Pre-med gamers?

Started by Addb
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Addb

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It seems like being a hardcore gamer goes against the massive amount of anal studying most pre-meds are known for, but are there any more of us out there? I mean like epic level MMOers or spend-the-entire-anime-con-in-the-gameroom gamers. Do your studies suffer from it?

As for me I've managed to survive two and half years thus far without giving up any game time, but I can't help but think my grades could be higher if I would have cut back. (what am I saying? lol)

Oh well. I've been playing D&D every thursday night for about 6 months now, and have been DMing for 5 weeks now, not including all my online games.

To study for my genetics test Wednesday... or work on preparing my session...
 
i don't know about the games you were talking about but i consider myself a gamer, maybe not hardcore. i do play a lot of halo 2 and graw on the 360. i actually bought the 360 right before taking the BEAST this past april. i definitely needed the break from all the studying. i guess you have to manage your time between the two because there's no way you can do one more than the other. well hopefully gaming doesn't get in your way of studying and doing well in school and on the beast. GOOD LUCK
 
Oh yes.

In fact, part of the reason I have bad grades on my transcript are because I was either playing Counter-strike (on a LAN -- I was so good at planting the bomb), Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 over the internet (british sniper = 👍 ), or just having friends over for Smash Brothers Melee tournaments until 6 am.

I was getting C's and I figured, hey, I was passing, why did I need to work harder? My friends at the time weren't in college so they had plenty of time to do these things (and remind me how everyone was having fun doing them without me, so why don't I come over?).

You live and you learn. I decided if I wanted to be a doctor, I needed to put my all into it, so I weaned myself off of the games.

Priorities.

Good news is that I still get to play Halo 2 for a couple hours every other week with new buddies (in college and serious about it)... but it's only when everything else (studying, making flash cards, etc) is done.

And now I get A's.
 
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Addb said:
It seems like being a hardcore gamer goes against the massive amount of anal studying most pre-meds are known for, but are there any more of us out there? I mean like epic level MMOers or spend-the-entire-anime-con-in-the-gameroom gamers. Do your studies suffer from it?
I play RPGs but not video games (which are the real time suckers AFAIK). I did bow out of my regular games during exam time and other time crunches. I have understanding friends. You do need to be aware of how much studying you need to get done, and keep your priorities straight...
 
lol I wish I was good at FPS's. I was awesome at TFC back in the day, but just can't seem to keep up with counter strike.

I wonder if I can put all this session-prep time on my app as an EC. It has definately changed how I view other people's reactions to my work lol
 
I have to the same problem, couldn't stop playing Civ and Starcraft for the first 2 and half years in college, except mine might be a bit different. I didn't play because it was fun, but rather I played because I didn't want to deal with what was going on around me.
And I have to say that it definitely hurt my GPA, I wouldn't study for my classes, most of the time I would just ditch classes altogether to play.
So as of my computer game era have a 3.1, got two C's and failed Plant Biology.
But ever since my friend passed away (it's only been this last quarter) I've quit gaming and started studying. So far it's going pretty good. I got a B+ in Classical Philosophy, A- in Plant Biology (yes, the same class I failed), A+ in Financial Economics, and probably a B+ in Adv. Euk. Genetics.

As of now, I'm trying to get my social life back and maybe try to start a gaming support group at my campus (UCD).

I really hope that the admission committee will be understanding.
But who knows, I might just be dreaming about a career in medicine.
 
I am a g0d at counterstrike

Too bad you can't put THAT on your amcas

If i could tell you how much time I have spent playing that game and shunning my studies...I am surprised I even got thru undergrad

I was completely addicted but now I don't play it anymore. I'm sure I could pick it up tonight and still be a badass tho, anyone wanna go 1v1 hmm? anyone?
 
Hell Yeah!


In some instantances my craptastic GPA is the direct result of my compulsive gaming. I have had to go cold turkey a lot of times in order to get myself on the 'right track'. Basically I asked myself 'Do I want to be a doctor, or do I want to be a gamer.' Being here I think you know what I sacrificed.


