Is it terrible that i'm not thrilled to begin my first year of dental school? Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty excited to begin what I've been working the last 4 years for, but..... the next 4 years are going to be sleep deprived and filled with academic punishment. I'm ready to take it on and kill it, but is it alright that I'm not excited about it? Anybody else in my shoes?
Not too excited for school to start
- Thread starter petro244
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2009
- Messages
- 302
- Reaction score
- 26
I was excited when I started but I also felt some of what you're feeling. You feel like you've won a huge victory just getting into school only to look up and realize there's another 4 year road to travel. I used to think of my life as little sprints from one thing to the next, but you've got to look at the horizon of your life as a giant marathon and it will help minimize the negative feelings about this truly short term road you're about to travel.
Imagine yourself now and look back on middle school or high school. You can laugh now at how long you thought it would be back then. Dental school is going to fly by so fast you won't know what happened. Good luck.
- Joined
- May 28, 2011
- Messages
- 315
- Reaction score
- 41
Like a giant, long sour patch kid.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 1,555
- Reaction score
- 503
Ditto
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2005
- Messages
- 1,183
- Reaction score
- 155
If you choose dentistry for the right reason, then the next four years will be hard work but very rewarding. Dental school is tough but everyone is in the same boat with you. It will be over before you know it as the toughest year is in the second. The rest is pretty easy in my experience. DP
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2010
- Messages
- 424
- Reaction score
- 40
just wait until you get a patient that is so happy with you, that you forget all about how hoop-jumping school is.
I had one that was just a simple denture adjustment. not even a re-align. just trimming the posterior border of a denture he had gotten made at the school several years before. All I did was thin it down. I received zero school 'credit' for doing it, but when the patient said, "Oh my! Thank you so very much. I havent been able to speak well for two years. This is amazing!" Well...
There are not many better feelings in dentistry that I have come across than that much gratitude.
I had one that was just a simple denture adjustment. not even a re-align. just trimming the posterior border of a denture he had gotten made at the school several years before. All I did was thin it down. I received zero school 'credit' for doing it, but when the patient said, "Oh my! Thank you so very much. I havent been able to speak well for two years. This is amazing!" Well...
There are not many better feelings in dentistry that I have come across than that much gratitude.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2010
- Messages
- 303
- Reaction score
- 0
i was excited before i got in, after i got in and am still excited that im going through dental school. its the thing ive been wanting to do since i was in high school and the hands on stuff is too fun. but yea at times the studying part was tough but the hands on stuff makes up for it. i always get excited before my sim lab courses. if this is what youve been waiting for, you should have fun in dental school. good luck
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2012
- Messages
- 224
- Reaction score
- 17
I know how you feel OP, grinding through some of the science classes can/will probably be a grind, but that's only for 2 years and you still get some fun clinical classes mixed in. Also, our boards are pass fail which is pretty nice. And it could be worse as some schools have already started 
Gratz on getting in and study hard!
Gratz on getting in and study hard!
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2009
- Messages
- 2,536
- Reaction score
- 272
I'm definitely not one of those people who hangs quotations on my fridge or anything, but when is saw this, it reminded me of D1 year. Even with dental lectures and lab mixed in, it felt like dentistry was a world away sometimes. Just try to keep in mind why you headed down this road to begin with. It seriously got a little hazy at times.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 2,279
- Reaction score
- 18
As frustrating as my new school, new classmates, and new lifestyle in dental school was at times, it was the most rewarding year of my life. I made great new friends, learned more than I ever had, volunteered a lot, finally learned the real importance of sticking to that exercise schedule, and had tons of fun on the weekends. Don't worry.
