How do you manage to get 3.999 GPA ?

[MrNew]

when it comes to school I am one of those kids that has to work his butt of to even get B.

I see many post here with GPA of 3.999 and HIgh MCAt, how do some of you do it ?

What type of study habits do you have ?

How many hours are spent each day studying for single course ?

P.S. I will be taking pre-reqs soon. very motivated to be come D.O.

thanks

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[pseudoMCAT45]

stop thinking "how" we did it

some pre-med students tend spend too much time stress about "what if" and not actually stress about the actual academic materials

and I think you should study harder and smarter

 

[Semicolon]

when it comes to school I am one of those kids that has to work his butt of to even get B.

I see many post here with GPA of 3.999 and HIgh MCAt, how do some of you do it ?

What type of study habits do you have ?

How many hours are spent each day studying for single course ?

P.S. I will be taking pre-reqs soon. very motivated to be come D.O.

thanks

Don't aim for a "3.999 and high MCAT"; just do your best. What works for someone else probably won't work for you. If this is truly what you want to do, you'll find the means to make it happen.

Oh, and don't listen to your pre-med advisor. 😀

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Don't aim for a "3.999 and high MCAT"; just do your best. What works for someone else probably won't work for you. If this is truly what you want to do, you'll find the means to make it happen.

Oh, and don't listen to your pre-med advisor. 😀

Agreed. Become your own adviser and surround yourself with a few good people that are always in your corner.

 

[DrYoda]

 

[LateBl00meR]

I'm not one of those 3.99 students but I can offer some advice that got me A's in a lot of the pre-req's.

Start early - All Orgo/Bio/Chem/Physics test the same material no matter what school you attent so you don't have to be taking the class to start learning the concepts - buy a Kaplan book from Barnes and Noble or eBay and start reading over the summer before class starts

Make your own test questions - there are two types of questions that science courses test: discrete and concept. Make your own flashcards and develop possible test questions as if you were teaching the course yourself

Review old Tests - Review tests from previous semesters that the teacher has taught. Everyone has a different teaching style do get acquainted with is

Go to TA office hours - Ask questions and become aquainted with the TA of your class and the professor.

Stay up to date - read before class, go to class, at the end of each week review what you've covered in class up to date

Good Luck hope that helps!!

 

[time2go]

after going to a competitive undergrad, i have realized that some people are just brilliant and can get by by just paying attention in class or just reviewing the book.

I am not one of these students, but i worked my butt off and got into medical school, so dont worry about not being able to get those perfect grades, just do your best

 

[Semicolon]

I'm not one of those 3.99 students but I can offer some advice that got me A's in a lot of the pre-req's.

Start early - All Orgo/Bio/Chem/Physics test the same material no matter what school you attent so you don't have to be taking the class to start learning the concepts - buy a Kaplan book from Barnes and Noble or eBay and start reading over the summer before class starts

Make your own test questions - there are two types of questions that science courses test: discrete and concept. Make your own flashcards and develop possible test questions as if you were teaching the course yourself

Review old Tests - Review tests from previous semesters that the teacher has taught. Everyone has a different teaching style do get acquainted with is

Go to TA office hours - Ask questions and become aquainted with the TA of your class and the professor.

Stay up to date - read before class, go to class, at the end of each week review what you've covered in class up to date

Good Luck hope that helps!!

This is just my opinion but...isn't that a bit extreme?

 

[Element]

I think "latebloomer" posted something that maybe a bit over kill. Your undergrad should be about getting good grades and succeeding but if you dont have anyfun you'll burn out quickly, and what pinnochio suggested seems to leave little time for any fun. Anywho...

Example for a Physical Chem class Im taking this semester I read the material before the class just to get a basic grasp of what to look forward to. As the prof lectures the conepts make sense and I take notes in my own words. Within the next two to three days Ill crack the book open and skim the materail again and write important tips/notes in the margin. Around exam time Ill start doing the problems at the end of the chapter. got a 94 and 92 on the last two exams.

