Struggling with Extracurriculars?

[RahyneDays]

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Okay, struggling is a stretch, but I'm thinking about how to improve my application this round. What I am curious about is how other applicants fit in time for extracurricular activities.

I take an average course load (12-16 credit hours/semester), but I was shadowing 15 hours a week for the last year and a half and now I work at my local clinic as a vet assistant 20-25 hours a week. I am part of two clubs at my school that are just starting up, so no regular meetings/activities yet. I am meeting with my genetics professor to see if I can get some research time at his company this summer and fall. In my spare time (ha) I usually enjoy small hobbies I do by myself to unwind, but you can't really put that in your application.

With balancing personal relationships/ school/house responsibilities, how do YOU fit in more time to be more..outgoing(?)... for your application? Its not that I am anti-community events and service, it is really just boggling to me how to add more to what I already do.

Thanks for your input.

 

[ResoluteMike]

Okay, struggling is a stretch, but I'm thinking about how to improve my application this round. What I am curious about is how other applicants fit in time for extracurricular activities.

I take an average course load (12-16 credit hours/semester), but I was shadowing 15 hours a week for the last year and a half and now I work at my local clinic as a vet assistant 20-25 hours a week. I am part of two clubs at my school that are just starting up, so no regular meetings/activities yet. I am meeting with my genetics professor to see if I can get some research time at his company this summer and fall. In my spare time (ha) I usually enjoy small hobbies I do by myself to unwind, but you can't really put that in your application.

With balancing personal relationships/ school/house responsibilities, how do YOU fit in more time to be more..outgoing(?)... for your application? Its not that I am anti-community events and service, it is really just boggling to me how to add more to what I already do.

Thanks for your input.

Sounds like you are doing plenty. Getting some research time and a small amount of variety should be plenty. Enjoy your hobbies, you won't get a lot of time for them in veterinary school. Most importantly, don't overwhelm yourself and burnout.

 

[MixedAnimals77]

Okay, struggling is a stretch, but I'm thinking about how to improve my application this round. What I am curious about is how other applicants fit in time for extracurricular activities.

I take an average course load (12-16 credit hours/semester), but I was shadowing 15 hours a week for the last year and a half and now I work at my local clinic as a vet assistant 20-25 hours a week. I am part of two clubs at my school that are just starting up, so no regular meetings/activities yet. I am meeting with my genetics professor to see if I can get some research time at his company this summer and fall. In my spare time (ha) I usually enjoy small hobbies I do by myself to unwind, but you can't really put that in your application.

With balancing personal relationships/ school/house responsibilities, how do YOU fit in more time to be more..outgoing(?)... for your application? Its not that I am anti-community events and service, it is really just boggling to me how to add more to what I already do.

Thanks for your input.

What did the file reviews tell you to improve on? Was it extracurriculars? I agree you have a solid start. IDK I just did it-I did much less volunteering in college than in high school, but just do like one activity once a month. Also if you have a constant hobby it's totally ok to put on your application!

 

[Jess Monster]

I think it sounds like you’re already doing plenty.

If you want to pick up more extracurricular activities, do so because you’re interested, not because it might look good to someone in admissions. If you don’t want to fill whatever “spare” time you have with any acitvity, well, that’s perfectly okay. Everyone needs a little time to themselves to just watch TV or read a book or do something that isn’t instantly translated to a bullet point on your resume.

 

[RahyneDays]

What did the file reviews tell you to improve on? Was it extracurriculars? I agree you have a solid start. IDK I just did it-I did much less volunteering in college than in high school, but just do like one activity once a month. Also if you have a constant hobby it's totally ok to put on your application!

No, there was no mention that my extracurriculars were lacking I was just looking over my overall application last year to see what areas were sparce. 🙂

 

[RahyneDays]

I think it sounds like you’re already doing plenty.

If you want to pick up more extracurricular activities, do so because you’re interested, not because it might look good to someone in admissions. If you don’t want to fill whatever “spare” time you have with any acitvity, well, that’s perfectly okay. Everyone needs a little time to themselves to just watch TV or read a book or do something that isn’t instantly translated to a bullet point on your resume.

Thank you for that. I think I would spend more time doing extracurriculars when I graduate, and I definitely dont want to fake interests on my resume. I guess I was just so impressed with extracurriculars in alot of successful applicant stats last cycle.

 

[mmmdreamerz]

Okay, struggling is a stretch, but I'm thinking about how to improve my application this round. What I am curious about is how other applicants fit in time for extracurricular activities.

I take an average course load (12-16 credit hours/semester), but I was shadowing 15 hours a week for the last year and a half and now I work at my local clinic as a vet assistant 20-25 hours a week. I am part of two clubs at my school that are just starting up, so no regular meetings/activities yet. I am meeting with my genetics professor to see if I can get some research time at his company this summer and fall. In my spare time (ha) I usually enjoy small hobbies I do by myself to unwind, but you can't really put that in your application.

With balancing personal relationships/ school/house responsibilities, how do YOU fit in more time to be more..outgoing(?)... for your application? Its not that I am anti-community events and service, it is really just boggling to me how to add more to what I already do.

Thanks for your input.

Actually, you can. I included my hobbies on VMCAS and it actually became a topic of discussion during my interview. They want to know you’re human and get to know you. Hobbies are great.

I’ve been surely lacking in the enjoyment of hobbies since when I started undergrad until just this year (second year of vet school). My mental health has improved astronomically since I started allowing myself to enjoy things not related to vet med again. Don’t be like me. If something has to give, don’t let it be the things that keep you sane.

 

[Vet school hopeful]

Of course this is just opinion but I would say for your clubs make sure they are something worth your time and not just resume fillers because I swear they can sniff those out from a mile away. For me I limited my long term extracurriculars to being an RA for housing, being the senate pro tempore of my SGA, and being the NME/VP of a multicultural sorority. I would say if you can't list 3 strong things that you have done through your clubs you may be wasting your time and money. E.X. for SGA I was able to say 1) Authored a bill about mental health that was adopted and signed by my mayor 2) Successfully lobbied for an increase in mental health councilors and increased state scholarships at my state's capitol 3) Presided over 30 Senators blah blah…

Your time is extremely valuable - make sure that if you were asked why you were doing something you can answer better then "It looked good on my resume"

 

[MixedAnimals77]

No, there was no mention that my extracurriculars were lacking I was just looking over my overall application last year to see what areas were sparce. 🙂

Then I would definitely focus less on filling your free time with extracurriculars if you dont want to and focus on what the file reviews wanted you to improve on!