To defer or not to defer???

[dentalchica]

hey guys,
i need some advice! so i'm 20 years old and applied to dental school a year early...i applied after 3 years to see if i would get in anywhere and if i got into my top choice, i would go. well i got into columbia and sent in my depoist. the only problem is, i will be taking classes up until the end of july to graduate in time and then start columbia mid aug ( I GET NO BREAK!!) so my question is, do you think i should try to defer for a year so i wont get burnt out? or do you think i should go ahead and go to dental school? from wat ive heard...dental school is so tough and i feel like i am ready to start something new and live in nyc but i also dotn want to be burnt out...should i take a year off now or go ahead and start this year? any advice or input would greatly help! thanks guys

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[UBTom]

If you had an arduous time in college and really feel like you can't take it anymore, then yes take a deferment.

But if you are having a typical senior year (light courses) and do not have a crushing courseload, I'd say go for it.

Bottom line is, you have to ask yourself, "how do I feel?"

Luck.

 

[PERFECT3435]

i wouldn't defer if i were you. the main reason is that if you defer, you'll have a whoooooole yr of waiting and not studying. after a yr, you may have force yourself into studying the way you were in the past.

i graduated and had a yr off school. now i am taking just anatomy lec/lab and feel like i am totally pushing myself to study.

i say you keep going!

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

HOla chica......

your only 20 years old!!! dude, defer for sure! Why are you working so hard in life? Ok, so you'll be a dentist when you are 24 years old......so what? Youve wasted the best part of your life doing schoolwork!! BARF!!! You will regret this later on in life! Im gonna be 23 when i enter dental school, but I took it easy in undergrad and took 5 years to finish. I constantly heard from people that I was stupid to take an extra year, and that is a years salary.....ok years salary to do what? buy a car...a house.....oh wow, thats gonna make me real happy, right!?!?!!!! I didnt care, because I used that time to do LOTS of other things.......Im still gonna be a dentist, and Im still gonna have a car and house, so whats the big deal?

Many people give me credit for all the things Ive done. WHy? I dont want or deserve credit. Anyone could have done the things I did if they only didnt think of material gain and money.

I say, defer for a year, and travel and take it easy for a while......have some life experience instead of inside a lecture hall! You'll still be a dentist, but one year later at 25......oh wow, big difference than 24!!!! You'd still be WAY below the average age!

In my opinion, 18-25 are the best years of your life.....dont waste them!

 

[Yah-E]

Alright Chica...here's the scoop...

GO TO DENTAL SCHOOL, ****, you'll be going or doing it regardless, either next year or the year after that! Plus, let me tell you, dental school is FUN!! You'll have a blast in dental school (depending on your personality of course). You'll party, you'll meet cool people and all at the same time, you're learning to become a "doctor"!

Why defer? To travel? To party? To earn money? What? Those are things you can do after you earn your DMD (preferred) or DDS!

GO TO SCHOOL, DON'T BE A FOOL!
WHY DEFER EDUCATION, WHEN YOU LEARN MASTICATION.
DO IT NOW, SO YOU KNOW HOW.
SO GET YOUR DEGREE IN '08, YOU THEN CAN GET PAID!
DAMN, I'M A POET AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT!

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Why defer? To travel? To party? To earn money? What? Those are things you can do after you earn your DMD (preferred) or DDS!

I STRONGLY disagree with Yah-E on this one. Yah-E usually gives sound advice, but this is way off.

Why would you wait till after your DDS to do all the stuff you should be doing now? Right now, you are independent....have no worries.....by taking a year off, you can do whatever you want......you could wake up one day, pack a few clothes, and say, adios papi, Ill be back in a couple of months.....Goto Greece and go Island hopping.....tour Europe...chill out on a white sand beach in Belize....rent a car and drive to Alaska.....whatever floats your boat....you CANT do this after dental school.....After your DDS, you'll have a lingering debt that you need to worry about and youll be older...

