Social life AND 4.0?

<p>So I'm applying to UCLA as a psychology major from a community college. I haven't really had any social life for several years (I'm a perfectly sociable person, just circumstances did allow for one) and I'd really like something resembling the "college experience" and a girlfriend or so... However I'm also wanting to go to medical school so keeping a 3.8+ is very important to me. I hear UCLA, especially upper division, has a reputation for being quite cut throat. So I was wondering if having a really high GPA and a social life mutually exclusive, or can I have friends and do well in school?</p>

<p>IMO school should never replace your social life… having an atleast decent social life is really necessary especially in tough schools like UCLA and Cal. With that said, obviously school should be one of your top priorities and balancing your social life and school will be difficult, but it is possible.</p>

<p>I realize a social life is important, thats the reason I’m asking about balancing a social life and school…:P</p>

<p>pretty hard to answer these types of questions since it’s heavily dependent on you and your time management skills.</p>

<p>if you learn quickly and effectively plan your schedule, a social life and a high GPA isn’t all that difficult.</p>

<p>I think what many community college students don’t realize is how difficult it is to get a 4.0 at a respectable university in comparison to their school. In 2 year colleges and CSUs, As are practically handed to you. All you have to do is all the work like in highschool and you’ll get a good grade.</p>

<p>At a university, many classes are graded on a curve. Many people could study their butts off and still never get an A. You literally have to be better than everyone else and there isn’t the slightest hint that others will just let you have the A by not studying.</p>

<p>With that said, the question is difficult to answer because many people won’t be getting an A no matter how much they study. This isn’t high school. If you’re an A student, you’ll get an A with little extra effort. If you’re just average, it’s like swimming against the tide.</p>

<p>shun the transfers</p>

<p>@ theduck: I also applied to UCLA as a Psych major. I want to become a child psychiatrist in the future. How about you? How far along are you into your premed requirements?</p>

<p>Anyway, I would have to agree with sentiment. I haven’t experienced UC life as I am also a CCC transfer, but I’ve heard about these harsh curves really crushing some GPA’s :/.</p>

<p>I would say 4.0 is pretty tough even without a social life, especially for science majors. :rolleyes:</p>

<p>I’ve never gotten 4.0 in a quarter</p>

<p>I know A’s are hard to get at UCLA, I’m not dumb. I guess what I was meaning to ask, is: Does the average person who does get a 3.8+ have a social life, or not? </p>

<p>As to the other premed dude: I’m saving taking any of my prereqs until I get to UCLA, since med schools look down on ones taken at a CC</p>

<p>you have to if you want to go to medical school. there has to be some way for you to relieve stress, to show that you’re a person, to show that you can interact with others. </p>

<p>like China said, this depends on personal factors - time management is important IMHO. just get stuff done early and you’ll be fine. curves usually won’t hurt; if anything, grading will revert to straight scale. LS series tend to allocate a certain percentage of grades based on a bell curve, but students tend to perform at the bell curve anyways. </p>

<p>why not do psychobiology if you need to do lower div BCPM classes?</p>

<p>You may not like the answers you are getting on this thread but I sure do.</p>

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<p>Yes. If you have no social life you’ll get depressed and be miserable. It isn’t worth it, even at the expense of As.</p>

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<p>That is also true. The people I knew in college who got As came by it naturally. They also had a lot of fun and were a lot of fun to be around.</p>

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<p>Well if they don’t they should. If you can’t manage to have a social life as an undergraduate how are you going to do it in med school? And then later as a doctor? You should always have some balance. Make school a priority but have fun now and again.</p>

<p>Party AFTER getting the A. That’s my motto. </p>

<p>Oh? Didn’t get the A? Party next time when you do, peasant.</p>

<p>It’s possible to have a social life with 3.8+ in the sciences. Me last quarter for example, 1 A+ (upper physics), 1 A (lower physics), 1 B+ (lower chem), 1 B (upper math honors that I just blanked the entire final, could have gotten the A). This is around 3.6, and it’s been my worst quarter. I also lead a nice enough social life especially with the quizbowl team as president, and then have an on-campus job and am involved in dorm government. The only thing that I might be “missing out” on is getting drunk and going to frat parties.</p>

<p>Never mind</p>

<p>Yeppp, it is possible to have a social life w/ 3.8+… my high school was harder than UCLA so I have a good GPA and I’m involved with other things on campus. And I know other people with ~ GPAs (even 4.0s…), too, and they are also involved with a number of organizations on campus. It’s about time management.</p>

<p>I have friends but I DO NOT SOCIALIZE with them very much because it’s VERY HARD if you want to get A’s with a science major (premed path). I only talk to them or hang out with them in class or for lunch. Otherwise, I’m always busy studying for something.</p>

<p>Just to provide more evidence that it is very possible - most of my friends in TBP (engineering honor society) have a 3.75+ and are quite social.</p>

<p>^^you’re kidding, right?</p>

<p>@Jinobi: Haha, no I’m not. Why would you think I was kidding?!</p>