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[MIMIC]

So I just started my freshman year of college at Ohio State University this week; I moved into my dorm on the 19th.

During Welcome Week, I could pretty much say that THOSE three days (the 19th, the 20th, and the 21st) encapsulated my college "fun" for the entire year. I got with the people on my dorm floor and we went to a few late night parties. I don't drink--because beer tastes like piss and because I simply don't have any desire to drink in the first place--but my friends managed to coax me into drinking with them at the parties because "there would be no point in being here." :lol OK? I drank half-a-can while suppressing my "this tastes like pee" reaction.

But girls with lowered inhibitions are really "friendly."

Anyways, I really can't imagine myself doing that too often because of my demanding schedule (I'm a biology/pre-med major with plans to get into med-school). I can't stay up too late because my first class begins at fucking 7:30 a.m.; PLUS, if you actually want a good seat, you'll have to be there at LEAST 15-20 minutes early. This is typical for all of my classes.

I already have to read a play and take my test on it this Tuesday in Theatre, and I already have an load of Math problems to complete. Not to mention the hours of studying to keep track with the class(es).

So, I don't get it. How am I supposed to maintain a 3.7+ GPA and have all this "fun" I hear everybody talk about? "When you're in college, you're gonna have a lot of fun! Fun, fun, fun!!"

Is this some sort of college myth that's been duping me all these years? Because as far as my priorities are concerned, FUCK having fun. Don't get me wrong because I'm not fostering some sort of recluse-mentality. I'm just saying that I don't understand how you can get a med-school-competitive GPA and have all this college enjoyment that's supposed to be apart of your college life. Is it because I have a time-management problem? Is it because I'm taking college too seriously? Any medical students wanna clue me in?

 

[RevenantKioku]

People who talk about that sort of fun also aren't getting a 3.7 GPA in my experience.

 

[jooey]

exactly. and hate their parents a whole lot.

 

[Willco]

You're a square. Sorry.

 

[Comfort_Eagle]

Fun is overrated. Or at least certain types are. Honestly its good you are focusing on school like that. I wish I could say I was doing the same.

 

[Dan]

It's hard to say whether or not you have a time management problem without knowing the exact specifications of your courses.

However, in general, no, getting a high GPA doesn't leave much time for stereotypical college fun. It's all about priorities. Some people will select to get mediocre GPAs while having lots of 'fun' while others are looking to perform well and set up a foundation for their careers.

For me, the choice is obvious.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

People who talk about that sort of fun also aren't getting a 3.7 GPA in my experience.

Some people can do both.

 

[Willco]

For me, the choice is obvious.

TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!

 

[IAmtheFMan]

I'm a med student right now; actually I have my first wave of exams starting Monday, and I'm in the library taking a much needed break. BTW I went to UC (Cincy) undergrad, and I'm here for med too.

Every pre-med goes through that uptight "am I doing enough" kinda thing at the beginning. Don't start that crap now. It'll only give you an ulcer when you actually need to have that attitude. I maintained a 3.6-3.7 GPA, and I partied. A lot. The thing is, when you need to do the work, do it, but it's honestly not as much as you're probably thinking, especially at a larger state school like OSU (or in my case, Cincy.)

To be blunt about it, those bio and chem classes that you take the first couple years cater to the lowest common denominator. There's a LOT of non-premeds taking that just to kill their science credit, who don't give a shit about their grades, meaning a more-padded curve. If you do somewhat decent, you'll get an A. Once you get to O-chem, this changes a bit but there was almost never a need to study more then 2-3 days in advance of an exam.

Once you get to your first set of exams, you'll know how much you need to study. To give you a personal story, I got a C on my first bio exam, and I started freaking. That prof assured me that a C on an exam, or even in a quarter won't keep you out of med school. He's right. Most people think that getting into med school is a simple formula equation looking something like "GPA + MCATSCORE + # OF E.C's + # of VOLUNTEERING" must be > then a pre-set number. It's not. If you have the passion for it, you'll get in.

Hope this helps. Yeah, and you'll need to have fun in college even if partying isn't your thing. Because God knows, once you get to med school, all that free time goes down the shitter.

Okay, back to histo...

P.S: I have NO idea why you scheduled a 7:30. My Jr. year, I had nothing before 11:45 everyday.

 

[RevenantKioku]

Some people can do both.

Some people are also packaging science majors.

Its not impossible, but it takes a lot of balance and stress. I do stuff myself, and I'm comfortable with my 3.45 GPA.