Ask any older person for advice and they will all tell you the same thing.....you are young, take advantage of it....You'd be a fool if you waste these years working....work can wait, especially when you know for sure you will be a dentist and will be financially secure for the rest of your life.

I know it sounds very cliche, but.........LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!

Although I have to give credit to Yah-E on the poem!

 

[hanstab]

Yah-E...Great rhyme. Are you related to Eazy-E???




Brian

 

[dentalchica]

hey guys,
thanks everyone on such great advice!! all this input is great... i do like to party lots and have fun and avingupta, you are right about me not having worries if i take a year off and i can do whatever i want. for the rest of you...i totaly agree with you also that taking a year off can make you lose your study habits and you can easily fall out of the studying "grind"....thats why this is so tough...i really wouldnt mind taking some time off but i also dont want to look back and say damn i wasted a whole year when i could have been in dental school...you know? ugggh this is such a TOUGH decision! i went in today to columbia to talk to the dean and he said that i could defer if i wanted to...so i have that option...now i just gotta decide and w/ all these mixed feelings and input...its tougher than ever! if anyone has more opinions or feelings on this matter...keep me posted! thanks again guys

 

[Serge718]

Hey Dentalchica, I think you should go straight to dent school. I was in your position not too long ago trying to decide whether to defer or take a year off (I will be completing my major in three years). But after much deliberation, I decided that it would be better if I go. A year is a whole lot of time, actually too much time in my opinion to do nothing (don't feel like working for 10 bucks an hour).

The way I see it, i managed to have a full time gf and go out just as much as everyone else did, maybe not as much as those that took 50 semester to graduate, but hey i was/am happy with the way things were. I saw no good reason to stay home for a year thinking "what the hell am i doing here" so I'm just going to cruise by untill I graduate this may and off to being a freshman for the 3d time.

This ofcourse depends on the individual, I just think that I will die of boredome if I take a whole year off. 3-4 months would be nice but a whole year...Nooooooooooo

Well good luck

 

[Viraj]

Hi
I started dental school at the age of 20. I was in same situation as u r, and didn't even think about deferrin, as I know what i wanna do, and would like to achieve my goals asap, so I think it would be great to get this whole dental studies to get over with and then all u could do is just enjoy.....
if u have any questions lemme know
Viraj

 

[gryffindor]

Originally posted by avingupta
Why would you wait till after your DDS to do all the stuff you should be doing now? Right now, you are independent....have no worries.....by taking a year off, you can do whatever you want......you could wake up one day, pack a few clothes, and say, adios papi, Ill be back in a couple of months.....Goto Greece and go Island hopping.....tour Europe...chill out on a white sand beach in Belize....rent a car and drive to Alaska.....whatever floats your boat....you CANT do this after dental school.....After your DDS, you'll have a lingering debt that you need to worry about and youll be older...

Ask any older person for advice and they will all tell you the same thing.....you are young, take advantage of it....You'd be a fool if you waste these years working....work can wait, especially when you know for sure you will be a dentist and will be financially secure for the rest of your life.

avingupta, it would be wonderful to do all these things you mention here, but THESE THINGS ALL COST MONEY!!!

I agree with the majority of posters here. Don't take the year off. It can be hard to get into the grind of things again when you haven't had to motivate yourself to work hard for an entire year. If you graduate at 24, you are still really young (dentally speaking). With a DDS in hand, you can make a whole lot of money for 3 months, and then go spend all of it partying and island hopping and laying on the beach and driving around Alaska for the next six months. IMO, it would be better to do it this way when you actually have the cash to do such extravagant things. Maybe avingupta is one of those people who just needs a backpack and can travel the world on $200. But that is definitely not my style and I'd rather do it when I have some real money to spend on things like hotels and food.

True, you aren't getting much of a break between summer classes and the start of Columbia, but is mid-August the actual start of classes or orientation? If it's orientation, that doesn't count b/c I bet there is no studying and a whole lot of partying during that time.

