High School -> College

[krachenfels89]

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As a high school senior, and entering college within a year, i was wondering how everyones transition from highschool to college went. Any recommendations or advice? I've been looking @ these forums & mdapps for a little while now and I'm somewhat worried about my college gpa (seeing as a 3.6 is around the average gpa entering med school).
High school now is pretty much a joke so i'm expecting a big change going to college, mainly in how much work is required to put in. This should be pretty hard to do for me personally, as i know i procrastinate a little too much. I'm kind of clueless as to the difference of effort required to earn a 3.2 vs a 3.6. Any advice?

 

[axe07]

Hey I slacked off a lot in HS until my senior year, and I only had about a 3.1 average. I go to a well regarded state school now, and I have a 3.7 in my junior year of college. It is a LOT more work than HS, but if you manage your time well, are diligent, and study effectively, you should do very well. Use your freshman year to learn new study skills that work for -you-.. don't be too hard on yourself during freshman year, just try to keep it at least a 3.3-3.4.. you tend to do better after your first year. Goodluck!!!

 

[akademiks1989]

My high school prepared me extremely well for college. I actually find college a lot easier so far than high school, but it is also a lot more stressful in my opinion, since everything counts towards medical school and exams are sometimes your only way of making or breaking your grade.

Study hard your first semester, even more than necessary if you have to. That way, you will be prepared for the exams (a note on this, EVERYTHING that is written on the study guide in fair game, especially science classes..don't slack on detail in these classes).

Do all of your homework if you need to. I found that in some classes, doing the homework was pointless.

Study for your finals from Day 1. Constantly review your old exams and you will be less stressed come finals week. At the end of the semester for my chemistry class, our professor re-emailed us the three exams we took, as well as alternate exams given, and sample exams (these were emailed before each exam). Reviewing them was a pain, and I know I could've saved some time and stress if I reviewed them.

Shoot for A's

 

[Drexel2011]

I am a college freshman now, entering my winter quarter- so, i can tell you COLLEGE IS MUCH DIFFERENT!!!!!!! There is no comparison. I did ok (about 3.5ish). I know I have to improve, but I feel like I did land on the right foot. These were things people told me- Hope they can be of some use to you.
1.One of the best pieces of advice I can give you, is that you need to start very strong at the beginning of the quarter/semester. You will see so many kids slack off during midterms, fall way behind, and then realize they have to get like a 90+ to get a C in the course.
2. Realize you will be getting your first taste of freedom. Don't abuse it. It will be so easy to decide to go out on "thirsty thursdays", etc (idk thats just what they call it up in philly), but you need to vow, never to go out on school nights. May sound harsh, but once you do it one time, it will be hard to stop yourself from then on. And trust me, you WILL oversleep the next day.
3. Always go to class. Skipping class is like paying for a movie ticket and throwing it away. Your tuition will be through the roof (trust me). Get the most out of what your paying for.
4. Only do work in the library. Getting work done in a dorm is like trying to get work done in the middle of a rock concert. You will have neighbors blaring music, drunkards coming in at all hours, inconsiderate floormates, etc. Go to a place that you know = work. IE: You use your bed to sleep. Youll confuse your body if you sit on your bed to study. Itll be very tempting to just pass out.
5. Don't let peer pressure get in the way of your goals. This kind of affected me this past quarter. Floormates and such would make joking (but kind of demeaning) comments about the amount of time I spent in the library. They would make me feel bad about myself, antisocial, etc. They will try to convice you to go out on school nights, watch T.V. when you know you have a paper due, stay up really late doing meaningless things (playing cards), etc. You may begin to feel as If you don't fit in, mainly because there are very few kids who are focused as freshman. You can't feel that way. I know I began to feel kind of depressed at first, like i was missing out, etc. Just let yourself have fun when you can, stay focused, and remind yourself WHY your really at college.