However, my proudest achievement came when I juggled 21 credits (All hard science) and ran a every other week AD&D game. But I had to be productive every minute of the day and study most days from 8 AM to 2 AM in order to pull it off. 😱


Now I am struggling with how to phrase running a gaming convention on my AMCAS. 😀
 
I play Counterstrike quite a bit and have a 4.0 Sci GPA and a k/d ratio of ~ 2.0.
 
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Y_Marker said:
I play Counterstrike quite a bit and have a 4.0 Sci GPA and a k/d ratio of ~ 2.0.

i will believe it only if you know what 'ex_interp' is...otherwise you are just wasting everyones time bro


😀
 
Yes, I am a huge gamer which is a bad thing at this time. 🙁 Must stop gaming to study for MCAT and do applications.

I'm currently finishing up HL2: Episode 1 and finished Sin Episodes: Emergence this past weekend. I was going to start Hitman: Blood Money but that's going to have to wait.

I really wish I could put all the time I spent setting up LAN parties and stuff on my AMCAS. 😛
 
I used to play a TON of computer games and currently play some...I dont play first person action games anymore (used to be in a "clan" (record of 0-5 while it existed), bound movement to WASD keys, made scripts, everything in early high school)...Now I spend about 2-3 hrs a day play sports management sims, sports games, and at times strategy/war games.

Oh and edit, I just read someone mention team fortress classic!! I enjoyed that much more than counter-strike. What type of player did u use? I used to play engineer a lot. EMP grenades + sentry guns = great defense.
 
Holy crap I've been playing Warcraft 3 all during college (I'd thought I'd give it up after high school, but nooo). I'm determined to kickass in med school though so I'm gonna try weaning off it pretty soon.
There are some ups to having been a gamer for 6 years though heh, for example my typing is like 50 wpm from having to type "Lol PWned noob" while controlling 50 units. People at work are amazed at how fast I can click stuff and fly through computer programs.
 
Its_MurDAH said:
i will believe it only if you know what 'ex_interp' is...otherwise you are just wasting everyones time bro


😀

It's for CPL wannabes also used to set netcode parms. Look at it this way any noob can google.

BTW i'm twitch on CSS, if you ever want to play.
 
Vizious said:
I used to play a TON of computer games and currently play some...I dont play first person action games anymore (used to be in a "clan" (record of 0-5 while it existed), bound movement to WASD keys, made scripts, everything in early high school)...Now I spend about 2-3 hrs a day play sports management sims, sports games, and at times strategy/war games.

Oh and edit, I just read someone mention team fortress classic!! I enjoyed that much more than counter-strike. What type of player did u use? I used to play engineer a lot. EMP grenades + sentry guns = great defense.
Scout all the way. My medic partners and I would own the 5v5 clan matches until we split. [-RA-] Renegade Alliance all the way lol

My proudest moment was my 2fort time trial. I wish I still had the exact time, but let's just say the Engy's were knocking on level 2 as I was leaving their base with the flag
 
monami said:
Can you play the game Far Cry, with a computer that has 320 MB of RAM?

Far Cry has awesome graphics. Get a good video card and plenty of ram - you'll enjoy the game. It's a lot of fun to play and the scenery is spectacular.
 
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Halo 2 just had to be released before finals. That really screwed me over. Playing it with 4 friends on 1 TV was especially addicting. I haven't played it in a while though. Day of Defeat and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault were the pc games I got into. Any WWII game sucks me in. I really can't sit down and play a game against a computer or just to beat levels. I have to be playing other people and interacting with them. If you have an Xbox I suggest you get Xbox Live, it's amazing minus high pitched 12 year olds who've been playing 12 hours a day. On the plus side the more you game the better you are at laparoscopic surgery.
 
lvl60 undead rogue on deathwing. thunderfury but that was over last summer and a complete waste of time after they nerfed it, and therefore ruining my life.

i don't take it that seriously anymore cuz raiding does considerable damage on study time. this past year i only played console and sparingly. obviously dedicated a couple days to kh2 when it was released. picked up god of war (i know, how can i call myself a gamer w/o playing it before) couple weeks ago but let my friend borrow the ps.

games are great for relaxation but things like wow are just a waste, imo.
 
Y_Marker said:
It's for CPL wannabes also used to set netcode parms. Look at it this way any noob can google.

BTW i'm twitch on CSS, if you ever want to play.

