I personally never skipped class unless it was a worthless undergrad class like sociology.
I learned a lot in Soc... just kidding.
But he was my favorite professor. the concrete sciences have the lamest profs hahahah...
I personally never skipped class unless it was a worthless undergrad class like sociology.
Hmm... I usually earned the highest grades in the classes I took -- literally. For example, in one of my general chemistry classes I ranked second out of a class of roughly 600 students at a respectable university. In my calculus class (for engineering majors), my professor congratulated me face-to-face for attaining the highest overall grade at the end of the quarter. In biology, I was emailed by one of my professors, who let me know that I had the highest grade in his class. These weren't the only instances.
Wouldn't it make sense for it to be easier to be at the top of your class in pharmacy school? In undergraduate classes, you're competing with some of the most competitive students out there -- pre-medical, engineering, etc. With all due respect to pre-pharmacy students, in pharmacy school those die-hard competitive students are gone, for the most part! I actually was ready to apply to medical school because I was confident in my academics, but medicine is not the same as pharmacy.
On average, the performance of students as a whole will be better in pharmacy school.
Lol. Undergrad in the US is so easy, I can't believe it's university level material. Calculous? Thats math taught in junior high in china. Even MCAT wasn't hard besides the English, got 32 on it with a month worth of prep.
Most of the undergrads have average intelligence and are going to school for the parties. Being at the top of the class is a given for any decent student. Pharmacy and medical schools are different. Those highly competitive students are certainly not gone. Finally, even a good student will find there are several others who are worthy competitors. I love it, competition is healthy and foster greater growth in general.
Lol. Undergrad in the US is so easy, I can't believe it's university level material. Calculous? Thats math taught in junior high in china. Even MCAT wasn't hard besides the English, got 32 on it with a month worth of prep.
Most of the undergrads have average intelligence and are going to school for the parties. Being at the top of the class is a given for any decent student. Pharmacy and medical schools are different. Those highly competitive students are certainly not gone. Finally, even a good student will find there are several others who are worthy competitors. I love it, competition is healthy and foster greater growth in general.
I would definetly agree that a lot of undergrads are not vey academic, but hey, if your taking in that much debt for a useless piece of paper (disney land degrees), you may as well enjoy your stay...
Undergrad here is really just a giant money making scheme to trick people out of their money. The material taught is so shallow and non-specific that it doesn't prepare you for any real job. And I think the admission process in the US foster that waste. What's the point of a "higher" education if every one with a 2.0 GPA can get in one?
When I was a boy in china, only the few top students were admitted to universities, and the rest were offered community college/trade schools or nothing further. But for the smart few admitted, university was free, paid by the government, and well paid high level jobs were guaranteed at graduation.
By limiting universities to only those who qualify would cut down the education cost big time and more of a meritocracy than a system that anyone who can borrow student loans can get in.
Undergrad here is really just a giant money making scheme to trick people out of their money. The material taught is so shallow and non-specific that it's inadequate for any real job unless you take on graduate school. And I think the admission process in the US foster that waste. What's the point of a "higher" education if every one with a 2.0 GPA can get in one? Any is there any wonder why most of the the students are a bunch of slackers?
When I was a boy in china, only the few top students were admitted to universities, and the rest were offered community college/trade schools or nothing further. But for the smart few admitted, university was free, paid by the government, and well paid high level jobs were guaranteed at graduation. (unfortunately they went to a money grabbing system like the US, now there are tens of millions of university students, but no jobs).
By limiting universities to only those who qualify would cut down the education cost big time and more of a meritocracy than a system that anyone who can borrow student loans can get in.
I could go back and forth on this. I had a 2.3 at a public high school and scraped into undergrad. I think the only reason I got in was my 1910 SAT score. Now that I've decided on a direction I'm in the top ten of my class and expect to get into my pharm school of choice.
The good thing about undergrad is the second chance it provides to us high school "slackers".
However, it is also a huge money suck in terms of tuition and lost opportunity cost. This is why it blows my mind when people on this forum advocate making a Bachelor's a requirement. **** that ****.
For each slacker doing a 180, there are 99 who stay that way. Public policies are often just like medicine, you don't build the solution around saving the few rare exceptions, because it's not cost effective or has too much side effects.
Especially with all the diploma mills admitting everybody with a pulse into pharmacy school, it would be a good idea to make a bachelors a requirement, like some of the better pharmacy schools already do. Ideally I would like the system I mentioned earlier, only admit the top students and make it a full scholarship ride.
