<p>Generally, I'm a softspoken individual. I never know when to speak up and ask questions that trouble me for better understanding from either a teacher or peers. It was one of the main problems I had throughout high school. Part of the reason was because I am very introverted and the other is because I hate asking for help, I rather spend hours figuring things out myself. But this usually leads me to a discombobulated understanding of the topic at hand. I feel like I could have done so much better in high school if I could have fixed this flaw earlier.</p>
<p>I'm about to attend Austin College in the preprofressional field of medicine, majoring in Biology. Austin College is generally known for its well-established pre-med program. I don't want to make the same mistakes in high school. I'm not saying I did bad in high school, I was top ten percent. I'm just saying I could have done so much better. So for my first year as an undergraduate (which is one of the most important), I no longer want to "blend in" and waste time. I want to do well, and I want to be able to study and master each class efficiently. There's a lot of pre-med individuals at my school and I want to be able to finally stand out academically.</p>
<p>So any suggestions on how to approach my goal? What are some of the mistakes you had to overcome? What are some precautions? For any other incoming undergraduates, what are your own personal concerns?</p>
<p>From my experience if you want to stand out academically, the biggest thing is time management. That means spending time on every class every day (not just the days they meet), and finding whatever way works best for you to learn the material.</p>
<p>You mentioned not liking to ask for help and preferring to figure it out yourself. That’s generally one of the best ways to learn, but it’s also time-consuming, and in college you may not have the time. Try to find or create study groups with like-minded students so you can review together what was said in class. With other students asking you questions, you’ll find it easier to ask others.</p>
<p>And don’t cheat in college. The #1 reason for cheating in college is not having enough time to do it the right way (or simply not wanting to spend the time). Cheating at a LAC can get you quickly expelled.</p>
<p>In many scientific and technical fields (medicine included) important work is accomplished in teams. So one way to approach your goal is to focus on team interactions, not on changing your personality traits. Understand that your every contribution to a team does not need to be awe-inspiring. Start by smiling and making a little small talk with people. Ask one or two simple, focused questions to clarify the task. Go off and do your part of the work. Then share your results. Acknowledge the work of others. Sit back and watch the process move toward a goal; do your little part to nudge it along. When it reaches a conclusion, reflect on what worked and what did not.</p>
<p>A classroom discussion is just another team process like this. The focus is not and should not be all about any one person. You will gradually become more extro-verted not because your basic personality changes but because the way you approach team problem-solving matures, one little interaction at a time. As you develop serious interests in significant problems, you’ll learn to see them from different perspectives and not depend on your initial intuitions. This is all part of the process of becoming a good scientist and doctor. These professions are full of introverts but the good ones learn to interact effectively with others. A small college is a great place to work on this skill.</p>