 

[Dentalist]

If I were in your shoes, I would definitely go to dental school. You can still have fun at the dental school even if the school is demanding and challenging.

Remember this quote: work hard, play hard! =)

 

[ShawnOne]

Dont be a fool, continue school!

Dont be a dummy, follow the money!

Dont stress, go for the DDS!

Dont defer, you'll regret it for sure!

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Geez.....i never said that dental school was not fun.....BUT, just enjoy the independence for as long as you can, and then enter dental school and have fun.....you can enjoy a year and do your own thing, and then go into dental school and still have fun....you can have the best of both worlds.

avingupta, it would be wonderful to do all these things you mention here, but THESE THINGS ALL COST MONEY!!!

Yes you are right.....they cost money....but why couldnt you work for half the year at a cool job (regardless of pay), and then take off the other half of the year and travel anyway you want with a nice bank account to fall back on??? You are right that Im the type that can travel with $200, but I havent worked in 3 years, so I have to live like that. Whereas if you worked, made a nice stash, and then hit the world.....you would have no problems.

Thats what I did......I worked an amazing job as a tour guide in Quebec City and with all the money I made, I travelled EVERYWHERE! So far, Ive travelled to about 25 countries in my life, and IM only 23. I have SO many stories to tell......my friends call me the real J. Peterman and say I should write my own catalog! Ill probably be like one of those guys when they are old, telling tales of when they were younger.......but if you work so much and went to Columbia right away, what will you be able to say??? Ummm...when I was 20, I studied 4 all nighters in a row.....then I got drunk in Time Square for the 10th time.....then I went home and went to the library the next day.....oh wow!

Geez....everyone here is saying you could do all this travelling, independent stuff after dental school, but they seem to forget the debt that will be lingering on your shoulders....and since you are going to Columbia, its gonna be a large one I assume. Im sorry chica...I might be the lone one on my side here, but I think I make the most sense.

Why couldnt you work for a bit, make some cash, travel and blow it all, and then start dental school next summer? You would just break even! Then there would be no real difference if you started 2004 or 2005......oh, except some invaluable life experiences.

i totaly agree with you also that taking a year off can make you lose your study habits and you can easily fall out of the studying "grind"....thats why this is so tough...

WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK.......why is it always about work???? Geez, when you die, what are you gonna have to show for it? A bunch of diplomas, a car and house....big deal....you can still have all of this, but by taking a year off, you can learn a lot about yourself and the outside world. The choice is simple!

Think about it.....people would KILL to be in your situation! You are entering a profession that guarantees you a good salary, security and a good lifestyle. And you are only 20 years old! I know people that are like 28 years old, and they still have no idea what they want to be or they are working jobs that dont have these benefits!! PLUS...you have the option of taking a year off doing whatever you want, and having this amazing job GUARANTEED for you when you come back and start making a living when you are 25!!........COME ON CHICA.......ITS SOOOO OBVIOUS!!!

 

[gryffindor]

avingupta, we are all very different people. Being a tour guide in Quebec is not my idea of an "amazing" job. (You all know my idea of the amazing job is of course, dentistry .) It is "all about work" for me, it's just my personality. I used to dread going back to school after 8 weeks off for the summer. Now I dread going to back to school on Monday mornings after the weekend. If I took a year off, I'd never come back. Dental school is 4 years of hell. Yes, there were many fun moments and cool memories and graduation is going to be bittersweet, but it was not a 4 yr/24/7 picnic by any means. For me, there was no point in putting off the inevitable by taking a year off.

The debt will be there waiting for you to pay it when you get back from your life-altering-memory-making-time-of-my-life world tour. I really don't think it's such a big deal to be scared of your 6 digit loan when you can make way more as a dentist in six months than you will as a tour guide. Put away 6 months of your minimum debt payment in your account, set up an automatic payment thingy to make your monthly debt payment, and use the rest of the money you earned as a DENTIST to spend the next 6 months traveling the world. You break even in this scenario, the difference is that you have a lot more money to do it with. IMO, there isn't such a huge difference b/w doing it at 20 versus 24 as you keep pointing out.

