Hello. I haven’t posted in ages but just wanted to check in with everyone. If you’re discouraged, don’t give up! I just completed my first year of full-time prereqs. It was hard - harder than I thought - going from FT work to FT school. My grades still aren’t great (3.0 science GPA) but I’m going to work even harder this year to bring it up, and just completing half the journey feels good! I took biology, math (PreCalculus I&II) and general chemistry last year. I did the worst in chemistry so I retook it this summer and went from a C to an A for the chem 1 and a D to an A in chem 2! So I’m just proud of myself for hanging in there, retaking the classes, and doing much better. The A’s feel so good. 
It also helped to have better professors over the summer and a faithful study buddy at least for chem 1 this summer.
For fall/spring this year, I’m taking organic chemistry and physics. I’m also doing chemistry research and hoping to get a part-time position through AmeriCorps or just a plain PT position. I know o-chem and physics will be hard as hell but I’ve just come to the point where I need something beyond school - however small that thing is. I think mentally I really need a break - a job would be especially helpful b/c that’s application $$ for next year. Just applying to med school is so expensive…Oh well. I will take the MCAT next year and apply in 2006. I’m leaning more towards the August MCAT but we’ll see how I feel later in the year.
I hope you’re all doing well and remember to keep trying!
Love,
Stacy
Quote:
Hello. I haven’t posted in ages but just wanted to check in with everyone. If you’re discouraged, don’t give up! I just completed my first year of full-time prereqs. It was hard - harder than I thought - going from FT work to FT school. My grades still aren’t great (3.0 science GPA) but I’m going to work even harder this year to bring it up, and just completing half the journey feels good! I took biology, math (PreCalculus I&II) and general chemistry last year. I did the worst in chemistry so I retook it this summer and went from a C to an A for the chem 1 and a D to an A in chem 2! So I’m just proud of myself for hanging in there, retaking the classes, and doing much better. The A’s feel so good.
For fall/spring this year, I’m taking organic chemistry and physics. I’m also doing chemistry research and hoping to get a part-time position through AmeriCorps or just a plain PT position. I know o-chem and physics will be hard as hell but I’ve just come to the point where I need something beyond school - however small that thing is. I think mentally I really need a break - a job would be especially helpful b/c that’s application $$ for next year. Just applying to med school is so expensive…Oh well. I will take the MCAT next year and apply in 2006. I’m leaning more towards the August MCAT but we’ll see how I feel later in the year.
I hope you’re all doing well and remember to keep trying!
Love,
Stacy
Good work!
Congrats!
One thing I would do before embarking on ochem and physics is to think about the strategies that helped you in going from those D’s and C’s to those A’s. Perhaps ask yourself, “How can I refine those techniques and habits that got me A’s, to help me get A’s the first time in ochem and physics?”