Is it crazy to take a full semester load while studying for PCAT?

[alphawind]

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Hi,

I'm taking about 14 to 18 semester credits right now and studying for the Oct PCAT (organic 1, general chem 1, (general bio 1 and/or general bio 2)) - all lab courses.

I don't know if this is crazy to be taking these many courses and also study for the PCAT and apply for pharmacy school. Fortunately, I took all of these courses many years ago. Quite a few schools want to see my current grades if I were to take a full semester. They also know that I'm also stuying for the PCAT.

Are you guys taking a full load too and studying for the PCAT?

Do you think I should reconsider taking fewer courses (if I were to eliminate a course, it would be one of the bio). Fortunately, I would be studying for these courses anyway without the class, but I'm also trying to improve my GPA. It's just that the labs eat up a lot of my time, which I could be using to study for the PCAT, write essays, and fill out applications.

For others who have already taken the PCAT, did you have a full load while studying for the PCAT, and how did that experience go?

Thanks again for your valuable input and wisdom.

alphawind

 

[b*rizzle]

Hi,

I'm taking about 14 to 18 semester credits right now and studying for the Oct PCAT (organic 1, general chem 1, (general bio 1 and/or general bio 2)) - all lab courses.

I don't know if this is crazy to be taking these many courses and also study for the PCAT and apply for pharmacy school. Fortunately, I took all of these courses many years ago. Quite a few schools want to see my current grades if I were to take a full semester. They also know that I'm also stuying for the PCAT.

Are you guys taking a full load too and studying for the PCAT?

Do you think I should reconsider taking fewer courses (if I were to eliminate a course, it would be one of the bio). Fortunately, I would be studying for these courses anyway without the class, but I'm also trying to improve my GPA. It's just that the labs eat up a lot of my time, which I could be using to study for the PCAT, write essays, and fill out applications.

For others who have already taken the PCAT, did you have a full load while studying for the PCAT, and how did that experience go?

Thanks again for your valuable input and wisdom.

alphawind

No, it's not crazy. It shows the pharmacy school that you are:
1) dedicated
2) able to handle mental rigors of pharmacy school

Last semester I worked 20 hours a week at a pharmacy 40 minutes away from my apartment, had 16 credit hours, and was active in two groups on campus. No, it's not impossible. And I had a 3.750 semester GPA to show for it.

 

[OoKellyoO]

14-18 semester hours which is equal to 23-30 credit hours. Most schools if you want to take more than 20 credit hours, they make you pay extra because they don't want the students to take too much. I don't know how the semester system works, but with the quarter system, midterms come almost every week. It's not impossible, but it will be hard. You need to start studying for the PCAT now and study every day for your classes until the semester ends.

 

[dgroulx]

During the semester when I took the PCAT, I was taking Org I, Calculus, Physics I, Genetics & Botany plus labs for a total of 20 credit hours. I had just taken Gen Chem the year before, as well as 1 biology and 2 zoology classes. So, I just reviewed for the PCAT instead of studying for it.

 

[Caverject]

During the semester when I took the PCAT, I was taking Org I, Calculus, Physics I, Genetics & Botany plus labs for a total of 20 credit hours. I had just taken Gen Chem the year before, as well as 1 biology and 2 zoology classes. So, I just reviewed for the PCAT instead of studying for it.

Think your special? I took Physics II + lab, Calculus I, Organic II + lab, Psycology (since your from Florida, it was a gordon rule course), and english literature (required by my school for some odd reason and another gordon rule course) for a total of 19 hrs! The gordon rule just about murdered me that semester!

 

[alphawind]

I'm sorry about the misunderstanding.

I meant to write 14 - 19 semester "credits".

Alphawind

14-18 semester hours which is equal to 23-30 credit hours. Most schools if you want to take more than 20 credit hours, they make you pay extra because they don't want the students to take too much. I don't know how the semester system works, but with the quarter system, midterms come almost every week. It's not impossible, but it will be hard. You need to start studying for the PCAT now and study every day for your classes until the semester ends.

 

[alphawind]

During the semester when I took the PCAT, I was taking Org I, Calculus, Physics I, Genetics & Botany plus labs for a total of 20 credit hours. I had just taken Gen Chem the year before, as well as 1 biology and 2 zoology classes. So, I just reviewed for the PCAT instead of studying for it.

Wow! That's amazing! And you did well in all of your classes and PCAT and managed to have time to write essays and apply to pharmacy school? If you did well in all 4 of these areas during that time, I think that you probably got accepted to pharmacy school since it's quite evident that you are very smart and have great time management skills. Being an optimistic, I really hope you succeeded in meeting your goal.

Alphawind

 

[dgroulx]

Wow! That's amazing! And you did well in all of your classes and PCAT and managed to have time to write essays and apply to pharmacy school? If you did well in all 4 of these areas during that time, I think that you probably got accepted to pharmacy school since it's quite evident that you are very smart and have great time management skills. Being an optimistic, I really hope you succeeded in meeting your goal.

Alphawind

The key is taking the PCAT when the subject matter is still in your head. Some people take it too early before they've had the material. It's better to take the classes, then just review for the PCAT.

When you're in pharmacy school, you will be expected to retain all your knowledge from each class that you've taken and apply it to the next class. It's not too soon to start learning that strategy.

 

[dgroulx]

Think your special? I took Physics II + lab, Calculus I, Organic II + lab, Psycology (since your from Florida, it was a gordon rule course), and english literature (required by my school for some odd reason and another gordon rule course) for a total of 19 hrs! The gordon rule just about murdered me that semester!

I hate Gordon Rule classes. I took most of them separate from my science classes, because I got my AA before starting my pharmacy prereqs. I had to write 15 page papers and do power point presentations for some of my science classes, so it really would have sucked to be taking something like english lit at the same time. I did have some religion classes that required papers, but I took them during the summer sessions.

 

[Glycerin]

Gordon Rule = 👎

I see the point, I guess, but it blew.