Preperation for Premed

[dannye3]

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Without going into details about myself/my story, etc., maybe someone can give me some advice.

I want to take some time preparing myself for premed courses. It may seem like a waste of time...since I'll be learning that stuff there anyway, but I want to make sure I'll do good...and really, I just love reading/studying the science (and I am not the type that likes reading/studying).

I want to go over all the basics, and stuff I missed out in high school (I'm not going to go into that).

Can someone recommend me some good books to buy from Amazon, or some online reading? I want to cover both the Math and Sciences and make sure I have a really good understanding of the basic fundamentals to make my life easier in college. Especially since I will have to be working full-time while going, I don't want to struggle.

 

[Nuke1601]

Check out the Kaplan MCAT 2007-2008 Premier Program book. It has all the science you're capable of digesting.lol Like you I tried to read ahead a little and at least touch the surface of the subject matter. The "Complete Idiots Guides" and "for Dummies" books sum up the individual courses pretty well also...
You can buy them...or just read em at the bookstore for free.

 

[katarina90]

You're already really motivated, and that's awesome to see. I think that you'll probably do fine anyways, but here's my recommendations if you want some supplemental review books:

Physics--I recommend Isaac Asimov's "Understanding Physics" books for grasping physics concepts, as many textbooks seem to concentrate more on the mathematics (at least mine does). Its also a fairly cheap series, and you can probably get it used online.

Math--I have the "For Dummies" book on Calculus as well as for Trigonometry, they both helped immensely. I do say this with caution though, I used a shortcut from the book (chain rule) in Calc I before the professor taught it, on a test, and he gave me no credit even though the answer was correct. So make sure you can do the problems the way the professor wants you to, but the books are good for extra practice.

*for chemistry and biology, i basically relied on the textbooks and professor as resources, but i would recommend going to the library and seeing if there's any textbooks you can borrow and flip through before classes start.

Hope this helped some : )

 

[jeaneous]

Why not get the books that are required for your first courses? I would imagine that will prepare you well. Good luck!

 

[njbmd]

Without going into details about myself/my story, etc., maybe someone can give me some advice.

I want to take some time preparing myself for premed courses. It may seem like a waste of time...since I'll be learning that stuff there anyway, but I want to make sure I'll do good...and really, I just love reading/studying the science (and I am not the type that likes reading/studying).

I want to go over all the basics, and stuff I missed out in high school (I'm not going to go into that).

Can someone recommend me some good books to buy from Amazon, or some on line reading? I want to cover both the Math and Sciences and make sure I have a really good understanding of the basic fundamentals to make my life easier in college. Especially since I will have to be working full-time while going, I don't want to struggle.

It makes good sense not to go into formal pre-med coursework unless you are prepared. If you are looking to shore up high school coursework on your own, then get some review or study software for high school subject matter. I saw a great series at Costco (of all places) for high school math through trigonometry. If you find that you can't get through these types of resources, then defer starting at a four-year college and take some remedial (developmental) coursework at your local community college. Much of that developmental coursework can be done on line at a lower cost than a university/college.

You wouldn't be the first person to have either "blown off" or "been blown off" in high school (can you tell that I am not a fan of public education in this country). It shows good initiative to to try to get yourself up to speed. Many people, unlike yourself, do not understand that you get essentially one shot to do well in your university coursework. Having a strong foundation and good study habits before you enter is a sound strategy. The other thing to do is not let anyone deter you from your goals. Good luck!

 

[kiyomander]

Why don't you consider taking some intro courses at a Jr. College? It had been ten years since I graduated from my undergrad and I had no idea whether I'd be able to jump right into the "hardcore" pre-med pre-reqs. Taking a couple of classes in a less competitive Jr. College environment was great preparation, gave me confidence, and actually helped boost my overall GPA. Med-schools prefer you to take the actual pre-reqs at more competitive, more prestigious colleges, so I wouldn't suggest taking your required courses there. I would recommend a math review because you'll need superb algebra/trig skills for Physics, and maybe take an intro Chem class. If you have time, add an intro Bio or Physics class as well. Good luck! You can do it 🙂

BTW- I took 2 of these Jr. College classes a semester at night while working full-time. It's totally do-able and affordable.