Working and going to school

[busupshot83]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I know that schools like it when students are full time during their undergraduate degrees, but what if you work? Is there a guideline for how much classes you should be taking each semester, when you are working 20+ hours per week?

 

[vishal_k32801]

I don't think there is no guide line but 2 to 3 courses
(6 to 9 credit hours) would be good. Of course, more it is,
better it looks.

 

[Midoc]

I worked 20+ hours per week for almost the entire four years I was in undergrad. There was one or two semesters when I only had 12 credit hours but most of the time it was 15 or 16 and in my senior year I took 17 credit hours both semesters.

Even with all of this I was never as busy in undergrad as I was in the first fall semester of dental school. The winter semester I was even busier and now in the fall semester of my second year I'm even busier yet. I hear that winter semester of second year is worse than fall, oh joy! Because of the time management skills I learned undergrad I have been able to handle this insane load (I actually didn't learn the time management skills until after my undergrad sophmore year and my grades show it).

You can easily do 20 hours of work and a full load at undergrad. You just need the time management skills to do it. Consider it a good opportunity to learn them.

 

[larryt]

Originally posted by busupshot83
when you are working 20+ hours per week?

Oh.. I thought you said you worked full time. With 20 hrs /wk, you can take up to 18 hrs course load. I worked 2 jobs with around 60hrs/week and carried around 14-16 hrs of classes/semester and still ok in my 5 ys of undergrad.

 

[WALID1111]

is it possible for someone as a 1st yr and 2nd year dental student to work and make a little $$ to pay their car payment?

i hope that if i get accepted my financial aid would be enough, otherwise i would have to work while in school. i am not lazy, but i would rather put all my efforts and focus into school rather than worrying about $$.

 

[LestatZinnie]

at my school it's pretty much impossible, unless you have tutor/TA type of work where u just work less than 5 hours/week.

i dont work, and i hv to spend a lot of time keeping up with all the materials already, despite my undergrad gpa of 3.85 in biochemistry (just to indicate that it's not an adjustment problem becuz i had an easy undergrad).

dental school is a lot of work, especially if you want to do well.

 

[Bickle]

Originally posted by LestatZinnie
at my school it's pretty much impossible, unless you have tutor/TA type of work where u just work less than 5 hours/week.

i dont work, and i hv to spend a lot of time keeping up with all the materials already, despite my undergrad gpa of 3.85 in biochemistry (just to indicate that it's not an adjustment problem becuz i had an easy undergrad).

dental school is a lot of work, especially if you want to do well.

Which school do you go to?

 

[WALID1111]

i am sure you won't have the time to work at most schools. i doubt the school would matter since dental school is hard specially the 1st and 2nd yr.

lets hope the financial aid and loans will be enough.

 

[init4damoney]

The most work my dentist said he ever did during dental school was 2 hours in the morning, 6-8 at the hospital taking blood. Other than that it was all loans.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by WALID1111
is it possible for someone as a 1st yr and 2nd year dental student to work and make a little $$ to pay their car payment?

i hope that if i get accepted my financial aid would be enough, otherwise i would have to work while in school. i am not lazy, but i would rather put all my efforts and focus into school rather than worrying about $$.

Ahmad,

It's possible, but it depends on your ability level and your expectations. If you're an exceptional student, or if you aren't interested in graduating valedictorian, it's possible to do a little bit of work--I'm in the National Guard, and I do some freelance internet work for people. The key is to find a way to get the most for your time (Base pay + GI Bill = ~$600 for a Guard training weekend, and I charge $40/hour for computer consulting). The per-hour rate on those is high enough that I can earn some spending money without cutting too deeply into study time.

 

[WALID1111]

thanks Bill.
i have thought about it a lot and i doubt that i would want to be the top of my class. if i see that my student loans covers my expenses then i won't need to worry about working.
on the other hand, if it won't cover it then i would have no choice but to work.
well, hopefully i won't need to work.

 

[AT03]

Few years ago my family faced a predicament. The financial difficulties that my family was facing left me with no option but to get a full time job. I worked 45 to 55 hours a week while attended school as a fulltime student (no more than 14 units). Despite the fact that my job was physically demanding and very tiring, I was able to maintain a 3.2 GPA. So it is very possible to go to school and have a job. However, there?s a price associated with it. And it?s very true if you are not a quick learner. For instance, I realized that my GPA is not as high as I would like it to be and it is probably preventing from getting accepted to some of the schools that I really want to get in such as UCSF and UCLA ( because of the cost NOT PRESTAGE ).

So, as you can see, there?s a price associated it. Sometimes it can be very high. My advice is this: If you don?t have to work, DON?T WORK. Just concentrate in your school and get as many A?s as you can and finish it in 4 to 5 years?and enjoy it. On the other hand, if you are facing a situation that is forcing you to work, than it?s a different ball game.