Some of us just aren't into traveling to 25 countries. Yes, there are people out there who are very happy having been to less than 5 countries. Why? B/c for you, traveling is a hobby. Others have different hobbies that make them happy and give them the same life-long-memories you get from your travels. Just try to respect other people's idea of a good life b/c you could potentially tick people off in your dental class if you think for some reason that traveling around the world is better and more noble than the hobbies your classmates have.

Personally, the getting drunk in Times Square idea for the 10th time sounds like a good idea to me. I'm looking forward to it come July, anyone care to join me???

 

[DrRob]

I' ll come!

 

[Zurich5]

Yah-E?s vote doesn?t count here since he goes to school in paradise. I think Fox has a reality show lined up for next fall based on Nova.

I would suggest not deferring. Senior year has been one of the best times of my life. I could have graduated last year, but am really, really glad that I didn?t. This is the last chance you?ll have for a long time to sleep in until noon, play X box all day, and then ride your bike for four hours while you skip class, only to follow all of that with a celebration in the evening. Man, if you play your credits right, you can have a year long vacation with only a few visits to work, for exams and such? wait maybe that was me

If it?s about money though, then going straight to dental school would make a lot of sense, also. Everyone will give you a different answer here, it only depends on what you value.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

avingupta, we are all very different people. Being a tour guide in Quebec is not my idea of an "amazing" job. (You all know my idea of the amazing job is of course, dentistry .) It is "all about work" for me, it's just my personality. I used to dread going back to school after 8 weeks off for the summer. Now I dread going to back to school on Monday mornings after the weekend. If I took a year off, I'd never come back. Dental school is 4 years of hell. Yes, there were many fun moments and cool memories and graduation is going to be bittersweet, but it was not a 4 yr/24/7 picnic by any means. For me, there was no point in putting off the inevitable by taking a year off.

The debt will be there waiting for you to pay it when you get back from your life-altering-memory-making-time-of-my-life world tour. I really don't think it's such a big deal to be scared of your 6 digit loan when you can make way more as a dentist in six months than you will as a tour guide. Put away 6 months of your minimum debt payment in your account, set up an automatic payment thingy to make your monthly debt payment, and use the rest of the money you earned as a DENTIST to spend the next 6 months traveling the world. You break even in this scenario, the difference is that you have a lot more money to do it with. IMO, there isn't such a huge difference b/w doing it at 20 versus 24 as you keep pointing out.

Some of us just aren't into traveling to 25 countries. Yes, there are people out there who are very happy having been to less than 5 countries. Why? B/c for you, traveling is a hobby. Others have different hobbies that make them happy and give them the same life-long-memories you get from your travels. Just try to respect other people's idea of a good life b/c you could potentially tick people off in your dental class if you think for some reason that traveling around the world is better and more noble than the hobbies your classmates have.

Personally, the getting drunk in Times Square idea for the 10th time sounds like a good idea to me. I'm looking forward to it come July, anyone care to join me???

Hey griffin....you think Im an idiot? I know everyone is different. I never said that the tour guide was amazing for everyone.....it was amazing for me, but thats it. My point I was trying to make was that since she knows she has a seat in dental school no matter what, she could make cash by finding a job that she likes, regardless of the pay......for me it was the tour guide.....for her, it could be the smell of fries at McDonalds.....I dont know what Dentalchica is into! She just has the opportunity to pick a job for the job, not for the money, that is my point. She should take full advantage of this while she can.

ANd about the travelling......that was just MY suggestion....for me, thats important. But if you read my post earlier on, I said to her she could take the year off and do whatever SHE wanted......for me its travelling.....for her it could be anything.

