How hard was it getting all these good grades..Advice for College Freshman '12

[getgoing89]

I really haven't been reading this forum for long. Maybe a month or two. I find this site really helpful, but one thing tho that I have got to ask is how hard your undergraduate studies were. I mean most of you guys have G.P.As that I didn't even get in high school.(above 3.4). Well I would really appreciate it as a student about to begin his undergrad studies this fall, if any of you guys would give some tips or advise about what I should do and what to stay away from. Also maybe some of the things to do which will look better on my transcript and increase my chance of getting into MEd school. Thanks a lot.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DoctaJay]

Hey getgoing89. The great thing about the transitions from high school to college and then college to med school is that each transition gives you the opportunity to start over again. FORGET WHAT YOU DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. When I started college, I was given the advice to start strong, which seemed simple but was just about the best advice I could ever get. If you are a science major, the classes only get harder. If you really try to do well your freshman year, you can have a couple of rough spots during your sophomore and junior years and keep the same GPA. Its much easier to keep a high GPA than to have a low one and make it higher.

But yeah, med school is quite different from college, but what you can work on in college is good study habits. And don't worry if these study habits change as you learn how you learn best. When I started out my freshman year of college I would read through the chapter, highlight all the stuff I thought was important, and then I would type questions and answers on everything I highlighted. Sometimes I would have like 120 questions for one chapter. Then when test time came around, I wouldn't even look at the book anymore; I would just go through the questions and answers. I actually ended up doing very well with this method, but it was too time consuming, so by Xmas of my freshman year, I learned how to study directly from my highlights in the book. In my sophomore and junior years I learned how to look at the powerpoints alone and study from them. Your study methods may change as you mature in college, but as long as you put in the work you should be straight.

It is also great to learn from others past mistakes; meaning talk to upper classmen and find out how they got through certain teachers. Don't just talk with the brainiacs, but the mediocre students too, to get a consensus on what to do. Also don't be scared by the advice. At my undergrad the upperclassmen told us that no one had received an A in genetics from a particular teacher in years. Myself and my friends disregarded their advice and all of us got A's. Do your best, put in the work, seek advice, pray, etc, and you should come out on top.

 

[copacetic]

I Will Tell You Straight Up, The Only Thing That Matters Is Motivation. It Has Nothing To Do With Intelligence, Or What School You Go To Or What Program You Take. If You Really Want To Be A Physician, You'll Put In The Hard Work. Most People I Know From Freshman Year Have Changed Their Minds, Or Found Something Else They Enjoy, But The And Very Few Of Us Have Stayed With This Hope/dream Since Freshman Year.

 

[njbmd]

Hey getgoing89. The great thing about the transitions from high school to college and then college to med school is that each transition gives you the opportunity to start over again. FORGET WHAT YOU DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. When I started college, I was given the advice to start strong, which seemed simple but was just about the best advice I could ever get. If you are a science major, the classes only get harder. If you really try to do well your freshman year, you can have a couple of rough spots during your sophomore and junior years and keep the same GPA. Its much easier to keep a high GPA than to have a low one and make it higher.

But yeah, med school is quite different from college, but what you can work on in college is good study habits. And don't worry if these study habits change as you learn how you learn best. When I started out my freshman year of college I would read through the chapter, highlight all the stuff I thought was important, and then I would type questions and answers on everything I highlighted. Sometimes I would have like 120 questions for one chapter. Then when test time came around, I wouldn't even look at the book anymore; I would just go through the questions and answers. I actually ended up doing very well with this method, but it was too time consuming, so by Xmas of my freshman year, I learned how to study directly from my highlights in the book. In my sophomore and junior years I learned how to look at the powerpoints alone and study from them. Your study methods may change as you mature in college, but as long as you put in the work you should be straight.

