Tips for first year!

[Selstaar]

Best advice given to me before going into first year was from my PI at the time:

 

"It's undergrad. It's mean to be fun, so have fun! But not so much fun that you permanently **** up your academic career."

[nonstop]

Don't do too many ECs early on (maybe start from second term or second year onwards). Get your GPA game on first and then expand.

[NutritionRunner]

I would suggest choosing ONE EC to focus on in first year. If you spend all your time studying and doing nothing else, you could easily become burned out and depressed. So pick ONE thing - one club, one organization, one volunteer experience, etc. that you really enjoy or that you are passionate about and just do that single EC until you have a firm grasp on the academic side of things. Of course, don't spend too much time on that one thing. But having something to do outside of academics is a very healthy thing.

 

I find students who are holed up in the library all day tend to be miserable, because they have no life outside their studies, and they also tend to use the "brute force" method of studying - they just go over things again and again hoping that something sticks. There are ways to be more efficient. Learn how you study best, and how to study best for different courses, and you don't need to spend all your time studying.

 

Make use of the resources available to you. If your university has supported learning groups, study sessions, or help rooms, make use of them! If you need help or don't understand something, go see your TA or prof during office hours, and get things straight. If you find you are struggling academically, make an appointment with the learning commons, or whatever the equivalent is at your university, to get help - they can help you figure out where your weaknesses lie and how you can improve. If you find yourself struggling emotionally, ie. with depression or other mental problems, go see student counselling services or health services - whoever handles mental health issues on your campus. Get help sooner rather than later.

 

I would also encourage you, if you don't already, to engage in some form of exercise, even if it is just going for a walk. Exercise is good for memory, helps to improve concentration, improves sleep, and is great stress relief. If going to the gym isn't your thing, you don't have to do that, but getting some form of exercise will only help your academics.

 

Eating healthy and getting plenty of sleep are two other important things. Try not to procrastinate, and try to study bit by bit all semester long. That way you never have to pull and all-nigher or cram for exams. It will be better for your health that way. Getting sufficient sleep also helps your memory and ability to think.

[Cerena]

I would also encourage you, if you don't already, to engage in some form of exercise, even if it is just going for a walk. Exercise is good for memory, helps to improve concentration, improves sleep, and is great stress relief. If going to the gym isn't your thing, you don't have to do that, but getting some form of exercise will only help your academics.

 

This. I agree, exercise is key and I find, if anything, it's great as you mentioned for reducing stress and anxiety.

[future_doc]

Following up on the sage advice of NutritionRunner, experience has taught me to stop studying when my mind is tired - as it is a no win situation. You will not learn anything or it takes much longer to learn. Your body is telling you to take a break, so listen to your body. And I agree that exercise of any kind is a wonderful release allowing you to return to studying re-energized.

 

During undergrad, I was either always studying, doing assignments or doing volunteering and ECs, the latter two being my "social life" as I enjoyed being with other likeminded individuals even if I never saw them away from these activities. Both volunteering and my ECs were physically demanding and as a result, I had good outlets from studying.

 

I never got depressed and knew being a student aiming for med school was my fulltime job which I dealt with professionally. However, by the end of every semester, I did reach burnout. However, it was well worth it.

[wpggal]

I like to work out so I can blow off some steam during stressful exam periods. Not only that, but it gets me in a more focused mindset.

[Jaybird]

"It's undergrad. It's mean to be fun, so have fun! But not so much fun that you permanently **** up your academic career."

 

This, so much this. Focus less on results and more on process. You've got the other three years for results!

[NutritionRunner]

where's the study that says exercise has any correlation with concentration or sleep? because i work out every day and it doesn't help me at all, in fact, when i have exams i stop working out and do better because i have more time to study

 

There are TONNES of studies out there that show how exercise is good for memory, concentration, sleep (if you don't exercise too close to bedtime), stress, etc. If you do a search of google scholar or your university's library, you'll find plenty of them.

 

During exams is when you should continue to exercise. The studying that you will be able to do after taking a break for a workout will likely be more effective than if you had just continued studying without a break. Again, there are research studies showing that those who took a break to exercise were able to retain more information and do better on tests that examined recall and concentration.

 

This has been well documented by a number of very good studies. There are so many of them out there that a simple literature search will find them. I'll dig out some of my notes and post some of those studies in a bit.

