And science courses use tests to determine your grade. Instead of writing papers (with the exception of lab reports), you take tests. And tests suck.

It’s especially troublesome if you don’t take tests well.

So here’s the best test-taking tip I can give you:

Find old tests from the same course and same professor from previous years. This may take some searching, but with a little detective work it’s not that hard to find someone else who took the class. There’s a good chance they may have their old tests from the year before, and using them to help you study can help enormously.

Some professors don’t hand back tests, so obviously this won’t work for those cases.

What are the benefits?

1. An understanding of how the professor asks questions. Professor’s write questions different ways, some more tricky than others. Getting a “feel” for how a test is written is great preparation.
2. An insight into what is going to be asked. This may help you narrow down the material you study.
3. The potential for the exact same question to be asked. I once had two old tests to study from for an upcoming exam. When I took the exam I was pleased to find that about 50% of the questions were exactly the same, word for word. Needless to say, I did pretty well.

This will never replace good ol fashioned studying, but it can definitely provide an edge. Give it a shot!

I just watched Good Will Hunting. What a great movie. Will Hunting is a troubled young genius in need of some direction in his life. Who to turn to in such a time of need? Robin Williams of course!

Maybe some of you can relate to the burden of superior brainpower and the subsequent need for guidance. Maybe you can’t read/memorize books in a few minutes like Will, but hey, you want to be a doctor so you must have something up there. Which brings to the best advice you’ll ever hear from me.

Find a mentor. Find several mentors.

One thing pre meds often lack is humility. It’s harsh but true; sometimes we think we know everything, and I am no exception.

The truth is, most pre med students are young and have not been able to develop the wisdom that time often brings. This is where a mentor comes in. Find someone you trust and respect and set up a time to meet with them regularly.

Ideally this would be someone significantly older than you and who can teach you a little about life.

I had three mentors during my college days. Honestly, it can be so refreshing to sit down and chat with someone who is not a fellow student. In my mentors I found stimulating conversation and guidance for my future. I also learned how to sit down and have a normal conversation with a fellow adult, one who is older and who you respect, but who does not look down on you.

It may take some effort to find someone, but it will be worth it. Trust me.

If you’re a pre med student, that means you’re at least moderately intelligent and have probably been successful throughout your educational career. That also means you’ve probably learned the art of sucking up (or kissing ass, or brown nosing, or whatever you want to call it). Now, I hate sucking up. I avoid doing it for many reasons, mostly because I can’t stand it when I see other people do it.

In college, you’ve got to be careful sucking up. My advice would be to avoid it altogether. You see, the point of sucking up in high school is to make the teacher like you in the hopes that this will translate into better grades. In college, especially college science courses, the grading is much more objective than in high school. That means that even if a professor loves you, it’s not going to help you if you don’t know the difference between an anion and a cation.

So what’s the point of rubbing shoulders with some professors? For a pre med student, it can be invaluable. Here are just a few of the benefits:

1. Opportunities for research. Most science college professors are working on some research project. Getting to know them, and showing interest in their field is a great way to get your foot in the door helping out with a research project.
2. Advice. Professors are often very interesting people. Some of my best conversations in college were with professors. Don’t miss an opportunity to learn from someone who may have something to teach you beyond the course material.
3. Letters of recommendation. Guess what? You need them to get into medical school. At least one letter full of praise from a professor that knows you very well is almost a necessity for your med school application.
4. Help with course material. Who better to ask questions about your class than your professor? Even if you are bored by their teaching style in lecture, you may find talking with them one on one a great way to better understand what you’re learning. Asking for help is also a great way to start a relationship with a professor.

Don’t wait! Strike up a conversation with one of your professors as soon as possible. For many students, classes start up soon. There’s no better time to start to get to know a professor than at the beginning of the term. Make yourself known!

Any other benefits to getting to know professors that you other pre meds can think of?

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