Official Harvard Extension 2012 Thread

Started by MedWonk
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Hi everyone,

I'm looking to enroll in a upper bio or science-related course this fall at HES to bring up my mediocre sGPA. I would be very appreciative if anyone can give me any advice as to what course(s) they would recommend worth taking. I realize there is no easy 'A', but admittedly I am looking for the closest thing to it, only because I am working and have other responsibilities. Any suggestions on such courses, esp. if you have had prior experience in them, would be super helpful!

Some classes I had in mind: Human Pathophysio II with Sieber and Shore. Maybe Neurobio with Murphy, but judging from his syllabus and lectures online, there seems to be an information overload of stuff he includes in his lectures and outlines. Those are the only two I can think of right now.

If anyone knows other places where I can take continuing ed classes near Boston, that would be good too!
 
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Registration opens tomorrow, don't forget!

Three weeks left of death left, summer classes man they suck. It's like picking which foot to shoot. If you study for a test, you can't keep up with readings and then you have to play catch up. Do both and you haven't studied enough. Then a comprehensive final over bio 1 and 2, feel like there's not enough time in the world. :boom:

Any one ever use the university clinics before? I'm looking at my school health coverage and it seems crappy.

I think I landed an awesome research position, johnny is right being able to put in 20-30 hours a week for 2 years really sells. Oh the luxury's of not having a job, going to do some research on the impacts of eating ramen everyday.

Those volunteering in an ED, was it hard getting in there? Should I expand my horizons beyond MGH, it's the most convenient for me?

What can I do around here to improve my leadership experience?
 
Soco9087 said:
Registration opens tomorrow, don't forget!

Three weeks left of death left, summer classes man they suck. It's like picking which foot to shoot. If you study for a test, you can't keep up with readings and then you have to play catch up. Do both and you haven't studied enough. Then a comprehensive final over bio 1 and 2, feel like there's not enough time in the world. :boom:

Any one ever use the university clinics before? I'm looking at my school health coverage and it seems crappy.

I think I landed an awesome research position, johnny is right being able to put in 20-30 hours a week for 2 years really sells. Oh the luxury's of not having a job, going to do some research on the impacts of eating ramen everyday.

Those volunteering in an ED, was it hard getting in there? Should I expand my horizons beyond MGH, it's the most convenient for me?

What can I do around here to improve my leadership experience?
Click to expand...

MGH ED was an easy volunteer position for me to land. Getting an orientation slot can be tricky though.

Where will your lab be? Congratuations though, glad to hear you were able to land something!

Your Bio final covers both semesters? Holy ****.
 
Hey gang, I've been invited to go to a lab meeting for a possible research volunteer position tomorrow. I'm going to get a sense of what they do and what their projects are like. My questions for those of you with experience doing research- what is your typical day like doing research in a lab? and what are the expectations of you? Can you give me a general idea of what it's like?
I have no experience (outside of labs for classes) of doing research. What are some questions that I should be asking the Dr. when I go to the meeting?
 
Hi all, I'm interested in applying for HCP and have a few questions. If I already completed three of the core science classes back in college and have a good uGPA, would I still qualify for sponsorship? Also, what kind of research opportunities are available for students who are still taking their basic BCPM? What about clinical opportunities? Thanks.
 
johnnyscans said:
Where will your lab be? Congratuations though, glad to hear you were able to land something!
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It will be at MGH also, which is why a volunteer position there would be so convenient.

smiley27 said:
Hey gang, I've been invited to go to a lab meeting for a possible research volunteer position tomorrow. I'm going to get a sense of what they do and what their projects are like. My questions for those of you with experience doing research- what is your typical day like doing research in a lab? and what are the expectations of you? Can you give me a general idea of what it's like?
I have no experience (outside of labs for classes) of doing research. What are some questions that I should be asking the Dr. when I go to the meeting?
Click to expand...

Your typical day will depend on what kind of lab you're in. My previous lab when you came in and someone was in the middle of a protocol, you would help them with it. The next day when the I would get to do mouse extractions. The lab I just interviewed for I would train and eventually make my way up to and OR and do a mitochondria protocol.