 

[shuri]

A lot of people who talk stuff like that are usually the kind that had a sheltered, overprotected childhood/teenage years. They just go fucking insane when they realise that Moma and Popa arent menacing them with a bible

 

[Loki]

I'm just saying that I don't understand how you can get a med-school-competitive GPA and have all this college enjoyment that's supposed to be apart of your college life.

You can't.


Seriously though, you can have fun, but it won't be in as large a quantity as many of your friends or dorm mates may have. I've found that the best part of being pre-med is that you have a continuity with your classmates, since everybody is taking many of the same courses; you really get to make a lot of good friends since you see them so often and for so many hours (4 hour labs- yay! ). These people will often have similar extracurricular interests-- at the very least, many of them will be on your general intellectual level, which is always nice conversation-wise. At my university, we have a 24-hour internet cafe that has library access (full-text journal articles and abstracts etc.), and during midterms and finals, it's always packed with pre-meds, even at 3 AM-- it's a great place to socialize.


In my opinion, the toughest part of being pre-med isn't the coursework (though it can be very difficult at times), but rather trying to find time to honor the other commitments (research, volunteering, campus clubs etc.) you've made and the numerous hoops you have to jump through in order to be a competitive applicant. A 3.7 is a good goal to shoot for, considering that the average matriculant has a 3.5-3.6 science/math GPA....but that 3.7 is hard to do if you're planning on partying more than once or twice per week. I've found that you really have to learn to enjoy the free time you manage to find whenever it may be-- during breaks in between classes, while waiting for an electophoresis gel to run in the lab or during incubation of cells/tissue samples, on those rare holidays, whenever. The old adage of "work hard, party harder" should always be kept in mind; you'll find that it applies to pre-meds moreso than most other undergrads.


My only advice is this: do not let work (as in "non-med school related paid work") interfere with what you have to do. Having a job is great, and can teach you a lot about life and the art of social interaction-- but if you've already worked for a substantial period of time (I started working at age 15, I'm not sure about you), it would behoove you to put it on the back-burner unless it's absolutely necessary financially. You can always work for some cash in the summers or during winter break if you like-- just keep your mind where it should be, which is on your studies and on enjoying your collegiate life as best as you can.


Just look at it this way: Do your coursework, research, extracurriculars etc. (these latter two don't have to be started until sophomore year, unless you want to do it earlier) during the week, and then on the weekends, even if you have to do some reading for a couple of hours, you'll still have time to catch a movie or go to parties. Just keep the word "moderation" foremost in your mind and you'll be fine. You'll need to develop that ethic for later on in life anyway if you're to pursue a career in medicine.

Best of luck.

 

[BlackMage]

major in history; problem solved! PARTY TIME

 

[Loki]

To be blunt about it, those bio and chem classes that you take the first couple years cater to the lowest common denominator. There's a LOT of non-premeds taking that just to kill their science credit, who don't give a shit about their grades, meaning a more-padded curve. If you do somewhat decent, you'll get an A. Once you get to O-chem, this changes a bit but there was almost never a need to study more then 2-3 days in advance of an exam.

Hah, I wish you could have taken organic chem with our professor. 2-3 days? Man, you lucked out; at my school, the only people that manage A's in orgo (only 2-5 per semester for 140+ kids who start the course) are those who devote at least 15-20 hours per week just for that course. Ditto for physics from what I hear (though I've unfortunately been trying to skate by so far, which will change ), and some of the upper-level bio courses like microbio and immunology can be killer as well.


You're lucky about the curve, btw. You're right about a lot of people taking the introductory bio and chem courses (health& nutrition majors, most prominently), but at my college, it doesn't help the curve, because there is no curve. In my cell & molecular bio course, for instance, the class average on the first two exams was a 61, and on the final it was a 58. Yet you still needed a 91+ average for an "A". Same for the first year of chem and the other intro courses. You're very fortunate. Glad to hear you made it in, btw.

 

[Drinky Crow]

I had a 4.0 for my first two years of college and I don't think I spent a moment sober.

 

[MIMIC]

I'm a med student right now; actually I have my first wave of exams starting Monday, and I'm in the library taking a much needed break. BTW I went to UC (Cincy) undergrad, and I'm here for med too.

Every pre-med goes through that uptight "am I doing enough" kinda thing at the beginning. Don't start that crap now. It'll only give you an ulcer when you actually need to have that attitude. I maintained a 3.6-3.7 GPA, and I partied. A lot. The thing is, when you need to do the work, do it, but it's honestly not as much as you're probably thinking, especially at a larger state school like OSU (or in my case, Cincy.)

