Pre-Meds that hate attending classes

[postbacpremed87]

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Do any of you learn best by not going to class? I hate classes for the most part. I learn best by sitting and pouring over my book for 5-6 hours before the exam. Anyone else out there the same way? Maybe having a photographic memory helps, but to each his own.

Point being I hate attendance policies.....😡

 

[CodeBlu]

I once skipped an entire semester of class.... in calculus.

I taught myself the entire course. Prof was HORRIBLE.

I rocked 100 in the class. I showed up for tests and exams and that's about it.

Handed in the assignments.

I love going to class when the professor is engaging and can teach. Otherwise, I'd rather sleep in and skip the 830am melodrama and teach myself starting at 1130 after a hearty breakfast and coffee.

 

[deleted357625]

i have to be in class to absorb the info. if I'm at home, can't ask any questions/prob slack off.

But, when i go to class, i go home and don't need to study. For some reason I'm good at retaining a lot of info with minimal studying.

 

[postbacpremed87]

I once skipped an entire semester of class.... in calculus.

I taught myself the entire course. Prof was HORRIBLE.

I rocked 100 in the class. I showed up for tests and exams and that's about it.

Handed in the assignments.

I love going to class when the professor is engaging and can teach. Otherwise, I'd rather sleep in and skip the 830am melodrama and teach myself starting at 1130 after a hearty breakfast and coffee.

Indeed.

 

[StoicJosher]

I hate going to class but I force myself to go to class because I retain information best if they are taught to me. I have a pretty good memory and I can pretty much remember almost everything that is taught and so I have to be in class. But I love to sleep?

 

[deleted357625]

i hate labs more than anything.. i'm sure others do as well.

 

[deleted357625]

I once skipped an entire semester of class.... in calculus.

I taught myself the entire course. Prof was HORRIBLE.

I rocked 100 in the class. I showed up for tests and exams and that's about it.

Handed in the assignments.

I love going to class when the professor is engaging and can teach. Otherwise, I'd rather sleep in and skip the 830am melodrama and teach myself starting at 1130 after a hearty breakfast and coffee.

That's nice your school don't have attendance policies

 

[StoicJosher]

That's nice your school don't have attendance policies

For us, it is upto the professors. Some care about attendance, others don't.

 

[generator]

unfortunately I am one of those that always feels the need to go to class. worthwhile or not.
but hey lets not forget... going to class is important for lor. then again hopefully that's coming from a professor with a lecture worthwhile to attend in the first place :]

 

[unhappytnt]

I tend to skip a lot, because I honestly can't concentrate in a classroom environment. If it's not a small class (where my absence would be noticed) and the professor doesn't take attendance, I usually skip and study on my own. In fact this made me think from time to time that my tuition money is going only to the diploma since I am doing the learning myself anyway.

 

[deleted357625]

For us, it is upto the professors. Some care about attendance, others don't.

We have attendance policies, but yea some prof are chill. Then again, attendance counts part of my grade for most classes. So i have to be there and it also helps a little with the grade

 

[postbacpremed87]

We are essentially paying to take the exams and get the grade on our transcript from our institution

I tend to skip a lot, because I honestly can't concentrate in a classroom environment. If it's not a small class (where my absence would be noticed) and the professor doesn't take attendance, I usually skip and study on my own. In fact this made me think from time to time that my tuition money is going only to the diploma since I am doing the learning myself anyway.

 

[CodeBlu]

We are essentially paying to take the exams and get the grade on our transcript from our institution

Truth.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

We are essentially paying to take the exams and get the grade on our transcript from our institution

Yeah I always hated people who were like "why don't you ever go to class? You're just throwing your money away if you don't go". Sorry kids but that's wrong. You're paying for the registrar to put an A on the transcript. It doesn't matter if you showed up to class 3 hours a week for a semester or not.

 

[thomallama]

We are essentially paying to take the exams and get the grade on our transcript from our institution

I skipped the entire second half of my Orgo II class. All the professor did was highlight the book in class. Still got an A by using the time to teach myself.