I've found that most of the time they will be asking questions of you, but you can ask any question you like. What do you find fascinating about what you do? Who would I be training with? What kind of responsibilities will I have? How long have you been doing this? ect..


egrus said:
Hi all, I'm interested in applying for HCP and have a few questions. If I already completed three of the core science classes back in college and have a good uGPA, would I still qualify for sponsorship? Also, what kind of research opportunities are available for students who are still taking their basic BCPM? What about clinical opportunities? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sponsorship is more or less on an individual basis, they may impose certain requirement to get it, like I have to get a 30 or better on my MCAT. So you don't really know till you apply for it. You should e-mail and ask. Boston is a great area to be pre-med, enough said.
 
Soco9087 said:
I think I landed an awesome research position, johnny is right being able to put in 20-30 hours a week for 2 years really sells. Oh the luxury's of not having a job, going to do some research on the impacts of eating ramen everyday.

Those volunteering in an ED, was it hard getting in there? Should I expand my horizons beyond MGH, it's the most convenient for me?

What can I do around here to improve my leadership experience?
Click to expand...

How did you contact PIs? Did you email a ton of people? If so, did you tailor each email to state something that interested you about the research they were doing, etc? Did you only look at MGH, or others as well?

I'm embarking on the loooong journey to Boston this time next week, and wondering if I should get a head start before some of the other pre-meds get to town. I'm not sure whether I should start trying to contact PIs now, or wait until I'm in town so that I can meet with them right away if they contact me back.

I did notice that registration opens up for MGH's next volunteer orientation on 7/31, for anyone interested.
 
smiley27 said:
Hey gang, I've been invited to go to a lab meeting for a possible research volunteer position tomorrow. I'm going to get a sense of what they do and what their projects are like. My questions for those of you with experience doing research- what is your typical day like doing research in a lab? and what are the expectations of you? Can you give me a general idea of what it's like?
I have no experience (outside of labs for classes) of doing research. What are some questions that I should be asking the Dr. when I go to the meeting?
Click to expand...

I run my own experiments for my own project now. Obviously my PI and my mentor double-check my plans to make sure they're well-designed, but I'm 95% self-sufficient a this point. I'm treated like any other member of the lab. I have to present findings at lab meetings, perform weekly lab jobs (aliquoting reagents, cleaning specific items, etc.) and handle my own experiments.
In an average week:
-We culture two strains of cells: HEK and Podocytes. HEK cells can grow on normal plastic, podocytes require all plastic and glass to be collaganized. Early in the week I'll decide how I plan on splitting my cells out and make sure I have enough collaganized flasks/plates/coverslips for my planned experiments. Cells in culture usually have media changed every two days and they are split once a certain confluency is reached. It is my responsibility to culture my cells exactly as I was taught in order to minimize randomness in experiments. If you will be expected to maintain cells in culture be prepared to come in at least once/weekend.
-Our experiments generally follow this trend: hypothesize, synthesize components (viruses, constructs, antibodies, etc), test components, culture cells, perform experiments, repeat 3 times, compare results, hypothesize

I would ask who will be training you and what your responsibilities will be 3 months, 6 months and 1 year from your start date.

egrus said:
Hi all, I'm interested in applying for HCP and have a few questions. If I already completed three of the core science classes back in college and have a good uGPA, would I still qualify for sponsorship? Also, what kind of research opportunities are available for students who are still taking their basic BCPM? What about clinical opportunities? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sponsorship yes, diploma no. You'll be required to take a certain number of credits and achieve a specific MCAT score in order to obtain sponsorship though. Research: it's Boston. No city in the country has more medical research opportunities than Boston. Clinical: we have the #1 hospital (MGH) and another top-10 hospital (BWH). There's also Boston Medical Center, Beth Isreal, Childrens and the VA hospital in JP. In short, ample clinical opportunities.
 
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Soco9087 said:
I think I landed an awesome research position, johnny is right being able to put in 20-30 hours a week for 2 years really sells. Oh the luxury's of not having a job, going to do some research on the impacts of eating ramen everyday.

Those volunteering in an ED, was it hard getting in there? Should I expand my horizons beyond MGH, it's the most convenient for me?

