Schedule advice for entering freshmen?

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riverside

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Hey SDN, I've been lurking around for a while now trying to figure things out for a successful path to medical school. One thing i am still unsure about even though i read many similar threads is how i should make my schedule for freshmen-senior year. The factors that i consider would shape my schedule the most is

1. ease of junior year classes so i have time to study for MCAT
2. Combination of what classes so difficulty isn't overwhelming
3. Combination of what classes that would help my success in other classes
4. time constraints when trying to fit in research/volunteering/shadowing
5. taking classes earlier while it is still fresh in my mind from highschool

Classes i plan to take -
1 yr bio
1 yr english
2 yr gen/org chem
1 yr physics
1 yr math - calculus+stats
1 yr spanish
psychology+sociology (for the 2015 MCAT)
Computer science
+any additional classes

thanks!

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I'd say take the core BPC as usual. For the new mcat...just try to integrate those classes. I'm not really buying into all the hype that students won't be able to fit the "extra pre med material (sociology, psych, ethics, philosophy) into their schedules. I feel as if I took those classes anyway to satisfy my major's requirements. I'd take the maths in order-specifically calc early-so you remember it from hs. Psych and sociology are relatively at most schools.

With regard to combining classes....I feel as if that applies to *higher level* classes but others may have different opinions. --- for example physiology during human biochemistry

Or biochemistry during o chem 2.

Taking biochem during biology 1, in retrospect, would have overlapped a ton for me.

Sorry for grammatical errors on my phone currently
 
I wouldn't take more than two core BPC classes at once, and I would take only one during your freshman year (at least, during fall semester). Psychology and Sociology are easy (though quite interesting) classes, so those can both be knocked out your freshman year, one each semester.

I agree...take calc early. That's the only subject that I actually "forgot" between high school and college.

If you are taking algebra-based physics (which is really all you need), this can be paired with organic chemistry or regular chemistry....but if you're doing that combination, then make sure everything else you take is easy/not that time consuming (lol you could actually take psych and sociology here, too!)

Biology and Chem have been paired, but that's a pretty difficult combination.

Do you plan on applying during your senior year, or are you planning on taking a gap year? If you do plan on taking a gap year, then you can just do one core science per year, which would be the easiest, and perhaps allow you to do better.
 
alright, so far im pretty dead on about knocking out calculus freshmen year. is having bio and chem together that difficult? i already have some knowledge in biology (passed AP test with a 5). I was thinking i should leave psych and sociology during my junior year so ill have lots of time to prep for mcat. also, i do plan on applying during senior year.

what classes did you guys take during the year you took your MCAT?
 
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