Just curious. Is this even a contest? I only got 1 volunteering thing right now and am in 1 club, it doesn't eat up much time, but I am in 4 classes, 8-5 everyday. Just wondering if that makes a difference because its my sophomore year and I hardly have any ecs as it is./
Grades vs Extracurriculars
- Thread starter D0CTORX
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You need both, but grades are much more important to keep up because it is much easier to repair a lack of ECs than to repair a poor GPA.
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40 hours per week in class? Cmon, try harder.
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High GPA is your first priority. You can always get ECs later. There's no obligation to apply to med school after junior or senior year. Folks in their late twenties, 30s, and beyond get into med school, too.
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487806
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He obviously have gaps in between these classes. OP capitalize on these in between hours, and make it your job. Give your self a half hour break to do whatever after school and the volunteer or shadow, on the weekend go to a homeless shelter or something for 3-4 hours.
Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
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Sign up to tutor in the slots between classes, will keep you fresh on MCAT material, give you volunteer hours (assuming you do it through a club or on your own as a volunteer... obviously) and make you a teacher. BAM, problems solved. You're prob gonna want more clinical experience tho.
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Like one of the earlier posts said, you'll definitely need both, and I would try to fit an EC or two where possible.
BUT, and this is a big BUT. You can always add ECs later, maybe junior or senior year if you're course work gets less demanding, or even during a gap year. However, it's a lot harder to repair GPA. So, as others already said, give GPA the priority.
I did most all of my volunteering over one summer, and a semester or two at school during my junior year. Things worked out alright.
BUT, and this is a big BUT. You can always add ECs later, maybe junior or senior year if you're course work gets less demanding, or even during a gap year. However, it's a lot harder to repair GPA. So, as others already said, give GPA the priority.
I did most all of my volunteering over one summer, and a semester or two at school during my junior year. Things worked out alright.
Like said earlier, if you find your grades lacking around the time when you're thinking of applying, take a gap year, and well...fill in the gaps. Just remember you're MCAT is only good three years, so time your taking of the test accordingly.
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That sums it up.
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I spent a year and a half focusing really hard on my ECs, and I still wasn't able to get much past mediocre. You should start some long term ECs now, you'll be happy u did later.
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I don't know what college you're in where 4 classes take up 40 hours a week
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He has gaps, obviously, but I'm betting these four classes are all labs, which do take up a bit of time. Still, OP can use some of these gaps to tutor or something, like other people have suggested.
That being said, like other people have also said, GPA is more important than EC's, but maybe in the future OP should spread out his classes more so he has time to do both.
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I'm taking 4 classes too.
Physics Lecture = 1.5 hours (2) = 3 hours
Physics Lab = 3 hours (1) = 3 hours
Physics Recitation = 1 hour (1) = 1 hour
Chemistry Lecture = 1.5 hours ( 2) = 3 hours
Chemistry Lab = 3.5 hours (1) = 3.5 hours [always go full length btw]
Chemistry Recitation = 1.5 hours (1) = 1.5 hours
Biology-3 Lecture = 1.5 hours (2) = 3 hours
Biology-3 Lab = 3 hours (1) = 3 hours
English = 1.5 hours (2) = 3 hours
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13 classes per week = 24 hours of class time.
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Commute 1 way = ~1.5-2 hours
Commute there and back = ~3.5 hours
School days = 4
Total time commuting per week = 14
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Hours spent on school + commute = 38
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Now lets not forget all the **** in between. It takes me ~2 hours to write my prelabs for chem and physics. It takes me another 2 hours to do both lab reports. It takes me 2 hours to do chem and recitation homework, and about 6 hours to do physics and chemistry lecture homework. Takes me about 2 hours to do English homework, and I squeeze bio readings in between. Add that up and = ~2 + 2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + ~2 (for bio) = ~12 hours of homework.
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12 hours of home-work + 38 hours spent on school = 50 hours.
I spend about 5 hours on top of that just studying/reviewing stuff.
**It really sucks that this time period is not compressed, but that soooooooo much time is wasted on walking through the campus, commuting, waiting in traffic, etc... SO much time is wasted. It really makes the day so much longer. I'd rather stay in a hospital for 16 hours straight, rather than work for 4 in one... commute....work for 8 in another.... commute.... work for 2 in the last. NYC is an enormous city, and this stuff takes a lot out of you**
I don't have a point except that if my hours were condensed and back to back, I'd be able to probably take on another job. 50 hours though is not so bad, compared to a neurosurgeon I know who works ~85-90 hrs a week
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Find some ECs to do on the weekend. Grades matter, but don't squirrel yourself away in the library.
