Is this even possible or am i crazy?!!?!!?!!?

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You are in your first year of college. You are asking opinions of people who have experienced a lot of stuff that you have yet to go through. People are just offering you a perspective on things that you cannot have yet by yourself (of no fault of your own). Don't be mad at people for their advice just because it is not what you want to hear.
 
I'll go ahead and voice the unpopular opinion here.

If you WANT to graduate in 3, do so. You may not get in right away, in which case you can spend another 1-? years doing other things to mature up and get experience. People seem to forget the opportunity to grow isn't limited to college, and I know plenty of people who graduated early who went on to be successful.

My views are perhaps colored since college was my vision of hell, and I couldn't wait to get it over with and get the hell out. I'm a bit jealous of the folks here that had such great experiences! I don't know if it was just the fact that I went to a low-ranked state school or what, but I got out as quick as I could and consider it the best decision of my life. I was much happier in HS, and I'm much happier now that I'm out in the working world, and I'm sure I'll be much happier when I start school again in August.
 
ok, well, i didn't mean to offend anyone by that statement.

MOST majors require relitively the same number of classes. I did the calculations with my councelor and we figured out, if you take 4 course per quarter and no summer school, you can be done within 3 yrs. 180 units...assuming all classes taken avg out to 5 units.

so- if you can't take 4 classes a quarter(w/o summer school) and graduate in 3 yrs...then, to me, that is slacking off.
 
ok, well, i didn't mean to offend anyone by that statement.

MOST majors require relitively the same number of classes. I did the calculations with my councelor and we figured out, if you take 4 course per quarter and no summer school, you can be done within 3 yrs. 180 units...assuming all classes taken avg out to 5 units.

so- if you can't take 4 classes a quarter(w/o summer school) and graduate in 3 yrs...then, to me, that is slacking off.

Once again, your narrow view is preventing you from seeing a difference between being lazy and pursuing multiple interests. As you yourself just said, you and your counselor calculated required courses; what about taking courses not strictly required? Not everyone who wants to be a doctor has to be a bio major, or take only the bare minimum required for their degree + med school pre-reqs. If you want to take that route, go for it; but I'd suggest you stop throwing the slacking off accusation around, unless you are trying to come off as arrogant.
 
Perrotfish,

you are going to compare graduating early(on time in my opinion) to jumping off the empire state building? interesting.

Pmdc,

its not that they are giving me advice i dont want to hear...its advice im not asking for. I feel i am mature enough for college. people are clearly saying im not.

Ollie,

thanks for the post. I enjoyed HS and im enjoying College. I go out and party in college as much as i did in HS. I have all the same friends because I stayed local for college which i kind of regret but whatever.
 
Perhaps that credit distribution is unique to your particular college. I would say that most colleges don't work out that way. In order to graduate in 4 years at my university, you had to take the equivalent of 36 full credit classes - so an average of 4.5 classes per semester without summers. This was to graduate in 4 years, not 3. Thats an example of why people got offended. If its a lot easier to finish where you are and you feel like that's what you want to do, then go for it. You were asking others if it is feasible, but it seems that you have already figured out that it is in your situation. Personally, I think that if you choose this route, you should take that extra 4th year to do something else like travel, research, clinical experience, get a masters...it will make you a better applicant to medical school and a better doctor.
 
Zolar, I have taken classes that are not medically related or major related. that is the point of lower division work...it helps you broaden your horizons so to speak.

you can still take classes of independant intrest and have it accredited for graduation.

i shouldn't say "slacker" then. I think its moreso a situation of unpreparedness. but, isnt being unprepared, in essance, slacking?
 
"If its a lot easier to finish where you are and you feel like that's what you want to do, then go for it"



first of all, its not "easier" to graduate where i goto school. like you said, its a different system. taking 4 classes in one quarter is quite the load unless planned out properly.
 
I think it's great that you're so driven and want to buckle down and get things done. But in actuality, the average age of entering med school students is increasing, not decreasing--and that's probably for a reason. It's nice that your parents are wealthy enough to give you lots of nice things. Why not take advantage of that? Seriously, go abroad for a year. It seems like a long time, but it flies by. If I had to do it again, I would go for 2 semesters instead of 1.
I'm trying to convince my little sister to do that when she gets to college.