Take care.
Know your in for one hell of a ride, but just keep reminding yourself that it will be worth it in the end.

take care,
brittany

 

[^=^]

Well, unlike high school where it's easy to be smart, college is full of undercover and pro gunners 😀

 

[akademiks1989]

5. Don't let peer pressure get in the way of your goals. This kind of affected me this past quarter. Floormates and such would make joking (but kind of demeaning) comments about the amount of time I spent in the library. They would make me feel bad about myself, antisocial, etc. They will try to convice you to go out on school nights, watch T.V. when you know you have a paper due, stay up really late doing meaningless things (playing cards), etc. You may begin to feel as If you don't fit in, mainly because there are very few kids who are focused as freshman. You can't feel that way. I know I began to feel kind of depressed at first, like i was missing out, etc. Just let yourself have fun when you can, stay focused, and remind yourself WHY your really at college.

Good advice. I especially like this one.

To the OP, there are literally thousands of students that you have the chance of meeting. Don't limit yourself to the ones who are unmotivated because you feel that you need to fit in. I guarantee you that there are going to be other students with the same goals and dreams as you. Pick those as your friends, but pick carefully (you'll know what I mean when you get there). But for the most part, make friends with those who understand your need to study over partying...and so forth...bla bla bla

Unlike high school, college for the most part is not a popularity contest. Sure, there are going to be those who are president of four major organizations, an honors student, and a hockey superstar. Don't get caught up in looking cool. Instead, if you have dreams of medical school, do not sacrifice your grades for not missing out, or else you'll have a tough time getting into medical school.

 

[sle3pyguii]

1. Go to class. Most lecture professors will not take attendance, but take it from someone who did not go to a single lecture this semester...going to lectures help immensely when it's exam time. If you don't like your professor and you are stuck with the class because the drop deadline passed, go sit in another professor's lecture for the same subject.

2. Clothes and how you look doesn't matter. Since you are in this forum, you probably want to be a doctor or some type of health professional. Focus on that, rather than trying to look the best out of your lecture class. In a few years, when you are a doctor or whatever you wanna be, no one will remember what you wore to your class on October 20th.

3. Remember, there are no more AP classes that will boost the crap out of your GPA. Study hard for each class.

4. Have a bit of fun while you're in college. Just because you have good grades doesn't mean you aren't allowed to party here and there. Just don't overdo it.

 

[Cirrus83]

Good advice. I especially like this one.

To the OP, there are literally thousands of students that you have the chance of meeting. Don't limit yourself to the ones who are unmotivated because you feel that you need to fit in. I guarantee you that there are going to be other students with the same goals and dreams as you. Pick those as your friends, but pick carefully (you'll know what I mean when you get there). But for the most part, make friends with those who understand your need to study over partying...and so forth...bla bla bla

Unlike high school, college for the most part is not a popularity contest. Sure, there are going to be those who are president of four major organizations, an honors student, and a hockey superstar. Don't get caught up in looking cool. Instead, if you have dreams of medical school, do not sacrifice your grades for not missing out, or else you'll have a tough time getting into medical school.

I dunno if I agree with this entirely. I'm not saying that you should cave to peer pressure, but the post you were quoting made it sound like staying up late playing poker is something you should avoid.

I had some of the best times of my college life staying up late with my friends, often playing poker. That doesn't mean that I did it when I had a paper due, or an exam coming up. It means I did it on friday nights when there wasn't anything else to do the next day.

College is probably going to be the most fun you'll ever have-you're independent for the first time, and you're at this pretty killer place where you only have class for a few hours a day and there's tons of other people all around your age who live there-on top of which they're almost all pretty smart too (assuming you go to a pretty smart college).

If you just study every night I think you'd be missing out on a lot of other stuff.

So, yeah, study. But don't just study either, you don't have to be constantly studying to get a 3.6+ at a good university, which is really all you need. Sure you could go insane and get a 3.97 or something crazy, but you'd be a pretty dull person.