This works for me dude, but you have to find what works for you. Regardless of what it is, it will take time and effort on your part, if you want to do well. The same goes for the 3.99 and high MCAT kids. Yea theyre smart, but they too need to put in the time to understand macromolecular concepts.

 

[RySerr21]

This is just my opinion but...isn't that a bit extreme?

Yea it may seem a bit overkill, but lets be real. If you are able to keep up with that kind of schedule and stick to it, theres no way you won't do well in your courses. If you dont HAVE to study that hard, then don't. But we cant really knock this person's study habits b/c they sure as hell will work. The problem is that most people dont have time to study/review that much. The good thing is that most people won't need to. Find a happy medium, thats really what you should do.

In regards to the OP, very few people achieve 3.99999+ or anywhere near that to be honest. Try not to fixate on the extremes b/c you'll drive yourself crazy. Like i said, find a happy medium of study habits and other things to keep you sane and just do the best you can at school. Itll work out in the end.

 

[NotAndrew]

Agreed. Become your own adviser and surround yourself with a few good men that are always in your corner.

Fixed

 

[Hokie06]

hhaha Latebl00mer thats pretty extreme. Although I agree with your study method because I followed something similar, I don't know about reading ahead of time during the summer and going all the way to make flash cards and test questions before beginning your class. Lets be realistic, even if you are that ambitious, it won't last for more than a few days.

What I did was, if I knew ch 11 was going to be covered the next day, the day before I would look at only the figures and get a feel for what will be covered the next day. In class, I used my computer to type up notes and if I felt it was something that might potentially be asked on an exam, I highlighted it in red so I know too go back and really know these concepts. At the end of the day, I read the chapter associated with the day's lecture. I wouldn't waste time reading things that was not discussed in class but made sure everything I read was also related in one way or another to the in class lecture. during this reading I annotated my notes. Then durin the weekend, review everything you learned that week and study as if you will have an exam on the material the following monday. Then two weeks before the exam, review all your personal notes, class notes, and figures from the textbook. By test time, you should of gone through the material at least three times.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but its really not! For example, skimming over a chapter and studying figures only take about 30 minutes max. Then reading the chapter after your science class takes about 2-3 hours depending on the class. On weekends, use one day to study 5-6 hours for reviewing materials you learned that week. then you can spend another few hours writing papers or doing assignments that are due for your other classes.

this doesn't always work but it helped me consistently get decent grades 😛 In the end i think you just gotta find what works for you. At the same time, you gotta be realistic with your study plan, something you can commit to. its all about being disciplined i think and focused. sometimes you gotta trick your mind to make it think you have an exam when you really dont!

 

[Semicolon]

hhaha Latebl00mer thats pretty extreme. Although I agree with your study method because I followed something similar, I don't know about reading ahead of time during the summer and going all the way to make flash cards and test questions before beginning your class. Lets be realistic, even if you are that ambitious, it won't last for more than a few days.

What I did was, if I knew ch 11 was going to be covered the next day, the day before I would look at only the figures and get a feel for what will be covered the next day. In class, I used my computer to type up notes and if I felt it was something that might potentially be asked on an exam, I highlighted it in red so I know too go back and really know these concepts. At the end of the day, I read the chapter associated with the day's lecture. I wouldn't waste time reading things that was not discussed in class but made sure everything I read was also related in one way or another to the in class lecture. during this reading I annotated my notes. Then durin the weekend, review everything you learned that week and study as if you will have an exam on the material the following monday. Then two weeks before the exam, review all your personal notes, class notes, and figures from the textbook. By test time, you should of gone through the material at least three times.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but its really not! For example, skimming over a chapter and studying figures only take about 30 minutes max. Then reading the chapter after your science class takes about 2-3 hours depending on the class. On weekends, use one day to study 5-6 hours for reviewing materials you learned that week. then you can spend another few hours writing papers or doing assignments that are due for your other classes.

this doesn't always work but it helped me consistently get decent grades 😛 In the end i think you just gotta find what works for you. At the same time, you gotta be realistic with your study plan, something you can commit to. its all about being disciplined i think and focused. sometimes you gotta trick your mind to make it think you have an exam when you really dont!

