Premed Freshmen and Partying

[2Fic]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I will be a premed next year and I am extremely dedicated to medicine and intent on studying very hard. Through my numerous AP's I have been granted the blessing of taking Orgo (YIKES!) my freshmen year along with several other classes. I was wondering how much time I will be able to devote to partying along with other pre-med priorities (i.e. volunteering, research etc)...because I dont quite want to miss out on a lot of the "college partying" that everyone talks about...and that can only occur once in your lifetime.

 

[ZagDoc]

Took o chem I spring of my freshman year. No problem. Held down a serious girlfriend, got out at least once a weekend, played intramurals, made it to all the basketball games.

Note: Volunteering, research, etc aren't things you should pursue your freshman year unless you find an opportunity you just can't turn down. There's PLENTY of time in college for those. Freshman year should be about making the adjustment to living on your own, adjusting to the increased workload of college, and making tons of friends and having a good time. Don't burn yourself out in the beginning by taking on too much and letting the other areas of your life suffer.

 

[sully677]

Most people who come into college change their major to something other than "pre-med". You are the only one who will know how much you can "party." Although I do not recommend partying just because its cool, if you wanna do it then go ahead. There is more to college than just partying. Organic is not hard. Just learn to study quick because you will be with older kids who know how to study hard and smart.

 

[TehDoc]

Don't get bit by the grading curve.

 

[Electrophile]

If you have a community college (or regular 4 year, whatever) nearby your place of residence during the summer, you should inquire whether you can sit in or audit the class. Both summers I audited a class, the professors didn't care and I wasn't charged. I think it was somewhat helpful.

 

[cbrons]

I will be a premed next year and I am extremely dedicated to medicine and intent on studying very hard. Through my numerous AP's I have been granted the blessing of taking Orgo (YIKES!) my freshmen year along with several other classes. I was wondering how much time I will be able to devote to partying along with other pre-med priorities (i.e. volunteering, research etc)...because I dont quite want to miss out on a lot of the "college partying" that everyone talks about...and that can only occur once in your lifetime.

lol... I had a lot of fun my freshman year... maybe far too much... then again my sophomore year wasn't much different and I doubt my junior one will be either. I go out Friday and Saturday night now... except the 2 weekends before finals (but I make up for it by going out on $1 bottle Wednesdays on these weeks so its cool). Basically I do all the work I can during the week and go out PRN.. Thats how you should handle college, have fun in all that you do - including class, try and find stuff you like about what you learn.

 

[2Fic]

Took o chem I spring of my freshman year. No problem. Held down a serious girlfriend, got out at least once a weekend, played intramurals, made it to all the basketball games.

Note: Volunteering, research, etc aren't things you should pursue your freshman year unless you find an opportunity you just can't turn down. There's PLENTY of time in college for those. Freshman year should be about making the adjustment to living on your own, adjusting to the increased workload of college, and making tons of friends and having a good time. Don't burn yourself out in the beginning by taking on too much and letting the other areas of your life suffer.

That's interesting because I always thought that a premed student should be doing volunteer work/research asap.
Yeah, I would like to play lots of IM's and join lots of clubs as well. Lucky my university is right near my home so I imagine I will be attending summer classes as well

 

[amph119]

As long as you think you can handle the work, go out. Enjoy college. I can't believe that I have only a year left, and if I didn't have some fun in college I would be regretting that fact.

 

[amph119]

.

 

[Textuality]

Haha, I definitely partied Wednesday till Sunday. And rarely made it to sleep before 2 am (that's just how it is when you live in a dorm). I had a boyfriend, joined a sports club, went out every weekend, and basically had a new "crazy college" anecdote to tell every Monday, haha. Oh yeah, freshman year in the dorms is irreplaceable!

Just manage your time well, and you'll be fine. 🙂

 

[Alexander99]

It's all a titration my friend. Your goal should be to have as much fun as possible while still keeping your grades up. The thing is, the first quarter/semester of the first year of college is BY FAR the easiest time to make new friends, party and get girls. The reason is because most people left their friends, families, boyfriends in their hometown and they're motivated to socialize. Sadly, with each passing week people will form their social circles and by the end of freshman year, it'll take more effort to have fun.

