What should I be working on right now?

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Kef318

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I plan on applying to DS next summer after taking the DAT in early June. My shadowing, volunteering and research experience is on track. My GPA is good (3.8).

Besides working on my PS, is there anything I should be doing right now to alleviate the stress of actually applying next summer?
 
Kef318 said:
I plan on applying to DS next summer after taking the DAT in early June. My shadowing, volunteering and research experience is on track. My GPA is good (3.8).

Besides working on my PS, is there anything I should be doing right now to alleviate the stress of actually applying next summer?
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Letters of rec.
 
I am in high school, about to be a senior. Should I be doing any job shadowing right now? and is there any I can do to help me prepare for the coursework in college?
 
BcWildcat said:
I am in high school, about to be a senior. Should I be doing any job shadowing right now? and is there any I can do to help me prepare for the coursework in college?
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Nahhh just relax and have fun, you're only 17. If you have a family friend who is a dentist, you could pop in for a day and see what it's all about and if it's something you're interested in. But it's still way early. Most importantly- have fun, you're about to be a senior in HS!
 
BcWildcat said:
I am in high school, about to be a senior. Should I be doing any job shadowing right now? and is there any I can do to help me prepare for the coursework in college?
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If you already know that you want to be a dentist in high school, you're already well on your way to dental school and ahead of the curve 🙂
 
TAKE THE DAT NOW !! Only advice I can give you !
 
free99 said:
Nahhh just relax and have fun, you're only 17. If you have a family friend who is a dentist, you could pop in for a day and see what it's all about and if it's something you're interested in. But it's still way early. Most importantly- have fun, you're about to be a senior in HS!
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I always like to plan ahead for success, I've been lazy in highschool and I don't want college to shock me and ruin my chances at becoming a dentist. I'm just not sure if I'm smart enough, so I want to start getting hours of shadowing to show I'm committed, even at this age.
 
BcWildcat said:
I always like to plan ahead for success, I've been lazy in highschool and I don't want college to shock me and ruin my chances at becoming a dentist. I'm just not sure if I'm smart enough, so I want to start getting hours of shadowing to show I'm committed, even at this age.
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You don't need to be a genius to be a dentist. It is the passion and the will to work hard that counts. I too decided to purse dentistry from high school. If this is truly your dream, your determination will guide you through college. My advice for you is to enjoy high school while it lasts. Once you start college, the slate will be wiped clean and the real journey begins.
 
I mean I'm not dumb, but the average gpa scares me for Dental school acceptance. I did ok on the ACT, (27) even though that doesn't mean much. I'm good at math (29) but all that chemistry in college seems frightening, any tips on how to prepare or succeed?
 
BcWildcat said:
I mean I'm not dumb, but the average gpa scares me for Dental school acceptance. I did ok on the ACT, (27) even though that doesn't mean much. I'm good at math (29) but all that chemistry in college seems frightening, any tips on how to prepare or succeed?
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1. Go to lectures and take good notes.
2. Keep up with the material and don't procrastinate.
3. Don't be afraid to go to tutoring or office hours when you are struggling.
4. Try forming good relationships with your professors. This will come in handy when asking for letters of recommendation.
5. Try making friends in the class. Forming study groups and having a network of support will keep you happier and motivated.
 
experiment626 said:
1. Go to lectures and take good notes.
2. Keep up with the material and don't procrastinate.
3. Don't be afraid to go to tutoring or office hours when you are struggling.
4. Try forming good relationships with your professors. This will come in handy when asking for letters of recommendation.
5. Try making friends in the class. Forming study groups and having a network of support will keep you happier and motivated.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, I will keep all of that in mind.
 
No. I was referring to the person who actually started this thread.
 
OP here: I plan on taking the DAT early June of next year. No time to study for it this year--full time research job and volunteering all summer long.

My plan is that when I finished spring semester of junior year (April of 2014), I will study full time for 8 weeks and then take the DAT.
 
Kef318 said:
I plan on applying to DS next summer after taking the DAT in early June. My shadowing, volunteering and research experience is on track. My GPA is good (3.8).

Besides working on my PS, is there anything I should be doing right now to alleviate the stress of actually applying next summer?
Click to expand...

Live, breathe, and eat DAT for the next two months.
Own the DAT, and never look back.
Get your statement ready, and shoot the application as soon as the cycle opens up.

I took my DAT in early June, thinking I'd have enough time...
One of my transcripts has yet to arrive 😡

Be ahead of the game!
 
To the HS poster:

Honestly, if you're serious about dentistry, you could study ahead for gen chem. It wouldn't hurt to be 1 semester ahead. Even if you spend only 2 hours a day throughout summer, you'll be plenty ahead.

The reason why i suggest chem, is because it requires more than just rout memorization.

IMO, i think the reason why i did so well in my prereq classes was because i had previous exposure in the form of AP bio, chem and physics..
 
No time to "own" the DAT this summer. 40 hours a week researching, another 20 spent volunteering. I still need to take Ochem 2 (this fall).

What do you mean one of your transcripts hasn't arrived? I'm guessing you mean uploaded to your application.
 
ktran17 said:
To the HS poster:

Honestly, if you're serious about dentistry, you could study ahead for gen chem. It wouldn't hurt to be 1 semester ahead. Even if you spend only 2 hours a day throughout summer, you'll be plenty ahead.

The reason why i suggest chem, is because it requires more than just rout memorization.

IMO, i think the reason why i did so well in my prereq classes was because i had previous exposure in the form of AP bio, chem and physics..
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I'll be taking chem 2, is that enough? My school doesn't offer any ap biology course this year, should I attempt to teach myself? And if yes, then what book should I buy?
 
BcWildcat said:
I'll be taking chem 2, is that enough? My school doesn't offer any ap biology course this year, should I attempt to teach myself? And if yes, then what book should I buy?
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Bcwildcat, I suggest starting your own thread. "Threadjacking" is sort of bad etiquette and makes things confusing for everyone. 🙂
 
To the OP:

My best suggestion would have also been to take the DAT this summer. I am SO glad I made the decision to take mine between my sophomore-junior years. It stinks you can't do that, as you also seem like a highly motivated person.
 
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