 

[deleted357625]

gotta do what you gotta do to make that A! whether it means not attending at all.....

 

[Procyon]

Do any of you learn best by not going to class? I hate classes for the most part. I learn best by sitting and pouring over my book for 5-6 hours before the exam. Anyone else out there the same way? Maybe having a photographic memory helps, but to each his own.

Point being I hate attendance policies.....😡

I go to class as much as possible, but I think it's because I'm one of those "hear it over and over ,, now you know it" types.

I'm tempted to try your style though. Is the 5-6 hour pour-over after you've already read the material once? Because if that's also your first read, I'm impressed. Sometimes it takes me 5-6 hours just to get through a couple chapters and absorb it all. Guess I'm just slow haha.

 

[postbacpremed87]

Part of it is laziness. I am not motivated to study until the night before an exam. My methodology is as follows:

Read the chapters and work sample problems 9pm-12am
Wake up and rework the problems 7am to 10am, then exam at 11:30am.

I don't deviate from this plan ever. Having a photographic memory helps.

I go to class as much as possible, but I think it's because I'm one of those "hear it over and over ,, now you know it" types.

I'm tempted to try your style though. Is the 5-6 hour pour-over after you've already read the material once? Because if that's also your first read, I'm impressed. Sometimes it takes me 5-6 hours just to get through a couple chapters and absorb it all. Guess I'm just slow haha.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

i have to be in class to absorb the info. if I'm at home, can't ask any questions/prob slack off.

But, when i go to class, i go home and don't need to study. For some reason I'm good at retaining a lot of info with minimal studying.

I'm with this guy. 👍

 

[MrBananaGrabber]

Part of it is laziness. I am not motivated to study until the night before an exam. My methodology is as follows:

Read the chapters and work sample problems 9pm-12am
Wake up and rework the problems 7am to 10am, then exam at 11:30am.

I don't deviate from this plan ever. Having a photographic memory helps.

I agree about studying before going to bed, then restudying as soon as you wake up. That way you can subconsciously process the material as you sleep.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Part of it is laziness. I am not motivated to study until the night before an exam. My methodology is as follows:

Read the chapters and work sample problems 9pm-12am
Wake up and rework the problems 7am to 10am, then exam at 11:30am.

I don't deviate from this plan ever. Having a photographic memory helps.

are you a freshman or sophomore? jw because your above plan might work for methodology classes, but this CERTAINLY will not work once you get to organic and your upper level bio classes.

I personally think it depends on the class. I attended my upper level advanced physiology class 4 times, the first day and the 3 test days and got an A in the class. My friend photocopied all her notes for me in return for some tutoring for the class. I did the same thing for Orgo II, because my prof was TERRIBLE, but notice that i said I didnt go to those classes but I still read and kept up with the course syllabus.

What im trying to say is that as you progress and become a junior/senior and encounter harder, more content rich classes, you "photographic" memory will only help you out so far. Personally I don't doubt that you don't have that kind of memory, but I highly doubt that youd be able to get an A in the neurobiology class I took prior to graduating, where each test was half multiple choice/half free response over roughly 7 DETAILED chapters per test, so just as a heads up, I would work on changing your study habbits. It will help you a lot down the road.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

At home, there's a bunch of distractions. If anything, I would skip the class and go to the library and study/review/slightly slack off.

 

[deleted357625]

At home, there's a bunch of distractions. If anything, I would skip the class and go to the library and study/review/slightly slack off.

Yea I have to be in a school environment to learn/study

 

[postbacpremed87]

I'm Post-Bacc. I am probably older than you and have been through more classes. I already have a degree...eh.

I wouldn't recommend my plan for younglings who don't know how to properly target their studying.

are you a freshman or sophomore? jw because your above plan might work for methodology classes, but this CERTAINLY will not work once you get to organic and your upper level bio classes.

I personally think it depends on the class. I attended my upper level advanced physiology class 4 times, the first day and the 3 test days and got an A in the class. My friend photocopied all her notes for me in return for some tutoring for the class. I did the same thing for Orgo II, because my prof was TERRIBLE, but notice that i said I didnt go to those classes but I still read and kept up with the course syllabus.