 

[krachenfels89]

Alright thanks alot everyone. I think I'm going to try pretty hard freshmen year, but not to the antisocial point. I def am looking forward to going out and parties, but on fridays and saturdays most likely. It should be a fun time going from nothing to really stapping down and studying hours daily.
-So when did you guys start getting involved in EC's, in order to obtain leadership positions do you need to start early?
-I was thinking about maybe one or two clubs, and volunteering somewhere one day a week on sunday.

 

[Drexel2011]

Alright thanks alot everyone. I think I'm going to try pretty hard freshmen year, but not to the antisocial point. I def am looking forward to going out and parties, but on fridays and saturdays most likely. It should be a fun time going from nothing to really stapping down and studying hours daily.
-So when did you guys start getting involved in EC's, in order to obtain leadership positions do you need to start early?
-I was thinking about maybe one or two clubs, and volunteering somewhere one day a week on sunday.

Im def doing the EMT-B thing this summer. Since I'm a nursing major, I already get clinicals and rotations. Luckily, Ive gotten to shadow in doctors offices, just because I know different people. Its hard at our school with the club thing- i feel like our school stays pretty antisocial. Youll find out when you get there, how involved campus life tends to be, but I know at my school ive only ever heard of like 1 health professions club.....

 

[Hassler]

Alright thanks alot everyone. I think I'm going to try pretty hard freshmen year, but not to the antisocial point. I def am looking forward to going out and parties, but on fridays and saturdays most likely. It should be a fun time going from nothing to really stapping down and studying hours daily.
-So when did you guys start getting involved in EC's, in order to obtain leadership positions do you need to start early?
-I was thinking about maybe one or two clubs, and volunteering somewhere one day a week on sunday.

Join clubs, but don't get too involved the first semester. You want to get a feel for the difficulty of the classes because college classes are way more difficult than high school classes. Example, many schools will set the mean grade for general chem between B- (2.7) and B (3.0). That means 50% of the students taking that class will score below that, and many of those students go into college as premeds. I recommend taking 3 classes only for your first semester. If you're really motivated, then try 4 but take no more than 4. After first semester, you can adjust your courseload and participate in EC's based on your first semester results.

 

[Drexel2011]

take what you think you can take. If you have taken a lot of AP courses, you have gotten into the habit of doing a lot of reading, and your study skills are polished, I would go for around 15-17 credits. If you don't feel as if your skills are up to that level, than maybe take between 12-14. You def don't want to start with 3 classes, because all of you classes will most likely be 3 credits each, and if that is the case, you wont even be considered a full time student. Shoot high. Everyone told me I was making a mistake taking 17 credits my first quarter. I definetly DON'T regret it.

What is your major? Most colleges have a blue print kind of thing for every major. Allows one to see if they are progressing at a nice pace.

 

[Hassler]

take what you think you can take. If you have taken a lot of AP courses, you have gotten into the habit of doing a lot of reading, and your study skills are polished, I would go for around 15-17 credits. If you don't feel as if your skills are up to that level, than maybe take between 12-14. You def don't want to start with 3 classes, because all of you classes will most likely be 3 credits each, and if that is the case, you wont even be considered a full time student. Shoot high. Everyone told me I was making a mistake taking 17 credits my first quarter. I definetly DON'T regret it.

What is your major? Most colleges have a blue print kind of thing for every major. Allows one to see if they are progressing at a nice pace.

😱

3 credits each? I guess it depends on school then, because most of the freshman classes at my school are 5 credits each..... I took 4 classes my freshman first quarter (5+5+5+4 = 19 credits), and that was a lot. Most people at my school average 15 credits.

I'm not telling the OP to not aim high. I'm just say that it's safer to take it easy the first quarter/semester, and then beef it up later on if it's too easy. You don't want to do poorly the first semester and then have to face an uphill battle the rest of the way.

 

[akademiks1989]

I dunno if I agree with this entirely. I'm not saying that you should cave to peer pressure, but the post you were quoting made it sound like staying up late playing poker is something you should avoid.