What can I do around here to improve my leadership experience?
Click to expand...

Ha, good old Ramen. I too landed my ED position fairly easily. They have tons of open time on weekends which worked with my schedule. I prefer the free feeling of volunteering midday on a Saturday. Plus, I love MGH. If you are strapped for cash, each shift earns you one free meal ticket for the cafe. $6.00 worth of food and volunteer experience? Yes please.

We will be having interviews for leadership positions in the student group in October; ideally this is a year commitment. We want to find people with two years to go so that they can take what they've learned and move into a higher position second year. I'll make sure to post more information here when the applications become available.
 
Johnnyscans, do you get time off if you want to go home for holidays, take a week-long vacation, etc? Is that easier to do if you are a volunteer vs. paid?
 
Jennet said:
Ha, good old Ramen. I too landed my ED position fairly easily. They have tons of open time on weekends which worked with my schedule. I prefer the free feeling of volunteering midday on a Saturday. Plus, I love MGH. If you are strapped for cash, each shift earns you one free meal ticket for the cafe. $6.00 worth of food and volunteer experience? Yes please.

We will be having interviews for leadership positions in the student group in October; ideally this is a year commitment. We want to find people with two years to go so that they can take what they've learned and move into a higher position second year. I'll make sure to post more information here when the applications become available.
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Put me in coach I'm ready to play!

Doc4Runner said:
Johnnyscans, do you get time off if you want to go home for holidays, take a week-long vacation, etc? Is that easier to do if you are a volunteer vs. paid?
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As long as I get my work done and don't leave things unfinished, absolutely. The main benefit to being a volunteer is I can take days off as needed and not feel guilty. Three final exams coming up? Plan my experiments so I only need to go in and change media on cells (30 min/day, tops) during that week. My PI knows my priority is school, so he understands completely. It also helps that I don't answer to anybody in regards to planning experiments; I'm more or less my own boss. Obviously I report to my PI, and he has the final say in things, but I'm at the point now where I can plan most of my weekly schedule on my own.
 
This might have been asked before, but for Physics 1A, it says in the syllabus that the Coop has a special version of the text with ancillary items you can buy. (Full wording: "A special edition (comprised of only the chapters we cover in this course) will be available in the
Harvard Coop. There are a number of ancillary items available to students described in the
preface. These are not required and must be ordered, if you wish to purchase them.").

Did anyone find this special version particularly useful as compared to the normal one on Amazon that is $40 cheaper? Also any suggestions on these ancillary items?

Thanks!
 
Lev11 said:
This might have been asked before, but for Physics 1A, it says in the syllabus that the Coop has a special version of the text with ancillary items you can buy. (Full wording: "A special edition (comprised of only the chapters we cover in this course) will be available in the
Harvard Coop. There are a number of ancillary items available to students described in the
preface. These are not required and must be ordered, if you wish to purchase them.").

Did anyone find this special version particularly useful as compared to the normal one on Amazon that is $40 cheaper? Also any suggestions on these ancillary items?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I haven't seen the special version, but I can promise you that the standard edition of the textbook has everything you need and more to get an A in the course. As far as I know, the special edition is just specific to this course and is actually missing some chapters. I don't think it has any material that isn't covered in the standard book. Can anyone who has the special edition confirm or deny this?
 
rock2doc said:
I haven't seen the special version, but I can promise you that the standard edition of the textbook has everything you need and more to get an A in the course. As far as I know, the special edition is just specific to this course and is actually missing some chapters. I don't think it has any material that isn't covered in the standard book. Can anyone who has the special edition confirm or deny this?
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I have the harvard custom physics book and yes, the cystom edition is the same thing as the original judt that the chapters not covered in the course are taken out. This makes the book lighter, also the paper cover for the custom edition makes the book lighter. I prefer paperbacks but save the money and get the standard edition. You just have more chapters than the custom ed. and hardcover.

