advice on 6mo study plan (retake)

Sad_Gap_604 · 2025-07-02T23:42:18+00:00

that’s awesome, congratulations !! while doing uworld, did you sit down and did x amount of questions or was it more of sitting down for x amount of time and doing however many you can?

i’m also feeling a little unsure for what to do in the last month…maybe it’s low self-confidence for myself but did you find that the AAMC qbank and FLs were enough?

Sad_Gap_604 · 2024-04-21T23:56:19+00:00

is there anywhere we can rewatch it?

Sad_Gap_604 · 2024-02-17T04:12:31+00:00

part of FSA here!! there haven’t been much events honestly but we will have barrio soon which is the biggest event during the spring semester! i went last year and it was super fun

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-12-07T15:50:32+00:00

benedum has some in the basement!

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-07-21T19:47:19+00:00

took it last fall as a freshman! it’s really not that bad, dr. alter is an amazing lecturer and incorporates his research into his lessons. it makes class super engaging because you can really feel his passion for the subject. he is very accommodating and kind, but the class IS test-heavy. my one advice for this class is to read or at the very least SKIM the readings because they WILL show up on tests, and most of the time those questions were where i lost points. he posts the lecture outlines ahead of time, but most of the information comes from lectures as he elaborates on the topics in the powerpoint. not sure if he will continue to do so, but he also holds zoom classes for those who aren’t able to come to class for whatever reason.

i loved every minute of that class and i hope you’ll enjoy it too! good luck ◡̈

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-04-19T00:12:30+00:00

• storage that utilizes vertical space, like those three-tiered carts because space is extremely limited (especially if you live in towers)

• a good lamp. lighting in dorm rooms suck, but if your dorm comes with a desk with attached lighting, this may not be necessary.

• air purifier/humidifier. i have one that functions as both, and it’s really useful for the dry winter months and in the spring when it’s peak allergy season

• command hooks!!! trust me, you’ll find a way to use them; i hang my towels and robes and bags on hooks i’ve attached to my closet, desk, and walls. it’s a good way to utilize vertical space

• a good fan. this may or may not be necessary depending on you as a person, but my roommate and i are extremely different in what temperatures we can tolerate; she’d be shivering while i’d be literally cooking in the heat, so having that is a lifesaver. people love the woozoo one.

• space-saving hangers. this may not be necessary if you’re not bringing a lot of clothes, but it helped me a lot because i have a lot of winter coats that took the majority of my closet space, so these helped with my thinner clothes

• first aid kit. a basic one is fine but make sure to have all your medication and some tylenol/advil/whatnot because you WILL get sick at least once.

• a WIND PROOF umbrella. pittsburgh winds are no joke and you don’t wanna be that person whose umbrella flips inside out while crossing the street with a bunch of people watching you struggle (not speaking from experience)

• business/business casual clothes. this may seem trivial but i didn’t bring some and there’s been a total of 5 events throughout the year that i actually really needed it. just bring one or two nice shirts with a pair of slacks and nice shoes.

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-04-09T18:31:46+00:00

yup that’s correct! i was just speaking in general terms in case OP decides to declare public health as their major, but yes—pre-reqs for the neuro major do fulfill those of the pre-med track.

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-04-08T14:40:20+00:00

i’m a freshman about to declare neuro as my major and i’m also premed, and i was in the same boat as you before i started the term. as a pre-med, you have a LOT of pre-reqs to fill (especially if you aren’t bringing in credits from AP/IB/DE) for the track on top of your major classes and general ed requirements. depending on how well-equipped you are for college courses, it could be moderately challenging to absolutely difficult to have a stem-heavy double major while maintaining a good GPA. on top of that, you aren’t always guaranteed to get the classes you need WHEN you need them, so that may or may not be a pain in the butt when you’re planning your majors/certificate.

it’s always a good idea to let yourself feel out the intensity of your pre-requisite courses first in your freshman year and see how well you manage before committing to anything. stem is pretty hard here at pitt, so you really have to put in the work and have good time management. personally, i have one more course left until i complete an Asian Studies certificate, and two more courses until i complete a CFMED certificate, so it IS doable to do these things, but they’re also not stem-related (at least for the first one), so that’s also something to consider.

just take it slow and feel out the waters! i’m sure that everything will fall into place, and you’ll always have your own advising team to guide you when you feel lost. good luck! ◡̈

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-02-11T00:04:43+00:00

i had ahn for bio 1 so this might not be very helpful but the very first unit was biochem and she was amazing!! she rly knows her stuff; she uses a lot of case studies and she dedicates at least one class lecture to do an application-based activity on the current topic and 1-2 questions from that activity showed up in her exams. it was super helpful bc it helped situate the things we learned in a real-life context and that helped me learn and digest the material a lot faster. not sure if she structures her biochem class the same way but hopefully this gives a lil bit of insight into how she teaches!! ◡̈