I had some of the best times of my college life staying up late with my friends, often playing poker. That doesn't mean that I did it when I had a paper due, or an exam coming up. It means I did it on friday nights when there wasn't anything else to do the next day.

College is probably going to be the most fun you'll ever have-you're independent for the first time, and you're at this pretty killer place where you only have class for a few hours a day and there's tons of other people all around your age who live there-on top of which they're almost all pretty smart too (assuming you go to a pretty smart college).

If you just study every night I think you'd be missing out on a lot of other stuff.

So, yeah, study. But don't just study either, you don't have to be constantly studying to get a 3.6+ at a good university, which is really all you need. Sure you could go insane and get a 3.97 or something crazy, but you'd be a pretty dull person.

I was talking about first year transition into college. I see what you mean, but I don't think you should risk your first year going to parties and being a social butterfly. The first year should be spent learning about how you are as a student, what you need to improve, and so forth. I don't think there is a problem going out once you have yourself established. You should be social, by all means do, but I don't think partying is the best way to do so. But that's my personal opinion.

Like you said, you played poker on nights you knew you had nothing the next day. By all means, that's fine, have fun, but do it in moderation...

And getting a 3.97 busting your ass looks better than a 3.6.

 

[Drexel2011]

😱

3 credits each? I guess it depends on school then, because most of the freshman classes at my school are 5 credits each..... I took 4 classes my freshman first quarter (5+5+5+4 = 19 credits), and that was a lot. Most people at my school average 15 credits.

I'm not telling the OP to not aim high. I'm just say that it's safer to take it easy the first quarter/semester, and then beef it up later on if it's too easy. You don't want to do poorly the first semester and then have to face an uphill battle the rest of the way.

haha ok i see. No, your right. We are a really weird bunch. I think its our quarter system that throws everything off. (this quarter my 7 classes = 17 credits). And yes, your absolutely right. The worst thing you can do, is shoot yourself in the foot your first semester. The best advice I can give to the OP is to ask the school if they have a "blue print" for his major. The college should have a plan of study saying which courses he needs to take every quarter from the time he gets there, until the time he graduates. And they usually start slow, and then have them step it up by their 2nd or 3rd semester.

 

[Dimness]

I'm not sure why this guy hasn't been promoted to Admiral by now, but the Captain says time management is the biggest key to success in college. I wish I took his advice. Would've made college a lot easier for me. 🙁

 

[PEN15]

I did not kick it into high gear until junior and senior years of university. High school was a walk in the park; university required a little more thinking. Don't expect to be spoon fed.

 

[Drexel2011]

I did not kick it into high gear until junior and senior years of university. High school was a walk in the park; university required a little more thinking. Don't expect to be spoon fed.

dont expect to be spoon fed is right. Professors couldn't care less whether you succeed or not. As long as they get their research and publishing done, their happy. Teaching is usually last on the list.

 

[MadHopsMD]

If you go to bigger universities...you are nothing but a number (your student number)...you have to make your own way here.

There is a big difference between 3.2 to 3.6, and intelligence isnt the biggest factor. Hard work, focus and commitment to your goal are.

 

[TamarMD]

Basically follow what everyone in this forum says. Find your own studying methods I learned that I had to write my textbook chapters over in my own words so that I could actually understand the material. But if anything...don't spend all your time in the library. Having a social life isn't a bad thing. In fact its a good thing...college will probably be the last time you have one. I'm a freshman now and I know starting sophomore year I'm going to have zero social life (especially with orgo) until senior year AFTER med school apps. So you should study hard but live up your first year. Although a good gpa is nice if you don't have any EC's then its basically for nothing cause they want "well-rounded" students. I started my EC's the moment I entered school by participating in sports and I'm hoping to get to shadow a doctor beginning my spring semester.

 

[ChadC]

There is some great advice on here. This is my 2 pennies.