Get the solutions manual for the book and do/understand ad many end of chapter problems. Don't neglect the end of chapter multiple choice questions, Rueckner pulled numerous end of chp. mc questions for exams. Plus they're good for conceptual understanding.
 
smiley27 said:
Hey gang, I've been invited to go to a lab meeting for a possible research volunteer position tomorrow. I'm going to get a sense of what they do and what their projects are like. My questions for those of you with experience doing research- what is your typical day like doing research in a lab? and what are the expectations of you? Can you give me a general idea of what it's like?
I have no experience (outside of labs for classes) of doing research. What are some questions that I should be asking the Dr. when I go to the meeting?
Click to expand...

In my old lab, my typical day involved answering to my direct supervisor (either grad student or postdoc), and running experiments under their supervision. For the first couple of months, you will be trained on techniques until you are relatively comfortable doing them by yourself. You may be given an independent project (probably one that stems off supervisor's project) depending on the level of trust supervisor/PI has on your work.

In the lab I work in now, because of the size (3 people), there is more expectation for the quality and amount of work I do, but I am also given a lot of independence in designing my experiments. I meet with the PI once a week to go over plans for experiment/results from old experiments. Typical day can involve anything from planning experiments, reading literature, animal husbandry, behavioral analysis, statistics, microscopy, genotyping, molecular bio assays...it all depends on my experiments/results. The PI will either give you one protocol to optimize, or he will have someone expose you to many different techniques.

When you go in for the meeting, show interest! PI's don't mind that you haven't taken enough background classes, as long as you show initiative to learn. You are welcome to ask him anything about his/her work (after he/she should be the expert in that field). Also try to get a feel for the lab (big/small), who would be training you (PI/grad student/postdoc), your responsibilities (will you be able to get your own project or will you be stuck washing dishes), PI's teaching style (is he a micromanager? mentor? hands off?)
 
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smiley27 said:
I have the harvard custom physics book and yes, the cystom edition is the same thing as the original judt that the chapters not covered in the course are taken out. This makes the book lighter, also the paper cover for the custom edition makes the book lighter. I prefer paperbacks but save the money and get the standard edition. You just have more chapters than the custom ed. and hardcover.

Get the solutions manual for the book and do/understand ad many end of chapter problems. Don't neglect the end of chapter multiple choice questions, Rueckner pulled numerous end of chp. mc questions for exams. Plus they're good for conceptual understanding.
Click to expand...


Is this the correct solutions manual for physics? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Student-Solut...sr=1-1&keywords=GIAMBATTISTA+solutions+manual
 
jlk21490 said:
Is this the correct solutions manual for physics? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Student-Solut...sr=1-1&keywords=GIAMBATTISTA+solutions+manual
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That's the solutions manual for a book (by the same author) that isn't the book for physics e1ab. If the coursebook is the same then it's "physics 2nd edition" by giambattista which has a green hardcover for the standard edition and a blue softcover for the custom edition. The solutions manual to that version is the one johnnyscans posted.
 
Thanks for the responses to my questions about doing research. I'll need to decide if I can put in the time commitment.
 
jlk21490 said:
Is this the correct solutions manual for physics? Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Student-Solut...sr=1-1&keywords=GIAMBATTISTA+solutions+manual
Click to expand...

Bummer, I made the same mistake as jlk21490. Totally bought the wrong book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0073301744/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=.

Oh well- at least it was super cheap. Kinda crazy that there are two books by the same three authors both titled Physics (well, one is College Physics).

Anyone else make this mistake and happen to know whether these two books are radically different? The correct book is about $70 more than the one I picked up. The syllabus doesn't specify where the homework problems come from, do I need the official course book? Or can I get away with a similar text?
 
Doc4Runner said:
Bummer, I made the same mistake as jlk21490. Totally bought the wrong book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0073301744/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=.

Oh well- at least it was super cheap. Kinda crazy that there are two books by the same three authors both titled Physics (well, one is College Physics).

Anyone else make this mistake and happen to know whether these two books are radically different? The correct book is about $70 more than the one I picked up. The syllabus doesn't specify where the homework problems come from, do I need the official course book? Or can I get away with a similar text?
Click to expand...

Doc4runner, I have never seen the "college physics" and I would expect the content to be very, very similar to just the "physics" book but you need to get the addigned book and i highly, highly recommend you get the solutions manual.