The way you describe your dental school experience is like a band-aid, just rip it off and get it over with as quickly as possible. I dont agree....I approach things differently....I like to take things slow and ease into it......Like Zurich5, Ive had an easy senior year (I got Xbox too bud!), and it was much needed, and now Im ready to hit the dental school hell after a year of chillin. But Dentalchica has gone through undergrad hell for 4 years, and now she is going straight into dental school hell for 4 more years??? Geez, take a break in between at least!!! RELAX!!

And about your situation of working as a dentist and paying loans off automatically....good point.....yes that would work, but I still do not agree. Dentalchica has 30 years of working as a dentist ahead of her....why not take ONE simple year to work at something else she likes when she has the chance?.....Do you JUST like dentistry? If you do, thats sad. What if you like Rock Climbing as well......be a rock climbing instructor. If you want to travel but dont have the money....why dont you teach english overseas for a year?? Lots of opportunties, with AMAZING benefits. Havent you had one time where you said to yourself, "damn I wish I could do that, but I cant because of school".......well now she can do whatever she wishes to do, and her mind can be at peace knowing she will be in dental school for sure next summer! Not many people have this opportunity!

All im saying is that dentalchica will NOT have these opportunities and choices once she is in and finishes dental school. So why not take full advantage of it, when she knows she has a seat guaranteed to her for next year???

 

[StarGirl]

i would almost say defer...but that's only cause this is coming from a tired 2nd yr student at columbia...but then you'll be glad that you didn't defer when you're done....
my undergrad finished mid/late june...so i didn't have that long of a break either from college to dental school...
it's probably best just to get it over w/... when do you turn 21? heheh it's almost a necessity to be 21 here
okie back to work...

 

[Woodsy]

Dentalchica, from what I am reading based on your decision of even considering to defer that is saying that part of you really wants to defer. However, you did get into dental school, so obviously the adcom at Columbia thought that you were ready for dental school. You had said that if you got into your top choice that you would go. Well, you did...so.......

You really have to decide on your own which is more important to you and think of the possible outcomes.

Do you really need a break before dental school? Will that break really help you or actually harm you (you have motivation to study now, what about after taking a year off??)? It all depends on the type of person you are. I can't make the same decision for you because I was never in your position. Up here in Canada we get 4 months summer break (but very intense 8 months with three weeks vacation in total). You are only 20 years old but again, the committee felt that you were ready. Age is just a number. I know 21 year olds that can't even form their own opinions, decisions and lack the maturity to perform tasks involving common sense and 17 year olds (my sister) that could manage just fine to live alone etc (even though she isn't).

It'd be great to get to work with ya next year at Columbia but if you don't feel that you will be able to give it your best then may be it is better to defer. Just ask yourself what you think is best for you. A good guideline would be :
1. Start with Gut Feeling
2. Weigh the pros and cons of each decision
3. Use your past to help make your decision (what type of person you are, decisions that have been good in the past/mistakes, etc.)

That is all the advice I can give ya, good luck with that.

 

[atlas6]

hi think that you should try to have some fun doing what you want to do for a year........one of my friends worked really really hard in undergrad so that she could go to medical school....she finished undergrad in june started med school in august.....she is now in her third year and complains becuz she has never really had any fun in her life..............i am not saying that will happen to you. i think that in the grand scheme of things (80 years is the predicted life span) that one year of your life will not make it much different.........

 

[larryt]

yeah.. have some fun man.... take a year off to relax, travel, volunteer, dating and take some fun classes (such as cooking, magic, music, computer...) . You're too young to study this hard. Never know, you may decide later on for specialty program... darn.. 2-6 yrs more of studying after dental school. Just my opinion.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Alright....more people on my side!!! Im sure the girl that atlas6 was talking about is not the exception, but there are many people like that. Dentalchica, dont become like that!!!

The odds will be more that you would regret not taking a year off later on, than it would be that you regret taking the year off. Why? Cause in that year off, you'll be having as much fun as you can....how can anyone regret that???