1. You will find yourself bored for hours a time in the middle of the day. This is true for just about everyone, and many people take naps or play videogames or something pointless. What I would suggest you do is set a time aside for non-stop school focusing. If you first class is at 10, then you can wake up and shower, then spend from ten until 7 working on schoolwork and going to class. Of course you will be staying up late when you have papers or a test, but this is just for regular school nights. I have been able to keep a 3.62 and 3.9sci gpa all the while drinking and going out at least 5 nights a week.

2. Befriend everyone you see the first few weeks. You will meet so many interesting people and give yourself the best chance to find some great friends.

Good luck and stay driven 😎 👍

 

[Drexel2011]

There is some great advice on here. This is my 2 pennies.

1. You will find yourself bored for hours a time in the middle of the day. This is true for just about everyone, and many people take naps or play videogames or something pointless. What I would suggest you do is set a time aside for non-stop school focusing. If you first class is at 10, then you can wake up and shower, then spend from ten until 7 working on schoolwork and going to class. Of course you will be staying up late when you have papers or a test, but this is just for regular school nights. I have been able to keep a 3.62 and 3.9sci gpa all the while drinking and going out at least 5 nights a week.

2. Befriend everyone you see the first few weeks. You will meet so many interesting people and give yourself the best chance to find some great friends.

Good luck and stay driven 😎 👍

wow! good for you. Going out 5 nights a week and maintaining that GPA? Don't think i could do it, but kudos to you.

Note to OP: Not all of us are that skilled. I wouldn't start off by going out 5 nights a week...😉

 

[akademiks1989]

I wouldn't start off by going out 5 nights a week...😉

Ditto

 

[blacksheep]

Sorry to highjack your thread here but it is on a related topic. I am also a high school senior and am worried about my procrastination! Are there any ways that my fellow procrastinators have broken this habit? Or how do you deal with it?

Btw I want constructive criticism not negative flaming!

 

[MJB]

My advice is to enjoy your senior year of HS and quit worrying so much.

College is all about time management skills.

 

[MJB]

It is fun to watch a gunner in the making though! 🙂

 

[ChadC]

Sorry to highjack your thread here but it is on a related topic. I am also a high school senior and am worried about my procrastination! Are there any ways that my fellow procrastinators have broken this habit? Or how do you deal with it?

Btw I want constructive criticism not negative flaming!

I was the biggest procrastinator in HS. Procrastination is a state of mind. All you have to do is get into a new state of mind. You will likely make better grades if you studying every day and do your work early, so you probably need to constantly tell yourself that studying your bio 3 weeks before the exam will get you better grades.

Also, you'll learn this quickly. When you procrastinate, you end up doing work when everyone is out partying. Instead, you just need to write that paper if there is nothing going on on a particular night, regardless of how far ahead of the deadline it is.

 

[akademiks1989]

Sorry to highjack your thread here but it is on a related topic. I am also a high school senior and am worried about my procrastination! Are there any ways that my fellow procrastinators have broken this habit? Or how do you deal with it?

Btw I want constructive criticism not negative flaming!

Keep your eye on the prize, and you should do fine.

 

[spicedmanna]

My Advise:

1) Don't bite off more than you can chew. When you are just beginning your college education, i.e., your first semester or two, take it easy. Ease your way through. Take a reasonable load of classes. Don't overload with weed-out premedical science classes.

2) Stay focused. You state that you are procrastinator; that's pretty much the number one way to stab yourself in the back when in college. You must stay on track, and don't let your friends convince you that studying is secondary to partying. Learn to delay your fun until all your work is properly handled. Without being completely OCD, schedule your time and have goals about completing your work. Learn to triage and prioritize your tasks. Organization is key.

3) Have fun, too. Don't be all about work, because you'll wear yourself out. Just as you schedule your school work, make sure you have time to hang out, too, doing nothing but having a good time (whatever that looks like for you). Just make sure you do it in moderation. I know that's exceedingly challenging for an incoming Freshman, but trust me, it'll save your life and your grades. When playing, play; when working, work. Don't try to mix the two. Again, it comes back to staying focused and on track.