The homework problem sets are a mix of end of chapter book problems and not end of chapter problems. Sometimes the hw sets are comprised of all end of chapter book problems- these are usually more straightforward and not as ambiguous. You will get a mix of easy plug and chug "why did he assign this" kind pf problem and you will always get difficult "OMG is he nuts?" kind of problems that are very difficult- these are usually more math-involved. There were quite a few hw problems that were in the solutions manual so you have the answer... not all book problems are answered in the solutions manual.

Also included in the solutions manual are answers to a few (not all) conceptual end of chapter questions. The answers to these questions are not in the back of the textbook. The textbook only has just the final answer to all odd problems. On hw sets you need to show how you got an answer for full credit.

Here's a tip for you future phys e1'ers:

Always check to see if the hw set problems are in the book. I learned very late that he used book problems. But i believe the first few hw sets in the first semester were not book problems, but you need to check anyway. The end of chapter problems are separated by subchapter. For example: problems 1-10 are in chapter 2.1; problems 2-20 are for chapter 2.2. Etc. there are "comprehensive problems" for each chapter that don't have a reference subchapter.

But for example you get assigned a book problem. You notice it's in the group of problems for chapter "3.4 - acceleration" you know what concept the question is testing. Everytime i found a book hw problem that had a reference subchapter I would read the subchapter and do the in-chapter example problem before tackling the hw problem. This usually set me on the right track.
 
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smiley27 said:
Doc4runner, I have never seen the "college physics" and I would expect the content to be very, very similar to just the "physics" book but you need to get the addigned book and i highly, highly recommend you get the solutions manual.

The homework problem sets are a mix of end of chapter book problems and not end of chapter problems. Sometimes the hw sets are comprised of all end of chapter book problems- these are usually more straightforward and not as ambiguous. You will get a mix of easy plug and chug "why did he assign this" kind pf problem and you will always get difficult "OMG is he nuts?" kind of problems that are very difficult- these are usually more math-involved. There were quite a few hw problems that were in the solutions manual so you have the answer... not all book problems are answered in the solutions manual.

Also included in the solutions manual are answers to a few (not all) conceptual end of chapter questions. The answers to these questions are not in the back of the textbook. The textbook only has just the final answer to all odd problems. On hw sets you need to show how you got an answer for full credit.

Here's a tip for you future phys e1'ers:

Always check to see if the hw set problems are in the book. I learned very late that he used book problems. But i believe the first few hw sets in the first semester were not book problems, but you need to check anyway. The end of chapter problems are separated by subchapter. For example: problems 1-10 are in chapter 2.1; problems 2-20 are for chapter 2.2. Etc. there are "comprehensive problems" for each chapter that don't have a reference subchapter.

But for example you get assigned a book problem. You notice it's in the group of problems for chapter "3.4 - acceleration" you know what concept the question is testing. Everytime i found a book hw problem that had a reference subchapter I would read the subchapter and do the in-chapter example problem before tackling the hw problem. This usually set me on the right track.
Click to expand...

Smiley is dead on. There will be repeated tests of your understanding on concepts even though the problems themselves vary. The back of the book is a goldmine. Also, and this is a big thing for all you new PHYS-E1a'ers, the first problem sets are going to be pretty darn hard. Unless you've taken Physics recently, I suggest going to help room and getting study group together that first week. You are given extra time, but don't procrastinate. I truly believe that Rueckner purposefully makes those sets harder to test the moxy of the incoming students. We lost a big chunk of people within the first few classes and a bigger chunk after the first test.
 
Jennet said:
Smiley is dead on. There will be repeated tests of your understanding on concepts even though the problems themselves vary. The back of the book is a goldmine. Also, and this is a big thing for all you new PHYS-E1a'ers, the first problem sets are going to be pretty darn hard. Unless you've taken Physics recently, I suggest going to help room and getting study group together that first week. You are given extra time, but don't procrastinate. I truly believe that Rueckner purposefully makes those sets harder to test the moxy of the incoming students. We lost a big chunk of people within the first few classes and a bigger chunk after the first test.
Click to expand...

This. There were kinematics questions that were absolutely brutal.

