<p>I go to a top 15 school and I don't feel like I belong here.</p>
<p>BUT, I decided to give it one last try.</p>
<p>I can't tell you how badly I want to be in the medical field. I've been volunteering in a hospital since 8th grade simply because I loved it.</p>
<p>The thing is, I'm a terrible student. I rocked my ACT's and SAT's (perfect scores except for Reading) and got decent grades. I never studied in high school and I started homework at 12AM. </p>
<p>I'm just looking for some tips on how to balance classes, labs, and ec's?</p>
<p>Next quarter is my last try. My grades have been showing a downward trend in the sciences.
A's for the summer before (program), then B's and C in Inorganic. And I'm looking at a C in Organic.</p>
<p>However, I have so many more sciences to go. I barely dipped into the Biology's and as a Biology major, Chemistry (yehp..) and Cognitive Science minor, WITH LOTS of electives on the quarter system, I could easily bring a 2.7 in sciences to a 3.5 (I need to do the exact math once I'm done with finals). </p>
<p>However, that's easier said than done.</p>
<p>Why am I such a terrible student? Why can't I find the time in the day? How much time should I be spending, at least, on my science classes?</p>
<p>If you are really so busy that you can’t find time to study and do homework, then you have likely over-extended yourself. Perhaps you need to give up some of your ec’s. Schedule part of everyday for studying and homework then work whatever else you want to do around it. As far as how much time you should be spending, that is different for everyone. I know some pre-med students who claim to spend 4-6 hours a day studying. Others can spend only a couple hours studying for each test and do well.</p>
<p>I just don’t think I use my time effectively but I can’t help it. </p>
<p>I actually have cut back on ec’s because of Orgo and a personal family issue, but I need to learn how to balance my life now, because even if I got into medical school with my grades, I’d probably flunk out.</p>
<p>If you don’t have time to study for your classes, what are you spending your time on? If you’re spending too much time on extracurriculars, then cut back on them and focus more on your school work.</p>
<p>Then consider why your doing so poorly on your classes currently. The problem may be that you need to spend more time on your schoolwork, but the problem may also be how you’re studying or what you’re preparing for exams. Given your description of your high school vs. college academic environments, it sounds like your high school didn’t prepare you well for college, so you may need to catch up on prerequisite information or develop study skills that you didn’t develop in high school.</p>
<p>If the problem is just a time management issue, then drop your other commitments and force yourself to spend more time studying. Have someone else hold you accountable for getting your work done, if you have to.</p>
<p>Are you using the academic resources available at your school? There may be a tutoring center or help room, especially for commonly taken courses like chemistry or biology. Do you get help from your professors or TAs when you don’t understand something? Have you gone over your exams to see why you’re getting the scores that you are (silly mistakes that add up, not knowing how to apply the information to new problems, misreading the questions, not understanding the material–they all are different problems to address)?</p>
<p>It’s entirely possible that science classes just aren’t as instinctive to you as other courses may be. That’s okay, but if you really want to pursue medicine, you may need to work harder at it than you have before to keep you grades up.</p>
<p>Actually, my high school was great. It’s a selective enrollment (you apply) school in Chicago with all the AP’s and etc. I started my homework at 12AM and went to sleep at 4AM (even with doing work in school the next day). I’ve literally once pulled two all-nighters because I waited until the last minute to do projects. It was terrible. Obviously, you can’t do that in college, but I haven’t adjusted. My habits were terrible and I had no life, but they worked. Now I have no life and they don’t work. </p>
<p>I remember my mom warning me that maybe I’m just not a good student because it takes me so long to get stuff done. Now I’m realizing she’s right. </p>
<p>By the time I have a question on something, it’s the day before the exam. I never stay caught up. /: I have gotten a private tutor and gone to the tutor room and when it’s way ahead of exams, it works for small things I don’t understand. But in general, I need to stare at a book to understand something.</p>
<p>OP,
“I can’t tell you how badly I want to be in the medical field.”