It is also great to learn from others past mistakes; meaning talk to upper classmen and find out how they got through certain teachers. Don't just talk with the brainiacs, but the mediocre students too, to get a consensus on what to do. Also don't be scared by the advice. At my undergrad the upperclassmen told us that no one had received an A in genetics from a particular teacher in years. Myself and my friends disregarded their advice and all of us got A's. Do your best, put in the work, seek advice, pray, etc, and you should come out on top.

Hey Getgoing89!

The above is absolutely great advice so heed it well. I would add that you have to keep your "eyes on your prize". This means that as a pre-med student, you are going to be in lab, studying or preparing things when some of your buds are hitting the party scene. You have have just remember that pre-med is demanding and more time consuming because you have to do the very best work (and it's work) to see those high grades come in.

As Doctajay said, "don't listen to other people". Run your race and keep moving forward. Experience is not the best teacher, wisdom is the best teacher. You don't have to jump out of a two story window to know that it will hurt when you hit the ground. The same thing goes for listening to other people in that their experience is likely not to be your experience. Meet every challenge on YOUR terms and not theirs. At the first sign of trouble, go to the professor's office hours and get help. Keep going until you thoroughly understand what you need. Seek out tutors, study skills workshops etc until you have a study plan that allows you to master your studies well.

Remember that getting into medical school is a very long term goal. It's like losing 100 pounds. You are not going to do it overnight but working each day and every day at your best, will get you what you need to achieve As. Try not to ever get any grade less than B+ in any course that you take. This means that you do your best on every test or assignment and that you meet or exceed every deadline. Get in the habit of finishing everything early and do nothing last minute.

Also remember that a strong math background is essential for your sciences. General Chemistry demands a good college algebra background (as does General Physics). If you math is rusty, get it in shape before taking these courses. If you plan on applying to a medical school that requires Calculus, make sure that your Algebra/Trig/Geometry skills are tight before taking Calculus.

Take a critical reading and writing course (or logic) early in your college career. Be sure to get in the habit of reading and writing. Good reading skills can translate into good grades in every other course that you take.

As Doctajay said, college is a time for you to start with a clean slate. Do this and have a good experience with all of the new things that you will learn and master. Also, use this opportunity to learn about yourself in terms of your strenghts, weaknesses and interests. Don't let other folks define you but you define yourself. If your buds call you "nerdy" then smile and embrace that term because nerds go on to medical school. There is nothing cooler than out and out academic success. Aim high and keep challenging yourself to do better and better.

You took the time to come to this website and ask some questions of those who have gone before you. That tells me that you have the ability to get every cent's worth of education from your undergraduate institution and excel there. Go for it and let us here at the URM forum know how you are doing. Just look at some of the excellence going on here like Doctajay and others. They will support you and help you so use that PM function if you don't want to ask a question on the main boards. Good luck with the adventure.

 

[flaahless]

I really haven't been reading this forum for long. Maybe a month or two. I find this site really helpful, but one thing tho that I have got to ask is how hard your undergraduate studies were. I mean most of you guys have G.P.As that I didn't even get in high school.(above 3.4). Well I would really appreciate it as a student about to begin his undergrad studies this fall, if any of you guys would give some tips or advise about what I should do and what to stay away from. Also maybe some of the things to do which will look better on my transcript and increase my chance of getting into MEd school. Thanks a lot.

Yo G, don't worry about high school man. College, for me, was actually easier than high school even though I did much much better in HS.

The material is ehh. It really depends on the professor and your own personal interests. But for the most part, college is all about time management. Make sure you have enough time to study, socialize, drink if that's your thing, exercise, eat right and relax. Straight A's are great, but remember that college is an experience and there is much more to your education than what you learn in the classroom. Meet people, socialize, join clubs, volunteer etc. Also, GO TO OFFICE HOURS, TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS AND REALLY GET TO KNOW THEM! I repeat, GO TO OFFICE HOURS, TALK TO YOUR PROFESSORS AND REALLY GET TO KNOW THEM! This is invaluable advice, as it is always great to have a few professors and/or deans in your back pocket in case something comes up. If you struggle, talk to them, most will understand and offer you a lot of help. But YOU have to take the initiative. And trust me man, initiative goes a long way. The harder you try, the harder the faculty will try for you. Real talk.