I think you got such strong responses because at one point or another everyone just wants to get through college or high school or whatever you're doing and when you look back you wish you could tell yourself "NO!!!". Since we can't travel back in time, we're telling you, since you asked. 🙂
 
Nothing floats my boat as much as some arrogant freshman teaching me about my now complete college experience...:laugh:


Thank god med schools have interviews!
 
I think you got such strong responses because at one point or another everyone just wants to get through college or high school or whatever you're doing and when you look back you wish you could tell yourself "NO!!!".
No, I think the strong responses have more to do with her wild assumptions about people who have more experience than she does being "slackers," "unprepared," etc. Uneducated arrogance tends to garner strong responses.
 
I apologize. I did not word that properly.
 
No, I think the strong responses have more to do with her wild assumptions about people who have more experience than she does being "slackers," "unprepared," etc. Uneducated arrogance tends to garner strong responses.

Yes, well that too. I was just trying to be nice.
 
Thanks for the nice response MCHitty. I will DEFINITELY look into studying abroad. I want to goto either spain/italy/england. That would be so awesome!

jochi1543, im not telling you how your college experience should have been. I merely stated why i thought it is unnecessary to do 4/5 yrs of college.

im a nice person. im sure medschool interviewers would love me!

🙂
 
I think it's up to you, but I think what you'll realize when you're 23 or 24 that you can't get that time back.

Yeah, 'cuz 23 and 24 is just so old -- life's over at that point. I agree with your overall point but disagree that doors close that early, and if you're feeling regretful that young, you probably have more options to remedy things than you think. College in itself gives you the opportunity for things like internships and studying abroad, though, which you don't have when you're working.

To the op, college is about more than getting into med school. Adcoms would like to see that you know that.
 
ok, well, i didn't mean to offend anyone by that statement.

MOST majors require relitively the same number of classes. I did the calculations with my councelor and we figured out, if you take 4 course per quarter and no summer school, you can be done within 3 yrs. 180 units...assuming all classes taken avg out to 5 units.

so- if you can't take 4 classes a quarter(w/o summer school) and graduate in 3 yrs...then, to me, that is slacking off.

LOL does anyone else think our fair princess has never lifted a finger to help others in her life? Yo, princess, get a clue. Some people have to WORK to put themselves through college while you slack off on mommy and daddy's money. Personally, I have way more respect for those people than I do for you. You don't know the meaning of hard work as is obvious by your incredibly ignorant and junior high-level posts.

Leave her alone, folks. Let her graduate whenever she wants. Let her apply to med school. She'll never get in once she opens her mouth. Though I must admit, I'd love to be a fly on the wall her first day of OBGYN rotation third year.
 
To the OP: I went to UCLA myself and agree that it's very feasible to finish and graduate with a degree in the sciences in three years. I could have also finished in 3 but decided to take a semester abroad in Australia. So I think that if you really feel that you are ready and that you've extracted all that you can from your college experience (including research and clinical activities), then go for it. Just make sure that you've thought about it thoroughly.

With respect to your comment about taking 4 years to graduate and "slacking off" or "screwing around," you have to understand that on a public forum like this, you're bound to get strong responses with you make strong statements like that. You also should realize that while you had the benefit of knowing what you wanted to study early on in your college career, many don't have that luxury. Many students also limit their classload (to 3 classes or less in a quarter) for different reasons, whether it be so that they can work simulatneously and support themselves financially or because they want the extra time to pursue other interests. None of these students would have been characterized as those who "screwed around" or "slacked off".

I'm not writing this to pass judgement on you.. I just wanted you to get a different perspective about why some people were offended by your comment. I'm not condoning the super harsh responses that were made to you, but I hope you'll come to understand the basis of peoples' responses.
 