To be blunt about it, those bio and chem classes that you take the first couple years cater to the lowest common denominator. There's a LOT of non-premeds taking that just to kill their science credit, who don't give a shit about their grades, meaning a more-padded curve. If you do somewhat decent, you'll get an A. Once you get to O-chem, this changes a bit but there was almost never a need to study more then 2-3 days in advance of an exam.

Once you get to your first set of exams, you'll know how much you need to study. To give you a personal story, I got a C on my first bio exam, and I started freaking. That prof assured me that a C on an exam, or even in a quarter won't keep you out of med school. He's right. Most people think that getting into med school is a simple formula equation looking something like "GPA + MCATSCORE + # OF E.C's + # of VOLUNTEERING" must be > then a pre-set number. It's not. If you have the passion for it, you'll get in.

Hope this helps. Yeah, and you'll need to have fun in college even if partying isn't your thing. Because God knows, once you get to med school, all that free time goes down the shitter.

Thanks for the insight.

P.S: I have NO idea why you scheduled a 7:30.

I didn't (not by choice) It was either 7:30 or 8:30...and all the 8:30 slots filled up too quick.

Just look at it this way: Do your coursework, research, extracurriculars etc. (these latter two don't have to be started until sophomore year, unless you want to do it earlier) during the week, and then on the weekends, even if you have to do some reading for a couple of hours, you'll still have time to catch a movie or go to parties. Just keep the word "moderation" foremost in your mind and you'll be fine. You'll need to develop that ethic for later on in life anyway if you're to pursue a career in medicine.

Best of luck.

Thanx.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

I'm a physics major and University of Maryland. I'm finding that I can make plenty of time for fun on the weekends by being a bookhead during the week. It's working out well so far.

I was actually thinking about making a topic earlier today about how all the college freshman(like myself) are doing and how they're liking it so far. I'm really enjoying it, myself. I don't find it to be too challenging (of course most of my courses are math based, which I've never had to study for) so far as long as you stay on top of things.

 

[Sirpopopop]

I had a 4.0 for my first two years of college and I don't think I spent a moment sober.

Don't listen to this man... he also had a 1600 SAT, and took his score and went to the University of Oklahoma. (Free yes, but I doubt he was intellectually stimulated all that much. The only great schools down in Big 12 land are located in Texas)

Like everyone else here said, you're going to have to make a choice. Once you make that choice, don't change your mind, or you can end up like me - working extra to make up for slacking off freshman year.

Edit: You guys are lucky. At my school (Rutgers) this 'curve' thing is foreign.

 

[Loki]

I had a 4.0 for my first two years of college and I don't think I spent a moment sober.

Well aren't you just the cat's meow.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Hah, I wish you could have taken organic chem with our professor. 2-3 days? Man, you lucked out; at my school, the only people that manage A's in orgo (only 2-5 per semester for 140+ kids who start the course) are those who devote at least 15-20 hours per week just for that course.

Well to be honest, I was mainly just talking about our first and third quarter. Second quarter was really bitchy (I think I remember posting this before) about the Harvard prof or whatever. I squeaked by with a B- in that quarter. The only reason we studied 2-3 days in advance was because it seriously didn't matter what we studied. Even if we knew the book back and front, it wouldn't have mattered; we'd still all get like 20-30%'s.

Heh, speaking of partying, right now I'm REALLY looking forward to next weekend after exams. Histology sucks the big one, and I can't WAIT until I can go drinking and kill some of those brain cells that learned this stuff. Histo: Monday, Physiology: Tuesday, Gross: Wednesday, Biochem: Friday, drinking: Friday night to the wee hours of Monday morning.

 

[xsarien]

I don't drink--because beer tastes like piss and because I simply don't have any desire to drink in the first place--but my friends managed to coax me into drinking with them at the parties because "there would be no point in being here." OK? I drank half-a-can while suppressing my "this tastes like pee" reaction.

You're drinking the wrong beer. Budweiser and Bud Light and all that stuff? Yeah, it does taste like piss. If you want domestic, go with Sam Adams or Yuengling. They're more expensive, yes, but my philosophy is that a buzz from good beer is much better than a hangover from shitty beer.

 

[ChrisReid]

All those people having "fun" just had parents who didn't let them do whatever they wanted in high school, so they're going wild and doing their stupid high school stuff now.

Get a job and start studying.