And its no suprise that StarGirl and I agree

 

[discolphie]

shoot...if she's 20 now...and gonna take time off...she can't even get into bars~... wheres she gonna spend the time? ^___^

 

[Woodsy]

it's called a fake ID!

 

[lnn2]

Originally posted by Woodsy
it's called a fake ID!

 

[Calculus1]

"Finding yourself" is one of those expressions that sounds really lame, but it is very important. For a lot of people that happens in college(for me it was prep school in CT). Either way, it is the time to grow and be a bit careless now and again. Dental school does not allow for too much carelessness early on. I side with defer because I am 23 and have travelled and partied until I got serious about school. I can't imagine not having done those sorts of things and then go to a place where there isn't a whole lot of room for fun. I'm not saying dental school can't be fun, but the fun comes in much smaller doses than it does when you have 0 responsibility. Yah-E usually does give good advice, but he didn't enter dental school at age 20. Go when you're mentally ready/pumped about it. Good luck w/ your decision!

Sincerely,

 

[Zurich5]

Originally posted by avingupta


And its no suprise that StarGirl and I agree

Puke....

 

[rcmonkeypie]

Hi,

First congrads on your acceptance. good job. I agree with avingupta about taking off the year. it is true that you can party after you get your dds or dmd. however, by then you will have other obligations in life. you may be debating going to specialty or having a family or whatever. why wait, take off this year and enjoy it. In this year off, do something that you always want to do but never have a chance.
How much difference will it make becoming a dentist at 24 or 25 ?

I strongly disagree about if you take off the year then you will have to push yourself to study. You have to push yourself to study regardless if you want to do well in dental school. As long as the motivation of doing well in school is there, you will push yourself to study and study more.

 

[gryffindor]

Originally posted by avingupta
The way you describe your dental school experience is like a band-aid, just rip it off and get it over with as quickly as possible. I dont agree....I approach things differently....I like to take things slow and ease into it......Like Zurich5, Ive had an easy senior year (I got Xbox too bud!), and it was much needed, and now Im ready to hit the dental school hell after a year of chillin. But Dentalchica has gone through undergrad hell for 4 years, and now she is going straight into dental school hell for 4 more years??? Geez, take a break in between at least!!! RELAX!!

Let me know when you are 5 weeks from dental school graduation if you are still taking dental school "slowly and with ease." Maybe you haven't been around SDN long enough to realize that I have always said I made the best of my dental school years, despite the fact I live in Buffalo - a city I despise with a passion. Now, with a few weeks to go, all of us seniors have become VERY LAZY and UNMOTIVATED - even those of us (myself included) who were incredibly high strung, on top of our game academically and socially, and full of energy and "ASDA fever" for the first three years.

BTW, I don't know where you all went to undergrad, but for me it was a 3 year nap. Yeah, I had some tough courses where I memorized caspace enzyme sequences and other minutia that is completely irrelevant to my now career, but dental school was 100 times the amount of work and stress of college and I am really ready to get it over with now. Or maybe since many of you haven't experienced 4 years of the dental curriculum (practically hell) to compare to your undergrad curriculum (nap time), you can't make that judgement yet. It was doable for the first three years, but senior year has been nothing but torture. It's like they're just hazing us with paperwork and useless bureaucracy all year before they will officially give us our diplomas and let us into the "DDS/DMD only" club.

I agree with calculus1 saying we all need to "find ourselves." I know that from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005, that is exactly what I will be doing on the fine island of Manhattan. Maybe I'm the exception, but my time to "find myself" is coming after dental school at the age of 24. Circumstances didn't allow it to happen before, regardless of how badly I might have wanted it to.

On an unrelated note, if you drink, then dental school socially ain't so fun if you start at 20. I didn't turn 21 till the start of my second semester. Seeing as I couldn't partake in many of the social events first semester, I earned my highest GPA that semester. Coincedence? Nah, of course not. Something to keep in mind for all the young folk starting dental school in the fall...