[NutritionRunner]

Some studies on the benefits of exercise:

 

Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity

http://journals.lww.com/co-psychiatry/Abstract/2005/03000/Exercise_and_well_being__a_review_of_mental_and.13.aspx

 

Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition

http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v9/n1/abs/nrn2298.html

 

Exercise and the brain: something to chew on

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166223609000563

 

Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3017.short

 

Aerobic exercise improves hippocampal function and increases BDNF in the serum of young adult males

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938411003088

 

Exercise builds brain health: key roles of growth factor cascades and inflammation

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166223607001786

 

Acute coordinative exercise improves attentional performance in adolescents

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394008008483

 

High impact running improves learning

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074742706001596

[12345c]

Here is how I succeeded:

 

1. Stay away from the party scene. I have seen it all to many times... beer, beer, and more beer. Good luck trying to write an exam hungover..

 

2. Take it one day at a time. Make sure that you keep up in every class and avoid cramming. Do a little bit of studying everyday.

 

3. Don't get overloaded with extra's. Make sure studying is your full time job!

 

4. Don't freak out about every little mark. I did this first year and although I did well, I realized it did't help much. If you get a bad mark, readjust and move forward.

 

5. Don't compare yourselves to others! Trust me, their is going to be someone always smarter than you! Work hard and you can still achieve great marks.

 

6. Take time to relax. Set out specific times that you don't do anything academic. For me, this meant watching a couple hours of tv on the weekends.

 

7. Find an appropriate place to study. I realized that once I got to the library my productivity went up 10000%.

 

8. Enjoy yourself and don't stress! Undergrad is fun and you will meet great new people!

[thestar10]

Here is how I succeeded:

 

1. Stay away from the party scene. I have seen it all to many times... beer, beer, and more beer. Good luck trying to write an exam hungover..

 

I disagree with your first point entirely. Yes drinking isn't the best thing for school but its not terrible when done in moderation. During first year I probably drank 2-3 nights a week during regular classes and didn't drink when I had midterms and exams.

 

My thought process went like this. "Hey I have an exam in a couple days, I shouldn't drink" or "Hey I'm pretty much caught up and I don't have anything due for 2 weeks, I should go out on Friday or Saturday and have fun."

 

Its all about balance. A lot of people you meet are going to drink and if you want to join them you should. If you have exams your friends probably will as well and you will more than likely end up studying together rather than drinking.

[12345c]

I disagree with your first point entirely. Yes drinking isn't the best thing for school but its not terrible when done in moderation. During first year I probably drank 2-3 nights a week during regular classes and didn't drink when I had midterms and exams.

 

My thought process went like this. "Hey I have an exam in a couple days, I shouldn't drink" or "Hey I'm pretty much caught up and I don't have anything due for 2 weeks, I should go out on Friday or Saturday and have fun."

 

Its all about balance. A lot of people you meet are going to drink and if you want to join them you should. If you have exams your friends probably will as well and you will more than likely end up studying together rather than drinking.

 

That is the key: moderation! Although how many first years have it??

 

I lost all of my drinking friends in university. All of them are now somewhere else other than on the path to med school.

[wpggal]

Maybe med school wasn't their end goal though? Just because a person enjoys a few drinks now and then doesn't mean that med school is suddenly out of reach.

[Jaybird]

1. Stay away from the party scene. I have seen it all to many times... beer, beer, and more beer. Good luck trying to write an exam hungover..

 

Disagree. I was one of the top boozehounds on my residence floor in first year. Just know WHEN it's appropriate to get sloshed. Saturday night before reading week? Go for it. Saturday night before the start of exam period? Maybe just kick back with one or two with dinner and friends.

[future_doc]

We all are different. I got into med on my first try b/c I was totally removed from partying and my priorities were academics, volunteering & ECs. That was my life during undergrad and it worked for me. I could not have succeeded otherwise.

[BlurstOfTimes]

We all are different. I got into med on my first try b/c I was totally removed from partying and my priorities were academics, volunteering & ECs. That was my life during undergrad and it worked for me. I could not have succeeded otherwise.

 

Hah, almost the complete opposite here - I worked insanely hard during undergrad but if I didn't allow myself the release of a night out with friends at least once a week-ish, I would have gone insane and definitely couldn't have kept up that level of focus in my studies.

[Tacrolimus]

Disagree. I was one of the top boozehounds on my residence floor in first year. Just know WHEN it's appropriate to get sloshed. Saturday night before reading week? Go for it. Saturday night before the start of exam period? Maybe just kick back with one or two with dinner and friends.

 

Yeah, but some people can't control themselves. I've never gotten drunk in my life (or had more than 1-2 drinks in a day), so perhaps I'm a little biased in that regard.

 

I just think if you can stay away from it, do so. There are other forms of entertainment besides getting drunk, IMO.

[BlurstOfTimes]

Yeah, but some people can't control themselves. I've never gotten drunk in my life (or had more than 1-2 drinks in a day), so perhaps I'm a little biased in that regard.

