Jump Start!- Need ADVICE!
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I wish someone gave me this advice when I graduated from high school. Hopefully its of good use to you. First thing to know is that premed courses in general are nothing like high school. In college, you're required to constantly keep up with material discussed in class. Aldo reviewing for exams can take as long as two weeks or more. I know this may seem obvious, but as a high school honor student and top of my class, I was accustomed to study the night before a test. College is entirely different. Exams are longer and harder. Always put 110 percent into everything you do. My biggest regret is slacking my freshman year, and taking too many difficult courses at once. Now I'm in the position where I need a killer mcat score to make up for my low GPA (3.4). Always study with passion, because once it comes time to taking the MCAT, you'll have a huge advantage. Take into consideration most of what your studying will reappear on the MCAT. I recommed taking these classes if offered at your school: Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Histology. Also look into leadership positions for science organizations at your school. Volunteer and if time. Permits, do research to enhance your medschool application. You'll most liely be reminded of these things during freshman seminars. Anyhow, best of luck to you.
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Thread moved. This kind of topic belongs in the High School forum rather than the MCAT forum.
Nice words of encouragment for someone whose about to take the MCAT. 🙁 It's low but not ad bad as you're making it seem. My chances of entering med-school will be a little more difficult but I'm determined to try hard[GVIDEO][/GVIDEO].
lmao no I'm SHOCKED that a 3.4 is low...I thought a ~3.5 GPA was golden....
Oh haha. I misunderstood ya! Anthing above 3.5 is good. The higher your GPA, the better chance you have going to the school of your choice. Ofcourse the MCAT is ahuge factor too.
This is my advice, as well. Just work hard when you're in college, and you'll be fine as long as you get your extracurriculars in. Enjoy high school while you can. "Studying with passion" 🙂confused🙂 is a bit of a grandiose goal, to put it mildly. Chances are pretty darn good you're going to be "passionate" about exactly zero of your pre-requisite classes, regardless of how much you like science.
Just FYI, the average stats for med school matirculants (i.e., people who actually end up starting med school) are a 3.65 GPA and a 31.2 on the MCAT.
You can't master anything in high school except your study habits. High school science is completely useless when it comes to college and no, college prereqs won't be "super easy" as you will be competing against deserving students not the kids that end up dropping from HS anyway. Especially if you go to a competitive college. You haven't even gotten into college yet so why don't you worry about that first before getting ahead of yourself.
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I remember being in high school, earning top grades, taking advance classes (honors and AP), extracurricular activities, and also the same eagerness to want to become a doctor. It's a long road ahead, but in hindsight, it went by pretty quickly
Anyway, the most important thing you can do while in high school is make sure your study habits are part of your daily routine. Good study habit is needed to succeed in college and also the first two years of medical schools. Makesure that your study habits become part of your daily routine.
The biggest problem that people run into when starting college is the sudden rush of freedom - professors do not care if you don't do your homework, or don't show up to class (especially large lecture halls). No one will yell at you to go to bed at 3AM. In college, you'll be around people your age, who are partying, slacking off, drinking, or doing other "activities". For some, these distractions can have serious consequences on their grades. But I'm not saying you can't have fun or enjoy yourself while in college - this is where good study habits and coping skills will come in handy - you need to find the right balance between having fun and being studious.
As far as courses go, make sure you take Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. A strong foundation in these basic classes will help you when you take these Intro courses in college. Don't forget English too - there is a verbal section on the MCAT (where traditionally students have the hardest time)
Be yourself - be well-rounded, enjoy life. Don't rush things - sometimes I wish was back in high school (well, the nostalgic part at least) instead of doing 30 hr calls q4 and a 2-day weekend is a rare luxary (and termed "golden weekend")
Anyway, the most important thing you can do while in high school is make sure your study habits are part of your daily routine. Good study habit is needed to succeed in college and also the first two years of medical schools. Makesure that your study habits become part of your daily routine.
The biggest problem that people run into when starting college is the sudden rush of freedom - professors do not care if you don't do your homework, or don't show up to class (especially large lecture halls). No one will yell at you to go to bed at 3AM. In college, you'll be around people your age, who are partying, slacking off, drinking, or doing other "activities". For some, these distractions can have serious consequences on their grades. But I'm not saying you can't have fun or enjoy yourself while in college - this is where good study habits and coping skills will come in handy - you need to find the right balance between having fun and being studious.
As far as courses go, make sure you take Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. A strong foundation in these basic classes will help you when you take these Intro courses in college. Don't forget English too - there is a verbal section on the MCAT (where traditionally students have the hardest time)
Be yourself - be well-rounded, enjoy life. Don't rush things - sometimes I wish was back in high school (well, the nostalgic part at least) instead of doing 30 hr calls q4 and a 2-day weekend is a rare luxary (and termed "golden weekend")
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