how hard - Page 2

GCN2 · 10-08-2009, 07:40 PM

Thank you guys for posting accurate representations of your coursework here. I think it helps potential students from falling into the trap of assuming that the Chem 102 class is just like Chem AP, or that if they took econ in high school, it will be just like Econ here.

NDFan41 · 10-08-2009, 08:19 PM

For those currently at Vanderbilt, about how many hours a day do you spend studying? And do you feel that there is a balance between studying and doing other things (relaxing, socializing, etc.) ?

Thanks

GCN2 · 10-08-2009, 09:12 PM

As a senior, I spend over 5-6 hours a day studying outside of class. This does not include time I spend in my research lab. I am only taking 3 classes, and I suppose I could study much less than I do. To be honest though, I am also outscoring many of my peers in our classes. I am probably working harder now than I ever have so far though. (combine that with grad school apps, and yeah I'm stressing out). I think Sophomore year I averaged 3-4 hours a day. Freshmen year I joked that I was majoring in NCAA Football 2008 and spent 1-2 hours a day. Consequently, my GPA has gone up with my study hours.

/stressed rant

NDFan41 · 10-08-2009, 09:37 PM

GCN2: I am interested in Vanderbilt and a pre-med / science major. Do you know anything about Vanderbilt's science / pre-med program? And do you have any idea how well Vandy gets their students into medical school?

Thanks in advance

GCN2 · 10-09-2009, 01:41 AM

I know a bit about sciences at Vandy, yeah. I am a molecular bio major doing honors research, and though I myself am not pre-med, my best friends are all actively interviewing right now for some great MD and MDPHD programs.

Overall, we do not have a "pre-med" major or program. However, the premed courses here are rigorous and prepare students well for the MCAT and medical school. I believe that a little under 80% of all Vandy students that apply to medical school get in somewhere. The HPAO (health professions advisory office) is an excellent resource, and with proper planning and hard work you can set yourself up to have a great shot at getting a lot of interviews. I think that Vandy is a good place for those who are interested in medical school. The classes can be demanding, and it will be difficult to achieve a 3.7+, however a GPA like that from Vandy combined with a good MCAT score will take you far in the process. Vandy has a lot to offer in terms of undergraduate research as well.

If you have specific questions I'd love to help you out, but I could go on for too long without any direction.

vandygirl12 · 10-09-2009, 08:33 AM

I am a sophomore.Three hours a day is about average for me. If I have a test or paper (s) it's more. Not usually much less. But it's also cyclical. Last week was brutal for me--huge paper, small paper, and a couple tests. This week is light. I went out last night and will be able to go out Friday and Saturday nights as well. (But I'll still put a couple hours in Friday and Saturday afternoons and will study most of Sunday/sunday night). I have managed to get A/A-/B+ in everything but calculus and chemistry.

Lauren:) · 10-14-2009, 08:49 PM

it's definitely not easy. I got A's easily in high school with very little studying or homework, but here I spend at least 3 hours every weekday doing homework, sometimes more. The workload is manageable, but getting the work done doesn't guarantee straight A's, no matter how hard you try, and that's a huge difference from high school. That being said, I'm able to go out every friday and saturday night, so there is balance.

crs1909 · 10-14-2009, 10:13 PM

Course difficulty and workload really depends on what classes you're talking about. Like this semester, I have Int. Micro. w/ Rennhoff (so amazing in so many ways) and outside of maybe an hour-long problem set each week, we don't have anything else. Meanwhile, in Marketing, I have to read 1-2 chapters (1-3 hours) and do a case analysis (1-2 hours) each week. So 1 hour for Micro versus 3-5 hours for Marketing.

runtime · 10-24-2009, 06:12 PM

It's pretty simple. You will have to work, and study, and pull a good amount of late/all nighters.

Weekends (Fri/Sat) are fun times. You take a break, relax. Parties, going out. Sunday is all work.

Sciences are harder and require a lot more time. But they are definitely doable. No offense to other posters, but failing is 9/10 times indicative of someone who isn't giving his or her best.

I find that there are two types of students. Those who take it easy during the day, and have a lot of work at night, and those who work hard from 9-6 including making use of the time they have in between classes so they can do something in the night.

It's best to be a part of the second group. Don't wait till the night to get work done. In the night, there can be distractions, and fun things going on.

Plus, you will need nights to study the day or two before exams.

Vanderbilt students are hard workers, they also can party hard too. But, there are a fair share of those who party too much and do poorly. Don't let yourself fall into that group.