On a Mid-Semester Evaluation Fall '13

This semester (my last fall semester at cal!) I'm taking Astro C13 (cross-listed with IB), IB 117, Soc 180i, and H196A

Astro C13: This is one of the first 'Big Ideas' courses that got started this year I believe. It's a combination of astro and biology, studying the time between the big bang to the emergence of humans. It's taught by Elliot Quataert and Charles Marshall. It's a course for non-majors, which is pretty evident in the lectures. I'm not sure about astro (since I've never taken an astro course before), but for the bio section, Marshall keeps it very simple and broad, making sure not to go too in-depth with the material. On the other hand, I'm glad I took IB 113L beforehand because he does go over a lot of the same topics and ideas. I'm pretty sure the astro section is the same way. And because the material doesn't go too deep, you're able to learn astro on a broad and conceptual scale- planet formation, dark matter, etc. There's a lab/section once a week that accompanies this class, and while it's an unnecessarily long two hours, it's not bad (as in, no quizzes haha). The one downside to this class is the weekly homework. Maybe it's because I haven't had homework in a while, but the weekly assignments are a bit annoying, especially because the questions are very vague and I have to go to office hours a lot to fully answer the questions... This class has one midterm and one final, non-cumulative. The midterm was ok- nothing surprising, all short answer and lecture/concept based. Also, there aren't too many words on the lecture slides, so if you're going to take this class, make sure to attend class and take notes :) Class grade breakdown: 10% participation, 40% hw, 20% MT1, and 30% final.

IB 117 (medical ethnobotany): I'm taking this class for a major requirement. I would say it's a typical Carlson class, except this is my first class with him... So i'll say that it's what people call a 'typical Carlson class' haha. The class is about various plants, their medicinal uses, and how it affects us physiologically. He lectures twice a week for an hour and lecture slides are all in the reader. There's one midterm (45%) and one final (55%). The exams are all multiple choice and come from the reader. I was scared that we would need to memorize every small detail, but for the first midterm at least, it was more general detail that was tested. I'm not sure how it'll be for the final though... So far, I enjoy this class- the reader is filled with pictures of places that Carlson has been to and people he's worked with, so it's nice to hear stories like that from time to time.

Soc 180i (Inequality): I took this class because I really like Ivester's classes haha. If you recall from last semester, I took global elites with her (I highly recommend that class!) and wanted to take another class from her this semester. There are two midterms and one final for this class, although the final is just like another midterm since it's weighted the same. It's on a straight point system (40 points for participation via iclicker + 60 points for the 3 exams)- same format as global elites. And she gives you the possible exam questions beforehand so you can prepare; she gives you an hour for the essay. In all, her classes are fun and interesting :)

H196A: I'm doing an honors thesis so I have to take this class haha

I've had my telebears last week (last telebears!) and so far have signed up for IB169, ESPM144, PH116 (all required for me to graduate).

Best of luck during MTs!

-K 

On Post-Grad Options

Supposed to represent the future... :/ 

1. Post-bacc: this could be your own "program" where you take the science classes you need/more upper div science courses at your school or at another college. Or, you could go the formal route and actually do a program, which is about 2 years I believe. There are pros and cons to each route. For the informal route, you can just take the classes that you require to get into med school (prereqs). This should be less expensive than enrolling in an actual program and more time efficient. Enrolling in a formal program requires that you take all the courses that come with the program, and it's expensive. Although, by doing the program, I think you get access to all the premed advisors and counselors (although I don't see why you couldn't get access to them while doing an informal program...). Also, I believe some (most?) premed post bacc programs are tied with med schools, so doing well in the program might give you a better chance of matriculating to their medical school. I believe this program is geared towards people who want a change in their careers and need to fulfill the med school prereqs or for those who have done poorly in their prereqs and want to show med schools that they can do well in those classes.

2. SMP (Special Master's Program): like the name implies, this is a master's program of 1 or 2 years, depending on where you go. Unlike the postbacc where you take prereqs, a master's program gives you a masters degree in an area, such as physiology (man that was worded poorly haha). It's pretty expensive, but might be a better investment than a postbacc if you have borderline competitive grades/mcat. Some programs give you residency for the state you're doing the program in and they're also tied to their med schools. You also take the same classes that med students take for that year (whereas in post bacc programs, you take the same classes that undergrads do). This means that if you do well in those classes + have residency + linkage to their med school = a much better chance of gaining acceptance to their MD program. However, like I said before, it's pricey and still a gamble. If gpa is the only thing holding you back, it might be worth it to take a look into this program. But if it's mcat or ECs, perhaps not so much since you could raise your mcat or build up your ECs by taking a gap year (or two, in the case of taking a gap year to redo the mcat or build up your ECs and then applying the next cycle...does that make sense? haha) Which brings me to point 3...

3. Take a gap year (or two): like I mentioned in point 2, if it's the mcat or extra currics that are mainly holding you back, it might be cheaper to take a year off before you apply and re-take the mcat or do more extra currics. But be careful, since the mcat changes in 2015, you probably will want to take the mcat before then haha.