What im trying to say is that as you progress and become a junior/senior and encounter harder, more content rich classes, you "photographic" memory will only help you out so far. Personally I don't doubt that you don't have that kind of memory, but I highly doubt that youd be able to get an A in the neurobiology class I took prior to graduating, where each test was half multiple choice/half free response over roughly 7 DETAILED chapters per test, so just as a heads up, I would work on changing your study habbits. It will help you a lot down the road.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

are you a freshman or sophomore? jw because your above plan might work for methodology classes, but this CERTAINLY will not work once you get to organic and your upper level bio classes.

I personally think it depends on the class. I attended my upper level advanced physiology class 4 times, the first day and the 3 test days and got an A in the class. My friend photocopied all her notes for me in return for some tutoring for the class. I did the same thing for Orgo II, because my prof was TERRIBLE, but notice that i said I didnt go to those classes but I still read and kept up with the course syllabus.

What im trying to say is that as you progress and become a junior/senior and encounter harder, more content rich classes, you "photographic" memory will only help you out so far. Personally I don't doubt that you don't have that kind of memory, but I highly doubt that youd be able to get an A in the neurobiology class I took prior to graduating, where each test was half multiple choice/half free response over roughly 7 DETAILED chapters per test, so just as a heads up, I would work on changing your study habbits. It will help you a lot down the road.

How hard is Neurobiology? I was planning on taking it next semester.

 

[deleted357625]

How hard is Neurobiology? I was planning on taking it next semester.

I would like to know as well, I'm taking developmental neurobiology.... geez just the name scares me

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

I'm currently slacking right now. ****, I have my trig book open, with my solutions manual. I've done 7 questions in the past hour, while watching X Men: First Class, and typing on SDN. Wow, I think I should have been diagnosed with ADHD. 😀

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

How hard is Neurobiology? I was planning on taking it next semester.

honestly depends on the school and what they are teaching. we had 3 prof's teaching this class at my school, and I just happened to end up with the one who'd been doing it for 21 years. The guy was BRILLIANT, but his tests were hard because the free response included questions pertaining to specific experiments that were done on monkeys and other lab animals and this was difficult because on any one test, each chapter would have 3-4 of these experiments and so for a test, you'd have to keep track of ~ 20 experiments, how they were conducted, what methods were used, and what did they help elucidate about a specific function/feature of the brain.

If you said "oh the **** with the 20 il learn 10" and hope those are on the test, and you ended up studying the wrong 10, you'd pretty much get a 50 so that made the class super difficult. Other than that though, the class was really interesting and my professor explained things really well.

 

[deleted357625]

has anyone taken neuropharmacology? is that a lot of memorizing mainly? How difficult is that class.

I have to take it before i apply, and it's only offered during a certain semester. so hopefully i do well in it ;p

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

I like to attend class as much as possible as it feels like a review to some degree. The whole process of listenting and writing stuff down, kind of gives that extra layer of recall memory on top what I study on my own.

The only classes I was more relaxed about attending was the calculus,1-3, and physics 1 and 2. No issues with the professors, thanks rtm.com, it was just that it was very friendly to learn on your own, and considering it still depended on repetition and practice, I was not really putting myself at much of a disadvantage when it came to exams.

Biology and chemistry are the classes I am strict about attending as those often require a lot more than just memorizing formulas and curriculum is not as linear, the professors can skip sections or chapters, so I really see benefit in coming to class.

 

[UnclePhil]

I didn't attend a single organic chemistry II lecture. It wasn't that I learned better on my own, it was more that the professor read verbatim off slides from the book (like.. the ones that come on the book CD) and I didn't see any reason to have the book read to me at 8 am when I could wake up at 10 am and read the book myself. There was no point in attending to ask questions either because he could never answer them anyway. Also, exams directly from the book's online practice sets (literally printed them directly from the internet) which we were assigned to do weekly (and yet, somehow, students STILL failed his class). Laziest professor ever.