Haha, I would always read the chapter before class then realize that half to two-thirds of what I read was actually in the lecture. Your method makes more sense. 😀

I'll admit that my study method for undergrad was not that rigorous. I would try to complete any readings for the class beforehand (as mentioned above) and I would go over my notes every so often. By the time the exam came, I would have gone over the material at least twice (usually thrice), and that hasn't failed me since. However, I expect to make myself much busier for med school. 👍

 

[Osiris]

some people are just brilliant and can get by by just paying attention in class or just reviewing the book.

nothing brilliant about that tbh, very few people are actually "brilliant", most work smart, work hard, and/or have previous experience w/ the material

and the subjects where you'd find these geniuses would be ones that are heavy on math

 

[pyropig]

Your life in college needs to be in its own little homeostasis. Yes, studying is what will get you into medical school, but if you have no fun and burn yourself out no amount of studying will help you. I burnt out really bad one semester and it was the most catastrophic semester of my life, I would read, and reread material, it was like my brain refused to comprehend a word, complete and utter bunrout. So I took one less class the next semester and picked up a new hobby, and I feel so much better. Adding a little "me" time, dashed with a little fun, truly helped me out a lot. I could accomplish in 3 hours what I couldn't in 9 hours when I burnt out. The biggest mistake that has wrecked more premeds is this breakneck speed people seem they need to have, 4 years biochem degree, period, no compromise, and low and behold they either burn out or get grades poor enough to keep them out of medical school. My best advice I can offer, take your time, you will be a happier, more succesful student.

 

[Semicolon]

Your life in college needs to be in its own little homeostasis. Yes, studying is what will get you into medical school, but if you have no fun and burn yourself out no amount of studying will help you. I burnt out really bad one semester and it was the most catastrophic semester of my life, I would read, and reread material, it was like my brain refused to comprehend a word, complete and utter bunrout. So I took one less class the next semester and picked up a new hobby, and I feel so much better. Adding a little "me" time, dashed with a little fun, truly helped me out a lot. I could accomplish in 3 hours what I couldn't in 9 hours when I burnt out. The biggest mistake that has wrecked more premeds is this breakneck speed people seem they need to have, 4 years biochem degree, period, no compromise, and low and behold they either burn out or get grades poor enough to keep them out of medical school. My best advice I can offer, take your time, you will be a happier, more succesful student.

A piece of great advice. I second this. 👍

 

[dozitgetchahi]

after going to a competitive undergrad, i have realized that some people are just brilliant and can get by by just paying attention in class or just reviewing the book.

Nine times out of ten I found this notion to be a total illusion. There may be a handful of people in the world who are capable of this, but most of the college kids around who appear to be doing this are either studying a lot behind the scenes or aren't doing nearly as well as they say they are.

I went to a very competitive undergrad and here there really are no shortcuts to success. Most of my pre-med friends have washed out and become business majors, and for me to get where I'm going I had to study 6-8 hours a day. The one secret to effective studying I learned was that to obtain good comprehension of new material, it must be reread at least 3 times. The other big thing you need to do to succeed in math/science classes is to do lots of practice problems - if you don't you'll never do well on the exams.

 

[binko]

Don't tolerate unhelpful professors or TA's. That's one of my biggest academic regrets. Switch sections, complain to the administration, or just plain pester the prof into teaching you... after all that is the prof's job. Also never be embarrassed to ask a "stupid question". I've swallowed my pride, gone to the prof 5 minutes before the exam and asked for clarification on something he said weeks ago that I really should have figured out by that point. Sure he gave me a sideways look for a second, but after an exasperated sigh, he gave me a quick explanation and that very topic was on the exam and bumped me from a B to an A.

