Interviews and school: immiscible

[Shredder]

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interviews are messing up my academic performance a lot. anyone else? im finding it hard to stay on top of classes when i miss so many lectures, quizzes, and assignments. i figure my grades will reflect this at the end of the semester. do med schools get mad if you screw up senior year bc of this?

 

[Turkeyman]

This is what worries me as well...It seems most people don't mention how having lots of interviews can totally screw up your semester...make your academic schedule hell... and possibly get on TAs and Profs bad sides.

I'm sure you can handle it though, Mr.Shredder. 😀

 

[dajimmers]

I agree, though at the moment I believe it's just a case of senioritis rather than interviews getting in the way for me, since I've only had one interview...

But I'd much prefer finishing secondaries, checking my status, browsing SDN, and preparing for interviews than doing homework, so I guess the app process as a whole is getting in my way. Haven't had anything graded yet, though, so hard to say how bad it's going to turn out...

 

[drmota]

i'm just starting to send in letters now so probably wont have any interviews for a few weeks. how bad is it really? how much time do you spend? i figured i could skip out on tuesday night for a wednesday morning interview and then fly back wednesday nights. is that not feasible?
-mota

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Yeah, I feel guilty every time I'm on SDN. It's like, "damn, shouldn't I be studying for Biochem right now, or doing some research for my Evo. paper?" Preparing for interviews/finishing secondaries only compounds my self-guilt Sigh... all be worth it when that 1st acceptance letter snail mails it's way into my heart 😍

 

[DrBowtie]

i'm just starting to send in letters now so probably wont have any interviews for a few weeks. how bad is it really? how much time do you spend? i figured i could skip out on tuesday night for a wednesday morning interview and then fly back wednesday nights. is that not feasible?
-mota

That would be feasible if all schools offered you wednesday interviews.

However, most interview on specific days or give you limited choice for dates.

 

[Darth Asclepius]

i'm just starting to send in letters now so probably wont have any interviews for a few weeks. how bad is it really? how much time do you spend? i figured i could skip out on tuesday night for a wednesday morning interview and then fly back wednesday nights. is that not feasible?
-mota

It is feasible to fly out the afternoon before an interview. I usually tried to get flights at least in the early afternoon, though. You don't want to take the last flight anywhere since that could mean you end up not making it there that night. Also, you don't want to get to the airport late at night, have to find the hotel, and end up not getting to relax at all that night. You'll have to get up pretty early on interview morning to get all dressed up, organize your stuff, and find the right place to go at the school.

The reason it screws you up so bad is that if your interview is on Wednesday, you mess up your Tuesday (no time to study or make up the work in your Wednesday classes you'll miss), you lose Wednesday completely since you'll probably get home late at night, and you will be exhausted on Thursday. Flying to another city, going through an interview day, and flying back in a 24-hour period is exhausting. If you have to miss a lab, it will be even worse since you'll have to try to work in a make-up lab in the remaining days of that week. If you don't work, you can try to get ahead the weekend before and catch up the weekend after, but that gets complicated if you have a lot of interviews. If you do work, it's possible to keep up with school, work, and extra-cuurriculars (I did), but you will be exhausted and you'll have to watch yourself for signs of burn-out.

The good news... if you get an acceptance at a place you want to go this semester, you can cruise through spring and rest up before med school. Usually, acceptances are contingent upon you getting nothing worse than a C and also that you do, in fact, get the degree in the major you said you were going to. So, you can relax a little in the spring. A couple of B's (or even C's) won't hurt you.

 

[Overeducated]

I've been trying to get as many interviews as possible on mondays so I can fly out on sundays and fly back right after the interview and only miss one weekday... of course, not all schools offer them on mondays. 🙁

 

[angietron3000]

I've been trying to get as many interviews as possible on mondays so I can fly out on sundays and fly back right after the interview and only miss one weekday... of course, not all schools offer them on mondays. 🙁

That's exactly what I'm doing, that way I can study on the plane on sunday and monday night, and not miss any of my tues/thurs class. My boss is getting a little pissed that I'm gone on mondays but oh well, they already know where my priorities are 😉

 

[princessd3]

That's exactly what I'm doing, that way I can study on the plane on sunday and monday night, and not miss any of my tues/thurs class. My boss is getting a little pissed that I'm gone on mondays but oh well, they already know where my priorities are 😉

I am finding out that interviews and work do not mix well. I have been loyal to my boss for six years and he tells me today he's not happy about how my having to take off for interviews. I really don't need this stress!!!

 

[caffeine37]

That would be feasible if all schools offered you wednesday interviews.

However, most interview on specific days or give you limited choice for dates.

lots of schools have wednesdays open...its the mondays and fridays that book quickly for interviews...frustrating