Non-trads, how are you doing it?!

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bluegrass belle

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Just need a positive place to share thoughts and hear about the obstacles others are having to overcome (and how they're dealing with them) in this grueling process of GPA repair.

I work 40+ hours/week as a tech support lead at a well-known cable/internet company (Friday-Monday).

I am in school full-time, busting my a** trying to complete this DIY post-bacc - while maintaining a 3.7 (barely). I am doing Alzheimer's research on Tues. and Wed. while also volunteering for the Alzheimer's Association on Thursdays. My days feel full!

I am taking Calc and Orgo I lab over the summer. Taking Biochem, Physics, Orgo II (w/ lab), and Neuroendocrinology in the fall. Still not sure how I'm going to swing this and keep my GPA afloat.

How are you guys dealing with the stress of personal, work, and school life? How are you cramming volunteer time in?

[Edited]

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In the army we used to say "pick em' up and put em' down", as in your feet, one in front of the other, and eventually you get to the end of the run. I say that to myself during this journey way more than I ever did on active duty :D Mostly though, it's just the realization that this is the last chance I'll have to actually do what I want with my life. It's a bit like being caught in a hurricane at this point, there's not really any turning back so you simply weather the storm.
 
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it's just the realization that this is the last chance I'll have to actually do what I want with my life. It's a bit like being caught in a hurricane at this point, there's not really any turning back so you simply weather the storm.

First of all, thank you for your service!

Couldn't have said it better myself. I feel like I'm on autopilot. When are you applying, and what brought you to medicine?
 
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First of all, thank you for your service!

Couldn't have said it better myself. I feel like I'm on autopilot. When are you applying, and what brought you to medicine?

Not until next spring......the process seems so long and drawn out but I know I'm creeping closer every day! I was actually a medic/lab tech in the military but when I got out my computer skills were worth about 5x as much as my healthcare skills so that's why I left healthcare. I've raised two special needs children for almost 18 years at this point so I've been actively involved from the patient side of healthcare for a while too :D
 
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That's a lot of courses to take at once. You might want to cut down to make sure you can get a good GPA.
 
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I just can't go more than 9-12 credits at a time with my current life/job/finances, so my timeline has been dragged out significantly. :/ Buuut, just plugging along, making small goals for myself all the time.
 
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same for me, esob. i make much more doing what i do now in tech support than what i'd be making with my BA in psych.

you were army and a special needs dad for 2 kiddos? kudos to you for that balancing act! from the little i know about having special needs children, it's like a marathon. you're never able to stop for "breaks," you have to eat and drink while running! sounds like medicine is the right place for you. i'll be applying next cycle, too. best of luck to you my friend! :luck:
 
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:welcome:
what are your stories @futuremdforme @astrostellar?

i've been averaging 12 credit hours/semester, and 6-9 hours during summer. if i want to apply next cycle, i can't cut down on any classes. :oops: this will be my third year of GPA repair, and it's been costly (and applying to med schools will be another expense). the hubs and i have discussed me quitting my job later this year if it gets too stressful. we don't want to sacrifice my grades for work/lifestyle. we're moving somewhere cheaper and much, much closer to campus (right now i have a 1.5 hr commute one way). we're ready to buckle down and ride this last year out, whatever happens! :)
 
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At some point you have to whack off some wings. Just decide carefully and you'll get there (less work, less school, less volunteering).
It's okay to take extra time to pump out a quality result!
 
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Just need a positive place to share thoughts and hear about the obstacles others are having to overcome (and how they're dealing with them) in this grueling process of GPA repair.

I work 40+ hours/week as a tech support lead at a well-known cable/internet company (Friday-Monday).

I am in school full-time, busting my a** trying to complete this DIY post-bacc - while maintaining a 3.7 (barely). I am doing Alzheimer's research on Tues. and Wed. while also volunteering for the Alzheimer's Association on Thursdays. My days feel full!

I am taking Calc and Orgo I lab over the summer. Taking Biochem, Physics, Orgo II (w/ lab), and Neuroendocrinology in the fall. Still not sure how I'm going to swing this and keep my GPA afloat.

How are you guys dealing with the stress of personal, work, and school life? How are you cramming volunteer time in?

[Edited]

Wow, I'm incredibly impressed. Does the tech job give you fairly flexible hours? I think I see other peoples schedules and can't imagine. But I have to remember that mine was a special brand of crazy as well.

