I feel like I'm not doing enough...

[ma2]

I'm a freshman, will be a sophomore next year. Lately, as I've been reading this forum, I just feel like I'm not doing enough. I'm currently in a drama club and volunteering at a hospital, but nothing else. I'm not in research or shadowing physicians left and right. I'm not the president of anything. Heck, I don't even have a job!

What concerns me is that my schedule next semester is going to be PACKED. I have class everyday essentially from 9-5. The gaps in between are three hours, so definitely not enough time. I want to work, but it's just not realistic.

I feel I'm going to end up a junior with nothing under my belt to show I'm dedicated to medicine. That I want to be in medical school. That at least one medical school would want to accept me.

Do you have any advice? I'm double majoring in biology and English (part of the reason I have a packed schedule, but actually it's my science classes that start and end late, with my English being in the middle of the day).

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[Huggy]

Most posters in pre-allo are superstar Juniors and Seniors so comparing yourself to those who are years ahead of you will always be intimidating.

Get your grades first. Add activities on slowly, but only up to the point that you can still maintain 3.7+.

Shadowing is something that you can do once every other month and apply with more than enough. Doesn't require really a time commitment, just an open day.

 

[kraskadva]

What concerns me is that my schedule next semester is going to be PACKED. I have class everyday essentially from 9-5. The gaps in between are three hours, so definitely enough time. I want to work, but it's just not and it's totally realistic.

FTFY.
It's called time management, and you're going to have to learn it.
Apply for an on-campus work-study/student assistant job. Then you can work that around your class schedule.
Look for volunteering/shadowing that you can do in the evenings/on the weekends. Or build your schedule so you have a couple of afternoons without labs/classes and do those things in that time.
But first and foremost, stop saying "I can't". If you say that, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and you never will.

 

[Dagrimsta1]

GPA and MCAT > everything else. It's not worth beefing up an application with ****ty grades...

 

[ma2]

FTFY.
It's called time management, and you're going to have to learn it.
Apply for an on-campus work-study/student assistant job. Then you can work that around your class schedule.
Look for volunteering/shadowing that you can do in the evenings/on the weekends. Or build your schedule so you have a couple of afternoons without labs/classes and do those things in that time.
But first and foremost, stop saying "I can't". If you say that, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and you never will.

I appreciate the motivation, but I think I didn't express what I meant well. I meant that I can't really work in between classes because all of them want 3 hours minimum, and I can't give that (I'd need time to get to work and then to get to class).

I made this thread to get advice -- I'm scared of working and sacrificing my grades. I'm constantly looking for work, but I have yet to find one that would work well with my schedule. I can't work until after classes, which means studying and doing homework at night would be difficult. I know I'm gonna have to manage my time. But I don't want that to mean I get mediocre grades.

 

[kraskadva]

I appreciate the motivation, but I think I didn't express what I meant well. I meant that I can't really work in between classes because all of them want 3 hours minimum, and I can't give that (I'd need time to get to work and then to get to class).

I made this thread to get advice -- I'm scared of working and sacrificing my grades. I'm constantly looking for work, but I have yet to find one that would work well with my schedule. I can't work until after classes, which means studying and doing homework at night would be difficult. I know I'm gonna have to manage my time. But I don't want that to mean I get mediocre grades.

All of them who? Because across 2 undergrad degrees and a masters, I have yet to see a college that won't work around student schedules for on campus jobs.

And if you start working and your grades drop, then it's time to reevaluate the situation. Currently you're doing, what?, 18-20 credits max?
Med school is 30+ credits per semester. If you can't handle <18 credits + work, how do you think you'll manage med school?
Building up to it is fine, and a good idea, but if by jr/sr year if you can't manage that, you might want to rethink.

 

[MareNostrummm]

Do you have any advice? I'm double majoring in biology and English (part of the reason I have a packed schedule, but actually it's my science classes that start and end late, with my English being in the middle of the day).

Here's your problem right here. Why not just drop the English major (which I bet is a lot of reading) and use that extra time to pick up another EC... Adcoms don't care what major, double major, triple minor whatever that you have. They just want to see A's and a good MCAT before they start looking at your ECs.

 

[LizzyM]

You can't work until after classes? One of my kids was up early and opening a campus coffee bar/snack shop before classes several days per week. Same kid had a data entry job. It didn't matter when the data was entered just as long as it got done.

Much agree with the double major situation. Pick one. Do the pre-med pre-reqs and call it a day.
Arrange to shadow during winter break and summer vacation.
Look into research opportunities that will take place the summer after sophomore year.
Besides hospital volunteering and drama club, try to find a little time, even 4 hours per month, to serve local people in need, e.g. mentoring teens, tutoring youngsters, helping refugees who are new to the area, coaching Special Olympians, etc.

 

[freak7]

Same kid had a data entry job. It didn't matter when the data was entered just as long as it got done.

Actually pretty jealous of that. My job should probably be salaried or "per unit" but it's hourly.