I stick to 1.6 strictly

Source sucks

I got like 5 games currently installed on my comp...its really bad
F.E.A.R., Tomb Raider:Legend, HL2-episode 1, Fifa World Cup 2006, NBA Live 2006, and Age of Empires 3

damn, thats actually 6 games
 
also dropped from cal-m to pub all-star in cs...no way i could juggle THAT one.
 
In high school I played Everquest and acquired over 200 played days and leveled 2 characters to level 65 in the most uber l33t guild on the server lol. I made no attempts at studying, writing or preparing for classes at all in high school and my gpa reflected my efforts.

Recently I spent over a year as a leader of a clan that was very sucessful competitively at Battlefield 1942. It occupied about 20 hours a week of my time, practicing, planning and competing.

In college I have been much more sucessful in managing my time working, playing games, and going to school.
 
Its_MurDAH said:
I stick to 1.6 strictly

Source sucks

I got like 5 games currently installed on my comp...its really bad
F.E.A.R., Tomb Raider:Legend, HL2-episode 1, Fifa World Cup 2006, NBA Live 2006, and Age of Empires 3

damn, thats actually 6 games

I have too many games, NFSU2, Quake 4, UT2004, BF2, CoD2, Far Cry, Splinter Cell, hl2

I don't have HL2 Ep1 yet: you like it? I really enjoyed hl2. Ragdoll physics is nice as is the eye candy.

Boy I just got my MCAT scores back and I'm so relieved I don't have to retake that $hit. It was my first time taking it and it's good to know I'm above the average score for my state schools (can't beat the tuition here in TX).

I've seen a couple of MS1 and MS2 play CSS fy_iceworld. They come on for a while - good study break - one I plan to indulge in as well.
 
Its_MurDAH said:
what team ?

i am a pub all star meself

i mean I was*

team called mphat. man it was like s10-12 or something. waaaay back then

i also played source because i thought it would rule out 1.6. took it seriously for a while and got to cal-m in that with zhr. i'm with murdah, source is, has always, and will continue to be the suck. man did valve drop the ball.
 
Anyone else play DAoC back in the day?

I still pick up my RR6 sorcerer now and again. (THAT was an interesting freshman year, lol)
 
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halo2.jpeg


The only game. Period. :horns:
 
The expansion pack for Halo 2 has some great levels IMO.

Definitely added new life to the game -- for only $10 (used)!

Rocketball is great... as is Juggernaut with shotguns and energy swords...
 
AOE III. Really the only game out there that is worth playing

Oculus Sinistra said:
The expansion pack for Halo 2 has some great levels IMO.

Definitely added new life to the game -- for only $10 (used)!

Rocketball is great... as is Juggernaut with shotguns and energy swords...
 
PDsquash83 said:
AOE III. Really the only game out there that is worth playing

I cant believe that no one on here has mentioned (maybe I missed it) WC3 or starcraft...
 
Rather than studying for my database midterm I drove to walmart at 11 at night..which includes a 20 minute walk to my car, bought an xbox with halo 2 and burnout takedown and played that all night. Does that count? I have gotten decent at Madden and Fifa but I have to say overall I am good at limiting myself..sometimes I unplug the controllers and give them to a friend if I have to really study though.lol My laptop can't handle most decent games so I stopped with computer gaming for a while.
 
I've pretty much played them all, and Brood War is the game to beat. The balance in that game is uncanny.
 
I played mostly DoD, DoD:S, MoH, CS:S, Warhammer DoW, BF1942, BF2, some WCIII.

I was competitive with DoD and MoH, clans in both. I wish the BF games wouldn't be so "slidy"-- if they had CS-type accuracy and time resolution they would be unstoppable. I love playing games, do tend to practice some restraint when underpressure. Only really get to play AOEIII here in China, for my DoD:S ping blows.
 
OK, I have in the most part given the games up. BUT GET THIS --- TAKE THE CBT exam. HOW MANY TIME have you had to type 100 wpm in order to yell out that your getting your ass kicked somewhere by some n00b camping w/ and AWP or in WC3 where your getting rushed or something, and you need someone to save your ass. THOSE SAME TYPING SKILLS got me an S on the writing section. And with a 34 all I gotta do is make up somehow for those grades that got ruined from gaming in undergrad. haha. Yeah, the sooner ya stop in college the better I hate to say though.
 