Doctor Bagel, did you not read what she wrote to me earlier?

flowerence,

thanks for your response. I plan on doing study abroad now. thats for sure.

i didn't mean to offend people by saying they slacked off in college by taking 4 yrs. in hs you take 6-7 classes a semester! i mean cmon. lol

MedStudentWanna,

im not going to apologize for feel guilty for the fact that my parents are putting me through collge and medschool. For their kindness, i want to take as little time as possible so that they don't accrue that much expense.

its funny, your og/gyn comment, my mom is an OB/GYN and my dad is a critical care anesthesiologist. they both immigrated here and have worked very very hard to get to where they are. I have no intention on taking advantage of them. Plus, my dad is persian and my mom is french, i think they know when they are being taken advantage of. LOL!
 
I'm a soon-to-be 3rd year and I know only ONE student - premed or otherwise - graduating in 3 years. She just happens to be the most mature person I know, who has held down a job for the past, oh, 5 or 6 years in addition to volunteering ~10 hours a week. Even she is scared of the prospect a little. College is a time to mature. I'm sure you're mature enough for college, but most of your medical school classmates will be around 25 years old (avg entering age) and you will be a BABY compared to them, in terms of age, life experience, and probably knowledge. If your parents are so wealthy that they can pay for college without batting an eye, take the 4 years and take some electives. I don't know where this "lower" and "upper" division coursework comes from. For a bio major here, we have Gen Chem (year), OChem (year), Physics (year), 5 quarters of bio + 5 more bio classes, plus biochem, plus a year of calculus. We are on the quarter system, limited to 4 classes a quarter, for a max of 12 classes a year. We also have extensive core requirements which total to 12 more classes (and that's only if you take Gen Chem and Bio to fulfill the remaining 4 - if you're not a science major, you need to take 16 core requirements).

In 3 years, with AP credits and placement tests, the girl I know will graduate fine. But she is missing an entire year's worth of classes and experiences just to be a doctor ONE YEAR EARLIER. It's not worth it, if you ask me, or any of the other people in this thread. Try being financially independent and in college at the same time. It's quite a bit harder to manage than you have it right now. Not everyone gets to volunteer 200+ hours at Daddy's office, because Daddy doesn't always have a lucrative practice and some people actually have to work - yes, for money - to get through college. So maybe you should reconsider your world view that 4 years is "slacking." I'm pretty sure the reality is that you have it too easy to know why anyone would take 4 years to - gasp! - graduate.
 
Thanks for the nice response MCHitty. I will DEFINITELY look into studying abroad. I want to goto either spain/italy/england. That would be so awesome!

jochi1543, im not telling you how your college experience should have been. I merely stated why i thought it is unnecessary to do 4/5 yrs of college.

im a nice person. im sure medschool interviewers would love me!

🙂

Hey princess...I went to UCLA also. I was a microbiology major, I was also in the college honors program. I went to summer school every summer, and my last two years I did 15 hours of research per week, and 4 hours of volunteer work. It took me 4 years...are you gonna call me a slacker? You really need to grow up!
 
wow you guys are totally taking me the wrong way.

I RETRACT MY SLACKING OFF COMMENT! sheesh.

however, i am not going to apologize for the cards life has dealt me. i havent worked because i don't have to right now. i concentrate on my school work and social life. should i apologize for my parents buying me a car as a graduation present? should feel apologetic for getting a full ride through colleg/medschool?

why? i am gratefull and thus want to speed up the process so that my parents dont have to take care of me fore that long.

if possible, can anyone that graduated in 3 yrs or is planning on it please jott down the process? like which classes matched up and which didn't. if you could, please list your schedule of classes for the 3 yrs. specifically, which classes you took, when you took them. i will try to compare and contrast with my schedule.

thanks in advance.
 
wow you guys are totally taking me the wrong way.

I RETRACT MY SLACKING OFF COMMENT! sheesh.

however, i am not going to apologize for the cards life has dealt me. i havent worked because i don't have to right now. i concentrate on my school work and social life. should i apologize for my parents buying me a car as a graduation present? should feel apologetic for getting a full ride through colleg/medschool?

why? i am gratefull and thus want to speed up the process so that my parents dont have to take care of me fore that long.

if possible, can anyone that graduated in 3 yrs or is planning on it please jott down the process? like which classes matched up and which didn't. if you could, please list your schedule of classes for the 3 yrs. specifically, which classes you took, when you took them. i will try to compare and contrast with my schedule.

thanks in advance.