I was going to tell you to play it safe and make sure you err on the side of studying too much as opposed to not studying enough. But at the same time, you don't want to miss out on the fun, especially the fun that happens during the first few weeks. You're presumably smart so just do what works.

 

[harposnarpo]

I saved my college partying for med school.

 

[pianola]

Bear in mind, you're also asking the people who are up and checking SDN at 2 AM.

Frankly it all just depends on who you are. You'll probably be able to figure out what you can 'get away with' by the end of freshman year. I'd definitely start the year conservatively until you get the hang of what's going on.

 

[Insulinshock]

dude seriously party as hard you can/ want/ have the urge too. The first couple weeks are the best, especially being football season and all. Just make sure that Monday-Friday (or Thursday) you are busting your a**. I didn't have to study on the weekend till the first tests, about four weeks into the semester.

Have a blast, bro, seriously. Just don't do anything stupid.

 

[ZagDoc]

Bear in mind, you're also asking the people who are up and checking SDN at 2 AM.

11pm west coast, fyi. I got cardiothoracic conference at 6am tomorrow. Not everyone who posts late is an idiot.

 

[ronaldo23]

You'd be surprised at how much you can fit into your schedule if you seriously budget your time. Most pre-meds who complain of never having time to go out or do anything are bad at this. Limit unnecessary things like TV, Internet surfing, periods of doing nothing productive and replace them with things like working out, playing sports, going out etc and you'll have plenty of time to do it all and still maintain your grades.

 

[MichiganEMTInt]

Took o chem I spring of my freshman year. No problem. Held down a serious girlfriend, got out at least once a weekend, played intramurals, made it to all the basketball games.

Note: Volunteering, research, etc aren't things you should pursue your freshman year unless you find an opportunity you just can't turn down. There's PLENTY of time in college for those. Freshman year should be about making the adjustment to living on your own, adjusting to the increased workload of college, and making tons of friends and having a good time. Don't burn yourself out in the beginning by taking on too much and letting the other areas of your life suffer.

2Fic:

I'm going to have to completely disagree with this. Getting involved in the volunteering program and research in my freshman year was the best decision I made. People who are reading this might assume I didn't have a social life then / now but I do and make lots of time for social things now and I had an awesome freshman year and did a lot of partying (I go to MSU...enough said).

A big part of college is about learning about yourself. Learn how to budget your time. If you are serious about pursuing medicine you may need long term commitments to show your dedication to things you are genuinely interested in. Learn how to network well, get involved in things EARLY. Don't feel bad/stupid about starting to volunteer early or start research early. I did both of those things in the first MONTH of freshman year...and now going into my senior year, I am the director of the volunteering program and have 2 publications. If you learn to budget your time well there is no reason you can do all of these things (academic stuff, and lots of partying). Best of luck to you.

 

[brianmartin]

everyone does it for a little while, others go overboard and drop out. Don't focus too much on being "pre-med" -- actually try to ignore it for a while except getting the grades.

 

[Dulcina]

meh i partied hard in freshman year, and took orgo at the same time.

was great fun!

 

[Handy388]

Bear in mind, you're also asking the people who are up and checking SDN at 2 AM.

Frankly it all just depends on who you are. You'll probably be able to figure out what you can 'get away with' by the end of freshman year. I'd definitely start the year conservatively until you get the hang of what's going on.

some maybe back from some random girl's house and decide to nerd it out before he crashes, just sayin'

 

[TexasTriathlete]

No alcohol.
No fornication.

 

[2Fic]

No alcohol.
No fornication.

truth

 

[Perrotfish]

I gotta disagree with most posts here. For your first semester I think you should be at pretty much the minimum number of hours you can take in courses that you can't possibly fail. Maths and Sciences are bad. I'm not saying that you won't eventually, if you budget your time, have plenty of time for a social life along with your premed work, but your first semester I think that the social side of things is going to be somewhat more time consuming than it's every going to be again.