Try and pick a major you like and try to take classes you like. However, there will undoubtedly be some classes that you will hate, you will just have to lie to yourself and make yourself believe that it is the most interesting class ever.

As far as your transcript goes, do whatever you want, just make sure it's what YOU want and not what you THINK med schools want. Be yourself, try not to follow the same cookie cutter premed route. If you do so genuinely, then that's fine, as long as it's genuine.

Shoot for the best grades you can get, but don't fret about not getting straight A's. Just keep it moving and try and do better the next semester. Med schools like well-rounded applicants, from my experience.

Take a writing class, not a basic english comp... but a unique writing class. I took creative writing nonfiction (ironic I know) and it REALLY helped me write a compelling and persuasive ps. Take a humanities class, or sociology or something that forces you to learn about other cultures and how they operate domestically and internationally.

Also, socialize and smile a lot. Try and leave a positive lasting impression with everyone you talk to because you never know who you will meet and what impact they will have on your life down the road. Also, socializing helps your interviewing skills, which some premeds struggle with.

Lastly, have fun. It's college man, enjoy it.

Congrats on getting this far. Holla at me anytime for advice or help. Stay up man.

 

[elwademd]

be willing to bust your ass. remember, there's a lot of people out there who think they want to go to medical school just like you. establishing the ability to bust your ass (if there's such a thing, which i think there is ) now will only serve you well for medical school, internship, residency and beyond.

be willing to put off some enjoyment of today to get what you need done. that's not to say to avoid the yard/quad/student union all the time... but there are some people that do nothing but hang out. decide whether you're at college to hang out there, or if you're trying to get somewhere else (medical school).

be willing to ask for help. whether its from a roommate, a friend, going to the tutoring center, or going to the professor. you'd be surprised how many people have bad perceptions of professors and how impossible their tests are, but have never gone to that professor to talk with him/her about the test. sometimes a few conversations with the professor (after class, during office hours) can open your eyes as to what he/she is asking/looking for on a test.

get involved in some on campus stuff in your first year. it'll help you to socialize (as flaahless mentinoed), get to know your school, get to know important folk on campus (whether upper classmen or deans/department people), and will help you for your med school applications, as well as your resume/cv that you'll need during your college career and beyond.

 

[MSKalltheway]

There has been a lot of great advice given to you thus far. Definitely pick any major you like...ANY major. Complete your pre-med requirements and do whatever else you like. If you want to be a french major or do something in the fine arts, go for it. Dont just pick the sciences just because you think it will prepare you well for medical school. No college major can prepare you for med school...study what you like now because once med school rolls around, that business class you wish you took or that language you could have learned will no longer be there. That said, if you enjoy the sciences, then be a science major!

I would just like to add something from my own experience. Looking back, I could have done better in college had I just studied more. I was able to get away with getting whatever A's and B's I got through procrastination...to be honest, I didnt ever study until a couple days before the exam. It wasnt until medical school that whole study daily thing came a part of my life!

But honestly, study daily. Even if I had studied only an hour a day for every hour of lecture I had, I would have done significantly better. I did fine, but those 3.5's would have turned into 4.0's had I just worked a bit every day. Those around me who did, graduated with 4.0's...I dont think that comes as a surprise. There is more time in college to go over everything that was discussed in lecture each day as compared to medical school, so take advantage of that. Four hours of class could mean 4 hrs of studying after the days classes are done, then you have time afterward for activities and hanging out as well each day. These hours I'm talking about are strictly reviewing class notes, not working on lab assignments or other homework. Then review the stuff from the week on the weekend. Stay disciplined and it will work out well for you.

So if you only take one thing from what I said, your best bet to do well in college is to study daily without fail. The semesters when I did this, or was closer to it, I did very well.