Otherwise, I generally attend try to lecture in my science classes, even if I'm not paying attention, I feel better for at least making myself go.

 

[deleted357625]

I like to attend class as much as possible as it feels like a review to some degree. The whole process of listenting and writing stuff down, kind of gives that extra layer of recall memory on top what I study on my own.

The only classes I was more relaxed about attending was the calculus,1-3, and physics 1 and 2. No issues with the professors, thanks rtm.com, it was just that it was very friendly to learn on your own, and considering it still depended on repetition and practice, I was not really putting myself at much of a disadvantage when it came to exams.

Biology and chemistry are the classes I am strict about attending as those often require a lot more than just memorizing formulas and curriculum is not as linear, the professors can skip sections or chapters, so I really see benefit in coming to class.

F that 😛 screw math.

man i just pay attention in all my classes. I just suck it up.

 

[MrBananaGrabber]

I think there's a bit of an art to determining what a professor will put on a test based on what they emphasize in class. Not attending and instead self-studying could cause you to miss out on these clues.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

has anyone taken neuropharmacology? is that a lot of memorizing mainly? How difficult is that class.

I have to take it before i apply, and it's only offered during a certain semester. so hopefully i do well in it ;p

lol yes took that too. Interesting as well, but YES it was! all i can remember from that class is "mechanism of action"....

 

[KLycos]

I once skipped an entire semester of class.... in calculus.

I taught myself the entire course. Prof was HORRIBLE.

I rocked 100 in the class. I showed up for tests and exams and that's about it.

Handed in the assignments.

I love going to class when the professor is engaging and can teach. Otherwise, I'd rather sleep in and skip the 830am melodrama and teach myself starting at 1130 after a hearty breakfast and coffee.

Did this with most of my undergraduate classes actually, college is kind of a joke to be honest.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Did this with most of my undergraduate classes actually, college is kind of a joke to be honest.

 

[deleted357625]

lol yes took that too. Interesting as well, but YES it was! all i can remember from that class is "mechanism of action"....

Did you do well in it? I'm scared

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

I didn't attend a single organic chemistry II lecture. It wasn't that I learned better on my own, it was more that the professor read verbatim off slides from the book (like.. the ones that come on the book CD) and I didn't see any reason to have the book read to me at 8 am when I could wake up at 10 am and read the book myself. There was no point in attending to ask questions either because he could never answer them anyway. Also, exams directly from the book's online practice sets (literally printed them directly from the internet) which we were assigned to do weekly (and yet, somehow, students STILL failed his class). Laziest professor ever.

Otherwise, I generally attend try to lecture in my science classes, even if I'm not paying attention, I feel better for at least making myself go.

Omg, the ****ing PowerPoint readers. That has to be the worst habit for a professor to have. I understand that their job are very repetitive over the years but come on. My first ochem 2 professor was one, lovely, boring and it is just the first day of class. Dropped and changed professors to some section that had like two seats opened. This professor also used a PowerPoint, but the biggest difference was he kind of didn't. He would up a slide explain it and then would go to the white board to draw out reactions and elaborate.

All that the other professor had to do was explain the stuff in his own words and already the experience was not only better but also not as tiring. Basically the actual presentation of the same exact topic, well I was with the other one for only a day, made such a big dfference.

 

[CodeBlu]

Did this with most of my undergraduate classes actually, college is kind of a joke to be honest.

I agree with you... if you have half a brain you can do well in college if you put the work in.

 

[MrBananaGrabber]

I agree with you... if you have half a brain you can do well in college if you put the work in.

If college is so easy why do you only have a 3.5?? Jk jk not trying to start anything here, I'm just saying...

 

[CodeBlu]

If college is so easy why do you only have a 3.5?? Jk jk not trying to start anything here, I'm just saying...

I had cancer.

/argument

 

[MrBananaGrabber]

I had cancer.

/argument

Well I'm embarrassed 🙂 I can tell you obviously are a smart guy from your mcat, I was just curious.

 

[CodeBlu]

Well I'm embarrassed 🙂 I can tell you obviously are a smart guy from your mcat, I was just curious.

