Real advice for the time between acceptance & matriculation

[swtiepie711]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi all 🙂 Saw the thread below about advice for gunners (too amusing 😀 ), and thought to ask about real advice for the next 8-10 months. I just got my 1st acceptance for next fall at one of my top choices (truly stoked) and am thinking of things to do before then.

Top of my list is spending time with my husband & hitting up the slopes this winter (buying a season pass as my "reward" for this process 🙂 )...

But more seriously - I wondered if it wouldn't be wise to
(a) try improving my 2nd language skills (took 5 years of Spanish, but passed the language requirement test for undergrad so haven't taken it in a while - thought to try to relearn that for the future)
(b) having never taken A&P, I had the thought to try & learn some of this (either through a formal course or not) prior to next year - don't know if this would help, hinder or just be a waste of time....
(c) just relax and enjoy working full time & kicking it with my husband, friends & family - do fun things like painting, reading, exercising, etc.

I guess I just worry about having been out of school for 2 years prior to matriculation & being away from all the coursework putting me at a severe disadvantage from my straight-out-of-college classmates. Any suggestions for what I/we could do in the next 8-10 months? I truly appreciate any thoughts 😕

 

[surrender903]

ummm chose option c.

 

[babaghannough]

Hi all 🙂 Saw the thread below about advice for gunners (too amusing 😀 ), and thought to ask about real advice for the next 8-10 months. I just got my 1st acceptance for next fall at one of my top choices (truly stoked) and am thinking of things to do before then.

Top of my list is spending time with my husband & hitting up the slopes this winter (buying a season pass as my "reward" for this process 🙂 )...

But more seriously - I wondered if it wouldn't be wise to
(a) try improving my 2nd language skills (took 5 years of Spanish, but passed the language requirement test for undergrad so haven't taken it in a while - thought to try to relearn that for the future)
(b) having never taken A&P, I had the thought to try & learn some of this (either through a formal course or not) prior to next year - don't know if this would help, hinder or just be a waste of time....
(c) just relax and enjoy working full time & kicking it with my husband, friends & family - do fun things like painting, reading, exercising, etc.

I guess I just worry about having been out of school for 2 years prior to matriculation & being away from all the coursework putting me at a severe disadvantage from my straight-out-of-college classmates. Any suggestions for what I/we could do in the next 8-10 months? I truly appreciate any thoughts 😕

good questions. i too am in your position sweetie pie (except for the being married/painting/reading part) and would like to hear some answers. i heard reading up on physiology would help us out

 

[sponge]

brushing up on spanish wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if you're going to a spanish-speaking community and/or you like learning languages. But I wouldn't do anything intense. Spend time with your husband. paint. read. You'll seriously learn what you'll need to in med school -- well, everything but how to stay sane by having a life outside med school. If you take on some a&p, it'll either be nothing in comparison to what you need to know (and you'll study the same amount you would have otherwise) or it'll get in the way of relaxing before med school (and you'll still study the same amount).

 

[swtiepie711]

Thanks, I appreciate the thoughts 🙂

 

[DoctorFunk]

Heavy on option C, with a smattering of option A if Spanish is something you will enjoy. I was also out of undergrad for two years before matriculating and I assure you that your study skills will return almost immediately, and your capacity to learn will still be intact. Take the next few months to do things you enjoy, and to show your husband that he is important to you--you will probably not have enough time to do either after you start school.

 

[njbmd]

Hi all 🙂 Saw the thread below about advice for gunners (too amusing 😀 ), and thought to ask about real advice for the next 8-10 months. I just got my 1st acceptance for next fall at one of my top choices (truly stoked) and am thinking of things to do before then.

Top of my list is spending time with my husband & hitting up the slopes this winter (buying a season pass as my "reward" for this process 🙂 )...

But more seriously - I wondered if it wouldn't be wise to
(a) try improving my 2nd language skills (took 5 years of Spanish, but passed the language requirement test for undergrad so haven't taken it in a while - thought to try to relearn that for the future)
(b) having never taken A&P, I had the thought to try & learn some of this (either through a formal course or not) prior to next year - don't know if this would help, hinder or just be a waste of time....
(c) just relax and enjoy working full time & kicking it with my husband, friends & family - do fun things like painting, reading, exercising, etc.

I guess I just worry about having been out of school for 2 years prior to matriculation & being away from all the coursework putting me at a severe disadvantage from my straight-out-of-college classmates. Any suggestions for what I/we could do in the next 8-10 months? I truly appreciate any thoughts 😕

Relax and enjoy yourself. Do anything that would be fun. If you want to take a Spanish class, do it but don't do anything that is added pressure.

Get your life as simple as possible. Pay off credit cards, make sure your housing is in place and that getting to and from school is easy and safe. Make sure the cars are running well and in good repair etc. Save up an emergency fund for things that you can't anticipate etc. In short, use this time to make everything in your life as convienent as possible. When school starts, you want home easy and routine.

Above all, enjoy your free time. Once school starts, you will wonder when you will have any. 👍

 

[45408]

Mostly C, but A isn't bad, as long as you don't stress over it or anything. Try going to a Spanish-speaking country for a month instead. Your Spanish will be much better, and you'll have a lot more fun.

 

[-Goose-]

C or A. Definitely not B. For the love of God, enjoy your free time before the levy breaks. 🙂

 

[physicsnerd42]

C! You'll be spending a lot of time being productive (well, maybe not productive, but at least spending a lot of time studying for your classes), so just enjoy your time off while you have some.

 

[da8s0859q]

I haven't even gotten to MCATs or applications, but jesus, C.

Enjoy it while you've got it. 👍

 

[dutchman]

I say you grab every last Board review series book you can find and start cramming like the test was the nextday. I keed 😀 do C but don't get too used to it.

 

[Kiroro]

I would do A. Especially if you are not good with Spanish...
You could do C too but considering you have about 9 months of time to waste, maybe working on A & P would be a good idea just to fill in the time of when your husband is at work and stuff. But you'd probably forget most of them by the time you are taking A & P in med school

 

[Law2Doc]

Do (c), particularly the exercising part. I would also suggest getting your fill of movies and TV shows, as you will need to cut back on those significantly.

 

[yobynaes]

hey! im in the same boat here (of course, minus the married part). i've my acceptances and finishing up college this dec. so, my plan's brush up my spanish and spent all my meager savings travel south america for a couple month and southeast asia for a couple month.

 

[stantheman6]

I am in same boat also (minus married) and went through somewhat same process. Went to Peru in the spring and volunteered and want to keep improving Spanish.
I have thought about doing more research and stuff like that which could very slightly help my career somehow. But nope - definatly just gonna leave at the end of this month and rock climb in Spain almost until school starts. Oh yeah- also some skiing if I can fit it in.
Just have to let go of the anxiety of not being preductive.
I think it will be worth it though.

 

[indo]

I spent a lot of time by pools and lakes and I also paid off my credit card debt.