<p>“I think; therefore, I am.” If you decide on philosophy, remember to not put Descartes before the horse. Because if we invoke Kant’s universality principle from his idea of the categorical imperative, then everyone would put their carts before the horse, which would make the world a place filled with carts before horses. That is, no one would ever get anywhere because the cart would always be in front of the horses, inhibiting the horse’s ability to pull the cart.</p>
<p>Lame attempts at humor aside, I think the advice above is spot on. On a practical level, I would add that you are known by the company you keep. I know some pre-meds that cannot shut it down, i.e. they constantly talk about pre-med stuff to the point where you think they might be neurotic. These are the SDN-type. If you ask about what they plan to do over the weekend, they usually answer with a laundry list of what they have to study. Contrast this with my core group of friends (about a good portion are pre-meds) who tend to spend time talking about the latest smartphones, football, study abroad plans, or winter/spring break trips.</p>