So I guess my strategy boils down to being completely shameless.

Oh, and depending on the class I sometimes have to work my butt off for a B too. That's life.

Also, add "poor textbook" to the list of things not to be tolerated. I recommend Schaum's Easy Outlines or Kaplan's "[Subject name] Edge" books.

 

[coffeeeandtea]

don't aim for a "3.999 and high mcat"; just do your best. What works for someone else probably won't work for you. If this is truly what you want to do, you'll find the means to make it happen.

oh, and don't listen to your pre-med advisor.

word.

 

[MrNew]

Oh wow, i didn't know I will get this many reply. I really appreciate everyone advice, I am going to ramp up my study habits and note taking skills when I start school, cuz I really need to get all A's.

I plan on spending about 3 hours a day just studying particular subject thought in class and prepare for subjects early and taking good notes and creating study guide from subject that we go over in school.
And re-read chapters before class and after class.

I will work my butt and hopefully I will get All A's. God help for a long journey to come.

Thanks

merc

 

[MrNew]

Does anyone use Cliff Notes ?

 

[binko]

Does anyone use Cliff Notes ?

Those are notoriously not a good idea.

 

[Hokie06]

Hahaha I think the last time I used them was in high school. Although I did try using sparknotes a couple of time for my English classes 😛

 

[Semicolon]

Oh wow, i didn't know I will get this many reply. I really appreciate everyone advice, I am going to ramp up my study habits and note taking skills when I start school, cuz I really need to get all A's.

I plan on spending about 3 hours a day just studying particular subject thought in class and prepare for subjects early and taking good notes and creating study guide from subject that we go over in school.
And re-read chapters before class and after class.

I will work my butt and hopefully I will get All A's. God help for a long journey to come.

Thanks

merc

It seems like you're missing some important points. I'm curious; why do you really need all As?

 

[Dr Frankenstein]

when it comes to school I am one of those kids that has to work his butt of to even get B.

I see many post here with GPA of 3.999 and HIgh MCAt, how do some of you do it ?

What type of study habits do you have ?

How many hours are spent each day studying for single course ?

P.S. I will be taking pre-reqs soon. very motivated to be come D.O.

thanks

They cheat duh...lol..jk no but they usually are 1)their just a natural genius or 2) have no life and study everyday, go to class every day, review material same of same day, study for test 4-5 days ahead OR 3) just a heck load of adderall baby hahaha

 

[Dissected]

Oh wow, i didn't know I will get this many reply. I really appreciate everyone advice, I am going to ramp up my study habits and note taking skills when I start school, cuz I really need to get all A's.

I plan on spending about 3 hours a day just studying particular subject thought in class and prepare for subjects early and taking good notes and creating study guide from subject that we go over in school.
And re-read chapters before class and after class.

I will work my butt and hopefully I will get All A's. God help for a long journey to come.

Thanks

merc

Unless you are a very unique human being with an insane amount of stamina, you will burn out extremely fast doing things this way. Just work hard, and if you really want all A's, you need some sort of balance. Start studying about a week or so before a test (if it is difficult, otherwise just do the weekend before) and you will be good to go as long as you pay attention and take good notes. Your body needs an outlet to clear your mind. Some of the best grades I ever received on tests (200/200 o-chem final, for example) I was at the beach the day before relaxing and letting the information sink in. I had studied hard the week before, but was able to maintain a balance of hard work and study breaks...Speaking of study breaks though, mine is over. Gotta get back to the brain and spinal nerves 🙁

 

[MrNew]

It seems like you're missing some important points. I'm curious; why do you really need all As?

That is the only way to get into D.O school.

 

[Semicolon]

That is the only way to get into D.O school.

You're kidding, yes? Yes?

Have you even read the posts in this thread?

 

[dozitgetchahi]

That is the only way to get into D.O school.

I've always been curious as to the origins of the "you need A's in every class you've ever taken to get into medical school" myth. I can remember being told this by different people when I was in high school and it sounded unrealistic even then.