The foul line basketball shot question was torturous.
 
smiley27 said:
Doc4runner, I have never seen the "college physics" and I would expect the content to be very, very similar to just the "physics" book but you need to get the addigned book and i highly, highly recommend you get the solutions manual.

The homework problem sets are a mix of end of chapter book problems and not end of chapter problems. Sometimes the hw sets are comprised of all end of chapter book problems- these are usually more straightforward and not as ambiguous. You will get a mix of easy plug and chug "why did he assign this" kind pf problem and you will always get difficult "OMG is he nuts?" kind of problems that are very difficult- these are usually more math-involved. There were quite a few hw problems that were in the solutions manual so you have the answer... not all book problems are answered in the solutions manual.

Also included in the solutions manual are answers to a few (not all) conceptual end of chapter questions. The answers to these questions are not in the back of the textbook. The textbook only has just the final answer to all odd problems. On hw sets you need to show how you got an answer for full credit.

Here's a tip for you future phys e1'ers:

Always check to see if the hw set problems are in the book. I learned very late that he used book problems. But i believe the first few hw sets in the first semester were not book problems, but you need to check anyway. The end of chapter problems are separated by subchapter. For example: problems 1-10 are in chapter 2.1; problems 2-20 are for chapter 2.2. Etc. there are "comprehensive problems" for each chapter that don't have a reference subchapter.

But for example you get assigned a book problem. You notice it's in the group of problems for chapter "3.4 - acceleration" you know what concept the question is testing. Everytime i found a book hw problem that had a reference subchapter I would read the subchapter and do the in-chapter example problem before tackling the hw problem. This usually set me on the right track.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! Couldn't have asked for a better answer 🙂
And thank you Jennet!
 
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johnnyscans said:
The foul line basketball shot question was torturous.
Click to expand...

I still remember that problem! I remember seriously doubting my ability to even pass intro physics at that point.

Just wanted to point out for all those that are going to take Rueckner's physics this fall that homework problems are always posted online in full, so when we say that some of them are taken out of the textbook it doesn't really mean that he just gives you the problem number and you have to find that problem. So in that sense, having the exact same edition of the book isn't really crucial. I had an international softcover edition that was identical to the US edition. To be honest, I never had the time to go through the end of chapter problems (although I wish I had and it definitely is HIGHLY recommended) and it took me the whole freaking year to realize that some h/w problems were taken directly from the book (I didn't catch on until the optics material at the end of last semester when I guess he got really lazy with homework problems as almost all of them were taken from the book). I did read every chapter before each lecture though, worked through in-chapter problems, and did quite well in that class.
 
Sciengee said:
I still remember that problem! I remember seriously doubting my ability to even pass intro physics at that point.

Just wanted to point out for all those that are going to take Rueckner's physics this fall that homework problems are always posted online in full, so when we say that some of them are taken out of the textbook it doesn't really mean that he just gives you the problem number and you have to find that problem. So in that sense, having the exact same edition of the book isn't really crucial. I had an international softcover edition that was identical to the US edition. To be honest, I never had the time to go through the end of chapter problems (although I wish I had and it definitely is HIGHLY recommended) and it took me the whole freaking year to realize that some h/w problems were taken directly from the book (I didn't catch on until the optics material at the end of last semester when I guess he got really lazy with homework problems as almost all of them were taken from the book). I did read every chapter before each lecture though, worked through in-chapter problems, and did quite well in that class.
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I think I have PTSD from that basketball question. Also figuring out how the boat crossed the river. I kept trying to apply sailing logic and it always failed. I distinctly remember having a meltdown at one point and telling my mentor, "I'm never gonna be a doctor if I can't make the basketball go in the hole" or something equally as ridiculous.

Now when she teases me about Physics, I just do a massive facepalm. Looking back at the first semester Exam - seems like a piece of cake.
 
Jennet said:
I think I have PTSD from that basketball question. Also figuring out how the boat crossed the river. I kept trying to apply sailing logic and it always failed. I distinctly remember having a meltdown at one point and telling my mentor, "I'm never gonna be a doctor if I can't make the basketball go in the hole" or something equally as ridiculous.