“B’s and C in Inorganic”
Not clear which statement is true.<br>
The second sentance is saying tha you do not care to be in the medical field at all.
Are you testing us?</p>
<p>Another contradiction:
“Why am I such a terrible student?”
"I never studied in high school and I started homework at 12AM. "</p>
<p>-You have the answer. Why are you asking?</p>
<p>As far as how long it takes to get an A. Easy - as long as it takes, you have to detemine yourself. As an example, D. hardly spent time in classes like Gen. Chem and Stats for a very easy A+. She was spending at least about 30 hours for EACH test in Orgo, she even would stop work for other classes (temporarily), she would go over material in her head while walking from class to class. You do WHAT IT TAKES! There is no way around it.
If you cannot do it, Med. School is not for you. Talents / smarts are simply NOT ENOUGH there, not even close. Another example - D. studies for 14 hours every day for 7 weeks to prepare for her Boards (Step 1). Ask yourself, can you do it. They study that much not only because material is just so vast and so difficult, but also to develop a brain stamina. The exam is cruel 8 hours of extremely hard questions. </p>
<p>I just want to be honest here. It may sound brutal. But Med. School is for those who are willing to go thru a very brutal times for the very long period in thier lives. There is no other way to put it. Everything else is deception.</p>
<p>I used to teach gifted and gifted LD kids and I saw many situations like yours. Academics came easily for you in high school so you never developed the study or time management skills you need for college. I have a great deal of sympathy for you because I’ve seen it happen a lot and it also happened to me. (Bright kid, never studied, college was a huge adjustment. Took about 2 years for me to figure it out.)</p>
<p>My suggestion: go to the academic counseling center at your school and sign up for study skills or time management class. It will give you some idea on how to organize yourself.</p>
<p>One other possibility. You may have ADD-inattentive type. Bright ADD kids are often able to glide through high school (even academically challenging high schools) because their innate gifts allow them to have excellent short-term recall and they can focus intensely for short bursts of time. (You know–like in all-nighters.) However, when not in academic panic mode, they tend to fritter their time away doing a thousand different things they can’t recall later and procrastinate endlessly. While this will often work in high school, the work load in college is heavier and it becomes increasingly difficult to succeed working in this mode.</p>
<p>OK, does just knowing you’re ADD-I solve your problems? No, but sometimes having a label allows you to get passed the “why” and seek ways to develop coping skills that work for you. There is no magic wand solution that works for everyone. You’re going to have do trial and error–but a good counselor/psychologist can point you toward some options.</p>
<p>To rule out the possibility of ADD-I, go to the student health center and ask for LD evaluation. (Your school may offer it, but it’s more likely you may be sent to an outside specialist.)</p>
<p>1) use a planner or calendar to keep track of assignments. Obvious, right? But a planner only works if you actually use it. </p>
<p>2) learn to recognize your limits. ADD (and many non-ADD) individuals have effectiveness limits for studying and after that you’re just wasting your time. Break studying into smaller, more manageable blocks and make yourself take breaks. Exercise (running, swimming, yoga, etc) is great way to de-stress and prepare your brain for more studying.</p>
<p>3) learn to recognize avoidance behaviors (AKA cat-vacuuming) in yourself. Avoidance behaviors are activities that suck you in and waste your time. Cat-vacuuming is Ok in small doses, but you need to recognize these activities for what they are and set firm time limits on them. Use the timer feature on your phone if necessary</p>
<p>4) the best, most enduring learning requires frequent review. This is especially true in mathematics and the sciences. This means you should start a study session by going over what you already know (or should know) about a subject that is foundational to the new material you’re attempting to master. Move from older, more familiar material to new material. This will help you put new info in context in your mind. </p>
<p>(And a hint if you are ADD-I. Sometimes caffeine is useful in aiding focus. I know very successful ADD adults who mainline coffee or cola drinks as self-medication. Avoid “energy drinks” though.)</p>
<p>is cat-vacuuming an actual term for something or just some random example of a non work activity? I’ve tried googling various permutations of cat vacuuming, ADD, learning disability, coping mechanism, avoidance, and I either get youtube videos of cats with vacuums, cat grooming tools, or scholarly articles on cat behavior. Please help.</p>