4) Work in groups. If you are the social type, you will benefit from making friends in your classes and studying together. You will find that you can learn tremendously from the people around you. Also, teaching people is one of the best ways to learn. Just make sure you don't lose sight of the purpose: to get the work done, and done well.

5) Set a goal for the grade you want to achieve for each class and do the work it takes to get you there. Aim high.

6) Look beyond grades; actually go for learning the material, even beyond what is required.

7) Get help. Don't be afraid to ask for help from people who can give it to you. TA's and professors often won't hold your hand, but they will help you if you ask. Most definitely ask. Furthermore, think about establishing a good, personal relationship with your professors, especially ones you click with right away. You are collaborating with them in your learning process.

8) Listen to feedback given to you. Listen; listen; listen. Adjust as necessary, to meet your goals.

9) Don't overlook taking care of yourself. Work hard and party well, but take good care of your mind and body. I know it sounds silly, but it's easy to forget simple things in the midst of big transitions and challenges. Get proper sleep, eat well, exercise, and give yourself plenty of breaks.

As a high school senior, and entering college within a year, i was wondering how everyones transition from highschool to college went. Any recommendations or advice? I've been looking @ these forums & mdapps for a little while now and I'm somewhat worried about my college gpa (seeing as a 3.6 is around the average gpa entering med school).
High school now is pretty much a joke so i'm expecting a big change going to college, mainly in how much work is required to put in. This should be pretty hard to do for me personally, as i know i procrastinate a little too much. I'm kind of clueless as to the difference of effort required to earn a 3.2 vs a 3.6. Any advice?

 

[krachenfels89]

It is fun to watch a gunner in the making though! 🙂

I don't think gunners would ask for advice so openly. But don't worry, I dislike gunners. Off topic: I wouldn't expect there to be gunners in high school but I'm wrong, one said to me "I'm definitely not cheating of you on this next test..." after i get one question wrong on the homework. Anyway, i got a 100, and he didn't... They do get me upset. 🙂

 

[blacksheep]

So does the motto of ‘work hard to play hard’ not apply to pre med students? Because maybe it’s just me but is sounds like a lot of people just study all day and night. I mean I know that I will have to study hard. But isn’t college about meeting new people, passing out at parties and finding out who you are? Because if this is how undergrad will be like then I can’t imagine med school.

Please tell me that I’m totally wrong….

 

[blacksheep]

double post....my bad

 

[spicedmanna]

So does the motto of ‘work hard to play hard' not apply to pre med students? Because maybe it's just me but is sounds like a lot of people just study all day and night. I mean I know that I will have to study hard. But isn't college about meeting new people, passing out at parties and finding out who you are? Because if this is how undergrad will be like then I can't imagine med school.

Please tell me that I'm totally wrong….

Er, no, not primarily, in my opinion. You can meet new people, get drunk, and discover yourself outside of the context of higher education. Don't forget why you are there; if you are pre-professional, you are preparing yourself academically for a long journey of increasing challenge. While it's good to socialize and discover yourself, and one shouldn't avoid doing this in college, the priority is academics. Otherwise, why would you make such a huge monitary and time investment? You could simply party without the headache of having to study, right? Don't get me wrong, because I do think the social aspects of college are important and shouldn't be neglected (doctors without socials skills: yuck); it's just that it shouldn't be your primary goal. I think if you don't know how to delay your gratification, perhaps medicine isn't the right field for you. I am not a medical student, but word is that it just gets more challenging, the demands on your time get greater, and the tests and learning never end. You sort of have to like this kind of challenge. Yes, definitely have fun, but know why you are there.

 

[Drexel2011]

So does the motto of ‘work hard to play hard’ not apply to pre med students? Because maybe it’s just me but is sounds like a lot of people just study all day and night. I mean I know that I will have to study hard. But isn’t college about meeting new people, passing out at parties and finding out who you are? Because if this is how undergrad will be like then I can’t imagine med school.

