Things to do Summer after Freshman Year

[justanundergrad]

Hey SDN,

Had a couple questions for y'all about things to do in the summer and also some general questions about the years of college to come. I'm in the middle of my second semester as a freshman, and am starting to think about what I should do this upcoming summer--I know I'm more than likely late on that. Now I'm aware that it's not as "important" as the future summers, but I'd still like to make the most out of it. Originally, I was thinking of doing a summer class and getting some hospital volunteering in, and then spending the rest of my time relaxing. I figured that I would shadow some other time in the future because I don't exactly know much about hospital work right now and I don't want to be a drag to the doctor hosting me. Is this a good use of my time or am I better off pursuing something else? Anything to keep in mind?

Also, I've been worried about how I'm supposed to manage all of these things next year. Freshman year classes aren't exactly supposed to be hard, yet I'm already strapped for time when it comes to studying and reviewing on a weekly basis. I'm only involved as a member in two student organizations and not much else...with harder classes next year and volunteering/research on top of that, how will I manage? How do you guys do it? Do I stick with just one organization and then reallocate that time to volunteering and research?

Thanks for the advice, guys. Cheers.

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[Dagrimsta1]

Make cuts in your EC if needed to focus on grades. All the fluff in the world won't protect a bad GPA. Also taking some time off to decompress is good, relax and do stuff you actually find therapeutic. Freshman year was my lowest GPA so it's relative

 

[efle]

What's the reason for summer class?

If your summer is wide open, I'd say work part-time for a little $ and relax otherwise. Volunteer a little if you want to. In later summers a very popular option is summer research.

 

[Dandine]

Your plan seems good so far, especially taking time to relax before sophomore year. Is it a pre-req you're interested in taking over the summer?

Sophomore year is definitely one of the tougher years of undergrad in terms of managing time. It might help to examine how you're doing first year. If you were doing fine grade-wise on top of the other activities, then you should be able to handle sophomore year even if it is busier because you will have an idea of how to manage your time and take those skills with you, even if you have to change things up due to a different schedule. A lot of time management is learning as you go, but take it in stride. It's also why I'm emphasizing relaxing before sophomore year; you want to start the year strong and not burnt out.

Other summer things...getting a start on research wouldn't be a bad idea if you know you want to do that at some point in your undergrad. If you're not ready don't push yourself, but it can't hurt to see what research is available at your school and contacting professors. This thread below has some suggestions for how to go about doing that (ignore if not interested; purely there for extra info).

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/when-and-how-did-you-get-a-research-position.1235963/

Also, here is a thread about tips for finding doctors to shadow; circa 2008, but should still apply. Just something to keep in mind when you decide to start shadowing. General consensus is starting through people you know through school or current connections and go from there.

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-do-you-find-doctors-to-shadow.535386/

Argh, it seems I've written yet another essay, but I hope this helps. Sophomore year was a difficult year for me in college but I enjoyed it in spite of the challenges, so I wanted to take time to address that. Best of luck to you!

 

[justanundergrad]

Thanks for the tips! Perhaps I am unnecessarily stressed out right now, haha.

As for the summer class, it wasn't necessarily a pre-req but perhaps a class that I would need to take for the MCAT, like psychology/sociology. I figured I would get it out of the way so I have more room during the actual school year.

 

[Sjlucas15]

Hey SDN,

Had a couple questions for y'all about things to do in the summer and also some general questions about the years of college to come. I'm in the middle of my second semester as a freshman, and am starting to think about what I should do this upcoming summer--I know I'm more than likely late on that. Now I'm aware that it's not as "important" as the future summers, but I'd still like to make the most out of it. Originally, I was thinking of doing a summer class and getting some hospital volunteering in, and then spending the rest of my time relaxing. I figured that I would shadow some other time in the future because I don't exactly know much about hospital work right now and I don't want to be a drag to the doctor hosting me. Is this a good use of my time or am I better off pursuing something else? Anything to keep in mind?

Also, I've been worried about how I'm supposed to manage all of these things next year. Freshman year classes aren't exactly supposed to be hard, yet I'm already strapped for time when it comes to studying and reviewing on a weekly basis. I'm only involved as a member in two student organizations and not much else...with harder classes next year and volunteering/research on top of that, how will I manage? How do you guys do it? Do I stick with just one organization and then reallocate that time to volunteering and research?

Thanks for the advice, guys. Cheers.

Personally, I worked at a marina and volunteered at my local hospital. I also took one online general class. That way I made $$$ and did stuff for school AND medical school. Make sure you relax and have fun! But don't do nothing all summer.

 

[efle]

Thanks for the tips! Perhaps I am unnecessarily stressed out right now, haha.

As for the summer class, it wasn't necessarily a pre-req but perhaps a class that I would need to take for the MCAT, like psychology/sociology. I figured I would get it out of the way so I have more room during the actual school year.

You should be able to fit all the MCAT and/or prereq classes into a normal schedule if you've already taken a few as a freshman. Don't pay extra and sacrifice all the time to do a summer class unnecessarily. Make some money and enjoy yourself!

 

[Dandine]

No problem. Psych/soc would be a good one to take. @efle does make a good point about summer courses being extra tuition dollars though; if you want to do it, just keep that in mind.

Like @Sjlucas15 suggestion of getting a job too.

 

[Sunshizzle]

Just relax and get a flexible job for money/life experience