I thought you and your advisor already had all of this planned out. Why do you need schedules from others?
 
no, fever106. you're not a slacker...you were unprepared.

do you contend that you could not have graduated in 3 yrs if better prepared? i dont know the details with microbio or the honors program but im sure you could have.
 
Also, if you don't want to come off as spoiled or a know-it-all:

1) don't call yourself princess, or anything remotely similar. This doesn't just apply to your SN, get out of the habit of calling yourself a princess in any social situation whatsoever.

2) Don't write about how you've already taken the Princeton Review and Kaplan Courses and plan to pay to take these incredibly expensive courses yet again

3) Hold down a job for a summer. A real, 40-60 hr/wk job. Your parents won't 'incur any additional expense' because you're working rather than spending time in school. Co-Op programs (where you work at the same company for several semesters) are in general a good way to add some time to college, improve your application, and take at least some of the responsibility for paying for yourself.

You're a rich (doctor's?) daughter, so you're already going to have a hard time convincing adcoms that you don't feel entiled to this. You don't need to add fuel to the fire.
 
wow, retract one offensive comment and add another.
 
however, i am not going to apologize for the cards life has dealt me. i havent worked because i don't have to right now. i concentrate on my school work and social life. should i apologize for my parents buying me a car as a graduation present? should feel apologetic for getting a full ride through colleg/medschool?

I would say this is somewhat more offensive than the slacking off comment, actually. At least the slacking thing implied a positive trait (hard worker) rather than just a negative (Paris Hilton wannabee)
 
Yeah, 'cuz 23 and 24 is just so old -- life's over at that point. I agree with your overall point but disagree that doors close that early, and if you're feeling regretful that young, you probably have more options to remedy things than you think. College in itself gives you the opportunity for things like internships and studying abroad, though, which you don't have when you're working.

To the op, college is about more than getting into med school. Adcoms would like to see that you know that.

My point isn't that 23 or 24 is old. My point is that for me, that soon after I was done (and I took 5 years...gasp!) I already wished I could go back and do things differently. And no, doors don't close at that age, but I've found that it's harder to do things at 24 than it would've been at 19.

That is all.
 
Also, if you don't want to come off as spoiled or a know-it-all:

1) don't call yourself princess, or anything remotely similar. This doesn't just apply to your SN, get out of the habit of calling yourself a princess in any social situation whatsoever.

2) Don't write about how you've already taken the Princeton Review and Kaplan Courses and plan to pay to take these incredibly expensive courses yet again

3) Hold down a job for a summer. A real, 40-60 hr/wk job. Your parents won't 'incur any additional expense' because you're working rather than spending time in school. Co-Op programs (where you work at the same company for several semesters) are in general a good way to add some time to college, improve your application, and take at least some of the responsibility for paying for yourself.

You're a rich (doctor's?) daughter, so you're already going to have a hard time convincing adcoms that you don't feel entiled to this. You don't need to add fuel to the fire.

omg, you guys are totally taking everything the wrong way. the mcat classes were just me responding to the question "how do you plan to study for the mcat". Look, im not going to sit here and tell you im sorry that my parents allow me to take multiple exam classes or that they are paying for my college. I DONT SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! im sure there are students on this forum that have parents send them to school and what not.

my sn was just somthing i thought up in a hurry. its unfair for you to assume i walk around with an elitist attitude.

why would i get a 40-60 hr/wk job? ill be working for the rest of my life...no?

lastly, WHAT DID I SAY THAT WAS SO OFFENSIVE!??
 
however, i am not going to apologize for the cards life has dealt me. i havent worked because i don't have to right now. i concentrate on my school work and social life. should i apologize for my parents buying me a car as a graduation present? should feel apologetic for getting a full ride through colleg/medschool?

