Freshman Year of College Advice: 6 Helpful Tips for Pre-Med/Pre-Health Students

Hey, Sunshine I hope you are doing amazing and happy summer! I am so proud of you for getting through this insane, chaotic, unpredictable train wreck of a school year. If you have struggled at all during the past year and a half, know that I see you, I hear you, and I am here for you.

Even though some things didn’t go as planned, you have to admit that good things did come out of quarantine. For a lot people it was a time of self-reflection and, above all, a reality check. Personally, it made me realize that everything–the good and the bad–is temporary, and I grew more in the past year and a half than any other time in my life.

I just finished my first year of college and I’m kind of freaking out a little bit? All I can say is that time flies and before you know it I will be writing my “What I Learned in Undergrad” post. I want to share some things that I learned/did during my first year (despite being completely online) that might help you whether you are younger than me or you are just checking out this post. By the way, thank you for visiting my page I really appreciate you.

Some background about me: I am a neuroscience major and on the pre-med track.

Let’s get into it.

Freshman Year of College Advice for Pre-Med/Pre-Health Students:

1. Re-learn/solidify how you study

On top of your college classes, you are going to be living in a completely new environment, with people you have never met before, and probably on your own for the first time in your life (my year had it different of course). You will be adjusting to a new…everything, essentially. With all of these changes it can be easy to fall behind especially in the beginning.

I won’t sugar coat it. Some of the exams are rough–my chem class averaged in the 40 percent range on a midterm one quarter. Some classes, especially the general science courses, are designed to weed out the people who aren’t sure/no longer want to pursue STEM. So even though my first year was online, I still had to figure out what worked and what didn’t.

The key is to study actively not passively (which is what I used to do in high school). This video helped me, but I will do another blog post on my study routine that has worked extremely well for me.

I highly recommend taking an easier course load your first quarter/semester of college. I took 3 classes (quarter system): a calculus class, a general chemistry class, and socal air quality (by the way, if you ever want to know more about air quality, feel free to contact me… ;)). That schedule was perfect because I was still able to adjust, but it wasn’t overbearing and I had space to figure out the ins and outs of a new school system.

2. Fail, and fail…and then fail again

The subheading is a little misleading because this is in no way failure, but a lot of people (myself in the past included) make the BIG mistake of thinking that rejection equates to failure. Your freshman year is when you will have the most free time in college. Take advantage of it. Explore, research organizations that interest you, and take chances even if you miss…by a lot.

Whether it’s learning how to communicate better, what to put on your resume, how to be more “professional”, or preparing to answer hard questions in an interview, you aren’t going to just know how to do these things. It really does come with practice. I tell myself to face rejection now and mess up over and over again because it will help me much more in the long run.

If you get “rejected” from something, thank the person who “rejected” you and then take action. Ask the person(s) who turned you down what prevented you from getting in, and apply their advice to your next interview or application. I always say how everyone in your life is meant to teach you a lesson (big or small), so really rejection is not such a bad thing. That rejection could set you up for something far greater. And just a reminder, you are no less of a person or an applicant if you get rejected. You are capable and you will get there. Just. Keep. Going.

Hey, if you really think about it the most iconic people have faced more rejections than you and I could even imagine. Rejections make for better success stories anyway 😉

3. Explore the field of medicine

The more you familiarize yourself with the medical field early on, the more you will solidify your decision in pursuing medicine. You are going to be asked multiple times, “Why medicine?” throughout the course of your college experience, so whether it is in an interview or an application, you should have a PERSONAL connection to why you want to work in healthcare. I emphasize the word “personal” because it can really make or break your chances of getting into a certain program–or in the long-run, medical school.

You need to know why you are committing to this difficult path beyond just wanting to help people because, really, in any job you can “help people”. What do you live for, and how does it align with your future career in medicine?

4. Have a Routine

Sunshine!!! This is key to setting yourself up for long-term success. This tip is the driving factor in helping me perform better in school, and of course freshman year was no exception. I already know some of you are rolling your eyes reading this, but an ideal daily schedule should include some form of exercise, a nutritious diet, sufficient sleep, and ultimately a balance between school, work, and fun. Go to bed early if you can or at least try to go to bed around the same time every night.

But is this really a surprise?

Sometimes we underestimate the importance of sleeping 7-9 hours every night and I know it can be hard to do this especially if you don’t prioritize your schedule. But a steady routine makes a huge difference in both academic and personal performance. For me personally, I found that I am only motivated to work out if it is first thing in the morning. I also found that I can’t focus on my work if my room is a mess. Because of this, my freshman year routine consisted of waking up a little earlier to do a workout and cleaning my room after breakfast before class started. Doing this really kept me driven to do my best in school.

Of course, there were days where I found myself slacking. But I try to remind myself that I won’t be motivated 100% of the time and that is totally okay. Take breaks. Have fun! It’s all about balance.

Plan your schedule based on what works best for you, and of course adjust it to fit each quarter/semester 🙂

5. Build relationships

Teamwork really does make the dream work. Although my first year was online, I was so fortunate to have met some of the most helpful, down to earth people I have ever known. I can honestly say that the relationships I built during my freshman year helped me perform better in my classes. Holding group study sessions with other driven students allowed me to better understand certain topics that were confusing to me before, especially because college classes are more rigorous. Also if I had trouble understanding a homework problem or anything in class, having someone else to refer to really helped me.

Bottom line is to find at least one study buddy in each class if you can! Of course the more the better, but even having one makes all the difference.

Building relationships doesn’t just stop with the students. If you can get to know your professors it can help you with letters of recommendation in the future. I will admit, this was hard over Zoom and as a freshman. But hey, it doesn’t hurt if you like your professor!

6. Write things down

By the time medical school (or any other graduate school) applications roll around, events from freshman year might slip your mind. Jotting down certain experiences can help you tremendously in the long run. For example, if you volunteer at a hospital or shadow a doctor it doesn’t hurt to write down any moments that made even the smallest impact on you. You can save these journal entries in a folder and refer back to them later!

Alright, Sunshine. That’s it for this post. I hope at least one of these tips helped you or guided you in some way. You are so capable of reaching your goals, and your future is bright. Stay safe, happy summer, and I will see you in the next post! Don’t forget to follow the Instagram to stay updated, and check out the last one if you missed it!

You matter. Never forget that!

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