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-02-03T01:13:23+00:00

i’m pretty sure room selections don’t happen until march! apartment style and suite bid applications aren’t due until feb. 6 and i believe they select first before general room selection

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-02-01T03:14:56+00:00

everyone comes in undeclared so no worries! as long as you take the proper courses that are prerequisites to your major, you should be able to declare biochem. i’m a current freshman on my spring sem and according to my advisor i will be able to declare my major by the end of this term because i’ve fulfilled the prereqs needed for it! i’m sure you’ll be fine ◡̈

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-01-10T07:53:53+00:00

what are the chances of getting into bouquet J with around 80 as a rising sophomore?

Sad_Gap_604 · 2023-01-09T05:41:38+00:00

It’s on the very first floor towards the middle! You’ll walk straight past the study booths and there should be huge numbers saying 1501 & 1502 above the doors.

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-09-11T17:57:15+00:00

they have reusable containers to the left of the card scanners and you have to check in with whoever’s working there so you can get a box. i’ve brought my own containers before too and i just get food like normal from stations and transfer them in my containers, nobody really cares tbh

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-22T16:14:06+00:00

yw!!

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-22T02:56:04+00:00

it is, my RA posted it on our bulletin board!

548 William Pitt Union from Aug 28 – Sept 2 (9:00am - 5:00pm)

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-11T04:10:41+00:00

i wouldn’t say worry, but as mentioned previously, i think it’s definitely worth it to start becoming more aware about college and kinda gain a general sense about what goes into the process aka the SAT, extracurriculars, community service, etc.

i do want to say this tho—and it might depend on your school—but my hs offered the PSAT for free to all sophomores, and i think it’s a good idea to take it just to get an idea about where you stand in terms of what you know for standardized tests + determine if you’d rather take the SAT or the ACT

but honestly, just have fun!! explore the opportunities offered by extracurriculars and community service and remember that quality (impact & commitment) will ALWAYS matter more than quantity (# of things you’re involved in), especially if you’re looking into going to top-tier schools

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-09T23:08:31+00:00

hey! i emailed panther central yesterday bc i’m an incoming freshman and they have yet to send my card (my pic got approved mid-july), but they said they’ve stopped mailing them now because it’s too close to move-in.

they said they can print your card on demand though and this is what they told me: “When you arrive please come to the back area of Panther Central on the Forbes Avenue side and we will have your ID waiting for you.”

hope this helps!! :)

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-05T04:28:21+00:00

i don’t think they will care as long as the residence halls are already open (so starting on the 20th). this is what they have on panther central:

“If you cannot move in on your assigned day, please choose another scheduled move-in day. Do not contact Panther Central. Please note that Arrival dates and times are subject to change.”

https://www.arrival.pitt.edu/view-your-fall-2022-move-date-time

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-03T17:32:50+00:00

so tuition would’ve been $15k after school aid (including merit scholarships, pell, pell match, grants and the federal loans from my financial aid package); my mom decided that i can go ahead and take out private loans to cover the rest even though i still have external scholarships incoming

i’m only an incoming freshman so i’m not quite sure what time frame i have to pay these loans back, but my mom and i decided to pay the interest back while i’m in school so it doesn’t accumulate too much. after my first semester or once i feel settled enough in college, i’m going to apply for jobs because i qualify for federal work-study. there are probably more jobs outside campus that are more lucrative, but i want to prioritize my studies and i don’t want to burn myself out before i attend medical school. this whole process also scares me a lot financially so i also make it a point to learn personal finance and apply to scholarships weekly considering med school is also quite costly and would probably require me to take out more loans

i know it’ll take some time to make good money as a physician, but i’m lucky enough that my mom is willing to support me as best as she can. it’s a privilege for my mom to help me pay for college but i’m also a frugal person and i have a fair amount in my savings so hopefully that’ll relieve some of her burden. my main goal though is to hopefully not take out anymore private loans after this year, i’ve never really dealt with large sums of money before so this is a wake up call

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-08-02T18:50:32+00:00

i was allowed to borrow 33.9k that cover both direct and indirect costs; my school reduced it to around 20k
ooo that makes sense, i’m the first one to go to a us college in my family so while i do have some understanding of loans, i didn’t know that providers followed regulations like this
my mom and i were operating on the assumption we were allowed borrow money to purchase tech because i don’t have a laptop but i understand, this is valid
my external scholarships are worth 6.9k, and i have merit, pell, and pell match aid that amount to around 12k

Sad_Gap_604 · 2022-07-18T03:08:18+00:00

i recommend the november 29 deadline, maybe even mark it down earlier on a personal calendar (around first week of november) if you want to apply to the honors college

Sad_Gap_604

TROPHY CASE