Prospective Second Semester Freshman Schedule

[atxgirl]

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I am a freshman majoring in cell & molecular biology and am currently taking:
Gen Cell Biology
Gen Chem I
Gen Chem Lab
Calc 1
Intro to Research Honors Colloquim Class

(15 hours total)

I am also doing research 10 hrs/week and am in 2 clubs. So far, all my classes have been pretty easy and I am able to handle this workload.

For next semester, here is my prospective schedule:
Genetics
Brain & Behavior (Neuroscience Course)
Chem II
Chem II Lab
History of Modern Philosophy (Humanities Credit :/)
French I

(17 hours total)

Do you think my second semester schedule is too hard? I'm going to be taking on increased responsibility in the lab, as well as starting to volunteer at a local hospital. I'm considering graduating in 3 years (I'm a sophmore based on my non-science AP credits) and would need to take this schedule, at a minimum, to be on track for graduating early. If I decide to go all 4 years, however, I could probably drop one of these classes for a later date...

Also, is it okay to take physics and organic chemistry at the same time next year, along with my upper level biology classes?

Any advice/help would be appreciated!!

 

[atxgirl]

I know there have been a few posts lately in regards to graduating early, but I just wanted to add that I'm on a full-tuition scholarship, so $ isn't the issue. I just really don't see the point at spending an extra year doing my undergrad when medical school and all the training are going to be so long.

 

[Dreaming big]

I know there have been a few posts lately in regards to graduating early, but I just wanted to add that I'm on a full-tuition scholarship, so $ isn't the issue. I just really don't see the point at spending an extra year doing my undergrad when medical school and all the training are going to be so long.

genetics is hard

 

[morning]

Run your prospective professors through ratemyprofessor.com...that really ought to be a mantra. One awful professor/awful class and 4 easy classes is worse than 5 tough classes with 5 good teachers.

 

[atxgirl]

i've run my classes through rate my professor, but there are so many different profs for each class that i'm not going to be guaranteed any one. i was more asking if the course load appeared too heavy.


Also, is it okay to take physics and organic chemistry at the same time next year, along with my upper level biology classes?

 

[Ponger]

i've run my classes through rate my professor, but there are so many different profs for each class that i'm not going to be guaranteed any one. i was more asking if the course load appeared too heavy.


Also, is it okay to take physics and organic chemistry at the same time next year, along with my upper level biology classes?

Oy, you have a full-tuition scholarship and you want to graduate early??? What a waste of a golden opportunity. You're essentially being paid to have the freedom to take whatever classes you want.

Your schedule sounds ridiculously boring to me. How are you already having to take that many science classes so early? I didn't have to take more than 1 science class til sophomore year and not more than 2 til junior year. Where are all the core classes?

It's okay to take O-chem, physics and upper bio classes if you can handle it. That's the simplest answer. No one can tell you your only ability to handle the workload. Do I recommend it? Heck no. O-chem is a heavy workload/difficultly class and physics is a heavy workload/medium difficulty class. You could end up with heavy workload upper div. classes that could add up to a miserable semester with very little time for EC's or rest.

 

[atxgirl]

I came in with 26 hours of AP credit, all of which was non-science credit. So basically, I placed out of most of my core classes. The only things that I have to take in terms of core credits are:
1 humanities credit
1 fine arts credit
2 semesters of a language (even though I have 7 credit hours from AP latin)

how hard is genetics? i'm sure the class difficulty varies by school and professor, but how hard is the actual material? i can always put it off, but i've been itching to take it for years! if i were to put it off, i would take ecology & evolutionary biology instead which i don't really want (or have) to take for my major. the class is supposedly really easy, but i am much more interested in genetics.

my basic option is A) graduate in 3 years (taking 15-17 hrs/semester)
B) graduate in 4 years (12-15 hrs/semester). which would you choose and why?

thanks for all the help!!

 

[Dreaming big]

I came in with 26 hours of AP credit, all of which was non-science credit. So basically, I placed out of most of my core classes. The only things that I have to take in terms of core credits are:
1 humanities credit
1 fine arts credit
2 semesters of a language (even though I have 7 credit hours from AP latin)

how hard is genetics? i'm sure the class difficulty varies by school and professor, but how hard is the actual material? i can always put it off, but i've been itching to take it for years! if i were to put it off, i would take ecology & evolutionary biology instead which i don't really want (or have) to take for my major. the class is supposedly really easy, but i am much more interested in genetics.

my basic option is A) graduate in 3 years (taking 15-17 hrs/semester)
B) graduate in 4 years (12-15 hrs/semester). which would you choose and why?

thanks for all the help!!

I started out in a G-med program and left. I am also going to graduate in 3 years (same situation as you), except I have no scholarship. Genetics is interesting, no doubt, but it ishard

 

[NewYorker9]

IMO you should take all four years with your scholarship. You have the rest of your life to work, so take some time now to explore. Pick up a few minors - if the classes are free, why not take them? And if you don't take a full course load, you'll have a lot more time to do things like join student government, start a club, volunteer, etc. Have some fun!