 

I just think if you can stay away from it, do so. There are other forms of entertainment besides getting drunk, IMO.

 

Totally, but you could say that about anything, couldn't you? There are other forms of entertainment besides playing sports, but that doesn't mean you should never play sports.

[thestar10]

Hah, almost the complete opposite here - I worked insanely hard during undergrad but if I didn't allow myself the release of a night out with friends at least once a week-ish, I would have gone insane and definitely couldn't have kept up that level of focus in my studies.

 

+1

 

I would rather a 3.8 while having a fun time during undergrad than a 4.0 spending every night studying.

[Hyperalgesia]

We all are different. I got into med on my first try b/c I was totally removed from partying and my priorities were academics, volunteering & ECs. That was my life during undergrad and it worked for me. I could not have succeeded otherwise.

 

Emphasis on the 'we are all different' part! I got into med on my first try as well, and I basically did the opposite of you in my first two years. Of course, I wasn't trying to get into med in my third year of undergrad, so if you want to rush into med right away, the 'study hard, never party' route is probably a better plan!

[12345c]

Yeah, but some people can't control themselves. I've never gotten drunk in my life (or had more than 1-2 drinks in a day), so perhaps I'm a little biased in that regard.

 

I just think if you can stay away from it, do so. There are other forms of entertainment besides getting drunk, IMO.

 

I agree completely! Although there are some individuals who can handle drinking. From my experience, many also can't! If you are not 100% sure you can control it, best bet is to stay away.

[wpggal]

I feel an assumpion-y vibe from you two about people who drink vs. people who don't. I'd guess that most people who drink can control themselves. When you first start drinking it's a learning experience to find your limits. You could just as easily be consumed by something else like gaming. Much easier to waste hours on that each day vs drinking on a Saturday night

[NutritionRunner]

+1

 

I would rather a 3.8 while having a fun time during undergrad than a 4.0 spending every night studying.

 

Agreed.

 

First year I lived in a "study intensive area" in rez, and we still went out once a week - usually on a Friday or Saturday night. We didn't always drink, but we'd go out dancing, go to a local pub, etc. Some times we'd just go for a walk in the arboretum as a group, just to get out and relax. We were all focused on our studies, hence the study intensive area, but we also enjoyed relaxing and having fun.

 

If we went dancing, I was usually the DD, so would only drink diet Coke all evening, but still had a great time. When we went to the local pub (walking distance), I would have ONE DRINK through the entire evening (yes, it can be done). So "going out drinking" doesn't mean you have to go crazy or get drunk. I've no interest in drinking so much that I get sick or can't remember what happened.

 

I also had time to go to the gym, swim with the Master swim club three times a week, take part in group fitness classes several times a week, horseback ride once a week, be an active member and eventually one of the administrators in a sci-fi club, be an active member and eventually one of the executive in a writing club, and volunteer.

 

Of course, everyone is different, and what works for one person won't work for another. I still managed to do very well, graduating at the top of my class from my engineering program (although I only had my first year as a full-time year, due to various health issues and surgeries in my subsequent years, including one semester where I only had one course, and ended up with a mark in the 70s due to all the health problems I was dealing with at the time - which is what got me interested in medicine in the first place).

[Jaybird]

Totally, but you could say that about anything, couldn't you? There are other forms of entertainment besides playing sports, but that doesn't mean you should never play sports.

 

There are some friends of mine who would disagree

 

Then again, they're also the people who DO actually study like it's exams all the time, so...

[Indent]

I had a professor say something like, “That’s right, I’m a doctor.”

He was a phenomenal lecturer. No question.

 

He graduated from the London School of Economics, and I suspect this might explain the attitude (I could be wrong); moreover, he had little problem handing out four thousand word research papers. His vague instructions were a single slide on a PowerPoint. Students failed for not printing out his title page, detailed at the bottom of page 3 in the syllabus, and let me tell you, it was tucked away in some obscure folder online.

I wrote 11 papers (most being 2k) in my first term, and there was no shortage of articles and textbook chapters.

 

As I read through research and writing guides, I must be honest with myself, I can labour hard for good grades (90-95%), but perfect grades seem unrealistic.

 

A person could put 4 hours of study for each physics/chemistry/biology lecture could have a perfect midterm. In contrast, a person could put 20-40 hours into a paper, put it through the “laugh test” and actively look for criticism, and whatever reasonable effort to ensure quality work, but I will not get a hundred. People do not get hundreds on papers.

 

Tips would be great for a paper intensive program. I will be heading into second year btw.

 

Maybe I am just stressing out for no reason…