Warning to SDN Non-trad newbies (like me)

[CaptainObvious]

Just a quick heads up for those new non-trads who are relatively new to SDN like I am:

Stay OUT of the MCAT Study Question Q&A forum until you actually NEED TO BE THERE or risk completely intimidating yourself and knocking a bunch of wind out of your sails.

I browsed in there then proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes telling myself if 21 year olds can do this, so can I - and repeating the phrase "one step at a time."

That is all.

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[wholeheartedly]

lol

ah just think of it this way

21 year olds = a lot of talk

non-trads = more action

 

[zebalong]

Just a quick heads up for those new non-trads who are relatively new to SDN like I am:

Stay OUT of the MCAT Study Question Q&A forum until you actually NEED TO BE THERE or risk completely intimidating yourself and knocking a bunch of wind out of your sails.

I browsed in there then proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes telling myself if 21 year olds can do this, so can I - and repeating the phrase "one step at a time."

That is all.

On the other hand it can be good motivation to work hard throughout your pre-requ courses and to schedule out a plan for the MCAT, especially for people that post they are "great test takers and will have no trouble scoring mid 30s"... Don't count on a certain MCAT score, at least until you've done some practice tests and even then those are just a guage.

 

[eablackwell]

lol

ah just think of it this way

21 year olds = a lot of talk

non-trads = more action

I like this

Also, I agree with the OP. MCAT Q&A sometimes confuses the heck out of me. I have popped in a time or two to answer some chem questions for people, however when I was prepping for MCAT it was helpful, but extremely daunting.

 

[Dianyla]

Also, stay out of the What Are My Changes forum.

Stellar Candidate: "I have a 3.8 and a 36, WAMC?"
Gunners: "You're hosed, dude. Have you considered DO or Caribbean?"

 

[eablackwell]

I spent many a sleepless night on the WAMC forum just reading post after post and freaking out... it's horrible.

 

[Isoprop]

I pop in the Q&A forum from time to time to answer some questions. Let me tell you that the questions and answers are typically very esoteric. A lot of people will tell go into the tiniest detail of some obscure exception to a general trend to show off their knowledge--stuff that will never be directly tested on the MCAT.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Some interesting perspectives. @Isoprop - thats good to know. Although I do find it a little weird that folks have nothing better to do than to show off their knowledge of obscure chemistry concepts on an SDN forum.

On the other hand it can be good motivation to work hard throughout your pre-requ courses and to schedule out a plan for the MCAT, especially for people that post they are "great test takers and will have no trouble scoring mid 30s"... Don't count on a certain MCAT score, at least until you've done some practice tests and even then those are just a guage.

Motivating? Maybe for some but certainly not for me. Making a plan? No question. I'm all about plans. But I find it totally overwhelming and discouraging to read stuff that, to me at this point, is indistinguishable from something written by a Martian. I don't doubt that I can eventually learn it, but to look at it now is damaging to the confidence that I need to stay on this path. I'll deal with those ridiculously hard sciences when I get to them. But I do see your point in that actually SEEING that stuff can make one realize what you're getting into and work harder to get through it.

 

[SteveJMarist]

I spent many a sleepless night on the WAMC forum just reading post after post and freaking out... it's horrible.

Absolutely agree. The WAMC forum is maddening! The MCAT forum can be too, but not as bad as the WAMC.

 

[Eisen]

Absolutely couldn't agree more! It's hard to believe I'll be taking the MCAT and actually understanding even half the vocabulary in 2 years or so...WAMC was, uhh eye-opening. I'm not there yet.

Eisen

 

[ceng2doc]

Also, stay out of the What Are My Changes forum.

Stellar Candidate: "I have a 3.8 and a 36, WAMC?"
Gunners: "You're hosed, dude. Have you considered DO or Caribbean?"

Well, I guess this attitude is also very common in about everywhere of SDN forums.

Interestingly enough, I've seen the very same type of attitude (even worse) in my university where I've been taking/retaking the pre-reqs among other traditional students (i.e., PYT=pretty young things, as one once called them in SDN)

It's my understanding that the reason behind this attitude/insecurity of them is their natural tendency of protecting their "potential" chances to occupy a potential seat in a medical school by trying to frighten you away... What they're not aware of is that it really increases the appetite of an adult towards that very goal if you do so, on the contrary... at least happens to me as such.

 

[toooldforthis]

lol

ah just think of it this way

21 year olds = a lot of talk

non-trads = more action

Second!!!
I like....

 

[1fastmedic]

I'm new to this site, and I have to say that even though I enjoy the forums, I'm glad I didn't know about this site until after I completed my pre-med journey and gained med school acceptance. There seems to be alot of "gloom-and-doom" posts that I know would have discouraged me from going pre-med. I'm not sure if I would have been able to sift out the good advice from the not-so-good advice. Overall, I am enlightened, entertained, and horrified at the same time!

 

[Old Grunt]

As someone on the glorious back-end of Step I, I'd carry this advice into medical school when studying for that exam.

SDN can be tremendously helpful. It can also be a detriment to you if you let it. Most posters are great, some are intentionally petty, some are angry, and some are well-meaning but neurotic.

As with everything, take what you can and can the rest.

If neurotic people who think anything short of a 35 on the MCAT or 240 on step I is a "failure" annoy or intimidate you, then avoid the threads. If they motivate or amuse you, then get down with the neurosis.

 

[Old Grunt]

Just a quick heads up for those new non-trads who are relatively new to SDN like I am:

Stay OUT of the MCAT Study Question Q&A forum until you actually NEED TO BE THERE or risk completely intimidating yourself and knocking a bunch of wind out of your sails.

I browsed in there then proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes telling myself if 21 year olds can do this, so can I - and repeating the phrase "one step at a time."

That is all.

Oh, and:

"Thanks, Captain Obvious"

Sorry, it had to be said.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Oh, and:

"Thanks, Captain Obvious"

Sorry, it had to be said.

Ha Ha! I can't believe it took this long!