 

[Friend]

Your freshman year classes will be a cakewalk. It was for me at least.

 

[Loki]

Well to be honest, I was mainly just talking about our first and third quarter. Second quarter was really bitchy (I think I remember posting this before) about the Harvard prof or whatever. I squeaked by with a B- in that quarter. The only reason we studied 2-3 days in advance was because it seriously didn't matter what we studied. Even if we knew the book back and front, it wouldn't have mattered; we'd still all get like 20-30%'s.

Heh, speaking of partying, right now I'm REALLY looking forward to next weekend after exams. Histology sucks the big one, and I can't WAIT until I can go drinking and kill some of those brain cells that learned this stuff. Histo: Monday, Physiology: Tuesday, Gross: Wednesday, Biochem: Friday, drinking: Friday night to the wee hours of Monday morning.

Doh! I'm so terrible with names. Yeah, I recall your posts about that orgo professor in the thread a while back-- I didn't realize it was you until just now when you said it.


That's the first time that a trait of mine from real life has manifested itself online: my tendency to forget people's names. It's seriously a curse. What's odd is that I'll remember literally everything about the person-- what we talked about, their background, funny comments they made-- except their name. For some reason it always takes me a second time to recall someone's name.

I try to explain/rationalize this (and paint myself in the most favorable light, obviously ) by saying that it's not a person's name that is actually important, but rather what they say-- their ideas and the experiences they relate to you. In that sense, a name can be seen as a mere trivial detail.


I don't feel quite as much guilt that way, at least, so I'm sticking to that story.


Good luck with exams, btw.

 

[way more]

If you're going for a per-med you're not expected to party, so don't worry. But make sure you get along with others so you can get invited to parties when you have a spare weekend. Also, a lot of beer really does taste like piss. Try some Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum or learn to mix with vodkas, at least find some alcohol you enjoy before you graduate.

 

[Syckx]

Meh, I am a Liberal Studies major -- I don't have a whole lot to do most of the time. Maybe it will change when I go for my Master's in Education or start my second degree in History. I plan to be a history teacher, but we get paid by the degree and it's easier if I start in elementary school.*

*The usual response when someone finds out my scholastic ambitions is that I will never make any money. I know.

 

[Manabanana]

I expected complaints about how no one at college knows their rap lyrics.

 

[Mumbles]

You're drinking the wrong beer. Budweiser and Bud Light and all that stuff? Yeah, it does taste like piss. If you want domestic, go with Sam Adams or Yuengling. They're more expensive, yes, but my philosophy is that a buzz from good beer is much better than a hangover from shitty beer.

Yeah, but if he's drinking at a party, then the hosts are probably the ones providing the booze. And frats and the like almost never supply anything decent - even their hard liquor tends to be russian antifreeze.

Back to the subject - I graduated with a 3.7 in EE, despite some BS during senior year (eg. the senior project advisor that came up with a software project, and went missing for more than a month), and I spent just about every weekend night falling-down drunk, and socialized a decent amount. All you really have to do is be smart about how you study, and manage your time appropriately. I generally studied 6-10 hours per day on weekdays, and 4-6 on weekends. Usually socialized during study breaks - 15-20 minutes every couple of hours. And yes, I always took study breaks, unless I was grinding away at some lab or other.

I also did whatever I could to keep ahead of the class - started HW as soon as it was assigned, read ahead in the textbook to see how the ideas in later chapters would help me with those in the earlier ones, and so forth. And I also worked with my own learning skills - For example, I learned most of what I know through textbooks, quite a bit from labs and homework, and virtually nothing from lectures, so my study time focused on textbooks and textbook problems. If you rely on lectures, then you should probably spend a good amount of time with TAs, tutors, and the professor.

 

[FoneBone]

People really shouldn't be generalizing as much as they are in this thread -- just because things are one way at their college (or in their individual experience) doesn't mean it's going to be the same for everyone else.

 

[Lathentar]

Wow, I don't know how you guys do it. I'm in an Honors program here at UT. I average 1 hours of homework/studying a night on the weekdays. That gets bumped up to 2 hours a day when I have a project due. Strange difference.

Oh, I'm still getting a 3.8.

 

[Sirpopopop]

People really shouldn't be generalizing as much as they are in this thread -- just because things are one way at their college (or in their individual experience) doesn't mean it's going to be the same for everyone else.

We can only give advice on the basis of our own experience.

 

[White Man]

People who talk about that sort of fun also aren't getting a 3.7 GPA in my experience.