Now when she teases me about Physics, I just do a massive facepalm. Looking back at the first semester Exam - seems like a piece of cake.
Click to expand...

I remember the blood accelerating through the artery problem. That done popped my physics cherry alright. 3am, was still trying to figure that problem out.
First time doing kinematics... Great times!!!
 
For anyone taking orgo this year, I highly recommend you write a note on the sectioning forms you'll have to fill on the first day of class, and request Rahul as your TF. He's by far the best TF for orgo.
 
MedWonk said:
For anyone taking orgo this year, I highly recommend you write a note on the sectioning forms you'll have to fill on the first day of class, and request Rahul as your TF. He's by far the best TF for orgo.
Click to expand...

I also heard good things about Rahul. I think I might do this. I wonder if any of the orgo section/lab times conflict with bio....?
 
smiley27 said:
I also heard good things about Rahul. I think I might do this. I wonder if any of the orgo section/lab times conflict with bio....?
Click to expand...

They shouldn't, if they keep them the same. All sections should be over by 7. Office hours might conflict with Bio, though. Assuming Rahul keeps the same schedule, you could go to his Tuesday office hours. I think they keep in mind that a lot of people take Bio concurrently with Orgo, and make the schedule such that there is as little conflict as possible.
 
So I totally forgot about this entire website until now.

Also, I can see we've already got some TF pimping going on. Hola!
 
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Soco9087 said:
Anyone have syllabus for gem chem? Anyone know what time are the labs for physics and chem?

Just read the summer orgo syllbus, holy crap man, looks like a judge handed down a death sentence.

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1069944.files/Chem S20-2012-syllabus.pdf
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There are a lot of times for both physics and gen chem labs- you shouldn't worry about getting slots that are relatively convenient for you. There are also Saturday labs for the weekday employees out there.

My girlfriend is in the summer orgo class, yes it's very intense. I thought about taking it but I decided not to. Summer classes are too fast and I would forget the material by next year mcat time. I took calculus last summer and I honestly don't even remember how to take a simple derivative. But ask me to pull out just about any physics equation from last fall and I'd be able to. Summer classes are just too fast for me and I believe that they don't cover as much material as during the regular term.
 
Doc4Runner said:
Registered 🙂 It's official now! Can't wait to get the hell out of this heat.
Click to expand...

I miss Texas every day. It is a weird feeling being more aligned with MA in ideology, but acting like a Texan to the core. I could go on and on about the cultural differences, but I miss Southern hospitality the most. When I offer my seat on the train people act like I'm the most giving person in existence here.
 
Jennet said:
I miss Texas every day. It is a weird feeling being more aligned with MA in ideology, but acting like a Texan to the core. I could go on and on about the cultural differences, but I miss Southern hospitality the most. When I offer my seat on the train people act like I'm the most giving person in existence here.
Click to expand...

I'm not Texan, I'm actually from Florida. I've been living in Austin for a couple of years and it's great, but I'm really interested to compare the different cultures and see if I like MA better. I hope that I will.
 
Doc4Runner said:
I'm not Texan, I'm actually from Florida. I've been living in Austin for a couple of years and it's great, but I'm really interested to compare the different cultures and see if I like MA better. I hope that I will.
Click to expand...

The first winter here is a doozy - be prepared to have 8 different kinds of jackets, all waterproof. Cambridge is REALLY gentrified and that was a huge adjustment. Also, bring me Blue Bell? I'll be your best friend.

In all seriousness if you are a Texas resident by living there (I think it only takes one year), do your absolute best to maintain some form of that residency. Trust me on this one, you'll want the option to apply for in-state Texas tuition when the time comes. I currently have a mailing address there and keep up my voter registration and license. While my income earned in MA may negate that, I'm not taking any chances. $12K a year is too amazing to shut out.
 
Let's talk health insurance. My amazing insurance and work are over soon and I have no idea where to begin with insurance for poor me. Anyone have recommendations?
 
Jennet said:
Let's talk health insurance. My amazing insurance and work are over soon and I have no idea where to begin with insurance for poor me. Anyone have recommendations?
Click to expand...

Join the american medical student association; great healthcare plan.
 
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