What separates the successful pre-meds from the less successful pre-meds ?

[Lawpy]

math and physics can be a nightmare to deal with especially if they are upper levels and grad courses. I would've failed them if I didn't use office hours regularly and seek help from professors.

upper level biology is hard but not a nightmare. they can actually be fun since a lot of times, they test understanding of concepts as opposed to memorizing details.

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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

What year are you ? And have you taken any graduate level (4000/5000) level classes yet?
I'm just saying, don't speak too soon. I didn't think it's super hard, I just think it's not super easy, and plenty of ppl around me feel the same way.

I'm taking graduate level bio courses now. They aren't that difficult. They're really interesting, but not hard. These grad level bio courses aren't nearly as difficult as some of my 300/400 level math courses.

 

[dr_kateb]

What year are you ? And have you taken any graduate level (4000/5000) level classes yet?
I'm just saying, don't speak too soon. I didn't think it's super hard, I just think it's not super easy, and plenty of ppl around me feel the same way.

Junior. My school goes by 100s not 1000s. I don't know if that changes anything but I've taken 2 400 level classes and currently in 1 400 level and 2 600 level classes. The lecture classes are pretty easy. The labs are a pain mainly due to the TAs being unhelpful pricks. ex: I have a report due Tuesday and for my rough draft the problem was that it was too short. There is no length requirement, and she said I would have recieved a 5-6 points out of 15 if it was for a grade.

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

I agree that bio can be easy, but that it isn't always. My school's bio department is infamous for its focus on very convoluted problems where students have to make multiple assumptions and do a variety of calculations etc. For such courses, students tend to do many practice questions (that the teacher gives out), just like in other Chem/Physics/Math. It becomes more about the principles than details.

I disliked physics mostly because I suck at spatial visualization but I really enjoyed organic chemistry and would've taken pchem if it fit in my schedule. Math, though, is the best subject. I feel like working on math problems really makes you think more logically/clearly because its totally devoid of context. I couldn't stay awake at a conference I was at and did triple integrals to wake myself up (yes I know calculus isn't that hard). I suppose there's a reason why Plato listed it as one of the highest levels in his hierarchy of knowledge.

 

[Robin-jay]

Where the hell are you getting that idea?

Everywhere.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Junior. My school goes by 100s not 1000s. I don't know if that changes anything but I've taken 2 400 level classes and currently in 1 400 level and 2 600 level classes. The lecture classes are pretty easy. The labs are a pain mainly due to the TAs being unhelpful pricks. ex: I have a report due Tuesday and for my rough draft the problem was that it was too short. There is no length requirement, and she said I would have recieved a 5-6 points out of 15 if it was for a grade.

That’s a ****ty ta.

 

[mwsapphire]

math and physics can be a nightmare to deal with especially if they are upper levels and grad courses. I would've failed them if I didn't use office hours regularly and seek help from professors.

upper level biology is hard but not a nightmare. they can actually be fun since a lot of times, they test understanding of concepts as opposed to memorizing details.

Well yeah , totally agree that math/physics ( like I said, other STEM degrees) are harder than bio. But when you look at the whole scope of majors, I guess the ones not as common to pre meds, like communications,sociology, psychology, integrated health sciences, etc., Bio is harder. that's why that comment surprised me- I think since we pre meds tend to be stem majors, we compare Bio to Chem/Phys/Engineering/Math/Biochem degrees and come out saying Bio is easy.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Well yeah , totally agree that math/physics ( like I said, other STEM degrees) are harder than bio. But when you look at the whole scope of majors, I guess the ones not as common to pre meds, like communications,sociology, psychology, integrated health sciences, etc., Bio is harder. that's why that comment surprised me- I think since we pre meds tend to be stem majors, we compare Bio to Chem/Phys/Engineering/Math/Biochem degrees and come out saying Bio is easy.

Bio is easier than my upper division English lit courses.

 

[chemdoctor]

Bio is easier than my upper division English lit courses.

I'll bet. There's a lot of objectivity in the sciences and the maths. You're either right or you're wrong. But for literature courses, well... they are very professor dependent not to mention text can be interpreted so many different ways.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'll bet. There's a lot of objectivity in the sciences and the maths. You're either right or you're wrong. But for literature courses, well... they are very professor dependent not to mention text can be interpreted so many different ways.

Yep. I also didn’t have to learn a different language for any of my bio courses (learning the Latin/Greek names for things notwithstanding).