 

[Hokie06]

That is the only way to get into D.O school.

oh he was being serious? i thought he was being sarcastic 😕

 

[robynrich]

when it comes to school I am one of those kids that has to work his butt of to even get B.

I see many post here with GPA of 3.999 and HIgh MCAt, how do some of you do it ?

What type of study habits do you have ?

How many hours are spent each day studying for single course ?

P.S. I will be taking pre-reqs soon. very motivated to be come D.O.

thanks

Some advice I wish someone had given me: Just don't give up. Do the best that you can possibly do in school while balancing that with friends, hobbies, etc. If you are just about to take pre-reqs, try and get yourself into the mindset that if you want to be a physician, you must successfully complete those courses and do fairly well in them. Learning the material well the first time will also help you when studying for the MCAT. I am a senior in college (finally committed to the pre-medical track my junior year after unsuccessful attempts starting freshman year), and I have already traveled a pretty tough road concerning pre-reqs because I used to freak out and take W's in/fail courses the second I encounted some degree of difficulty. However, now I am making A's in the same kind of courses that I used to fail/withdraw from. I just learned the hard way that I had to study a lot and I had to study smarter. However, it will always be harder for me to get into medical school now because I made so many academic mistakes in the beginning...I wish I had gotten it right the first time around!

Reading the chapters in the book 2 or 3 times most definitely helps me, but doing ALL of the practice problems throughout and at the end of each chapter (usually even just once) helps even more. And yeah, cramming does work for a lot of people, but I find it easier to just keep up in lecture and read/work problems within the first couple of days of being lectured on the material. I end up studying way less around the time of the exam because I have put in a fair amount of time studying before the exam. However, I am aware of the amount of discipline it takes to actually do this (it took me four years to learn how!) So, start trying to do that now.

Best of luck to you! 😀

 

[amakhosidlo]

1. Pick an easy school. One or two steps above a CC should be good. Think San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Nevada State, etc. Make sure the school whose state med-school has lax admission standards. NM, Az, and AL come to mind...
If you're already slogging through undergrad at a tough school, transfer. Now.

2. Audit hard classes/use MCAT materials hone your pre-req skills before you enroll in the class. Honestly, everything you ever needed to know is in Kaplan's enormous self-study book.

3. Go to office hours. Kiss a** and ask stupid questions you already know the answers to. Look/act interested.

4. If you're going to take fluff, take fluff that counts. Look at the BCPM thread and find 1XX-level fish-in-a-barrel science classes. (Stop after Soph. year though)

5. Research credit. You REALLY have to **** up in a lab for the PI to give you less than a 4.

 

[pyropig]

1. Pick an easy school. One or two steps above a CC should be good. Think San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Nevada State, etc. Make sure the school whose state med-school has lax admission standards. NM, Az, and AL come to mind...
If you're already slogging through undergrad at a tough school, transfer. Now.

2. Audit hard classes/use MCAT materials hone your pre-req skills before you enroll in the class. Honestly, everything you ever needed to know is in Kaplan's enormous self-study book.

3. Go to office hours. Kiss a** and ask stupid questions you already know the answers to. Look/act interested.

4. If you're going to take fluff, take fluff that counts. Look at the BCPM thread and find 1XX-level fish-in-a-barrel science classes. (Stop after Soph. year though)

5. Research credit. You REALLY have to **** up in a lab for the PI to give you less than a 4.

THere is most certainly no such thing as "Nevada State", there's University of Nevada Reno (my school) and University of Nevada Las Vegas (The R-**** school)

 

[Bleurberry]

What I did was, if I knew ch 11 was going to be covered the next day, the day before I would look at only the figures and get a feel for what will be covered the next day. In class, I used my computer to type up notes and if I felt it was something that might potentially be asked on an exam, I highlighted it in red so I know too go back and really know these concepts. At the end of the day, I read the chapter associated with the day's lecture. I wouldn't waste time reading things that was not discussed in class but made sure everything I read was also related in one way or another to the in class lecture. during this reading I annotated my notes. Then durin the weekend, review everything you learned that week and study as if you will have an exam on the material the following monday. Then two weeks before the exam, review all your personal notes, class notes, and figures from the textbook. By test time, you should of gone through the material at least three times.

