Will adcom understand one bad semester due to Everquest addiction?

[WhyNot1234]

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I would have pretty rock solid stats except first semester junior year screwed me. Right now I have about 3.45 gpa (3.38 sci), MCAT=32Q. If that semester was erased, I would be 3.6gpa (3.58 sci). Back in high school I was kind of a computer game fanatic, but I knew I wanted to be a doctor so when I got to college I uninstalled all of my addicting games. Right away freshmen year i met a lot of cool people that didn't play online computer games so it was easy at first to not go back to being a computer game geek. Then some dropped out, some graduated, some transfered, plus my 4 year girlfriend from highschool is at a far away college so I only really see her on breaks and things started getting a little dull my junior year and one of my friends talked me into playing Everquest again. I had a tough load and i was playing that game hour after hour, well, i ended up with like a 2.2 that semester, no fails but still, i passed by the skin of my teeth. Well I knew I didn't want to ruin my dreams for a dumb game so I sold my account on ebay (200 bucks, atleast I got something for a ****ty semester), and i broke the cd and tossed it. the next 3 semesters I got 3.8, 3.72, and 3.56!

Basically what I'm wondering is do you think I should actually explain online computer game addiction in my PS and how it affected me that semester? I definately had it because all i could think about when i was in class or studying (what very very little i did) was getting back to my room and playing. Do you think adcom will buy that or will they think thats a lame excuse? Of course that wouldn't be the only thing i talk about, just wondering if i should mention it. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[josephgoro]

I would have pretty rock solid stats except first semester junior year screwed me. Right now I have about 3.45 gpa (3.38 sci), MCAT=32Q. If that semester was erased, I would be 3.6gpa (3.58 sci). Back in high school I was kind of a computer game fanatic, but I knew I wanted to be a doctor so when I got to college I uninstalled all of my addicting games. Right away freshmen year i met a lot of cool people that didn't play online computer games so it was easy at first to not go back to being a computer game geek. Then some dropped out, some graduated, some transfered, plus my 4 year girlfriend from highschool is at a far away college so I only really see her on breaks and things started getting a little dull my junior year and one of my friends talked me into playing Everquest again. I had a tough load and i was playing that game hour after hour, well, i ended up with like a 2.2 that semester, no fails but still, i passed by the skin of my teeth. Well I knew I didn't want to ruin my dreams for a dumb game so I sold my account on ebay (200 bucks, atleast I got something for a ****ty semester), and i broke the cd and tossed it. the next 3 semesters I got 3.8, 3.72, and 3.56!

Basically what I'm wondering is do you think I should actually explain online computer game addiction in my PS and how it affected me that semester? I definately had it because all i could think about when i was in class or studying (what very very little i did) was getting back to my room and playing. Do you think adcom will buy that or will they think thats a lame excuse? Of course that wouldn't be the only thing i talk about, just wondering if i should mention it. Thanks for any suggestions!

don't mention your GPA, and certainly don't excuse it with that. your gpa/mcats will oviously get you in somewhere allopathic if you have a well-rounded application. try to focus your personal statement on your "addictive, passionate" nature, and so if an interviewer asks about your junior year slump you can answer the question honestly, and in a way that is coherent and complementary to the rest of your application. you may want to consider what led to the negative trend on your last three semesters, however... and don't blame it on diablo ii. and stop BSing yourself.

hope the abuse helped. good luck.

 

[Alexander99]

LMAO!! If I didn't have an "addiction" to video games and sports (playing/watching), I might very well have that perfect 4.0 as well. I should have mentioned it on my personal statement and interviews.

 

[mikedc813]

wow if you're seriously thinking about mentioning your gaming addiction then you're headed down the wrong path and are setting yourself up for lots of rejections. 😱 I mean why would you ever think about doing that? 😕 😕 DON'T tell the adcoms: well, sorry, I kind of became obsessed with video games so please excuse my bad grades this one semester. That's pretty bad you let yourself get so side tracked. Definitely make something up to explain your lapse besides the Everquest explanation. If you become addicted to video games in med school you're gonna be really screwed.

 

[Medikit]

I messed up 3 years on UO/Quake3 🙁 Those were more symptoms rather than causes though.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

I don't know about you guys, but on my AMCAS form, there was a box I checked in the disadvantaged status section for WC3 Frozen Throne addicts...I'm pretty sure checking the box leveled me up instantly...I can't wait to break out my lvl 6 ability at the interviews...

 

[DMO]

(stands up) Hi, I'm DMO and I have a problem. (group responds "Hi DMO") I have been playing Diablo II LoD for 2 years now. I can't just stop playing!! Please help me.

😀

 

[exmike]

if internet didnt exist.. woah, I wonder where I'd be now. You should get into a school with your numbers. dont fret.

 

[finnpipette]

Yea...I feel you bro. During my sophomore year, two of my buddies had to hold me down while another uninstalled counterstrike and ripped up all of my key codes. Sob...I was tearing it up there for a while. Well, I got into med school...that's what real friends do. Although we did have a few 5am tiberian sun epic battles.

 

[Og kingofBashan]

Will adcom understand one bad semester due to Everquest addiction?

Everquest, .. mmm i dunno. DiabloII on the other hand might present a feasible explanation 😉

When Half-life first came out my high-school grades plummeted. I too fell into counter-strike (among many many other games) 🙁

 

[chiripero]

video games? come on now, are you serious? Don't try crack, just my advice...