<p>Cat-vacuuming is a term used frequently by one of my favorite authors in her blog to describe non-productive activities that distract from urgent work-at-hand. (You know….like meeting editor’s deadlines.) </p>
<p>Cat-vacuuming as in you vacuum the cat. Which, of course, not only seriously annoys the cat but also is wholly non-productive in that 30 minutes later the cat is shedding fur all over your house again.</p>
<p>I like the vivid descriptiveness and aptness of the term and I’ve adopted its use for myself.</p>
<p>“One other possibility. You may have ADD-inattentive type. Bright ADD kids are often able to glide through high school (even academically challenging high schools) because their innate gifts allow them to have excellent short-term recall and they can focus intensely for short bursts of time. (You know–like in all-nighters.) However, when not in academic panic mode, they tend to fritter their time away doing a thousand different things they can’t recall later and procrastinate endlessly. While this will often work in high school, the work load in college is heavier and it becomes increasingly difficult to succeed working in this mode.”</p>
<p>That’s exactly what I do. Thank you SO much for the advice. Would you recommend a psychologist over a psychiatrist? I think my insurance only covers psychiatrists.</p>
<p>In high school, I used to always say I had good short-term memory and I would “study” 5 minutes before a test in the previous class (in high school). Now, that’s obviously impossible.</p>
<p>I recommend seeking out your student health center first. They may have suggestions for you there. ADD must be diagnosed by a trained medical professional–though not necessarily a psychiatrist. </p>
<p>There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating ADD. It is life-long process of understanding yourself, your limitations (which will change over time) and how to best cope with those.</p>
<p>Kochanie, I’m adding to say WOWmom has such good advice. </p>
<p>You have already pinpointed your weakness: study habits/time management weren’t needed to do well in hs, but certainly are needed now. It hits many college kids, especially in that first semester. Add to that your newfound independence (no one to tell you to go to sleep) and the fact that, without regular homework assignments, you can drift for awhile without realizing you need help.</p>
<p>But here’s the good news: you’re a smart kid. You have coasted this long and only now need to settle down and really “study”. I applaud you for recognizing the need for help.</p>
<p>You asked whether to see a phychologist or a psychiatrist. Generally either one can diagnose you using various methods, such as IQ testing to find your “potential” and compare that to your performance. Some use a “Connor’s scale” which asks various professionals, usually teachers, for their observations. Some work with school systems, some meet clients weekly and provide counseling. The biggest difference between the two is the psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can write perscriptions.</p>
<p>^^ In some states, a clinical psychologist can prescribed a limited range of psychiatric medications–including ADD meds. </p>
<p>In states that do not allow psychs to prescribe, a psych will usually have arrangements with local physicians who will write the 'script. (Or the psych will contact the patient’s own primary care doc who will do the actual prescribing.)</p>
<p>Please do not try to diagnose yourself as there are other psycho-social conditions which can produce behaviors/symptoms similar at ADD. Anxiety, for example. </p>
<p>So start by learning some basic time management skills. Routines. Scheduled study time. Using a calendar or planner. ADD or no ADD, you still need these skills.</p>
<p>Neurologists or developmental neurologists can diagnose and treat it and it usually does not go under the mental health benefits of your health insurance. Usually then it will not impact ones ability to obtain a gun permit or even be a law enforcement officer but each state varies.</p>
<p>Also for regular college majors not “premed” the rule was 2 of of study for each hour in class. Like Miami my D spent 30 hours studying for each Orgo test as well.</p>
<p>You will have to bring to the neurologist your high school and college tests and papers with grades to demonstrate the impact your ADD is having on your life.</p>
<p>Because some college kids abuse the drugs or use the drugs to game the system and score higher on the tests and also get extended time for test taking which is permitted even in “premed” programs, it is now a more thorough evaluation process than in the past.</p>