Maybe they streamline maturity in China, but in America, most of us don't know what the **** we want, even well into college.
I could provide the counter point that GPA may be a poor indication of "top student". I didn't like busy work and so the assignment portion of my high school grades was terrible. It dropped my GPA drastically. College, which is much more heavily exam based, has been a joke compared to high school for me.
Advantages of Toughing it out:
1. greater depth of understanding, GPA, internship experience, leadership. Keep options open and put you ahead of your classmates when it's time to compete.
2. Less student loans. Great GPA gets you scholarship $, internship pays for the living cost, less partying and games cuts down on expenditures.
3. Time management skills and self-disipline. Both are extremely useful in life, residency or not.
I think I'm just trying to say that "toughing it out" isn't the only way to get the things you listed. I'm not saying blow off all of your work and get drunk every night.
And the thing that I dread the most is regretting not tried my best to contribute something noteworthy and lasting to society, leaving life meaningless.
So any more advice for new pharmacy students?
The sooner the betterGood call getting this back on topic...
As an incoming P1, you mean we should start finding a place for the internships in the summer after our first year right away?
So any more advice for new pharmacy students?
Good call getting this back on topic...
As an incoming P1, you mean we should start finding a place for the internships in the summer after our first year right away?
Good call getting this back on topic...
As an incoming P1, you mean we should start finding a place for the internships in the summer after our first year right away?
On the contrary I think this thread has maintained its course of being on topic. The differences in educational systems not only explains what is wrong with the American Education System, but also highlights what successful students should develop to continue their success in pharmacy school.
I'm truly a big fan of xiphoid's advice. If you truly want to be successful in pharmacy school, you have to make it your priority and make a lot of sacrifices. You have to work harder then your competitors and classmates. Yes a lot of students are naturally gifted but these are the big leagues, everyone in pharmacy school is smarter then your average joe. You are in the smartest 10% of the country(an estimate). If you want to separate yourself from the rest of the pack, you have to be smart.
On the contrary I think this thread has maintained its course of being on topic. The differences in educational systems not only explains what is wrong with the American Education System, but also highlights what successful students should develop to continue their success in pharmacy school.
I'm truly a big fan of xiphoid's advice. If you truly want to be successful in pharmacy school, you have to make it your priority and make a lot of sacrifices. You have to work harder then your competitors and classmates. Yes a lot of students are naturally gifted but these are the big leagues, everyone in pharmacy school is smarter then your average joe. You are in the smartest 10% of the country(an estimate). If you want to separate yourself from the rest of the pack, you have to be smart.
Good call getting this back on topic...
As an incoming P1, you mean we should start finding a place for the internships in the summer after our first year right away?
Great advice Fox, although I hate to give credit to a fellow predator.
EDIT: Really great advice though. I couldn't agree more to your balanced and reasonable advice.
Great advice Fox, although I hate to give credit to a fellow predator.
But I just want to point out that 95% of Americans are in the top 95% of Americans. That would only leave out the bottom 5%.
EDIT: Really great advice though. I couldn't agree more to your balanced and reasonable advice.
Thanks. Fixed the goof So did you go to Temple or Florida Atlantic btw? I know they both have the Owl as a mascot.
How do I become smart if I'm not already? How can I be sure that I'm not smart to begin with? 0.0
What is smart about memorizing loads of information? You just have to be organized and dedicated. Just like the little engine that could, you have to chug along until you reach the finish line. If you want to be intelligent, go to graduate school for theoretical physics.
You do not sound fun. Miss football games, festivals and parties.?...lame!
Yup. Pharmacology AND med chem on Mondays
First day ever. Hell, I already had my first P-school exam ever.
I "liked" med chem (as much as any class). Pharmacology was a bit of a challenge for me.
Good Luck Lea!
This has to be one of the best threads in this forum. It should be a sticky.
You must mean quiz?
Hard core. Although we have our first quiz at 4:00pm today.
Well, they actually called it an "assessment" and not an exam so now I'm not sure
It was 40 questions though, and we needed to make >80% to pass (although we're offered a second attempt if we fail the first). It was pretty easy, just basic math and medical terminology we were supposed to learn this summer. I'll let you decide if that counts as a quiz or an exam
When do you all think I should get a job at a pharmacy? Usciences is starting to interview for the professional phase in our U2 year so I think I should have more pharmacy experience than I have now, which is not much.
Any answers?
Am I allowed to as an undergrad?