 

[felipe5]

Everquest, .. mmm i dunno. DiabloII on the other hand might present a feasible explanation 😉

When Half-life first came out my high-school grades plummeted. I too fell into counter-strike (among many many other games) 🙁

yes, its VERY tough to study in a dorm where ~7/10 rooms on my wing were all addicted to CounterStrike (or as we called it "countercrack).......plus, Napster was at the hight of its day, so that didn't help much either. So, if I were to blame anything, it'd prolly be my introduction into the world of high speed internet........it took 3 years at a local betty ford clinic (ie deleting CS from my comp) to shake off this addiction, but sometimes playing Halo brings me back to the person I learned to love and hate back then 😎

 

[Sage880]

Stupid starchamber is ruining my grades right now. I'm still doing ok but I'm sure I'd have a 4.0 without it.

I need my friends to hold an intervention!

 

[Lorae]

I wouldn't tell any adcoms a reason like that for a bad semester... it's just an excuse (and one they would NOT understand). I wouldn't bring it up, but if asked why I had such a bad semester I'd say something about "having the wrong priorities". I think what they want to hear is that you take responsibility for your actions.

On that note...

I am starting medical school this August... I bought into SOE's gimmick and purchased LOE and have had my EQ account in good standing since december... which means I *will* get into EQ2 beta (if it ever &^%$#@ gets released).

My brother and I have a bet going that EQ2 will go live (or at least into special beta) on the *same* day I start med school

think anyone ever flunked out of meds for a computer game addiction??

 

[Rugger81]

if Everquest isn't legit, then I guess Snood is out of the question.

 

[txguy]

Starcraft and CS almost got me!

-tx

 

[blz]

I messed up 3 years on UO/Quake3 🙁 Those were more symptoms rather than causes though.

OMG, I was addicted to quake 3 too! I still kept my GPA up but I blew off a lot of club meetings for some quaking.

 

[principessa]

If you weren?t able to keep up your GPA while addicted to Everquest, what makes you think you?ll be able to keep your medical license while addicted to crack? OK, that was bad. Just kidding.

 

[Blake]

Thank Lord I'm leaving home this fall, otherwise I would have terrible grades considering games like Halo 2, Doom 3, Half-Life 2 are coming out in next 3-4 months. Well, I'll catch up during the Christmas vacation 😳 😀

 

[WalterSobchakk]

Starcraft and CS almost got me!

-tx

Starcraft is an awesome game. Blizzard rules. 👍 👍

 

[adamj61]

MOH addict as a freshman, and ncaa 2004 etc in the dorms. Could you make up a story? Your dog died or something? Tough break...you could say it increased your surgical skills, I think this generation will have some great eye hand skills.

up, down, up down....

 

[Blake]

MOH addict as a freshman, and ncaa 2004 etc in the dorms. Could you make up a story? Your dog died or something? Tough break...you could say it increased your surgical skills, I think this generation will have some great eye hand skills.

up, down, up down....

A recent study showed that surgeons who played videogames more than 3 hours a week were 30 % less prone to surgical mistakes 😀 . Sorry, I don't have the link. I saw it on the news 😎

 

[adamj61]

This really is basis for my interest in surgery...that and I have 20/13 vision in my right eye, 20/18 in my left....I think that would help as well

 

[liverotcod]

This really is basis for my interest in surgery...that and I have 20/13 vision in my right eye, 20/18 in my left....I think that would help as well

The problem with eyesight is that it changes over time. Mine used to be that good, but I got glasses at age 34 after years of gradual change. I would say decline, but I consider myself "differently visioned."

Back in my day, massively multiplayer games were all text-based, but still as addictive.

 

[An Yong]

Isn't everquest the game where that guy committed suicide over, and his mother sued to get a warning label on it?

 

[cornell2004]

if Everquest isn't legit, then I guess Snood is out of the question.

once my computer broke and i decided not to reinstall snood, college became a whole lot easier

 

[footcramp]

lmao funniest thread i've read today. evercrack addiction is real. thank god i never touched that stuff. i've been addicted to cs and day of defeat for a long time. also civilization, snood, a lot of stupid things. never really got into starcraft or quake though.

 

[superdevil]

what a delightful thread!

yea, i could count many tests on which i screwed the pooch due to the intense effort of maintaining my dynasties in NCAA Football, killing random people in GTA 3/Vice City or my silly quests to save the world (all the Final Fantasy games).

 

[adamj61]

what a delightful thread!

yea, i could count many tests on which i screwed the pooch due to the intense effort of maintaining my dynasties in NCAA Football, killing random people in GTA 3/Vice City or my silly quests to save the world (all the Final Fantasy games).

I can't believe I forgot about both the GTA's...this doesn't even factor in playing the roomates in NCAA or madden.

I think this is all a sign of a good student...who else has all of these EC's and grades, and yet has time to play games? I wonder sometimes how well I would do if I never got that nintendo in 88

 

[superdevil]

I can't believe I forgot about both the GTA's...this doesn't even factor in playing the roomates in NCAA or madden.

actually, its probably good that i lived at home and away from other gamers...tournaments and co-op games could have ruined me. oh, and i don't buy the Madden games anymore, because the AI is just way too cheap and cheats like a bitch if you're winning a road game in the 2nd half, etc. 😡