The key thing here is that you're going to be experimenting alot with your social life. Different clubs and teams, the constantly rotating group of friends/girlfriends in your freshman dorm, learning how to drink without dying, and of course there's the option of pledging. Once you get free of the first semester you'll probably have settled down into a comfortable routine with a pretty set group of friends and activities, and will be able to split your time evenly between meeting people and getting your work done. Until then, though, I'd recommend minimizing the work.

Is there some reason that you would want to take Orgo your freshman semester? Is this going to impact your graduation timeline?

 

[thetubes]

Is there some reason that you would want to take Orgo your freshman semester? Is this going to impact your graduation timeline?[/quote]

Maybe the OP is planning on submatriculating? many of my friends have taken orgo freshman year to get a masters in chemistry by the time they graduate. It's actually pretty manageable if you have a good chem background.

 

[Doctor D]

Partying is overated. Do whatever YOU feel like doing and ignore all the hype about what you should be doing.

 

[2Fic]

I gotta disagree with most posts here. For your first semester I think you should be at pretty much the minimum number of hours you can take in courses that you can't possibly fail. Maths and Sciences are bad. I'm not saying that you won't eventually, if you budget your time, have plenty of time for a social life along with your premed work, but your first semester I think that the social side of things is going to be somewhat more time consuming than it's every going to be again.

The key thing here is that you're going to be experimenting alot with your social life. Different clubs and teams, the constantly rotating group of friends/girlfriends in your freshman dorm, learning how to drink without dying, and of course there's the option of pledging. Once you get free of the first semester you'll probably have settled down into a comfortable routine with a pretty set group of friends and activities, and will be able to split your time evenly between meeting people and getting your work done. Until then, though, I'd recommend minimizing the work.

Is there some reason that you would want to take Orgo your freshman semester? Is this going to impact your graduation timeline?

Well, I was eligible for it and the Biochemistry dude at orientation told me to take it...so I decided, what the hell.

 

[bcat85]

Well, I was eligible for it and the Biochemistry dude at orientation told me to take it...so I decided, what the hell.

Don't do that to yourself. Unless you went to a really good high school, transitioning from HS directly into Orgo is going to be really difficult. Maybe consider holding off a year and take orgo as a sophomore. It would be bad to jump into something you can't handle first thing.

 

[Electrophile]

I took AP Chemistry and audited inorganic chemistry (both semesters) at a local college the summer before freshman year. They all tried to sign me up to take the advanced/honors inorganic chemistry first semester. No way siree Bob! I stuck with the usual pre-med/pre-vet chemistry that everyone else was taking. Got Bs both semester, so not awesome, but not awful either. Remember, if the guy's a biochemist, he's crazy to begin with. 😀 Challenging yourself is fine, but keep the first semester relatively light, maybe 15ish hours max. Take what you need for prereqs, but why kill yourself? If you get mediocre grades anyways, I think that extra effort will have been in vain.

I saved my college partying for med school.

Come to vet school, my pretty. We'll see how that goes for you.

 

[itsover26]

Took o chem I spring of my freshman year. No problem. Held down a serious girlfriend, got out at least once a weekend, played intramurals, made it to all the basketball games.

Note: Volunteering, research, etc aren't things you should pursue your freshman year unless you find an opportunity you just can't turn down. There's PLENTY of time in college for those. Freshman year should be about making the adjustment to living on your own, adjusting to the increased workload of college, and making tons of friends and having a good time. Don't burn yourself out in the beginning by taking on too much and letting the other areas of your life suffer.

yeah, i didn't really get involved in shadowing or research till the summer after freshman year. for extracurriculars, i just did intramurals and attended the premed and bio club meetings. i just had fun freshman year. i was in a dorm and our floor had a good 15 of us who were always down for partying. it wasn't conducive for studying, and my grades from that year show that lol. i got a 3.2 and 3.6 that year...those could have easily been higher if i had just been smarter literally a few more days out of the year. i wouldn't trade the fun of that year for 2 4.0s, either, lol, cuz that's how i met most of my friends. 👍

you shouldn't actually be listening to me, though. my advice is bad advice to follow haha. i had to work SUPER hard this last semester, as in barely any social life, to make up for crap grades.

honestly, i didn't do anything in college till this last semester and still finished with a 3.7 with my bio major after 3 years 👍

 

[bawer234]

No alcohol.
No fornication.