Please tell me that I’m totally wrong….

No, you do get your fun. (Trust me, i had some last quarter!) But by the time the weekend hits (about 50% of the time), my idea of a party is catching up on sleep that I never got the entire week before....

 

[blacksheep]

Er, no, not primarily, in my opinion. You can meet new people, get drunk, and discover yourself outside of the context of higher education. Don't forget why you are there; if you are pre-professional, you are preparing yourself academically for a long journey of increasing challenge. While it's good to socialize and discover yourself, and one shouldn't avoid doing this in college, the priority is academics. Otherwise, why would you make such a huge monitary and time investment? You could simply party without the headache of having to study, right? Don't get me wrong, because I do think the social aspects of college are important and shouldn't be neglected (doctors without socials skills: yuck); it's just that it shouldn't be your primary goal. I think if you don't know how to delay your gratification, perhaps medicine isn't the right field for you. I am not a medical student, but word is that it just gets more challenging, the demands on your time get greater, and the tests and learning never end. You sort of have to like this kind of challenge. Yes, definitely have fun, but know why you are there.

Yea I didn't mean that it would be the prime focus of my college experience(that would be an expensive mistake, lol)...it's just that I wanted to know how much on average people have time for fun.

 

[ChadC]

So does the motto of ‘work hard to play hard’ not apply to pre med students? Because maybe it’s just me but is sounds like a lot of people just study all day and night. I mean I know that I will have to study hard. But isn’t college about meeting new people, passing out at parties and finding out who you are? Because if this is how undergrad will be like then I can’t imagine med school.

Please tell me that I’m totally wrong….

Hey, me and a lot of other pre-meds are just living life to the fullest. School first, of course, but after that then you can go out and experiment with sex, drugs, and alcohol. I figure that my social life will suck for the rest of my life after college, so why not get into as much I can in undergrad?👍

 

[Cirrus83]

And getting a 3.97 busting your ass looks better than a 3.6.

True, but all things considered I'd rather have a 3.6 (from a school where a 3.6 is enough to get me into med school) and good MCAT scores, and have had some actual fun during college, versus having worked like mad to get a 3.97 in college, only to realize that you have another 4 more years of working like mad in med school...and then more working like mad to get through residency, etc.

Why be extra miserable when you don't have to be, and when you have plenty of misery just waiting for you in med school?

 

[Cirrus83]

There is some great advice on here. This is my 2 pennies.

1. You will find yourself bored for hours a time in the middle of the day. This is true for just about everyone, and many people take naps or play videogames or something pointless. What I would suggest you do is set a time aside for non-stop school focusing. If you first class is at 10, then you can wake up and shower, then spend from ten until 7 working on schoolwork and going to class. Of course you will be staying up late when you have papers or a test, but this is just for regular school nights. I have been able to keep a 3.62 and 3.9sci gpa all the while drinking and going out at least 5 nights a week.

2. Befriend everyone you see the first few weeks. You will meet so many interesting people and give yourself the best chance to find some great friends.

Good luck and stay driven 😎 👍

Haha, you're one of those people who work hard and party hard.

I tried that once, then got lazy and just didn't really bother to party. Probably because it's not that appealing to me to go out 5 nights a week. But props to anybody who can pull it off, you must be tireless.

 

[On3H34rT]

The first and probably one of the best things you can do in college is to get to know your professors... this comes in handy..

The second is study, don't try to "wing" tests.

Don't overload yourself...

Don't party every night..

Get rest...

etc.

 

[ChadC]

Haha, you're one of those people who work hard and party hard.

I tried that once, then got lazy and just didn't really bother to party. Probably because it's not that appealing to me to go out 5 nights a week. But props to anybody who can pull it off, you must be tireless.

Sleep is for the weak!!


Just playing, I don't have classes until 10 and 11, so I can afford to stay out really late.