 

[UBTom]

I think a whole year is way too much time off. One can take a VERY enjoyable vacation in just a month or two, after all.

If Dentalchica has not had a rough time in college, DEFINITELY go to dental school right away... Especially considering that most dental schools will still give you a 2-month summer after freshman year! While that might not be enough time to "find yourself," it's certainly enough time to "recharge your batteries." Besides, if one is sure one wants to go to dental school, I would argue that one already has "found oneself."

Basically, her situation boils down to deciding between taking off for one whole year vs. deferring her summer for a year (NOT FOUR!).

And like Griffin04, I also can't wait to get the hell out of this #&$^%^# insane asylum laughingly called "dental school."

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Let me know when you are 5 weeks from dental school graduation if you are still taking dental school "slowly and with ease."

Once again Griffin, you aint reading my posts. Damn you ARE getting lazy in your senior year.

I wrote:

"I like to take things slow and ease into it......Like Zurich5, Ive had an easy senior year (I got Xbox too bud!), and it was much needed, and now Im ready to hit the dental school hell after a year of chillin. "

The key word here is into!! not during...but into! Geez, you mocked my use of bold and underlines, yet they still seem to be ineffective. Anyways, my point was was that I like to take it slow and easy going INTO dental school...I am aware that dental school is hell, so I would like to go in it totally fresh and ready for it because I know that in my senior year, I will be like you and be burned out and sick of the place. Why not take it easy for a bit, since I KNOW that "hell" is upon me???

For you, its 1 --> 2 --> 3 --> 4, one after the other.....dude, RELAX!!! Go off on a tangent once a while and go for from 2 --> 2.5 --> 3...stop being so consecutive!! Take it easy! (that could well be the nerdiest way to prove a point ever....)

With all this work and stress of completing everything so fast, you're gonna have a stroke at 30!

BTW, I don't know where you all went to undergrad, but for me it was a 3 year nap.

Umm, I think dentalchica explicity stated that her 4 years of undergrad were hell. Not everyone is as honoured as you to have a 3 year nap!

 

[dentalchica]

WOWWWWWWWWWW
Seriously its amazing getting so much feedback and such great advice from all of you...everyone's input has really helped me but has also left me still undecided... i actually will be finishing my undergrad in 3 years...haha avingupta you're probabaly like you crazy girl wat are you thinking...honestly, my past 3 years were tough but i partied ALOT...i am not one of those girls that stays in on weekends and studies for exams and doesnt go out. i had my share of maddd funnn...many of you are right in that a year is too long for me because i am used to such intense and fast paced academic years...i think i would be bored for a whole year. i was thinking about graduating in the winter instead of this summer and then having 6 months to travel. but even with traveling, bc im so young, all my friends are still in school...i mean i guess i just dont wanna look back after the year is over and think damn it i shouldve gone to dent school...i talked to a friend at columbia and she did say that the first month isnt bad at all and the first week is orientation and you get to go out

oh BTW, i DO have a 21 ID haha...so dont you guys worry, i'll still be hittin up the bars and clubs if i decide to go. i know dental school is an experience and i dont want to think of it as something to "just get over with". thats why i was thinking about deferring...i dont want to get to dental school and be burnt out and think omg i cant wait to get out. however, this summer, im taking easy ass classes though (15 elective hours) and basically just need to pass them so my summer wont be too exhausting....i dont know theres just so many factors and reasons to go one way or the other...
all your advice is excellent...my gut feeling says i should go bc i am a person who is very active and feel like i would go crazy if i had more than 2 weeks at h ome to sit on my ass...but after talking to many people especially friends, i want to stay and defer... my parents have that mentality that becoming a professional asap is best and all the expereinces that i might miss out (traveling, resting, taking it easy) will just delay the whole process and not benefit me...

avingupta, ur advice on traveling is really good...i know i probably cant travel later w/ freedom...i might have family and commitments and other priorities w/ my dental profession... i guess if i did defer, i would have to plan it so i make the most of my year and dont just sit on my ass..

however, griffin i agree w/ you too in that traveling is very expensive...luckily my dad is paying for a substantial amount of my education in dent school because my undergrad was free (scholarships and shizzz) and he would much rather put money towards me getting an education rather than traveling to different countries for i can pay for traveling later when i have started working as a dentist...

serously everyone's advice is so great and thats why its hard for me to decide one way or the other...i think i will make a list of pros and cons and see which options weighs out more benefits...
decisions decisions!