Listen, I've been trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but seriously...help yourself out! Just because you don't have to work, doesn't mean you shouldn't. As a doctor, you're going to be dealing with all walks of life and though you can't control to what family you are born, you can control to whom you expose yourself.

I doubt adcoms will be impressed that you finished in three years by focusing on school and your social life.
 
thanks for the post. I enjoyed HS and im enjoying College. I go out and party in college as much as i did in HS. I have all the same friends because I stayed local for college which i kind of regret but whatever.

If thats the case, you should of went to Cal.

Anyways. If you want to do it then do it. I'm sure its possible. It seems like you have a lot of things done in terms of grades, EC's, etc... Just build it up more. I don't think people should be giving you a hard time. Whatever, everyone is different. I took 4 years, plus I will be taking a year off. If you ask me, I wouldn't have done it in three years, but I wish I didn't have to take this year off to apply. I should have done it last year.
 
I was referring to the fact that you told fever that he/she was "unprepared" when he/she obviously worked incredibly hard at your very own institution. Given your attitude, I'm thinking that it is you who will be very unprepared for medical school.
 
thanks baddasshairday.

MCHitty, im not planning on getting into medschool with good grades and a social life. thanks.

so- as stated earlier, could some of you 3 yr grads please post your detailed schedule of classes so i can compare and contrast with mine? thank you.
 
I was referring to the fact that you told fever that he/she was "unprepared" when he/she obviously worked incredibly hard at your very own institution. Given your attitude, I'm thinking that it is you who will be very unprepared for medical school.

you must have missed the part where he/she rudely/condesceningly told me to "grow up"

i was merely reciprocating the love.
 
If you have AP/IB credit, graduating 1-2 semesters early doesn't take much extra effort. Some things you might wanna check into though: At my school, upper level courses aren't offered over the summer. Usually only general college requirements and pre-requisite courses are taught during summer school. Also, a lot of times, courses that you need will be offered at the same time meaning you can't take them in the same semester.

That said, if you can fit everything in and have a strong application, best of luck to you! Personally though, when I was just starting school, I was so excited that I could graduate a semester (and even a year, with a little extra work) early. Now, I'm about to enter my senior year, taking mostly filler classes (I only need a PE and one upper level class to graduate), because I don't want to leave.
 
omg, you guys are totally taking everything the wrong way.

One of the nice things about the internet is that it gives you a chance to get reactions that, in a face to face conversation, would have been suppressed. Your attitudes give the impression of someone who is: 1) unappoligetically overprivelaged 2) a know-it-all (despite being very inexperienced) and 3) quite combative when challenged on those two points. Several dozen people on this thread are humbly suggesting that you try to alter your attitudes before the ADCOMs eat you alive. Since this metamorphasis might take more than an act of will, you might want to try a mission trip, a study abroad, a job, Peace Corps after graduation, or some other attempt to mix with the less fortunate to help you figure out, through trial and error, why your attitudes are offensive to those not in the group of friends you've grown up with.
 
One of the nice things about the internet is that it gives you a chance to get reactions that, in a face to face conversation, would have been suppressed. Your attitudes give the impression of someone who is: 1) unappoligetically overprivelaged 2) a know-it-all (despite being very inexperienced) and 3) quite combative when challenged on those two points. Several dozen people on this thread are humbly suggesting that you try to alter your attitudes before the ADCOMs eat you alive. Since this metamorphasis might take more than an act of will, you might want to try a mission trip, a study abroad, a job, Peace Corps after graduation, or some other attempt to mix with the less fortunate to help you figure out, through trial and error, why your attitudes are offensive to those not in the group of friends you've grown up with.

👍 Good advice. Go to a developing country to do some volunteer work. It really changes your perception on things. The **** that annoys you or that you complain about won't mean **** after that.
 
yoh crazy.

There, it was the topic for god's sake... someone had to say it.
 
Your saying that but i would prefer to be under 30 before i become a full fledged doctor. If i want to raise a family, i dont want to be 40 before I have kids..

