<p>this is directed at current/recent pre-meds at Harvard or at people who know current/recent pre-meds at Harvard</p>
<p>is pre-med at Harvard overly cutthroat? is it better to go to another school where is might be easier to get a high GPA?</p>
<p>are yousatisfied with your choice? are you ever upset you chose Harvard?</p>
<p>No. It's not overly cutthroat. You'll find friends to help you.</p>
<p>Yes. I'm satisfied with Harvard. There's more to undergraduate life than being pre-med, and Harvard definitely satisfies the other interests I have academically and extracurricularly.</p>
<p>Well, I mean, I did rip all the pages out of xjayz's bio book, and then I drugged his coffee right before the final... :-P</p>
<p>I found being premed pretty relaxed as a freshman... other things I did were definitely more stressful (i.e. expos, some ECs). It depends on what you're good at though, bio/chem (at least the intro classes) wasn't too hard for me.</p>
<p>The atmosphere is pretty good, lots of people working together on problem sets and all that. The classes are curved, but usually say they'll only curve upwards.</p>
<p>Yeah. I was pondering dropping pre-med because of what just<em>forget</em>me did before that Life Sciences 1b final (the class I didn't take, lol).</p>
<p>Unlike just<em>forget</em>me, I found the introductory classes a bit difficult, but that was because my high school did not prepare me adequately for college-level science classes. My learning curve was greater than the kids who had the APs, but it's not impossible - I did perfectly fine in the end.</p>
<p>Everyone does work together on the problem sets and TFs/professors are more than willing to help you with any questions you have. </p>
<p>As just<em>forget</em>me said, classes are curved, but it only happens when the grades are not what they want. For example, the Chemistry 7 professor set the "curve" as being 75 = B (which is pretty generous in my honest opinion). Let's say everyone started getting 60s on the exams or something - then, there will be a curve to benefit everyone.</p>
<p>What did I do before LS1b? I remember pulling an all-nighter in Lamont...</p>
<p>I don't know. I remember laughing, since LS1b was the last scheduled final on Friday and I was done that Monday after Chem 7.</p>
<p>Then again, you got a semester of Bio out of the way. I'm doing Summer School Biology.</p>
<p>Oh, that is no fair. I had a hellish spring finals period... something like 4 papers and 3 finals (thanks to expos procrastination).</p>
<p>And for those '10 and earlier people... I pulled a few exam week all-nighters, but more because I initially thought "reading period" was "party period," not because the week and a half we get to study wasn't enough time. People who plan things out get more sleep than me!</p>
<p>And xjayz, I'm upset. I wrote my advisees a big email this morning and they haven't responded.</p>
<p>I sent my advisees two e-mails. Only one responded. I guess they don't need us. Kids who know me (more like found me) through the official message board have been IMing me about pre-med advice. Why not just go to your PAF, I don't know.</p>
<p>thanks for your responses. i was glad to hear they were positive. Do most pre-meds feel this way?</p>
<p>also, i don't want to be nosy, but what is this advisee system you're talking about?</p>
<p>Every freshman is assigned a Peer Advisor, a sophomore, junior or senior who will give advice on academic, extracurricular, and social issues. The Peer Advisor will also plan entryway + dorm events and all that. Xjayz + I are both Peer Advisors (I'm in Matthews... so if you live there I might have you!).</p>
<p>Here's what author Michael Crichton said about his premed days at Harvard"</p>
<p>"In general, I found Harvard an exciting place, where people were genuinely focused on study and learning, and with no special emphasis on grades. But to take a premed course was to step into a different world -- nasty and competitive. The most critical course was organic chemistry, Chem 20, and it was widely known as a "screw your buddy" course. In lectures, if you didn't hear what the instructor had said and asked the person next to you, he'd give you the wrong information; thus you were better off leaning over to look at his notes, but in that case hewas likely to cover his notes so you couldn't see. In the labs, if you asked the person at the next bench a question, he'd tell you the wrong answer in the hope that you would make a mistake or, even better, start a fire. We were marked down for starting fires. In my year, I had the dubious distinction of starting more lab fires than anyone else, including a spectacular ether fire that set the ceiling aflame and left large scorch marks, a stigmata of ineptitude hanging over my head for the rest of the year. I was uncomfortable with the hostile and paranoid attitude this course demanded for success. I thought that a humane profession like medicine ought to encourage other values in its candidates. But nobody was asking my opinion. I got through it as best I could. "</p>
<p>Now obviously things didn't work out too badly for him (he did graduate summa and went into Harvard Medical School). But I think that just adds to his credibility - that even a summa graduate is willing to publicly point out the cutthroat nature of his experience.</p>
<p>I've heard Chem 20 was not the best course in terms of collaboration. In a recent e-mail from one of my upperclass friends, a senior this fall, who is not pre-med but is pursuing a PhD in Biology, wrote that the Chem 20/30 sequence was the "epitome of pre-med competition." I guess that still continues. </p>
<p>However, I have heard good things about Chem 20 as well. I guess it is really in the eye of the beholder. It's weird, since the CUE Rating for Chem 20 is 3.2 for Competition whereas for Chem 17 it is 4.3 (out of a 5.0 scale). If there is really advice that all pre-meds need in terms of doing well, is to:</p>
<ol>
<li>Go to office hours of professors and teaching fellows. They're there for a reason - to help you.</li>
<li>Find friends in your classes. You can't do it alone, unless you are a genius and can do it alone. My pre-med experience has been much more SANE and ENJOYABLE because I have several trusted friends in these classes.</li>
<li>Don't kill yourself. Plenty of pre-meds fall into the trap of not enjoying their undergraduate years. Don't do that to yourself. Go out and have fun once in a while. Yes, there will be those days where it's "crunch time" and you have to study on a Friday/Saturday night, but setting aside the weekend for yourself and your friends will make your years fun.</li>
</ol>
<p>Again, I haven't seen what Crichton said about "telling you the wrong information" in my pre-med classes thus far. I've actually found my pre-med classes to be, yes, a bit difficult, but actually enjoyable, because I'm learning something really useful (Harvard is implementing its integrated, life-applicable introductory science courses now, and we, the Class of 2009, are the first class to have the honor of being the subjects of the "test run").</p>