<p>Some people can manage to take a hard or time-consuming courseload and end up with a 3.9+ while devoting so much time to ECs like working in lab (20hrs/wk), actively participating in several clubs (10hrs/wk) and volunteeing in hospital (5hrs/wk).
Do they sleep less than 6 every night? Are they just able to get better grades by studying less number of hours than most other people. Or combination of both??
I have a particularly difficult courseload next semester.
If I were to get a 3.9+ with that courseload while continuing most of my other EC's and sleeping 6 hrs every night (this is the maximum I can cut down on my sleep. I can't function with less than that), then I estimate that I would need ~195 hrs/wk, when in fact there are only 168 hrs/wk.
Just how do some people do it?</p>
<p>I’ve been wondering the same thing. When I get to school, I’ll have class until two then I’ll have labs and things in the evenings. I guess if you did clubs right after dinner for two hours per day, you’d be finished by like 9 and then you could study until 1 and then sleep until 8 if class starts at nine. But even still, that’s without work and stuff. I guess on the weekends, you could put some hours in the lab but labwork would need to be done throughout the week too. Volunteering on the weekends would be relatively easy though.</p>
<p>I do have a question, sorry to steal. But if I am more patient oriented and less inclined for research, will that hurt my chances? I mean, what if I am able to get lots of realy good experience in hospitals and ERs and shadowing docs but I only have one summer of research?</p>
<p>here’s the secret: a lot of premeds are liars.</p>
<p>do you mean that they lie on their applications to medical school?</p>
<p>
How can you be sure?</p>
<p>all i’m saying is don’t overestimate the strength of your peers. a lot of people, a lot of premeds, exaggerate their accomplishments (in person and on their apps) to make themselves look and feel better. this shouldn’t be a surprise. i’m sure we’ve all done this.</p>
<p>
But still, some people don’t need to exaggerate at all because they are exactly what they describe themselves to be. I want to know what their secret is.</p>
<p>I have pretty poor time management skills concerning my schoolwork… so there’s a ton of hours down the drain every week</p>
<p>well…
aside from the very valid point that they might be exaggerating,
it all comes down to time management…</p>
<p>and getting the most out of class…
it saves you a lot of time if you make an effort to understanding everything (or close to it) as it is presented in lecture…this may mean reading ahead before class instead of trying to learn everything at once after…right before the test…</p>
<p>and i find that it works to schedule every minute of your day…*including breaks</p>
<p>you can make it rigid if you understand it wont work perfectly…but it helps to see where your time is going. </p>
<p>and also, dont let yourself get overwhelmed…because that makes you think that you are in over your head…you may very well be but if there is no immediate solution learn how to be a problem solver and tackle things as they come…once you decide you “cant do it” you really cant…</p>
<p>go all out and throw yourself into things…its completely exhausting but if you get involved in stuff you care about it is worth it…
and one thing i have realized is that it is really important to RELAX during breaks…dont do that “buy your books and read ahead for next semester” ********…it doesnt help that much and you will be better off if you take a great break and be fully prepared to dive in again…</p>
<p>im taking my own advice…cuz i am beat…and finally home :)</p>
<p>Nobody says you have to do research, volunteer, get clinical experience, and all that other jazz in the same semester.</p>
<p>For me, it’s more relaxing to read stuff over breaks, when I have time to read it at my own pace instead of the pace of the class…but that’s just me.</p>
<p>^good point…but i have/had a tendency to try to learn everything before the class started which was completely assinine and not possible…so im going to extreme measures to rid myself of that habit :)</p>
<p>but reading a little is good…just to get you into it…</p>
<p>Yeah…I actually go through the stuff faster on breaks than in class, but I usually don’t stop and work on the little details of stuff…I just try to get the big picture and move on, and then I’ll work on the finer points as they are presented in class. For me, this makes lecture during the year more meaningful, but like I’ve said this is just the way I work and very much suited to my personality.</p>
<p>If you truly understand what your professor is teaching you, then you shouldn’t be needing hours upon hours of studying.</p>
<p>I find that a lot of people just don’t care/don’t pay attention…#1 reason for not getting an A.</p>
<p>One part of it comes from being efficient with studying and recognizing what needs to be a priority for that day or week. </p>
<p>There should be absolutely no reason why you’d study every subject every day…I’m not advocating cramming for everything, but sometimes you’ve got to let things slide a while.</p>
<p>FWIW, I let a kid I know read the OP’s question and this was her response: "Ask them if they watch TV or just sit doing nothing. If so, there’s your answer. I choose to hang out either Friday OR Saturday night. The rest of the time I’m volunteering, working in the lab, studying, doing sorority things, playing intramurals, away at Ultimate Tournaments or at Bio Conferences, doing my laundry or cleaning my apartment, working with the student ministry, or going to church. I like all of it except the laundry/cleaning part and usually I’m doing all of these things with friends. These things ARE fun to me. If I hated something I wouldn’t be doing it. Life’s too short. "</p>
<p>I completely agree with curmudgeon. That is the very reason why I do all these things. To me, my volunteer activities, research, extracurriculars, and even studying are fun. If I didn’t like doing stuff like this, I would probably change my major.
It also does take good time management skills as to when and what to study. If I have lots of other activities to do a certain week, I only study for classes in which I have a test, quiz, or assignment due and then catch up on my other classes after that week is over :)</p>