Recommended mark booster courses for first year?

[Guest christinalilian]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a high school who is considering attending Calgary this year (September 2005) in life sciences. I was wondering what courses you would recommend as mark boosters?

 

Thank you

[Guest Lorae]

I'd like to carefully caution you about asking those types of questions on this board. Getting into medicine is very hard work, and there is no easy road or way to take shortcuts.

 

Since you're only in highschool, you haven't yet learned what university is like. The way you learn there is 100% different then you've ever learned before... in a sense, that's what 1st year undergrad is all about (learning how to learn) - if that makes sense.

 

You will only do well in courses that you enjoy, there is no such thing as an easy course. In fact, many first year courses (in all disciplines) are considered to be "weed out" courses, and have high failure rates.

 

Nobody is able to tell you what courses you will do well in. It's all about the way you learn, how hard you study, and the material that you enjoy!

 

Hope that helps a bit

[Guest purplefairy13]

In my experience, anything completely objective is a marks booster course. So, although it may sound weird, you are probably better off taking calculus than children's literature (ie. if your proof is right, you get full marks, but if the TA doesn't like your essay, that's too bad :rolleyes )

You're going to have to study either way, so go for something that you know will give you the payoff for the work. But hey, if you consistently rock english lit...go for it!

[Guest fizzicyst]

I totally agree... taking courses for the sole purpose of boosting your GPA is going to be frustrating and you will miss out on some interesting opportunities.

 

Take a language and go travel with it... that will probably help you get in a lot more than stellar marks in advanced basket weaving. In the interview/application you can talk about how you wanted to go to country x and so you took course y and this shows you can plan ahead, set goals, etc... admissions people like that stuff.

 

Bottom line - take courses you are intrested in, and do well at them... it's also wise to have a plan B if med school doesn't work out or you change your mind in the next couple years.

 

If you want to help your grades, pick up "Becoming a Master Student" by Dave Ellis.. lots of good study tips and techniques, because as Lorae says, this is not going to be like high school!

[Guest overwhelmED]

Lorae--you hit the nail on the head.

There are no shortcuts to success.

Good luck christinalilian--getting into med school is ridiculously competitive. But it makes it that much sweeter when you do