My first semester, my GPA was 3.9 (UP YOURS POLISH DISCRETE STRUCTURES PROF!!), and after that it hovered around 3.5-3.7 until I had to leave school. I had a lot of really depraved fun. Then again, I was an English/Philosophy major with a minor in math. I'm either destined for a bohemian lifestyle or an academic one. Not quite sure which (and I really should start making up my mind).

EDIT: Also, all English profs are functional alcoholics. Er, maybe the functional part isn't universal. It's part of the job description.

 

[DJ Demon J]

You're drinking the wrong beer. Budweiser and Bud Light and all that stuff? Yeah, it does taste like piss. If you want domestic, go with Sam Adams or Yuengling. They're more expensive, yes, but my philosophy is that a buzz from good beer is much better than a hangover from shitty beer.

Yuengling! Yes, xsarien, you rock. Being from PA myself and having visited the Yuengling brewery, I highly recommend this wonderful brew to anyone.

As for the concern of partying vs. studying, there are a small few who can do both...but usually they're smart enough so they don't have to study much or they're amazing time managers. For the rest of us plebians, it's either study and party rarely, and party our asses off and get 2.5-3.0 GPAs. That's pretty much it. My recommendation is to get your partying out of the way while you're a frosh or soph, and the classes are still relatively easy for you. There's positives and negatives to both the partying aspect and the study-all-the-time-never-go-out aspect. Never underestimate the power of networking--so often in life people get where they are because of who they know (or who they're related to). Very few people make their own way in life, completely due to their own hard work. That drinking buddy you had in freshman year may hook you up with that entry-level job that sets you up for a long and successful career.

 

[White Man]

Yuengling! Yes, xsarien, you rock. Being from PA myself and having visited the Yuengling brewery, I highly recommend this wonderful brew to anyone.

The town where Yuengling is brewed is the place in PA where I grew up.

 

[NLB2]

Find some girls in your dorm that you're compatible with so that instead of having to go to a party, you can just have a quickie then go back to studying.

 

[videogamer]

To be blunt about it, those bio and chem classes that you take the first couple years cater to the lowest common denominator. There's a LOT of non-premeds taking that just to kill their science credit, who don't give a shit about their grades, meaning a more-padded curve. If you do somewhat decent, you'll get an A. Once you get to O-chem, this changes a bit but there was almost never a need to study more then 2-3 days in advance of an exam.

Heh you didn't go to my school. It was assumed in the gchem/ochem classes that most people were premeds. My school somehow has a reputation for premeds that will literally try to ruin other student's labs. One of the gchem profs noted that 2/3's of the class will no longer be bio majors by the time they graduate.

Admittedly, it's been very hard trying to balance these two things. I always feel that I could always be volunteering at another place or doing some extracurricular activity. It makes things like clubs and sports be chores, rather than fun. I've become a whore for all the things that I could put on my app.

My best hint for MIMIC : Take MCAT the summer before your junior year. Take all your prereqs the first two years.... this makes for easier recall of all those nasty classes you had to take. Then your last two years are pieces of cake. So far, it has had great results for me.

 

[teepo]

i'll just say fuck the college cliches. i can't stand any of my classmates. i don't even have any friends that even go to my college.

 

[videogamer]

i'll just say fuck the college cliches. i can't stand any of my classmates. i don't even have any friends that even go to my college.

Yeah, WTF are these people thinking? Last week, when dropping someone off on campus housing, we had to navigate through a whole ton of cars just sitting there in the parking lot, with people guzzling beer. PROBABLY UNDERAGE TOO. Stupid kids who can't move their cars off the street.

 

[Mason]

Okay, first, it's not going to happen immediately. Over time you will learn how to balance your time better. It's a constant give and take. You will eventually have to realize that you're never going to have "fun" if you're studying all the time. If an assignment isn't worth a lot, fuck doing it and go get drunk. Each class is different and you'll learn with time how to make it work.

Second, this beer tasting like piss shit......you're gonna need to get over that. Just keep drinking it. I used to think the same thing, but you get used to it over time. The key is, keep drinking it. Don't be the douche who won't drink because he "doesn't like beer." I much prefer hard liquor, but oh well. Beer is the weapon of choice, so I got over it.

Anyway, I know this and I started college last month. YOU CAN DO IT.

 

[miyuru]

Are you first year?

Just at our Uni, the premed program for undergrads is basically the same as any other science student. It pisses me off so much when people call themselves premeds as if they're better than people in general science. Really, they're just more naive.