I started last summer (just over a year ago - I got my first Orgo exam back just one year ago. I can't believe it!). I started with 10 hours over the summer - my first time back in over 13 years. I was PETRIFIED. Orgo I and II with labs. Oddly, I found I was very good at orgo, so it was actually a manageable summer and I was much better at studying. I was volunteering on the weekends and went straight to work Sat and Sunday. I tried to do work from school during the week (I had to sign up for classes at a school 2.5 hours away since the local school was full) - it worked well for some of the time. I also spent time in the car listening to Khan Academy videos to try to keep up with everything (Bless them - they were not around when I was an undergrad and I feel like i really missed out, especially since I learn from listening).

Not sure about your fall - you are crazier than me. I took Cell Bio (w/lab), Genetic s(w/lab), and Advanced Biochem 1 in the fall - all 2.5 hours away since the local school was STILL full. NO REGRETS. I got involved with undergraduate research and had a blast. I was still volunteering and going into work Friday through Monday and I got SUPER sick for about 6 weeks straight at the end of the semester (stomach flu, head cold, stomach flu - never got to recover). I used all of my vacation time. Our firm changed hands before the spring and I went part time, so I had a much more manageable spring (but we struggled financially. Welcome to grad school living) (still struggling).

I have found that my schedule was easier when it was a SCHEDULE and I was used to it. Oddly, summer required the earliest hours, but it was easier to handle since every day had the same wake-up time and I managed to get in bed early. I wasn't a huge fan of fall since two days required an early rise, but my research went pretty late, so I was burning the candle at both ends. My first few weeks volunteering were tough because I wasn't sure what to expect, but they got a lot easier just after a few weeks. And the first few weeks of school are always tough. Fall was hard because I had some seriously long lab reports due - always at the same time - as well as at least 16 exams and something like 5 bio quizzes and 10 lab quizzes. I always had to be "on."

Spring felt like my "hardest" semester because I was going to just one class, doing some research, but primarily studying for the MCAT during the week, which got very monotonous. I tried to cram everything in Tuesday-Thursday so I could be a semi-normal person on the weekends. No luck. I just felt like I was in a holding pattern. I started taking practice exams after spring break, as well as shadowing a doctor on the drive up to school, and that seemed to get me through the doldrums. There was something oddly exciting about seeing how I could do on the exams. And I was in countdown mode, so I had a little extra energy to get me through.

Of course, my husband got a new job in the middle of this and I had to beg him to put the start date one week after the MCAT. We're STILL in the process of moving. It seems like the move that will never end. But I'm so happy I decided to start this last year.

As far as balance goes, I found that some semesters were easier to balance than others (summer was the easiest). I've always been known to cram a little too much in, so I guess it was par for the course, but watch your health carefully. Mine went downhill fast when I went over my limit. You might have to go part time in the fall. If your company is fine with that, use it to your advantage and try to cut back on spending. I spent anywhere from 3 to 10 days away from home at any point in time, and I hated weekends away. But I got into a habit of calling my husband on my drive home every night, and we always had one night out together (when i came home). I also learned to say "no" to family events a lot more often. But I think we all hit that point where we're balancing everything and you have to give a little at one point to stay afloat. You'll have to determine what needs to give, because something will give. I'm sure it only gets harder after we get accepted.
 
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:welcome:
what are your stories @futuremdforme @astrostellar?

i've been averaging 12 credit hours/semester, and 6-9 hours during summer. if i want to apply next cycle, i can't cut down on any classes. :oops: this will be my third year of GPA repair, and it's been costly (and applying to med schools will be another expense). the hubs and i have discussed me quitting my job later this year if it gets too stressful. we don't want to sacrifice my grades for work/lifestyle. we're moving somewhere cheaper and much, much closer to campus (right now i have a 1.5 hr commute one way). we're ready to buckle down and ride this last year out, whatever happens! :)

My husband just got a job nearby to campus. Humorously enough, I'm now back at our home trying to pack up while he's near my school, so we're still apart! But I imagine that will help a lot. I'm still a little jealous of the kids who walk to school. But you can do it - it will be worth it in the end!
 
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@DBC03, are we twins? Must be! ;)

I also work Friday-Monday (noon-11p). I've tried to cram classes in on Tues and Thursday (all day). Wednesdays were my volunteer/errand/catch up on sleep and homework days.

They're not flexible as far as going part-time. They can sometimes shift my days around, but "business needs" must be met, so no part-time for me! Your job sounded very demanding. Mine can be, but we have slower periods (especially between 9:30 and 11), and I can sometimes sneak some reading/homework in. That's a major perk.