This sounds like a good routine.

 

[pyropig]

1. Pick an easy school. One or two steps above a CC should be good. Think San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Nevada State, etc. Make sure the school whose state med-school has lax admission standards. NM, Az, and AL come to mind...
If you're already slogging through undergrad at a tough school, transfer. Now.

2. Audit hard classes/use MCAT materials hone your pre-req skills before you enroll in the class. Honestly, everything you ever needed to know is in Kaplan's enormous self-study book.

3. Go to office hours. Kiss a** and ask stupid questions you already know the answers to. Look/act interested.

4. If you're going to take fluff, take fluff that counts. Look at the BCPM thread and find 1XX-level fish-in-a-barrel science classes. (Stop after Soph. year though)

5. Research credit. You REALLY have to **** up in a lab for the PI to give you less than a 4.

I'm sorry I just can't read this and not say something about it, this is god aweful terrible advice. If you look in the AMCAS book these states may look like they have "lax" (sure, compared to Harvard) admissions standards, but look deeper and they have super strict rules on being a resident of that state to be admitted, something you cannot achieve in a couple years of undergrad, not to mention the class size for a smaller med school like that is also quite small. Take it from someone who lives near in a city with one of these schools, it is still incredibly competitive. I'm quite confident that poster is speculating that what he said is a great idea but not something he has actually sone himself. Stay where you are and do a good job, don't listen to a word of that guys post.

 

[MrNew]

1. Pick an easy school. One or two steps above a CC should be good. Think San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Nevada State, etc. Make sure the school whose state med-school has lax admission standards. NM, Az, and AL come to mind...
If you're already slogging through undergrad at a tough school, transfer. Now.

2. Audit hard classes/use MCAT materials hone your pre-req skills before you enroll in the class. Honestly, everything you ever needed to know is in Kaplan's enormous self-study book.

3. Go to office hours. Kiss a** and ask stupid questions you already know the answers to. Look/act interested.

4. If you're going to take fluff, take fluff that counts. Look at the BCPM thread and find 1XX-level fish-in-a-barrel science classes. (Stop after Soph. year though)

5. Research credit. You REALLY have to **** up in a lab for the PI to give you less than a 4.

I am in AZ currently, is ASU easy college ?

 

[Semicolon]

I am in AZ currently, is ASU easy college ?

Now I'm pretty sure you must be doing this on purpose. Not only are you not paying attention to the good advice, you choose to listen to the bad advice.

:troll:

 

[MrNew]

Now I'm pretty sure you must be doing this on purpose. Not only are you not paying attention to the good advice, you choose to listen to the bad advice.

:troll:

Yea, I was just messing around with him. Of course no school is easy all college are hard and require dedication, if it was easy everyone would be doctors.

coo, thanks..

 

[LoyolaGrad05]

I dated a girl in College who was a certified Genius. Certainly had a photographic memory. She could quickly read through a chapter in say Orgo or Biochem and just run through the questions at the end of the text.. then take the Exam (after going out to the bars while everyone else was stressing in the library all weekend) and get a perfect score. Ruined whatever curve we could have gotten. She said the material just made sense to her, everything just clicked!
Things definitely would be a lot easier if I had her abilities, although getting into Med school for her is assumed, for me its a huge accomplishment and something Im sure I appreciate more because I worked so hard for it! Builds character right? lol

thanks

 

[LoyolaGrad05]

I am in AZ currently, is ASU easy college ?

ASU is ranked 124th-130th in National Universities, tied with Clarkson U, Colorado State, and Kansas State U ect. (3rd tier begins 131-187 / 4th 196-258)
N. AZ State is 4th tier and most would call "easy" only 9% in top 10% of HS class. ASU is 28%. its all relative.