 

[Emerica]

I came in with 26 hours of AP credit, all of which was non-science credit. So basically, I placed out of most of my core classes. The only things that I have to take in terms of core credits are:
1 humanities credit
1 fine arts credit
2 semesters of a language (even though I have 7 credit hours from AP latin)

how hard is genetics? i'm sure the class difficulty varies by school and professor, but how hard is the actual material? i can always put it off, but i've been itching to take it for years! if i were to put it off, i would take ecology & evolutionary biology instead which i don't really want (or have) to take for my major. the class is supposedly really easy, but i am much more interested in genetics.

my basic option is A) graduate in 3 years (taking 15-17 hrs/semester)
B) graduate in 4 years (12-15 hrs/semester). which would you choose and why?

thanks for all the help!!

With 26 AP credits you shouldn't try to graduate in three years, especially if you have a full scholarship.

In my case, I have 45 AP credits and 6 dual enrollment credits, which equals 51 credits (non science) in total. I will be graduating in three years because although I have merit scholarships, due to my family's income (which isn't extraordinary at all), my college puts me in the hole every year so graduating in three will save me (and my parents) some money.

I would not graduate in three years if I didn't have more than 36 credits because then you find yourself grinding with an excessive load of classes, and the extra, or possible, stress is not worth it. You should use those 26 credits to explore your upper-level biology slightly earlier than most and to be able to take a moderate amount of credits per semester (about 15).

Moreover, taking a lighter schedule will be more conducive to higher grades, and if med school is what you want your GPA will be very important.

 

[Ponger]

Graduate in 4 years no question. Unless there's some underlying reason you HAVE to go to med school in 3 years, take your time.

There's a lot that happens in college that people often don't account for.
-People mature a lot in college
-people begin to flesh out the ideas, beliefs and opinions that define their adulthood
-people make some of the best friendships of their lives.
None of that is academic but is entirely crucial to the development of one's self.

In terms of more academic but still non-grade aspects:
-people go abroad giving them a completely different perspective of the human condition
-people can take classes in areas they will never have time to formally pursue later. I personally wish I'd taken some more sociology classes (personal interest) and financial accountings (useful for running a private practice)

Now to the med school app part of the discussion:
-You can demonstrate longer committments to your EC's. High counting stats in the number of hours volunteered or shadowed look good.
-Research especially takes time: the longer you're productive in a lab, the closer the probably of you publishing a paper approaches 1
-the longer you're in clubs, the more likely you are to take a leadership position
-If you can take 1 class less a semester, your grades will likely be higher
-if you take 1 less class a semester, you're much less likely to burn out upon getting to med school.

In summary: In my opinion, there's very little you could regret on looking back in hind site about taking 4 years instead of 3. That one year of school holds so many opportunities that you'll never have again. Considering that extra year of school is free, its a no brainer in my mind.

 

[atxgirl]

thanks so much for the advice!

ponger- you mentioned going abroad. i'm currently working in a research lab and would be hesitant to leave for a whole semester (or year). what do most people do in that kind of situation?

also, in terms of extracurriculars, what are the main things i should be focusing on?

-research
-volunteering?? (what is the difference between clinical/nonclinical)
-clubs

can anyone add anything to my tiny list?

 

[Ponger]

ponger- you mentioned going abroad. i'm currently working in a research lab and would be hesitant to leave for a whole semester (or year). what do most people do in that kind of situation?

also, in terms of extracurriculars, what are the main things i should be focusing on?

-research
-volunteering?? (what is the difference between clinical/nonclinical)
-clubs

can anyone add anything to my tiny list?

Most people go abroad their junior year for a semester (typically the fall). There's no end-around leaving a lab to go abroad, once you leave you're done there unless you have an incredibly understanding PI.

The breakdown on research is that most candidates don't have publications on their CV when they apply. A reasonable application may have a few semesters in a lab and maybe a poster/abstract. Better applicants may have years in the same lab and/or a publication or two.

Going abroad is what it is, you're giving up the chance to build on any other EC's/grades/life for an incredible opportunity to explore a different culture. In my experience, few people ever regret it. As you have a full tuition scholarship, it sorta becomes a paid vacation.

It's gut check time, do you think your med school app would at a detriment if you didn't have that extra time in lab/extra EC's/etc?

As for the other ECs. There's no one checklist for getting into med school. Some people have more research, others more volunteering, some people really enjoy leadership positions, and some even have to eschew all of those things because they have to work their way through school. All 4 of types of people do get into med school.

Research is pretty important if you want to apply to a top school, since most of them are major research institutions (e.g. Harvard, Yale, Johns Hopkins).

Volunteering can be either clinical or non-clinical. Non-clinical can be literally almost anything you volunteer your time for: random after school program, with a club/sorority, soup kitchen etc. Clinical is something healthcare oriented like volunteering at a hospital or private practice. LizzyM, a well known SDN poster who is also on medical admissions boards, says clinical volunteering is anything where you work close enough to smell the patients.

Clubs are clubs. You do them (ideally) because you're interested in the mission of the club. At some point you could elevate to a leadership position (president/VP). Those positions can be a lot of work but do show maturity.