What should I do? Physics and orgo

[coolcucumber91]

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I'm a sophomore and this fall I'm taking 14 credits including organic chemistry 1. I'm taking it easy this semester because I didn't do so well last year (I took chemistry and biology) so I'm trying to get all As (I did get all As in the summer tho 😎). So that means I'm taking organic 2 and physics 1 in the spring. But my question is, should I just take physics 1 this semester? Will I still be able to take the MCAT early and apply early if I take only organic chemistry this semester? Sorry if this is a dumb question

 

[Cambino]

I'm a sophomore and this fall I'm taking 14 credits including organic chemistry 1. I'm taking it easy this semester because I didn't do so well last year (I took chemistry and biology) so I'm trying to get all As (I did get all As in the summer tho 😎). So that means I'm taking organic 2 and physics 1 in the spring. But my question is, should I just take physics 1 this semester? Will I still be able to take the MCAT early and apply early if I take only organic chemistry this semester? Sorry if this is a dumb question

You won't be prepared for the MCAT if you only take orgo this term.
If you're adamant on taking only orgo this term, I recommend what I did:
Take physics 1/2 over the summer after your sophomore year, so, then, you'll have your pre-reqs done before junior year, are able to study for the MCAT/take MCAT courses and can apply early.

Best of luck.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

You don't need to take physics next semester. Take it in the spring, take physics 2 next summer or junior fall. Then you'll have a semester to study for the MCAT, which I would recommend you take in March or April of junior year. Don't take a super heavy course load until you're confident your grades won't drop. 🙂

 

[Political]

Well you dont need to take pre-reqs classes in order to take on the MCAT and, technically speaking, if you have very good study habits and can learn topics w/o a prof. you can do just as well or even better than a person who took all pre req classes and studied on top of that. It pretty much dependent on how on well you study, the classes themselves are pretty much a non-issue for a person who can grasp concepts well

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Well you dont need to take pre-reqs classes in order to take on the MCAT and, technically speaking, if you have very good study habits and can learn topics w/o a prof. you can do just as well or even better than a person who took all pre req classes and studied on top of that. It pretty much dependent on how on well you study, the classes themselves are pretty much a non-issue for a person who can grasp concepts well

This is true to an extent, but...it's a lot easier to re-learn something than to learn it the first time for the MCAT. Faster, too. So it's best to complete the pre-reqs before you start MCAT studying if at all possible.

 

[Morsetlis]

I'm a sophomore and this fall I'm taking 14 credits including organic chemistry 1. I'm taking it easy this semester because I didn't do so well last year (I took chemistry and biology) so I'm trying to get all As (I did get all As in the summer tho 😎). So that means I'm taking organic 2 and physics 1 in the spring. But my question is, should I just take physics 1 this semester? Will I still be able to take the MCAT early and apply early if I take only organic chemistry this semester? Sorry if this is a dumb question

Taking physics in your second year is a bit late but is right on time for studying for the MCAT at the beginning of your third year.

No, you should NOT take the MCAT early. Prepare for it (maybe during the 2nd-3rd year summer) and prepare well. There's no bonus points for taking it early unless you want a practice exam (in which case, you can buy one for like $50).

 

[coolcucumber91]

Well right now my gpa's decent now I boosted it up to a 3.51 over the summer.. I want to boost it up to around a 3.7..

 

[isoquin]

perhaps I'm missing something, but what benefit would you receive from taking the MCAT early?

 

[coolcucumber91]

perhaps I'm missing something, but what benefit would you receive from taking the MCAT early?

To apply early? Pardon my ignorance if I'm wrong..

 

[DrHouse579]

perhaps I'm missing something, but what benefit would you receive from taking the MCAT early?

It gives you the option of re-taking if you're not satisfied with your scores, WHILE allowing you to apply early.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

To apply early? Pardon my ignorance if I'm wrong..

Well, how early are you talking? 🙂 I'm applying this cycle with an April 29th MCAT, which was fine. I think the best time to take the MCAT is in March. If you finish your pre-reqs by junior fall, you'll be in a good place to start studying for the MCAT by December-ish. This gives you about four months. You really don't want to start studying much earlier than this.

 

[isoquin]

I think the better advice would be to get through your classes and take the MCAT when you are well prepared, rather than rush it and trip along the way.

 

[RavishingB]

Has anyone taken physics over the summer and performed well on the MCAT? Wouldnt you be a little less prepared? I always thought that since there's an entire section for PS, that physics should be taken over the year...

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Has anyone taken physics over the summer and performed well on the MCAT? Wouldnt you be a little less prepared? I always thought that since there's an entire section for PS, that physics should be taken over the year...

PS includes both physics and chemistry. IMO, there is no advantage to taking physics over the year as opposed to over the summer. You will learn the same material either way.

 

[RavishingB]

PS includes both physics and chemistry. IMO, there is no advantage to taking physics over the year as opposed to over the summer. You will learn the same material either way.

I know that; I was specifically talking about physics.
Cool.