What to do before dental school?

[slamdunk1701]

For all pre-dental students, both those of us who have been fortunate enough to receive acceptances and those who have yet to, what do you think are the best uses of our time to both prepare for dental school and enjoy the valuable, but limited, free time that we have left? I initially considered studying dental material to try to get ahead, but every source I've come across has advised against this. What are some plans you wish to follow through on or goals you hope to achieve before beginning school?

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[atomsforpizza]

-get my driver's license
-get better at photography
-play guitar
-finish undergrad
-find a nice apartment
-some more traveling

 

[walawala3]

pickup girls/guys if you haven't done so already 😉

 

[bing12]

travel, stop worrying about the rest of your school, enjoy life.

 

[telemonster]

Everyone always says to travel and do things that you won't have the chance to once school starts.
For me personally, I'm wait listed, but assuming good things happen and the list rolls, I will learn to cook tons of food this summer.

 

[Toofly01]

Reviving this... +1 any other ideas?
OP, have you decided on anything?

 

[stickybear]

I'm planning to travel to China to live in a monastery. 🙂. If you have money, then do some travelling. You're never going to be as carefree as you are now.

 

[Toofly01]

I'm planning to travel to China to live in a monastery. 🙂. If you have money, then do some travelling. You're never going to be as carefree as you are now.

Nice!! I was actually hoping to earn some money... so traveling probably won't happen for me.

 

[user101]

learn a new skill, for me im trying to become fluent in spanish; im just intermediate/advanced now

i'd definitely suggest a vacation..ill be in europe for 2 weeks and then start classes soon after i return!

 

[Toofly01]

learn a new skill, for me im trying to become fluent in spanish; im just intermediate/advanced now

i'd definitely suggest a vacation..ill be in europe for 2 weeks and then start classes soon after i return!

Ooh where to? And I was thinking of revisiting Spanish too!

 

[Hawkteeth]

Yea I think learning spanish is a good idea, my high school german doesn't seem to come in handy these days. I'm using this website busuu.com to learn, anyone know if it works?

 

[ddsmission]

Yea I think learning spanish is a good idea, my high school german doesn't seem to come in handy these days. I'm using this website busuu.com to learn, anyone know if it works?

rosetta stone works.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

i'm going to try to wake up at respectable times. the bum life must end.

 

[jmh018]

I was planning on moving to town in late May and staying for the summer. My school offered to let 4 new students audit physiology over the summer at the medical school to get a head start and I was selected. Just an hour a day so I thought I might as well. Something to do in between taking it easy for the summer.

 

[Hawkteeth]

rosetta stone works.

Never heard of it...

 

[I MADE IT]

Might be a bit off-topic but since OP mentioned it, why is it a bad idea to "prepare" for DS by reading up on some biochem, physiology, etc.?

 

[two thirty]

Might be a bit off-topic but since OP mentioned it, why is it a bad idea to "prepare" for DS by reading up on some biochem, physiology, etc.?

I'm not a current dental student, but I would guess that the stuff you'd be reading up on would be covered very quickly and it wouldn't be a HUGE advantage.

Also, you're about to enter four years of studying your tail off, you may as well enjoy the limbo period in what may be the last true summer break of your life until retirement.

 

[telemonster]

I'm not a current dental student, but I would guess that the stuff you'd be reading up on would be covered very quickly and it wouldn't be a HUGE advantage.

Also, you're about to enter four years of studying your tail off, you may as well enjoy the limbo period in what may be the last true summer break of your life until retirement.

Exactly. The information is covered so quickly that it is almost a complete waste of time to try and cover material on your own. It would be better to just do your own thing all summer.

I'm going to try and learn how to cook a large variety of food. Also, basketball and pool most days. Probably some forearm exercises for extraction practice.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

Might be a bit off-topic but since OP mentioned it, why is it a bad idea to "prepare" for DS by reading up on some biochem, physiology, etc.?

going by what you've said on your previous thread, doing that won't help for umdnj. a lot of the professors go by powerpoints. a lot of what they teach comes from a compilation of textbooks and stuff. i mean i suppose it wouldn't hurt to go through textbooks, but it's a huge waste of time.

 

[chada]

going by what you've said on your previous thread, doing that won't help for umdnj. a lot of the professors go by powerpoints. a lot of what they teach comes from a compilation of textbooks and stuff. i mean i suppose it wouldn't hurt to go through textbooks, but it's a huge waste of time.

What if you never took A&P ever? I think the closest thing I did was histology...

Will i get owned in dental A&P?

 

[fuqele]

I have travel plans lined up, and I'm trying to lose some weight as I have a feeling its going to he freshman 15 all over again 😛

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[Toofly01]

I know, I am in pretty good shape but I am worried about gaining lots of weight due to lack of time for exercise, so I'm trying to get in more gym time now before school starts.

Anyone doing anything to earn money or is everyone just relaxing? I have bills to pay so I think my options are "work" and "staycation" lol. I wanted to do something different and interesting so I looked into paid internships but they all sounded like, "get paid a little, do lots of work" so I don't think that will be happening either, unfortunately.

 

[DenTony11235]

I know, I am in pretty good shape but I am worried about gaining lots of weight due to lack of time for exercise, so I'm trying to get in more gym time now before school starts.

Anyone doing anything to earn money or is everyone just relaxing? I have bills to pay so I think my options are "work" and "staycation" lol. I wanted to do something different and interesting so I looked into paid internships but they all sounded like, "get paid a little, do lots of work" so I don't think that will be happening either, unfortunately.

Im investigating two options now. We all have this broad range of knowledge in science subjects now that we've taken the DAT. We can tutor and making crazy money!!! But nobody's been responding to my posts on craigslist and facebook 🙁 haha

I'm now looking into EMT as well. Not bad money. Between 14 and 18 an hour starting from what i hear. Plus it's interesting and meaningful. Plus the ladies love it (maybe).

 

[Hawkteeth]

I know, I am in pretty good shape but I am worried about gaining lots of weight due to lack of time for exercise, so I'm trying to get in more gym time now before school starts.

Anyone doing anything to earn money or is everyone just relaxing? I have bills to pay so I think my options are "work" and "staycation" lol. I wanted to do something different and interesting so I looked into paid internships but they all sounded like, "get paid a little, do lots of work" so I don't think that will be happening either, unfortunately.

I got a job at a hardware store and I'm hoping to make enough to cover my start up costs (first months rent, furniture, big tv, nice mattress) and a little extra just in case.

 

[dentalWorks]

For all pre-dental students, both those of us who have been fortunate enough to receive acceptances and those who have yet to, what do you think are the best uses of our time to both prepare for dental school and enjoy the valuable, but limited, free time that we have left? I initially considered studying dental material to try to get ahead, but every source I've come across has advised against this. What are some plans you wish to follow through on or goals you hope to achieve before beginning school?

This sounds unnecessarily depressing. You are making it sound like starting dental school is a jail sentence, it is not. There is still plenty of time to have fun (maybe not during midterms and finals weeks).

Also, do not study before dental school.... you will spend weeks upon weeks upon weeks reviewing things you think will be important for dental school only to find out alllllllllll that material was covered in 1-2 slides in less than 30 seconds.

 

[user101]

Ooh where to? And I was thinking of revisiting Spanish too!

I'm going to Spain France and Italy..I cannot wait to practice what i do know bc I'll be in Spain for 6 days!
You definitely should, even basic communication in another language is good to have.

 

[user101]

Yea I think learning spanish is a good idea, my high school german doesn't seem to come in handy these days. I'm using this website busuu.com to learn, anyone know if it works?

I nvr heard of that site but I'll check it out..now im using rosetta stone