Straight A's

[obgyny]

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Well SDN is a self-selecting group; I would be willing to bet that some of the stats given here aren't always completely honest. People tend to minimize the negative. Straight A's are great, but at what cost? If you can maintain a >3.5 GPA and still have a life (by this I mean going out and interacting with humans or doing something worthwhile in the real world) then I think that would pay better dividends in the long run. Perfect grades are great but med schools are going to interview everyone and I find that the more social interaction you have the more confidence you have in yourself as a whole person. Confidence is absolutely vital in interviews, confidence allows you to put yourself out there and talk with passion about your interests and what you've done. When you're engaging and interesting there is a good chance the interviewer is going to latch on to one of your interests and gives you a line of dialogue other than the generic. I suspect someone who gives a great interview and has good stats is much more memorable and likely to get in than someone with a awkward stumbling interview and perfect numbers. I wouldn't under estimate the human component of med school admissions or of later patient and coworker interaction.

TL;DR = focus on being well rounded and comfortable in your own skin. More social interaction = More confidence.

I agree with you that you shouldn't obsess over getting perfect grades and let it ruin your life. But why is there the misconception that anyone with straight As is socially inept? I really didn't study THAT much in college. If you're spending every waking hour studying in college, you're not doing it right. I had plenty of time to fit in a job, research, ECs, in addition to social stuff. It really is about having quality study time over quantity and finding study methods that work best for you.

 

[osprey099]

Seriously how do some or many of you seem to get straight A's?
I really want to know how you guys do that so that I can use the info received to possibly help me get there.

 

[NightGod]

I agree with you that you shouldn't obsess over getting perfect grades and let it ruin your life. But why is there the misconception that anyone with straight As is socially inept? I really didn't study THAT much in college. If you're spending every waking hour studying in college, you're not doing it right. I had plenty of time to fit in a job, research, ECs, in addition to social stuff. It really is about having quality study time over quantity and finding study methods that work best for you.

It's called jealousy. Last semester I had 18 credit hours, worked full time, spent time with my two teen-aged kids, went out to the clubs with friends a few times, hit the gym 2-3 mornings a week, played more hours of video games than was likely good for me, improved my cooking skills, dated a bit, blah blah blah. It's all about time management. Yeah, social life went to basically zero the last couple of weeks of class, but I didn't throw away everything social the entire semester by any means.

 

[ccrone]

Seriously how do some or many of you seem to get straight A's?
I really want to know how you guys do that so that I can use the info received to possibly help me get there.

I don't know that I'd put myself into the inherently smart category, but I don't spend much time studying/doing school work. For me, a lot of it is dumb luck: I have a natural "knack" for biochemistry. 😎

The other part (for me, anyway) is sheer will-power and determination. I insist upon success.

While I've been lucky to get perfect grades, it's definitely turned me into a complete head-case. If I had all the time in the world to study (or heck, even two hours a day!), I'd be good to go. Since I can't exert the amount of control I'd like over my study habits, I tend to be pretty high-strung in general. It's not a fun way to be. 😳

At any rate, I suggest finding one of the "smart kids" and asking them for help. I've helped when I could, and am always happy to suggest alternatives if I can't help someone myself. And when help is offered, follow through. I'm constantly asked for help in traditionally difficult subjects (calculus, physics, statistics, etc.). I love those, and am happy to help out. Unfortunately, they never manage to make time to come get the help they've asked for and I've offered. Don't make that mistake. If you're having trouble, as for help early on. Heck, ask for help *before* you get into trouble.

Fun tip: when I could, I used to do problem sets in one of the tutoring labs on campus. That way, if/when I needed help, there was someone right there to help me. This was great in math/physics. Instead of getting stumped and hopelessly frustrated, having to make an appointment with a tutor, actually go to the appointment, etc., I could simply ask a question as soon as it popped into my head. When working in the tutoring lab wasn't an option, I'd let a professor know I was working in the building, and asked if it was alright if I popped into their office with questions. No one ever said no. 😉

 

[medhopefuls2016]

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