How do you guys handle it all?!

[Lily2]

I saw there's been a thread started on Sr. yr course load, but I felt my posting didn't quite find under that. The deal: I haven't sent in a single secondary. They are all still sitting on my desk, w/ the exception of MSU which just wanted the money. I'm a ChemE w/ a full course load, working part-time and volunteering. I'm feeling upset and stressed out by this entire process and I haven't accomplished any secondaries yet. I should have chosen a login of "Stressed" instead. How do you guys find the time to keep up w/ course work (enough to do well, not just get by), everything else and still get secondary apps and essays done?! I think it's amazing.

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[bee]

Lily2 ,
I understand completely. If it makes you feel any better I have not even submitted my AMCAS yet. I have everything done but the essays, I am just so stressed that I can't seem to write anything that makes sense. It is not because of school (I graduated in 98) but because of work (full-time research) my 3 hour commute, volunteering as well as everything else my life involves. I had a lot of time set aside in the late spring to get the AMCAS done, but because of all the bugs in the system my whole schedule went out the window. Now I think that I am discouraged because I know that I am so far behind. This is my third time applying and I actually may have a chance this time (much better MCAT scores) so I don't know why I just don't get it done. I am such a slacker compared to everyone else on this list. I am amazed at the number of apps that you all are doing. I am only applying to 5 or so schools and will have enough trouble completing those secondaries. Well, good luck to everyone...

 

[BlackPuma]

oh bee and lily

don't give up....one of my friends applied late last auguts and he got into medical schools...

we are all just stressed out from the system, the work life these past years.....just tell yourself this...if you step up to the plate now and finish it...then you won't have weeks and weeks of stressing over the stuff

wish you guys the best of luck

 

[kutastha]

It's time management. I have lab work to do, a committee meeting to prepare for, two journal articles and a dissertation to write, a med school class to TA, a weekly seminar series to organize for my department, applications to fill out and have some free time! Sometimes I want to go out and hurl myself off the nearest curb, but that won't get it done. You need to be able to juggle all these things in your life in order to achieve your goal. If you commute for three hours, is there a train you could take? Work on your secondaries then. What do you do when you get home? I know you have to study, but why not work on a secondary for an hour? Do you have a laptop? Take it to school with you and crank out some essay ideas for your applications between classes. What about free time on the weekends? Work on your stuff during the day and go out and celebrate at night. Find the time to squeeze these things in, relax and they will get done.

Don't get discouraged. The AMCAS app itself is a bit more smooth, so don't wait on it. Get it out there asap! Then don't just wait for those secondaries to come in. Most secondary essay topics are already on SDN, so look for them and start writing any chance you get. As soon as you get one in the mail, send it right back. You'll be right on schedule in no time.

Good luck.

Andrew

 

[SMW]

Andrew's right, Bee. Just get going on AMCAS -- it works a lot better now. (What they do with it once you submit is another story, but you may actually be in good shape, because they're going to send out paper copies of people who applied after 8/10 right away instead of waiting for verification, which now looks like it might take till Christmas!) If your'e too stressed to write essays, try keeping a pad of paper & pencil next to your bed, on the bathroom & kitchen counters, in the car. Jot down ideas as they come to you when you're going to sleep, waking up, brushing your teeth, sitting at stop lights. If the ideas are not coming, then tell yourself before you go to sleep that you want to have some ideas when you wake up (Don't laugh. It works!) Then, once your AMCAS is done go to Drako's website for the complete lists of schools taking paper AMCAS copies and schools with on-line secondaries. Send off those paper copies some sort of way where you can track delivery (I use Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation) rather than waiting for AMCAS to do it (you can let them do it for the schools that aren't taking paper copies from applicants). Then beg, borrow or steal a typewriter and get some sort of a system/schedule going for finishing secondaries.

Lily2, I'm not nearly as busy as you and Andrew, but his advice sounds golden to me.
Good luck to both of you. You can do it! And remember, because of the mess this year, you're not nearly as far behind as you think you are. The people who post here are only a tiny percentage of the total number of applicants, most of whom don't have the information, resources, and support that SDN provides.

 

[kutastha]

Originally posted by SMW:
•The people who post here are only a tiny percentage of the total number of applicants, most of whom don't have the information, resources, and support that SDN provides.•

SMW says I'm right, but the above statement is should be emblazoned on top of every SDN page. There is so much info and help here, it should certainly help you in all your apps. Fill out your AMCAS, if you come on a glitch, I guarantee someone here's had it, been through it and somehow fixed it. Then with secondaries, all your q's are here. So get started!

Good luck, and to you too SMW!

Andrew

ps: a nice cold beer or a little jack never hurts the process either.

 

[Lily2]

A round of thank you's to everybody for your advice. I've seriously been functioning on 4-6 hours of sleep a night since June and that's when I've only been dealing w/ calling schools, AMCAS, and figuring out all the different nuances of each schools recommendation letter. For instance, did you know engineering is not a science?! Now w/ school starting I think I'll be reduced to 3 hours of sleep just so I can actually take a look at my txtbks. Do you guys get through secondaries fast b/c you're good writers or is it truly b/c of good time management? I'm a bad essay writer so even w/ my good time management, time disappears.

 

[sandflea]

you get to a point where you can start recycling essays, so after a while the secondaries go faster and faster. i haven't had to write a brand-new essay in quite a while. it gets better.

 

[Drako]

I work two jobs, volunteer at two places (a hospital and a community clinic), photograph clients' porfolios on the side, doing a fruit series for myself, and trying to fill all the secondaries. I used to be able to sleep seven to eight hours a day back in may, but the last two months, I average 4 hours of sleep per night. Tonight, I went to bed at 2:30 am and it is 6:42 am now. I have been up an hour, sitting at my desk, typing away at a secondary. You might not be able to sleep this little, but you can. The secrets are: an hour of cardiovascular exercise per day, an apple, and a glass of milk. I am serious. This is my routine. I swim in my local 24hrs Fitness pool for exactly one hour every day (I am still too fat!). Then I go home and grab an apple from my fridge along with a glass of 2% milk. These things do wonder. Maybe it works for me also because I have been meditating since I was six, but that only improve your concentration, not endurance or whatnot. Give the exercise, apple, milk thingie a try and see how it goes. I just think sleeping is a waste when one is so busy. Good luck!!!!!!