Khan Academy is a life saver. I have watched many lectures (mainly orgo) while on my way up to school before an exam (when my hubby drives me up - he does that on his off days, bless him). Genetics was a special kind of hell for me. I prefer orgo to genetics. I graciously accepted my B in genetics and moved on with my life, lol. :D I'm hesitant about taking Biochem, Orgo II, and Physics together, but I *hope* I'm just psyching myself out. At least I know the option of me leaving my job is on the table. I will gladly do that if it means maintaining a good GPA these last two semesters.

I definitely agree! I'm not sure why, but things are always smooth in the summers, even with classes. I do get sick often now, which sucks. Just a side effect of stress, I'm sure. Hopefully getting back into the gym and meal prepping will alleviate that!

We're trying to stay within 5 mi of campus! I am so excited about that. Such a small thing, but it will help so much.
 
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How are you guys dealing with the stress of personal, work, and school life? How are you cramming volunteer time in?

Hanging in there dealing with it one day at a time, haha. I'm working full-time and studying for the MCAT. I volunteer a lot less currently, but will pick it back up in a few weeks. It's hard, but the way I look at it, it will only get harder. I'm looking forward to being in med school WITHOUT a job. I've worked while in school since high school, so over it. I don't remember what it's like to focus completely on school.
 
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Nothing super exciting for me. I used to work, but decided to go to med school after a few years. I didn't have to take any classes - thankfully my GPA was ok and I had a good MCAT so it worked out for me. I just finished MS2.

Flexibility to leave your job is key. It wasn't an option for me as I did my repair but ditching the long commute will make your life soooo much better.
 
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How are you guys dealing with the stress of personal, work, and school life?
[Edited]

I often remind myself that the people I left behind in non-premed land are spending their oh-so precious and lamented over twenties playing videos games, accruing massive consumer debt, drinking too much, getting divorced, smoking dope and sharing suicide/anxiety memes on Facebook.

This process is at least something to clearly orient yourself around.

Direction is in short supply these days.

#noragrets
 
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I'm 26. My first attempt(s) at college back in '09 left me with 43 credits at a 1.0 GPA. So, it's been a rough uphill battle. I'm active duty Air Force and have been earning my bachelors really, really slowly over the last ~two years and plan on graduating on '20 or '21, probably applying in '21 or '22. It's a looooooooong road. I'm up to a 2.5c right now. I work nights and take online classes with some in-person classes as my schedule/command permits :rolleyes: I have another 3 years left on my military contract, so no real option to go any faster than I am now.
 
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Diligence
 
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finished all the prerequisites (32 credits) in a year at a state school while working full-time.
GPA: 3.98
Plan to slow down and focus on mcat now
 
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You're killing it so far. There really isn't a trick. I have two kids and finished my bachelors while working 80-100 hours per week, doing a deployment, PCSing twice, doing research, and volunteering. It sucked, but I was able to maintain a decent GPA, get good research in, get a great LOR, and keep my family and marriage together.

As @esob said, pick 'em up and put 'em down. In the Navy, we say "adapt and overcome" and "semper gumby." When things change or get hard, you change or get hard right along with it.
 
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finished all the prerequisites (32 credits) in a year at a state school while working full-time.
GPA: 3.98
Plan to slow down and focus on mcat now
Congrats! is that overall or science. nonetheless gL. Def. aim for an MD school if you want the best residency! But DO ain't bad either!!! :)
 
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I am dealing with it by just not thinking about how hard it is, and just doing it.

I work 50-ish hours a week, go to school, and have an 8 month old. I wake up at 5am, drop my kid off at my mother in-laws house, get to work by 6am. Go to class around 11, back at work around 1 and work until 6:30. Then I go to night class, get home around 9, study until 1-2am, some nights I finish studying around midnight if I am fast. I am working off of 3-5 hours of sleep a night, and its a bear. I have maintained a 4.0 so far, just finishing up Gen-Chem III now.

If I didn't have such an enormously supportive wife I would have no chance, to be honest. ALL of my old hobbies are now non-existent. The only respite/recharge I have is playing with my baby as much as possible throughout the day any free second I have. Which are too few and far between, but my upcoming class schedule may give me a bit more free time. We will see. Like the poster above said, just keep moving and you will get there.
 
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Congrats! is that overall or science. nonetheless gL. Def. aim for an MD school if you want the best residency! But DO ain't bad either!!! :)

Sciences. This is my secondary bachelor degree. My previous foreign gpa won't be counted.
 
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