Admissions people know there is a BIG difference between a 4.0 at a poorly ranked school and a top 50 university/college. Well most do atleast, some lesser med schools particularly in very rural areas, have professors who lie to themselves that their State Univeristy is "as good as any pricey ultracompetivtive private university". Their evidence-they use the same text book! hahaha..yeah one school does 2 chapters a week, and the other does a chapter every 2 weeks..not to mention the large variation in student quality and question difficulty.

So you would be better off getting a 3.3 at Boston U while competing with some of the brightest(90% of the frosh class in top 10% of their HS graduating class) than a 4.0 at a 3rd tier school with avg intelligence kids. Plus your diploma will look much better on the wall in your office

The point: The boost your GPA will get bc you are at a less competitive school will be off set by the known, less-challenging education you received... even if you are using the same books harvard students use lol

Part of College is learning how to study, and what works for you.
thanks for reading.

 

[Sporknife]

So I guess my strategy boils down to being completely shameless.

👍 LOL, i love this, desperate times calls for desperate measures. We can all regain our dignity after we get into medschool. 😀

 

[dozitgetchahi]

1. Pick an easy school. One or two steps above a CC should be good. Think San Diego State, Eastern Washington, Nevada State, etc. Make sure the school whose state med-school has lax admission standards. NM, Az, and AL come to mind...
If you're already slogging through undergrad at a tough school, transfer. Now.

2. Audit hard classes/use MCAT materials hone your pre-req skills before you enroll in the class. Honestly, everything you ever needed to know is in Kaplan's enormous self-study book.

3. Go to office hours. Kiss a** and ask stupid questions you already know the answers to. Look/act interested.

4. If you're going to take fluff, take fluff that counts. Look at the BCPM thread and find 1XX-level fish-in-a-barrel science classes. (Stop after Soph. year though)

5. Research credit. You REALLY have to **** up in a lab for the PI to give you less than a 4.

OK, for all the grief we're giving this guy he is presenting some fairly decent advice, or at least some of the facts I wish I'd heard of before going off to college as a premed. Frankly #s 1 and 4 are fairly accurate - you certainly don't get bonus points for going to a hellishly hard, grade deflated undergrad school where the average GPA is something like 2.8 (*cough UChicago cough*), and you'll find getting the grades you need to succeed to be much harder if you go to such a school. Likewise, if you somehow wind up with a lousy sGPA than #4 is a time-honored way of raising it a bit. And everybody knows that sometimes a little bit of good old-fashioned ass kissing can go a long way when important grades are at stake.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

ASU is ranked 124th-130th in National Universities, tied with Clarkson U, Colorado State, and Kansas State U ect. (3rd tier begins 131-187 / 4th 196-258)
N. AZ State is 4th tier and most would call "easy" only 9% in top 10% of HS class. ASU is 28%. its all relative.

Admissions people know there is a BIG difference between a 4.0 at a poorly ranked school and a top 50 university/college. Well most do atleast, some lesser med schools particularly in very rural areas, have professors who lie to themselves that their State Univeristy is "as good as any pricey ultracompetivtive private university". Their evidence-they use the same text book! hahaha..yeah one school does 2 chapters a week, and the other does a chapter every 2 weeks..not to mention the large variation in student quality and question difficulty.

So you would be better off getting a 3.3 at Boston U while competing with some of the brightest(90% of the frosh class in top 10% of their HS graduating class) than a 4.0 at a 3rd tier school with avg intelligence kids. Plus your diploma will look much better on the wall in your office

The point: The boost your GPA will get bc you are at a less competitive school will be off set by the known, less-challenging education you received... even if you are using the same books harvard students use lol

Part of College is learning how to study, and what works for you.
thanks for reading.