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

oh BTW, i DO have a 21 ID haha...so dont you guys worry, i'll still be hittin up the bars and clubs if i decide to go.

I cant believe that this is the age limit in America...the longest in the world!! Jesus Christ......21!!!! I dont get it...you can vote in America at 18 and own a gun, but cant drink until 21

i actually will be finishing my undergrad in 3 years...haha avingupta you're probabaly like you crazy girl wat are you thinking.

HAHHA...yah I think your crazy, but at least you had a good non-academic life, and if you were able to finish in 3 years with scholarships, you must be extremely brilliant as well, and i admire you for that. Its the people who do the same thing you do, but have no life....that is what I think is sad.

serously everyone's advice is so great and thats why its hard for me to decide one way or the other...i think i will make a list of pros and cons and see which options weighs out more benefits...
decisions decisions!

Thats a good idea....you already know what I think (and even more since you just said that your parents are paying for a lot of your education.....cmon girl, GO NUTS!!!)

Anyways, good luck with your decision!!!

 

[Jone]

Don't defer!

Dental schools raise their tuition like $2,000,000 per year... well at least my craphole school does...

Get in before tuition rates hit the billions.

Yes I'm bitter.

 

[Zurich5]

Originally posted by avingupta
Once again Griffin, you aint reading my posts. Damn you ARE getting lazy in your senior year.

I wrote:

"I like to take things slow and ease into it......Like Zurich5, Ive had an easy senior year (I got Xbox too bud!), and it was much needed, and now Im ready to hit the dental school hell after a year of chillin. "

Yulp, i'm the laziest dude ever... I win

 

[dsgirl2004]

Hi dentalchica,

I think that I am in a situation similar to yours. I graduated from college this winter, at the age of 18, and I am going to dental school this fall. I thought that I would be burned out, and so that is why I took this spring semester off... but to tell you the truth, I wish that I hadn't. I feel as though it will be so much harder to get back into studying in dental school, and besides that, I'm bored with 6 months off. I wish it only had been 1 month, that's all I really needed. I had a great time in college too, socially, and I don't feel like you'll be missing out if you go to dental school this coming year... I know you'll have great experiences in dental school as well. I think its hard taking time off... none of my friends have time off, and so it's rather become a more lonely experience rather than the fun I thought it would be. I don't know if this helps, but my opinion would be to go to dental school the coming fall.

 

[jes1ca]

Dear Dentalchica,

I just wanted to say that I am in the middle of my year off and I'll be going to Nova in the fall. Honestly, I wish I were there right now. I thought in my year off I would be able to do all kinds of fun things, but I have encountered many obstacles. I mean, it has been relaxing. However, it seems money is what is making this year not that much fun.

I got kicked off my parents health insurance, have to start paying back student loans, and what little I have left after living expenses save up for dental school. I'd be so much happier now if I were backpacking through Africa, but I cannot afford such. I would say if money was not an issue, I would take a year off, otherwise, continue right along.

I had plans to work on my paintings and organize all of my scrapbooks from world travels, but I have been so busy that I have barely gotten to work on these things. Although I have had many fun experiences.

I had a really really rough time in college, but I still wish I would have been in the United States and able to apply to dental school my senior year (I was spending a semester abroad in Australia).

Good luck with your decision. I think you will probably be happy no matter what you do. I was just caught up in the romantic notion of taking a year off and it isn't what I expected.

Jessica