Anyway, I think you're overestimating school or something. I do pretty good in school, and I procrastinate a lot too (i.e. go out instead of studying). I'm trying to change things this year (naturally I say that every year), but I'm sure you'll find that you will have time for fun, you just need to discover when you're free during the week.

 

[bjork]

I've always figured that a little exaggeration goes a long way. Someone might go "it was a blast, I was drunk all day, best parties evar", but this could be a person who gets blitzed off two beers and had fun watching Facts of Life reruns.

 

[pestul]

I didn't party at all while at university.. and I only managed a 3.31GPA. Mind you, I think it's a little different up in Newfoundland, because that seemed much better than most.

I was playing a lot of videogames/GAF though. That fucked me up pretty good on occasion. For instance, the day I received Wind Waker I was supposed to study for a test worth 15% in a course. I got 31% on it. Lowest mark in my life woot.

 

[Deg]

well i had a good time so far. Nothing major however due to disadvantage of not living on the campus i think. Alot of people didnt get on campus either however so i still come across many new friendly faces and plan to get to know as many more people as i can

My stance on work and play is that you need both. You can let one or the either dominate sometimes as necessary but you need both generally and balancing time is important. I joined afew clubs and societies too so i am having to organise my time better already.

Over time you will learn how to balance your time better. It's a constant give and take.

agreed.

I don't drink--because beer tastes like piss and because I simply don't have any desire to drink in the first place

Well i dont drink at all at the moment. Just dont want to. Dont smoke either. Hope they dont effect me much

 

[Ghost]

TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!

:lol I went to a toga party the other day...it is true to say that everything is more fun in a toga, except taking a piss which is a bit of a mission.



And you people know beer isnt the only form of alcohol available to you, right? Dont like beer? drink something else

 

[DJ Demon J]

For instance, the day I received Wind Waker I suppose to study for a test worth 15% in a course. I got 31% on it. Lowest mark in my life woot.

Further proof that Nintendo sucks!

 

[Deg]

Yeah games are evil. I hate it when they time their games bang on exam times or something important that happens every year.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Some people are also packaging science majors.

Its not impossible, but it takes a lot of balance and stress. I do stuff myself, and I'm comfortable with my 3.45 GPA.

Computer Science with a minor in MIS. Find another excuse. Life is about time management. College is a place where you can find ANYONE who likes to do what you want to do. So to me it all about managing your time to balance your social and acedemic life and finding something to do with people who like what you like.


MIMIC I will tell you this if you don't like to drink don't drink. That's retarded, if your friend want to drink then let the it's up to them but, you do what you do. This is the advice that I have for you. Don't try and make yourself into the "college" image. I think it's good that you went out and saw somethings that helps you to decide what you do and don't like. But don't force yourself into someone else's image.

 

[Loki]

Just at our Uni, the premed program for undergrads is basically the same as any other science student. It pisses me off so much when people call themselves premeds as if they're better than people in general science.

Yeah, at our school we have bio majors in our bio and chem courses, and chem majors in our chem and physics courses (they don't have to take bio courses-- biochem is as close as they get, as far as I know), and physics majors in our physics courses (not sure if they have to take chem to fulfill their degree requirements; they may have to take a biophysics course).


It's not that pre-meds think that they're "better" than science majors (to be a bio major at my school is VERY difficult)...at least at my university, they're not like that at all. The thing is, pre-meds usually cannot afford to get less than a B+ in any of those science/math courses (B+ is equivalent to a 3.3), and typically shoot for A's. Science majors tend to have a lot more leeway in terms of their performance, unless perhaps they're intent on pursuing their Ph.D at a reputable institution. In the lab I work in, we have a couple of bio majors and a chem major, and they're always telling me of this "C" they got in such and such a course, or this "B-" in another; you almost never hear that with pre-med students, because it's instant death if they do so.


But yeah, science is a hard road for anyone. It's just that the expectations are different in some cases. But for a pre-med to act arrogantly because of that? That's silly-- because believe me, if they didn't need those A's, they wouldn't be killing themselves the way they do.

 

[iapetus]

I don't drink--because American beer tastes like piss

Fixed.

 

[miyuru]

But yeah, science is a hard road for anyone. It's just that the expectations are different in some cases. But for a pre-med to act arrogantly because of that? That's silly-- because believe me, if they didn't need those A's, they wouldn't be killing themselves the way they do.

I hear what you're saying. Just personally, no matter what I'd be in, I still shoot for the highest marks.