Most of this advice is simply not true. There are a few med schools that try to adjust your grades based on the difficulty of your college, but most simply do not. Besides, how do you really compare college difficulty in any sort of fair way? Some well-known schools (i.e. Ivies excepting Cornell) are very grade-inflated and not that hard at all, while some (marginally) less well-known schools (U Chicago, CMU, Johns Hopkins, Berkeley, among others) are very grade-deflated and are far harder than many Ivies.

Basically, if you have a choice I strongly believe at this point that you're better off going to an easier, cheaper state school than paying the big bucks to get some overpriced private college degree. Your chief goals while an undergrad should be to escape with (a) the least debt possible and (b) the best grades possible. Unless you get a massive scholarship from an expensive private school, in most cases achieving (a) and (b) mean going to a state school. It's what I wish I'd done, frankly.

 

[doctordaman]

As other people have said, no single thing works for everyone!

I'm one of those 3.99 students (well, my one B dropped it to 3.97 if you want to be exact). If everyone studied like I do, many people would be failing college, I assume, since my study habits aren't too great.

Here's my two cents on what I've heard works for others along with a few of my mottos:

#1 You pay more for the class than you do for the book, so make the class and teacher teach you more than the book. Don't skip class and expect to catch up using the book! I live by this motto.

#2 Copy your notes. A friend of mine (4.0 GPA) types out her notes from class the next day because she says the copying helps her remember.

#3 Say things out loud. If I read an interesting fact, or heard one in class, I will tell it to someone. Once I have said it out loud, it is much easier to recall, because you have that conversation linked to your memory.

#4 Don't print off notes if the professor puts them up on the internet. You will spend the entire class with nothing to do. It's good to pay attention, but you need to be actively thinking during class, which most people with the notes already printed out don't do. The notes will still be on the internet tomorrow.

#5 Relax! Get a life, and don't let a test or class rule it. I've come to believe that every day is the best day of your life, because it's the one you're living. In a quote from Kung Fu Panda "Yesterday is history, tomorrow, a mystery. But today is truely special, that's why it's called the present." So don't dwell on the past, and don't get too far ahead of yourself. Live in the here and now and have some fun.

 

[Superman MD]

First off, I thought it was a bit weird when I found SDN and I saw soooo many people telling the world about their high scores (and then wondering if they had any chance in the world to get into med school - a bit annoying if you ask me!) But then, why wouldn't you want people to know about your high GPA and MCAT? I'm sure it makes them feel better about themselves, but that is just a select group of people. For the most part, many people have lower scores and just do not proclaim it everyone.

And remember, grades are not everything when it comes to DO schools. DO adcoms (from what I've researched) really look into the character of the individual, along with your ECs. I wonder if a lot of these people with just outstanding scores even have a life outside of studying? I think it is much more important to perhaps have a lower GPA and really do activites outside of class than to be a bookworm and never see the outside world. Scores are important, but so is having a balanced, well-rounded life.

As for me, I would not say I am a genius, but school definitely comes easier for me than most people. But, I do hold down a full-time job and other activities, soo finding time to study is a challenge. I operate under a strict schedule. . .I plan out everythingggg down to the hour. Most people don't have to do it as extremely as I do, but it does help. When I study, I first look over my notes and remember all that was talked about in class. Then I read. . .SLOWLY. I make my own notes of everything that I read. Writing it down definitely helps put it into your memory better than just reading (even if you chose to re-read 50 million times). Now that I have my own notes, it definitely is a lot easier than having to go back and re-read the chapter. I do the problems, and then try to integrate what I am learning in one class to other topics in another class (sayyy, Genetics to Molecular Bio and what not). Finally, if the class is podcasted, I listen to the lectures over again in my car.

You just have to find what works for you. Work hard, do your best and be involved with meaningful activities. . .that is what DO schools are looking for (don't quote me on that!). Not everyone can have the outstanding scores, but everyone is capable of being a kind, mature, compassionate individual. . .I think these qualites define a physician much more than just having all A's and the highest MCAT. . . .