be covered in the lecture. Correct and fill-in your notes as soon as you can (on your lunch break). Study those class notes that evening. Review the previous lecture and then study this lecture. Prepare the next lecture's material before you move on to another subject.

If you are taking labs, be sure to review and know what you will be doing in lab before you go to lab. Do any pre-lab exercises and know exactly what the main purpose of each lab experiment so that you get the maximum advantage of your observations. Many students make the mistake of coming to lecture and lab "cold" which greatly diminishes their learning efficiency.

Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours studying for each credit hour of lecture and 1.5 hours of studying for credit hour of lab. This is your minimum study time. If you are taking a 5-hour Biology course with 4 hours of lecture and 1 credit hour of lab, you should be putting in a minimum of 9.5 hours of study per week on this class. Again, be sure that you are scheduling at least the minimum study time for each class. You can adjust up or down based on your performance.

Be sure that your math skills are up to par BEFORE you attempt General Chemistry or General Physics. Many pre-med students crash in these courses because they cannot use their algebra skills to master problem-solving in these courses. In the case of General Physics, take the algebra-based course unless you have taken and mastered Calculus. Also remember, if you elect to take Calculus, be sure that you have mastered Analytical Geometry and Trig before taking Calculus I.

Set a study schedule for yourself and go for mastery of the subject matter of each of your courses rather than obsessing about the grade. If you KNOW the subject matter, the grades will come. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is going to test how well you apply your knowledge of your pre-med coursework. If you have been rotely memorizing and not thoroughly mastering this work, the MCAT will be a struggle. Master your coursework and you will have a solid knowledge base that will serve you well on this important exam.

Finally, you have been granted essentially a "second-chance" to develop and master solid study skills. Start off slow but start off strong. If you struggle, it is far better to struggle with a lighter course load then loading yourself down.

Don't compare yourself or your learning style to anyone else in the class. Tune out the whining about the professor, course material, anything deemed "unfair" and focus on mastery of your own material. Your job is to get the maximum amount of knowledge for your tuition dollars not whine and complain. Some of your classmates are going to "brag" about "not ever studying" and making "As". Ignore them and do whatever you have to do to master your coursework. In the end, an "A" is an "A" whether it took you 12 hours or 1 hour to master the material. As you get more solid study skills practice, your efficiency will increase. Again, don't let your classmates "get in your head".

Remember, the process of becoming a physician is "long-term" . Do one little thing each day that gets you closer to your goal. Good luck!

 

[glamqueen]

15 is a full load, and 12 is the minimum for a full load. Why would you ever take 17, which is considered "extra full" when you have a child? Focus in and do well with the 15, and I'd stay that path for your college career.

 

[Success0808]

WOW! Stay focused and you will do so well. I totally understand your drive or as you said "dream"...it never seems to go away.🙂

 

[MrsHouseMD]

Don't major in Biology unless you like plant biology. You can major in anything you wish (chemistry, history, physics, religion, biochemistry, music, microbiology) as long as you take all of the prereqs. Your school may even have a major that is closer in line with medical classes like we have at my school called Micro-Molecular Biology degree.

Good point...
My university only offers two majors that serve as "pre-medical" and that is Biology & Chemistry. Yeah, I've been reading the medical school websites just to get some sort of general idea of what they look for in a candidate and I did see that they aren't looking only for science majors. My only question about majoring in something non-science is this...wouldn't it take longer to get a degree if you are trying to meeting your non-science major requirements plus the pre-req's for medical school?

Micro-Molecular Biology sounds very interesting...I'm pretty certain my school doesn't offer that...but I can look.

 

[MrsHouseMD]

The first thing that you want to do is take your time. Don't overload with courses until you have a firm idea of how much study time you will need to get through your coursework successfully. At first,take the minimum amount you need to make yourself full-time (unless you are working then you need to be a part-time student). If you find that you are earning "As" with your lower class load, use the extra time for volunteering and shadowing.

Don't go to class unprepared. This means doing your textbook reading before you hear the lecture and knowing exactly what will be covered in the lecture. Correct and fill-in your notes as soon as you can (on your lunch break). Study those class notes that evening. Review the previous lecture and then study this lecture. Prepare the next lecture's material before you move on to another subject.

If you are taking labs, be sure to review and know what you will be doing in lab before you go to lab. Do any pre-lab exercises and know exactly what the main purpose of each lab experiment so that you get the maximum advantage of your observations. Many students make the mistake of coming to lecture and lab "cold" which greatly diminishes their learning efficiency.

Be prepared to spend at least 2 hours studying for each credit hour of lecture and 1.5 hours of studying for credit hour of lab. This is your minimum study time. If you are taking a 5-hour Biology course with 4 hours of lecture and 1 credit hour of lab, you should be putting in a minimum of 9.5 hours of study per week on this class. Again, be sure that you are scheduling at least the minimum study time for each class. You can adjust up or down based on your performance.

Be sure that your math skills are up to par BEFORE you attempt General Chemistry or General Physics. Many pre-med students crash in these courses because they cannot use their algebra skills to master problem-solving in these courses. In the case of General Physics, take the algebra-based course unless you have taken and mastered Calculus. Also remember, if you elect to take Calculus, be sure that you have mastered Analytical Geometry and Trig before taking Calculus I.

Set a study schedule for yourself and go for mastery of the subject matter of each of your courses rather than obsessing about the grade. If you KNOW the subject matter, the grades will come. The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is going to test how well you apply your knowledge of your pre-med coursework. If you have been rotely memorizing and not thoroughly mastering this work, the MCAT will be a struggle. Master your coursework and you will have a solid knowledge base that will serve you well on this important exam.

Finally, you have been granted essentially a "second-chance" to develop and master solid study skills. Start off slow but start off strong. If you struggle, it is far better to struggle with a lighter course load then loading yourself down.

Don't compare yourself or your learning style to anyone else in the class. Tune out the whining about the professor, course material, anything deemed "unfair" and focus on mastery of your own material. Your job is to get the maximum amount of knowledge for your tuition dollars not whine and complain. Some of your classmates are going to "brag" about "not ever studying" and making "As". Ignore them and do whatever you have to do to master your coursework. In the end, an "A" is an "A" whether it took you 12 hours or 1 hour to master the material. As you get more solid study skills practice, your efficiency will increase. Again, don't let your classmates "get in your head".

Remember, the process of becoming a physician is "long-term" . Do one little thing each day that gets you closer to your goal. Good luck!

Wow, thanks for this!!! This is excellent stuff!!!

I was already thinking that I should definitely get a good handle on my lost algebra skills before tackling anything like Chemistry or Physics. This confirms that! I'm weak in that area because in my current line of work, very little math is required and what math is needed, well...I have my computer to help.

Again, thanks for this! 🙂

 

[MrsHouseMD]

15 is a full load, and 12 is the minimum for a full load. Why would you ever take 17, which is considered "extra full" when you have a child? Focus in and do well with the 15, and I'd stay that path for your college career.

The only reason I have considered 17 hours next semester is because I'm simply trying to set a foundation for medical school. Don't they look at how many hours you took per semester? (as to whether you can handle stress)

But, certainly if they do not I would not attempt that much with a child at home...

 

[MrsHouseMD]

WOW! Stay focused and you will do so well. I totally understand your drive or as you said "dream"...it never seems to go away.🙂

Thanks!