Hope this helps! And if anyone else has more or better information than what I have posted, please leave a comment below!

Best,
-K 

Dear Reader 62

Anonymous said...

Hey K, I know that you've been busy, but can you make a post soon about how your MCAT went, as well as options for after undergrad, such as post-bacc programs? Love your blog btw, and I'm also a fellow IB pre-med! : )

Dear Anonymous, 

Thanks for stopping by and your kind words :) 

The mcat... was horrific for me- I'll do a full post on it when I find the courage to write about my experience haha. For now, I'll just say that I have to retake it- there goes my winter break... 

Post-undergrad plans have been on my mind a lot lately as well since I'll be graduating in the spring. As far as I know, there are a few options:

1. Post-bacc: this could be your own "program" where you take the science classes you need/more upper div science courses at your school or at another college. Or, you could go the formal route and actually do a program, which is about 2 years I believe. There are pros and cons to each route. For the informal route, you can just take the classes that you require to get into med school (prereqs). This should be less expensive than enrolling in an actual program and more time efficient. Enrolling in a formal program requires that you take all the courses that come with the program, and it's expensive. Although, by doing the program, I think you get access to all the premed advisors and counselors (although I don't see why you couldn't get access to them while doing an informal program...). Also, I believe some (most?) premed post bacc programs are tied with med schools, so doing well in the program might give you a better chance of matriculating to their medical school. I believe this program is geared towards people who want a change in their careers and need to fulfill the med school prereqs or for those who have done poorly in their prereqs and want to show med schools that they can do well in those classes.

2. SMP (Special Master's Program): like the name implies, this is a master's program of 1 or 2 years, depending on where you go. Unlike the postbacc where you take prereqs, a master's program gives you a masters degree in an area, such as physiology (man that was worded poorly haha). It's pretty expensive, but might be a better investment than a postbacc if you have borderline competitive grades/mcat. Some programs give you residency for the state you're doing the program in and they're also tied to their med schools. You also take the same classes that med students take for that year (whereas in post bacc programs, you take the same classes that undergrads do). This means that if you do well in those classes + have residency + linkage to their med school = a much better chance of gaining acceptance to their MD program. However, like I said before, it's pricey and still a gamble. If gpa is the only thing holding you back, it might be worth it to take a look into this program. But if it's mcat or ECs, perhaps not so much since you could raise your mcat or build up your ECs by taking a gap year (or two, in the case of taking a gap year to redo the mcat or build up your ECs and then applying the next cycle...does that make sense? haha) Which brings me to point 3...

3. Take a gap year (or two): like I mentioned in point 2, if it's the mcat or extra currics that are mainly holding you back, it might be cheaper to take a year off before you apply and re-take the mcat or do more extra currics. But be careful, since the mcat changes in 2015, you probably will want to take the mcat before then haha.

Hope this helps! And if anyone else has more or better information than what I have posted, please leave a comment below!

Best,
-K 

On a Tangent: TV Shows

I finally figured out why my computer wasn't letting me log in- so now that that's done, I'll try to be better about posting :P

This past summer, my stress level has been off the charts, so I thought watching TV shows would be a good way to de-stress. Turns out, not such a good idea since I immediately got hooked on these shows and couldn't stop watching haha. But it did help to get my mind off some things. So if you're looking for a quick way to de-stress, here are some shows I recommend (recent ones):

1. Game of Thrones: Yes, admittedly I got on that bandwagon. However, in my defense, I started reading the books long before the show got popular :D In my opinion, the show has a little bit of everything- war, romance, backstabbing, scheming, humor, tragedy, etc. and all the elements are woven very well so that you don't get tired of one element as another one quickly takes its place. The show isn't rushed, like a lot of war/battle shows are and the plot is so convoluted and intricate that the viewers don't have a chance to get bored with it.

2. American Horror Story: for all the horror lovers out there, wow, this show is absolutely amazing. Not just the story lines (for each season has a different story line), but the actors are some of the best I've seen. Luckily, the actors get recycled for each season so they're used over and over again. This is a show that I cannot watch by myself at night, or else I'd get nightmares- the cinematography makes this show extremely creepy. But that's the appeal, right? Each season manages to weave a bunch of elements together such as Nazis, zombies, ghosts, alien abductions- elements that you would think were impossible to put together...but they do it in a way that makes the plot work, if that makes any sense. In other words, they're incorporated very subtly, and most times, I wasn't conscious of an "alien abduction" or "zombies". Hands down, the best show I've ever seen haha.

3. Bates Motel: This is also a creepy one- a prequel series leading up to the Psycho movies (which i haven't seen). This show also seems sort of American Horror Story-esque but not so creepy and not with such implausible story lines. It follows Norman Bates and his mother, Norma Bates, who've bought a motel after an incident forces them to move from their old place. A lot of things happen during the episodes, but what seems to be the main focus of the show is how Norman changes throughout these episodes- his mental stability seems to be slipping more and more and that's what's scary to me- his instability. This is a show that I just started watching and it's in it's first season, so we'll see how it goes- but so far, it's very good!