Hahahaha your a F***ing Comedian!!!!

 

[Buckeye3]

Seriously, put off the Ochem for a year or so and have some fun for god's sake. Freshman year in the dorms... if I could only go back. Take the GEC's your whole first year. Assuming you're fairly intelligent, you can party all you want and pull A's in these. You have plenty of time to get the tough classes in, unless, like others are inferring, you are trying to get this done to pursue a masters. As for all the ECs and starting early, I do wish I had started all this stuff early on, but I'm not doomed because I chose not to. Forget about peer pressure - party because that's what college is for, and if it's not for you, hit the books. I suggest the former though.

 

[harposnarpo]

Come to vet school, my pretty. We'll see how that goes for you.

I lived with a bunch of pre-vets my freshman year (04-05) in Schurz. Didn't fit in.

 

[Baller MD]

This is what I learned in college: study very hard and party very hard - although you might want to make studying your priority.

Basically, just work your butt off during the weekdays and party as hard as you can on Friday nights, Saturday, and maybe Sunday and you'll do just fine. Heck, you'll even have time for research and volunteering.

 

[Bacchus]

I gotta disagree with most posts here. For your first semester I think you should be at pretty much the minimum number of hours you can take in courses that you can't possibly fail. Maths and Sciences are bad. I'm not saying that you won't eventually, if you budget your time, have plenty of time for a social life along with your premed work, but your first semester I think that the social side of things is going to be somewhat more time consuming than it's every going to be again.

The key thing here is that you're going to be experimenting alot with your social life. Different clubs and teams, the constantly rotating group of friends/girlfriends in your freshman dorm, learning how to drink without dying, and of course there's the option of pledging. Once you get free of the first semester you'll probably have settled down into a comfortable routine with a pretty set group of friends and activities, and will be able to split your time evenly between meeting people and getting your work done. Until then, though, I'd recommend minimizing the work.

Is there some reason that you would want to take Orgo your freshman semester? Is this going to impact your graduation timeline?

IMO, this is the best advice given thus far on this thread.

Do not lose yourself in the mess of partying/going out/etc. Do it, by all means, but do not lose yourself and figure out what works for you. You're not impressing anyone by taking ORGO freshman year. Besides, you can't AP out of all your sciences and apply to medical school but that is a whole different thread.

 

[whoknows2012]

When it comes to freshman year and partying I think I can give some good advice. I go to Syracuse University, and for whatever reason freshman year was a walk in the park for me (and I took Bio, Chem and both of their labs). Because of this I was able to get by doing virtually no work. I went out 3 nights a week, and second semester I pledged a fraternity. My GPA for the Year was a 3.55 which at the time was fine for me, not realizing how competitive getting into medical school was. However, I do not regret carrying myself the way I did because this set me up to have the best college experience I could possibly think of. The key here is to find YOUR balance between work and partying. I am sure many people have told you this before, and it is possible it has been said already in this thread, I am just too lazy to read through all the posts. For some people, it is impossible to have a good balance and they must choose one or the other. I would say that for most of the pre-meds I know, they end up achieving this balance. For me, it took a while, and it wasn't until sping semester sophomore year that I really figured it out, and from there my GPA took off. College is the best 4 years of your life, but make sure that you keep in mind that too much partying can waste a great opportunity you have, however the opposite can have consequences that are almost equally as bad(no social life, depression, no motivation to work hard) which is why a balance is the way to go.