Taking pre-reqs next semester

[Chamahk]

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I'm going to get papers signed and officially withdraw from my Chem class which is the only pre-req I was taking this semester unless you count Stats. towards my science GPA. Now next semester, I'm planning to do course over load or take no less than 18 credits where I'll take up Chem I again along with Bio I. and if I'm allowed a course over load I'll throw along something else. What I want to know is that will starting my pre-reqs a semester late affect me from being able to take the MCAT junior year?? I'm a freshman now in my first semester.

 

[Catalystik]

If you need catch-up time, you could always take summer school coursework.

 

[Morzh]

To answer your question, you should have plenty of time to be prepared by the summer after your junior year. The most time consuming prereq series is chemistry, and if you take genchem 1 in the spring, gen2 next fall, ochem 1 the spring after and ochem 2 the fall of your junior, you still have a semester to spare. Even if you were in a bind, you would just have to take some summer semesters.

The much bigger question is why are you withdrawing from chem I? Are you struggling? What will be better next semester, especially with the ridiculous course load?

Biting off more than you can chew course-wise is extremely risky, and a mistake that commonly kills the chances a lot of ambitious pre-meds. If you go to a school with easier classes and you KNOW you will be fine, then go ahead. But admissions committees are equally impressed by signs of maturity and good decision-making and planning skills. It would be far better to slow down a little and go at a healthy pace and maintain a balanced life and get really great grades than it would be to overwhelm yourself and maintain nothing but a high stress level and mediocre/acceptable grades.

 

[Chamahk]

To answer your question, you should have plenty of time to be prepared by the summer after your junior year. The most time consuming prereq series is chemistry, and if you take genchem 1 in the spring, gen2 next fall, ochem 1 the spring after and ochem 2 the fall of your junior, you still have a semester to spare. Even if you were in a bind, you would just have to take some summer semesters.

The much bigger question is why are you withdrawing from chem I? Are you struggling? What will be better next semester, especially with the ridiculous course load?

Biting off more than you can chew course-wise is extremely risky, and a mistake that commonly kills the chances a lot of ambitious pre-meds. If you go to a school with easier classes and you KNOW you will be fine, then go ahead. But admissions committees are equally impressed by signs of maturity and good decision-making and planning skills. It would be far better to slow down a little and go at a healthy pace and maintain a balanced life and get really great grades than it would be to overwhelm yourself and maintain nothing but a high stress level and mediocre/acceptable grades.

[1] I want to take the MCAT's junior year and have an acceptance by senior year. Isn't that how it's done? You take the MCAT's fall/spring of junior year.

[2] I'm withdrawing because at the moment I'm finding the first year, first semester of college very difficult. Academically and socially as-well. This isn't a pity party feel sorry for me excuse. I lack the discipline to do my work and assignments and socially I just don't know how to control myself being exposed to this much freedom. I'm coming from a background where I rarely went out. I've never had a best friend before and my life pretty much revolved around my immediate family so college and the freedom it brings isn't that easy for me to have self control over myself. I'm having way too much fun here 😳. Also my mid term grade was an E/F and there's really no way back up. I need a C to get out the class and go on to Chem II but that's not looking very likely at the moment. I'm hoping by withdrawing I can sort of use this as a time off and rethink things through.

So in closing I'll be okay if I start my pre-reqs spring semester senior year, right? 😛