MCAT is just a number on a 5 hour test. If you want to judge my intelligence based on GPA, then talk about 4.0ing my last two years and getting a NatureBioTechnology publication might provide better insight.

But if you asked me, numbers and measures of the sort are not indicative of intelligence.

A work ethic can go a long way. I managed Cs in organic chemistry after missing the entire semester for chemo. I wrote the exam in a deadly state of vomit and dizzy. Still managed a C in the class, when I was literally half dead.

All that matters is how bad you really want it and how hard you're willing to work for it.

Edit: Taking Ws at my school at the time resulted in it counting towards your GPA. Stupid I know. So I tried to complete the courses anyway.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

MCAT is just a number on a 5 hour test. If you want to judge my intelligence based on GPA, then talk about 4.0ing my last two years and getting a NatureBioTechnology publication might provide better insight.

But if you asked me, numbers and measures of the sort are not indicative of intelligence.

A work ethic can go a long way. I managed Cs in organic chemistry after missing the entire semester for chemo. I wrote the exam in a deadly state of vomit and dizzy. Still managed a C in the class, when I was literally half dead.

All that matters is how bad you really want it and how hard you're willing to work for it.

Woah, I thought you were just messing around with the cancer part.

👍👍👍:

 

[JonnyL]

I hate professors who take off points when you're not there when you don't really need to be.

 

[SeminoleVesicle]

I never attend class unless required or if the professor does not post the lecture slides online. I made a 3.8 by reading the textbook, finding old exams, and simply working harder than others. By not attending class, I am able to study on my own time and give myself more opportunities for EC's. It's also nice to be able to sleep in until 12 everyday 🙂.

 

[bluelightx3]

I skipped 1/3 of Intro Bio.. did just fine because I still studied outside of class.
I skipped 1/3 of Physics II... I did terribly because I didn't study outside of class on top of not going to the class.
I skipped not a single class of Orgo II. I did well by paying attention in class and studying outside of class.
I skipped not a single class of Neurobiology. I did pretty terribly because I paid attention in class but didn't give crap outside of class.

For Intro Bio/Physics, there was no attendance policy and the other two did have one (especially for Orgo II.. the professor used those H-ITT clickers as a means of keeping track of attendance.. ugh)

I think what it comes down to is how much you study on your own. Unless the professor goes completely off the track from the textbook materials, in which case attending classes is necessary, you should be able to do well with textbooks and perhaps with online resources for further explanations.

 

[StudyShy]

MCAT is just a number on a 5 hour test. If you want to judge my intelligence based on GPA, then talk about 4.0ing my last two years and getting a NatureBioTechnology publication might provide better insight.

But if you asked me, numbers and measures of the sort are not indicative of intelligence.

A work ethic can go a long way. I managed Cs in organic chemistry after missing the entire semester for chemo. I wrote the exam in a deadly state of vomit and dizzy. Still managed a C in the class, when I was literally half dead.

All that matters is how bad you really want it and how hard you're willing to work for it.

Edit: Taking Ws at my school at the time resulted in it counting towards your GPA. Stupid I know. So I tried to complete the courses anyway.

I know what you mean. I was hospitalized and then on home care for weeks. I started the fall semester, but when I got sick, I could no longer go to class. Luckily, my dean called my hospital room and gave me options of how I could proceed and graduate on time. I ended up doubling up classes the next semester (went to class with PICC line and then later a feeding tube --I loved the stares I got with those 🙄), when I regained enough strength to walk again. Surprisingly, my transcript has my grades really earned the next semester shown completed in the previous semester. I was shure that I would have had big fat Ws for the fall. If you're determined, you will succeed. Being sick then makes life a cake walk now.

 

[StudyShy]

Classes I have skipped a semester of class: psychology, A+P, and government. This is when I was younger and would not recommend anyone doing it.

 

[um2011]

I find that I benefit more from going to class, have real knack for missing the point, not because I don't like staring at textbooks.

hahaha

I really like the interaction portion, having someone real/alive teaching stuff.