Lolz, I can see your essay now ...

"Democracy is like the Galil, the people its FMJ rounds. If you pull-off two burst from 20 yards out, you're probably just gonna give away your twenty; the enemy with his AK will quickly return a volley more likely to bring down your ruling power. But you have five more rounds, the PEOPLE, than he does. You sprint to him while he is reloading. Firing your last salvo into his cranium and neck, he drops his knife and slumps (hey, we're playing source here) over crate as you disarm the bomb, a.k.a. the TERRORIST FACTION ..."
 
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chewsnuffles said:
OK, I have in the most part given the games up. BUT GET THIS --- TAKE THE CBT exam. HOW MANY TIME have you had to type 100 wpm in order to yell out that your getting your ass kicked somewhere by some n00b camping w/ and AWP or in WC3 where your getting rushed or something, and you need someone to save your ass. THOSE SAME TYPING SKILLS got me an S on the writing section. And with a 34 all I gotta do is make up somehow for those grades that got ruined from gaming in undergrad. haha. Yeah, the sooner ya stop in college the better I hate to say though.

People still bitch about AWP? Man I haven't played for 5 years or so when I just stopped for no real reason. I never really had problems with those people...I used to be pretty good though back in the day. One of the guys that everyone always accussed of cheating and what not which was frustrating as hell and why I probably quit.lol
 
OB/GYN Sim said:
All i have to say is World of Warcraft

WoW 😀

Ah, once I rediscovered video games as a college junior they helped me make it through a senior thesis and the difficult periods in college too. I shared my WoW addiction with my former roommate and we can make each other laugh to this day by imitating a murloc ... ughughulhglugh 😛
 
hey, props to anyone who gets in with a serios WoW addiction. Thats like living 2 lives at once
 
biyanir said:
I cant believe that no one on here has mentioned (maybe I missed it) WC3 or starcraft...



You missed it.


And yeah, back in the day Starcraft and WC3 were huge addictions for me.

Crap man, you guys are making my mouse hand itch to get back into it. 😡 👎


Vincir said:
WoW 😀

Ah, once I rediscovered video games as a college junior they helped me make it through a senior thesis and the difficult periods in college too. I shared my WoW addiction with my former roommate and we can make each other laugh to this day by imitating a murloc ... ughughulhglugh 😛


Much like how a recovering crack addict should not touch drugs, I shall not touch WOW.

It has taken interventions from some of my friends to grab the game out of my hands and put it back on the shelves. :laugh:
 
I play DOD source. I consoled until residency. I got a computer during my research year right when broadband became available at my home. It was all downhill after that.

My clan has a server (social club, we don't compete).
Web site www.clandac.com
DoD source server 63.209.33.78:27015
We have hosted BF2,CS source,SOF2,ET,DoD,DC,BF 1942,SoF2,HL1,CS1,TFC and many others since 1997. Like so many clans out there, we have been devastated by WoW, its like meth for gamers. 😉

Oh and yes I have a wife and 3 young children. Time management is key.
 
Yea Starcraft is great. It's really nice to know you're still able to boot up a game that you played IN MIDDLE SCHOOL and there still be other people playing lol

As to MMO's... I did my time with FFXI, and have since shunned WoW away. Just to use the gil/gold/whatever sellers as an indication of the economy: When I first got out of FFXI it was 20 bucks USD for 10,000 gil. When I tried to make a comeback it was 20 bucks USD for 1 million gil. All my uber items I had collected were now netting pennies because of the item farms. Blah I'm done with MMO's.
 
Addb said:
Yea Starcraft is great. It's really nice to know you're still able to boot up a game that you played IN MIDDLE SCHOOL and there still be other people playing lol

As to MMO's... I did my time with FFXI, and have since shunned WoW away. Just to use the gil/gold/whatever sellers as an indication of the economy: When I first got out of FFXI it was 20 bucks USD for 10,000 gil. When I tried to make a comeback it was 20 bucks USD for 1 million gil. All my uber items I had collected were now netting pennies because of the item farms. Blah I'm done with MMO's.



Ummmmm.....


Some of us are non-traditional here.... we might not wish to admit that we were done with undergrad when Starcraft first came out. 😀
 
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