4. Lost Girl: A canadian show that's on the Syfy channel I believe- tells a story of a woman who discovers that she's a succubus (a mythological creature that appears in dreams and kills people by feeding off their sexual energy). It's not as big-budget as the previous three shows are, but it has interesting plots and incorporates a lot of myth, which is always fun to watch :)

5. The Walking Dead: I was skeptical about this one and put it off for a long time- I wasn't sure how they could pull off a zombie show, especially when the 1hr 30min time block for the movies seemed long enough to start and finish a zombie apocalypse.. But I was surprised at how good this show was, although it got slow at times. As one might expect, the show follows a group of people who are fighting to stay alive day by day and find some refuge anywhere they can.. Not too many plot twists, but the group dynamic is very interesting and intense- and you don't know who's going to die off the next day.

So these are the most recent/best shows I've watched during the past semester and summer, and ones that I highly recommend to anyone looking for shows to watch. I know I've missed many good ones, Breaking Bad, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, etc. but I feel like a lot of people already watch those shows, and the ones listed here are not as well known (minus Game of Thrones haha). If you have any recommendations, please don't hesitate to comment!

-K 

Dear Reader 60

Oh my goodness I just realized that this post never got posted! I wrote this a while ago, but for some reason, it got saved as a draft! I am soo sorry s.k- I hope this still helps in some way :( 


Hi K!
First of all, I want to thank you for being so informative and helpful by making posts about like in berkeley!!:D
I just finished a 10th grade in high school, and I have decided to go to a community college next year. I want to major in MCB, hopefully in UCB for my junior and senior year.
While looking through your posts, I realized that taking MCB lower division prereqs in community college reflects badly when I apply to a Medical School. (I was planning on finishing all of my prereqs in community college, so that I can take upper division courses for my junior and senior year).
My question is: Is there anything I can do to show that I have learned as much as others (Berkeley students who have taken prereqs at BERKELEY) did? I was thinking about watching the webcast lectures and signing up for the bspace guest account while taking prereq courses at CC.IDK, I feel like having a good score on MCAT and doing well with upper division courses will show that I have learned well when I was at CC. (even though it will be hard for a premed CC student to do well).

Thanks for the infos! I love your blog:))
-S.K.

Dear S.K,

Thanks for stopping by and you're welcome! :D 
That's a hard question to answer haha 
Taking all of your lower division prereqs at a CC might raise a red flag to med schools, since usually, lower division classes are the "foundation" classes for upper divs. A lot of people consider lower div classes to be more important than upper div classes, even though both classes get counted toward your BCPM gpa. Although I'm not completely sure if it'll help, if you absolutely have to take all of your prereqs at a CC, than make sure you explain why in your app (and make sure it's an extremely good reason!). And yes, you might need a high MCAT score and do well in your upper divs to supplement the CC lower divs. Nonetheless, it's not unheard of for students to take lower divs at a CC (although I'm not sure about all of them haha) and get into great med schools, as long as everything else in your application is up to par :). Actually, I talked with someone yesterday who is kind of in the same boat you are. She's looking to transfer to berkeley or UCLA as a junior from a CC, and she said they still require you to take some lower div/intermediate classes at berkeley concurrently with upper divs.. (or at least, that's what I think she said- i couldn't hear that clearly though the phone haha). So make sure to look into that before deciding on your classes :) 

On Tehnical Difficulties

Hey Guys, sorry for not posting/updating for a long time- this summer I've been swamped with mcat studies and now, I'm having some technical difficulties with my computer- for some reason, I'm not able to log in to my account here so this is being written on my phone :P
But a quick update on this semester, I decided to drop music 128A becuase it was too intimidating :( so my classes for the fall are: IB 131 (anatomy), IB 117 (medical ethnobotony), astro C13, and soc180i .
Ill post  more thoroughly once I can log in with my computer, but for now, please excuse the abruptness and any spelling/grammatical errors you may see here  ;) 

Dear Reader 61

Anonymous said...

Love the blog and your advice. Do you have any recommendations on whether I should take Bio 1A/1AL or 1B in Fall 2013?

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you and thanks for stopping by! 

I believe I took both Bio 1A/L and 1B in the fall. At the time, i don't think there was any debate about which semester was easier for the two classes- those debates usually fell around chem1A/3A. The best thing to do would be to look up the professors on courserank and ratemyprof. If that doesn't help, then the general consensus seems to be that science courses are easier in the spring- so perhaps look at taking bio 1A/L (the harder of the two) in the spring. But please take my advice with a grain of salt- It really depends on the professors. If it helps, I don't think there was a big difference between spring/fall bio 1B since no one seemed too worried about that class haha.

All the best, 

K