Anyway, this semester I quite my job and decided to take 19 units of upper division science classes. My goal is to do well in these classes and prove it to the admission committee that my low GPA is not due to my lack of interest in school or my poor learning skills. However, it is the result of working long hours 5 to 6 days a week and not having enough time to study.

 

[busupshot83]

I was just wondering, because I'm thinking about getting certified as a dental assistant (xrays and stuff) and working; I find that more enjoyable than volunteering, plus I'll be getting paid.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I'll throw my figures into the hat:

I worked 40 hours a week for two years (and 30 hours a week for the other two) throughout undergrad.

I never took less than 19 credit hours, and often took 22 (anything above 18 required special permission from the university).

Class every day from 7-12, and work each day from 2-10:30 (with the exception of Tuesday, which I had off because I worked Saturdays).

Doable, but not easy.

 

[busupshot83]

god, your scary😱

 

[WALID1111]

thanks for all the input by everyone, but i really wanted some input about working while in dental school not undergrad.

thanks for all the advices anyways.

 

[busupshot83]

i couldn't imagine working while in dental school... but that's just me

 

[LestatZinnie]

Dentaldream:

I went to UBC for undergrad and I'm now at McGill Dentistry

 

[critterbug]

What about doing lab work for dentists in your spare time. Has anyone done this?

 

[init4damoney]

My schedule right now kind of reflects what Gavin's was. I work 8-5, M-F, then night classes all week. And if I'm not in class, I'm watching my 1 year old while my wife is at school. Right now I'm taking 18 units.

 

[busupshot83]

how do you guys do it? what are you eating?

 

[SaltyDoo]

If I could, I'd like to pose the question of working 35 hrs. a week and trying to volunteer/shadow/research. I find that it is very hard to find time to do these type of activities, especially since I don't have a say in what my schedule looks like. I have found a couple days here and there to shadow my dentist but as far as volunteering and research goes, I can't seem to find the time to do these. I unfortunately can't cut back on my work hours. Trust me, I would if I could.

 

[init4damoney]

I know what you mean saltydoo. I'm in that same kind of situation. If I could cut my hours, I would. The only opportunities of service/shadowing I've been able to do is a monthly free dental clinic in my community. I just found out a dentist who is a family friend works one saturday out of every month, so maybe I can do some shadowing there too. Other than that, I just gotta hope that dental schools understand my situation.

 

[PERFECT3435]

I just gotta hope that dental schools understand my situation.

they do understand. they are human too.

 

[blankguy]

It seems to me that there are a few supermen in here.😳
From talking to postbacc people(director, et...) it seems to me that most people can't do that much outside taking the courses.
I talked to the director of post bacc at my alma mater, she stated that people who did the post bacc generally can't hold down full time jobs.

 

[busupshot83]

we have 2 types:


1) the supermen

and

2) the dedicated

which one are you? (i am the dedicated)

 

[blankguy]

Originally posted by busupshot83
we have 2 types:


1) the supermen

and

2) the dedicated

which one are you? (i am the dedicated)

The dedicated. What's the point of being a superman if you are not dedicated(waste of time in this case). What good is it if you have a greater capacity to work or have an IQ that's 150+ if you are not dedicated to put the effort?🙂

I don't think admin are necessarily looking for superman, but then again I have a big mountain to climb.

 

[busupshot83]

don't get me wrong now... i didn't mean to come off us the "supermen" don't have dedication.

i'm just saying that perhaps there are people that don't have the academic qualities of the sumpermen, thus, all they have is determination. 😉

 

[blankguy]

Originally posted by busupshot83
don't get me wrong now... i didn't mean to come off us the "supermen" don't have dedication.

i'm just saying that perhaps there are people that don't have the academic qualities of the sumpermen, thus, all they have is determination. 😉

I think "superman" would be interpreted as somebody who goes beyond the traditional 4.00GPA and 20+ average in DAT.

Working fulltime(40+ hrs), taking full load or close to it in coursework(at least 3 courses) and have time to spend with your family, now THAT's a superman(assuming they do well in all).

Do you think admissions are out to admit only "supermen"?

If I could do all this I'd be all set but I'm not sure I can pull of something like working full time, take a full load of courses, and spend time with family.😳

 

[busupshot83]

well that's your opinion of a supermen... i was thinking of people like Gav and Co.

anyone that pulls it off like he did (working and taking a rigorous loud) i label as supermen.

later,

bus.

 

[blankguy]

Originally posted by busupshot83
well that's your opinion of a supermen... i was thinking of people like Gav and Co.

anyone that pulls it off like he did (working and taking a rigorous loud) i label as supermen.

later,

bus.

I was thinking of them too. They fit the description.