I'm not sure what my post has to do with your goals of being a doctor by 30 and a parent before 40. If you take, God Forbid, 4 years (or horrors - 5) to graduate, one would assume you would be well younger than 30 before you had your MD degree. Having children is up to you. There is no reason you have to wait until 40 to have children, unless there are other roadblocks - medicine or graduating from college after 4 years instead of 3 doesn't have to be it.
 
I cannot believe I just wasted seven minutes of my life reading this thread. I want a refund. 👎

Also, loudly advertising that mommy and daddy are paying for med school while most of us are biting off six-figure debt isn't really the way to become popular around here. Of course, if you had gone through four years of college and met people that weren't as clueless as you, you might have figured out this thing we call social interaction.

PS: the money your parents spend on "multiple review classes" for the MCAT could be spent a lot better by, say, burning it. One is more than enough.

edit in the spirit of not complete flame: really, go out and do something outside your bubble. I think you could do OK in life if you just adjusted to the real world a little bit, and I don't mean that in a mean way at all.
 
👍 Good advice. Go to a developing country to do some volunteer work. It really changes your perception on things. The **** that annoys you or that you complain about won't mean **** after that.



I second this! Plus it's amazing to see how happy people can be while living on so very little.
 
I'm not sure what my post has to do with your goals of being a doctor by 30 and a parent before 40. If you take, God Forbid, 4 years (or horrors - 5) to graduate, one would assume you would be well younger than 30 before you had your MD degree. Having children is up to you. There is no reason you have to wait until 40 to have children, unless there are other roadblocks - medicine or graduating from college after 4 years instead of 3 doesn't have to be it.

i think what they mean is it would be much easier to have your MD by the age of 30 so that you can have kids after that.

lets be honest, having kids in medschool/residency would NOT be ideal.

Also, you guys are all assuming that I am an ungratefull little dadys girl. I don't think its fair for people to make that assumption based on an interenet conversation. Like i said, i am very gratefull for everything i have.
 
its funny, your og/gyn comment, my mom is an OB/GYN and my dad is a critical care anesthesiologist. they both immigrated here and have worked very very hard to get to where they are. I have no intention on taking advantage of them. Plus, my dad is persian and my mom is french, i think they know when they are being taken advantage of. LOL!

Good lord. As a fellow Persian, please don't tell anyone you're one of us. My parents also emigrated (note the e, not i. You would have picked that up in a real four-year education) here. They worked very hard for everything they had and they also put me through school. Guess what: I also volunteered as a suicide hotline and rape counselor because I thought it was important. I also held down a job my last two years of college because I didn't want to be seen...well, like you. There's something to be said for humility and you don't have any.

Frankly, I find you extremely spoiled and unattractive and it has nothing to do with the "cards life has dealt" you. It's more about your attitude towards others. And don't you dare bring it down to a game of firsties. Grace and class can be present traits without the benefit of someone setting an example. You have a lot to learn about life and about your fellow human beings. I doubt you'll get into med school until you do.
 
:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I'll admit; I didn't have the balls to say it.

that is uncalled for. i havent said anything remotely offensive as this. oh and ive had bf of 4 yrs...thank you.

Anyhow, by saying that i am ungratefull/unknowledgable/undeserving is unfair. I have busted my ass getting into my undergrad college and i am busting my ass to get into medschool.

you people really need to stop being so bitter.

once again, if someone could please post their 3yr grad schedule of classes i would be grateful
 
Also, you guys are all assuming that I am an ungratefull little dadys girl. I don't think its fair for people to make that assumption based on an interenet conversation. Like i said, i am very gratefull for everything i have.

I don't think anyone called you ungrateful. We just think you have a lot to learn about how to treat people. If we think you're spoiled, it's because you came here and immediately judged the rest of us by calling us slackers or unprepared and for a group as hard-working as the folks on this site, those are stinging insults (regardless of the fact that you retracted them). You think you're better than most people here, that was implied by those comments, so yeah, you're going to get ganged up on. You deserve it for your ignorance.

By the way, ask your parents to PLEASE pay for a remedial English course so you can work out the...ahem "quirks"...in your skills.
 
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